"I suppose in all of us there's a trace of a mother complex." These thoughtful words of U.S. Army mule Francis ("That's spelled with an 'i'.") are an example of the charm of this Hollywood concoction. The voice of Chill Wills is deep and warm, just as the equine star's voice should be, and is equal to the deep voice of the Commanding General. Their scenes together late in the film pack a real punch. But meanwhile you have the 2nd Lieutenant Donald O'Connor, making frequent trips to the "Neuropsychiatric Ward"--having been befriended by Francis, and compelled by higher authorities to disclose that his source of military intelligence is a mule that talks. The war story is actually a story-within-a-story,told by O'Connor's character to his post-war employer, as he tries to save his job at the bank. This movie is well-paced and full of cheerful surprises. Zasu Pitts appears as a psychiatric nurse holding her own in an environment of half-baked military psychiatry. Choreography of encounters in Burmese jungle and on the army base moves smoothly and too soon it's a wrap. Hence several sequels.
