Francis in the Navy

After some previous military experience (FRANCIS GOES TO WEST POINT, 1952, and FRANCIS JOINS THE WACS, 1954), Francis, the jabbering ass, telephones his Army pal Lt. Peter Stirling (Donald O'Connor) to inform him that he, Francis, has been drafted into the Navy. Lt. Stirling comes to the aid of the muttering mule (who is about to be auctioned off as surplus), but is mistaken for Slicker Donovan, a bosun's mate (also played by O'Connor) who looks just like him. Slicker's pals think he's gone nuts and is impersonating an Army lieutenant. Of course, Pvt. Francis eventually straightens everything out. A stellar cast of supporting players who, like Francis' small-screen relative Mister Ed, earned a place in television history--Jim Backus ("I Married Joan," "Gilligan's Island," and "Mr. Magoo"), David Janssen ("The Fugitive"), Martin Milner ("Route 66" and "Adam-12"), and, in only his second motion picture appearance, Clint Eastwood, who would first gain notoriety on "Rawhide." (official distributor synopsis)