Gus

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.