by Ted Davis

Directed by: Charles Lamont

This review contains a mild Kitty Carnage Warning!

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Francis the Talking Mule (voiced by Paul Frees) investigates a series of murders associated with a nearby spooky castle, but is hampered in his efforts by an untimely spell of laryngitis and the negligible assistance of David Prescott (Mickey Rooney), his dim-witted human friend (and number one stooge).

Kitty Cameo: Francis and David emerge from a dank and murky corridor to enter a secret storage room where stolen forgeries are stashed, and the clumsy human steps almost immediately on a tabby cat, which screeches and streaks away. (The cat is not actually trod upon and the screech is dubbed.) It’s not unlikely that the cat was a member of the Orangey troop.

Final Mewsings: The only thing scarier than a screeching cat is a talking mule.

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