This week it's Air Bud before Air Bud meets Million Dollar Athlete meets Operation Dumbo Drop meets the who's who of 70s television...meets a terrible movie. Well ok we didn't mean to go offsides...but this movie is bad. This movie plays like Russell Wilson and the Broncos are playing football right now in 2023. But it sure is interesting to discuss and see where we both felt the opportunities were. This movie lives pretty high in the zeigeist of sports films but why? Can we figure it out or do we miss the field goal completely here?
It's Thanksgiving so tune in now for our review and recap of Gus from 1976.
Storyline :The California Atoms are in last place with no hope of moving up. But by switching the mule from team mascot to team member, (He can kick 100 yard field goals!) they start winning, and move up in the rankings, Hurrah! The competition isn't so happy.
Directors: Vincent McEveety
Writers: Ted Key, Arthur Alsberg, and Don Nelson
Stars: Edward Asner, Don Knotts, Gary Grimes, and Tim Conway
Awards: 0 Wins & 0 Nominations
Film Budget: Unknown
Gross Worldwide: $21,873,000
This movie is honestly so fucking weird and obscure we could not find anything on youtube for a score or songs.
You'll get a kick out'a Gus
Dick Van Patten was known as a nice guy off-screen and on-screen, but he was also a serious, hardcore gambler who introduced his sons to gambling while in their teens. Vincent Van Patten is a serious poker player, and has played in and provided commentary on television poker tournaments.
The chase scene playing on the drive-in screen is from Disney's then recent picture The Million Dollar Duck (1971) which was also directed by this film's director Vincent McEveety and had been made and first released about five years earlier. Both movies are comedy-fantasies featuring animals with special abilities.
This is the only one of their six films together where actor's Don Knotts and Tim Conway do not share any scenes.
The mule that played ''Gus'' the place-kicking mule was actually named 'Gus'.
Real life ex-footballers and then current football players who featured in the film, a number uncredited, included: Dick Butkus, Tony Baker, Charlie Cowan, William Drake, Fred Dryer, Harold Jackson, Cody Jones, Richard Kay, Bob Klein, Lawrence McCutcheon, Eddie McMillan, James Peterson and Johnny Unitas.
We were fully prepared to have to rent this one on Amazon but you can watch it here on Disney+