Gus

Once I was watching TV late at night and this stupid-looking movie came on. It was Gus. I can't believe movies like this could be actually pitched to an executive, but I guess Disney can never be underestimated. As I began to watch it, I became enthralled: a mule kicks field goals from any distance and never misses. Alas, the mule gets kidnapped before the BIG GAME and he must be retrieved. Boy was I surprised when he was airlifted back onto the field after an unpleasant yet unbelievable scene involving a supermarket. Don Knotts plays a terrible coach too, but Gus steals the show here. If you want to watch a movie that never should have been made, check out Gus.

This drags.

I actually don't mind how silly the premise to 'Gus' is, yet even so it's such a slow and predictable watch. There's a few decent gags spread across the 96 minute run time, but there's so much plainness with everything else. The plot itself is something that feels seen before, across Disney's many high school/sport comedies from these early decades.

As for the cast, Ed Asner is the best performer as Hank Cooper. Don Knotts (Venner) and Tim Conway (Crankcase) are in a film again, following on from 'The Apple Dumpling Gang'; though they aren't a pair here, Tom Bosley (Spinner) teams up with Conway instead. Regardless, none of the three are all that amusing. There are a few other OK but forgettable roles, while the sports commentator bits are way more annoying than they are funny.

Not a production I would recommend, even if you could pick many worse live-action films from this studio to watch.

This has to be the only football movie where a team does its majority scoring with field goals. Then again if I had a kicker like Gus the mule I might realign my offense as well especially if it was as weak as the California Atoms.

Ed Asner is the owner of the team and he's made what is a foolish bet with Harold Gould that if his team gets to the Super Bowl Gould will tear up the note that he holds on Asner, a kind of team mortgage. But with Gus the Yugoslavian mule and his handler Gary Grimes the Atoms start winning for Asner and coach Don Knotts. Can't forget Knotts he's quite the inspirational coach.

Gould is down but not out. He hires a pair of recently released con men from jail, Tom Bosley and Tim Conway for some dirty tricks. As you can imagine they come up short. The final sequence with them is chasing the kidnapped but escaped mule through a supermarket. It's a page right out of the Marx Brothers and their chase scene in The Big Store.

Bob Crane has a good bit part as a broadcaster with Hall of Fame Johnny Unitas sharing the play by play with him. He's every know it all announcer you just love to hate and loves the sound of his own voice.

This Disney film holds up well after over 40 years and a lot of familiar players get to do their stuff.

It is important to always remember that Disney movies, at least then, were made to entertain; to show happiness; success; and a happy ending. Thus, other reviewers perhaps should understand this. You probably would not like Disneyland.

A pleasant story of a man (Gary Grimes), from the former Yugoslavia, who has the chance of a lifetime to come to the USA, and with the help of Gus, his mule, win football games...you know the plot, obviously.

I did not care for the role of Tom Bosley, whatsoever. It was too affected, and very goofy. How ludicrous, that in a hospital or supermarket, no one tried to detain him (or Conway), or otherwise notify the police.

Furthermore, the well-known supermarket scene, was WAY, WAY too long, and very silly.

Still, Disney movies of the 1960s and 1970s never fail to make us happy. The young man (Andy) has a father who does not value him very much.

Great footage, for you football nuts, and the ending is the whole entire movie-priceless.

This show belonged obviously, to Gary Grimes and to Gus, certainly not to Bosley and Conway.

Soon after this, Gary Grimes retired permanently from the whole entertainment world, and today is in charity work.

Good old Tim Conway.

No matter what, you can always count on Tim Conway for a good laugh; in the movies or TV.

Especially here, in "Gus".

Never mind the fact that Asner, Knotts, Dick Butkus and a field goal-kicking mule provide big laughs here, this is Tim's movie.

Never was there a modern-day pratfall king like Tim, and the scenes featuring him and Bosley (as two losers who kidnap the mule to make Gus' team forfeit) give this movie the laughs that it has.

You'll love the supermarket scene. Guaranteed.

Eight stars. All for Tim's work. He's a national treasure.

Oh, and a nice mule, too.