Francis Goes to the Races (1951)
In this funny sequel to the popular Francis the Talking Mule, the talkative Mule and his pal Peter get a job working on a horse-breeder's ranch. They end up saving it from financial ruin when Francis, who has the inside track with the racehorses, provides Peter with names of the winners before the races are run. Sure enough Peter finds himself with a fistful of cash and uses it to buy a racehorse for the farm. Unfortunately, the horse he chooses is suffering from a debilitating lack of confidence. When not dealing with the mare, Peter finds time to court the horse breeder's niece and trying to avoid the gangsters who want in on the winnings.
- Arthur Lubin
- Oscar Brodney
- Robert Arthur
- David Stern
- David Stern
Rating: 6.5/10 by 13 users
Alternative Title:
Country:
United States of America
Language:
English
Runtime: 01 hour 28 minutes
Budget: $0
Revenue: $0
Plot Keyword: horse, sequel, prologue, mule, harness racing, psychotronic film
The one where Francis does the Bottle Cap Challenge. Take that, Statham! 'Francis Goes to the Races', while still a lacklustre and repetitive affair, surprisingly manages to improve upon the poor original. The main reason for that is the fact that the racing setting actually fits much better with the silliness of a talking mule, as opposed to the setting of war as seen before. Donald O'Connor continues the make the films more bearable than they'd otherwise be. Elsewhere, Chill Wills, Piper Laurie, Cecil Kellaway and Jesse White are all alright. It's a tough sell for the cast these films, so I respect their commitment to be fair! There's another to come, just don't tell Brenda from Bristol!
