The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin *** (1967, Roddy McDowall, Suzanne Pleshette, Hermione Baddeley, Karl Malden) – Classic Movie Review 12,831

The 1967 American comedy film The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin is an amusing, very jovial Walt Disney spoof Western starring Roddy McDowall, Suzanne Pleshette and Karl Malden.

Director James Neilson’s 1967 American comedy film The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin is an amusing, very jovial Walt Disney spoof Western starring Roddy McDowall, Suzanne Pleshette, Hermione Baddeley, and Karl Malden.

The screenplay by Lowell S Hawley, based on Sid Fleischman’s 1963 children’s novel By the Great Horn Spoon!, sends up the 1935 film Ruggles of Red Gap. It is 1849, and 12-year old young aristocrat Jack (Bryan Russell) is orphaned in Boston and stows away on a ship bound for San Francisco with family’s former proper Boston butler Eric Griffin (Roddy McDowall) to join the gold rush.

Eric gets work as the ship’s cook. Later, he meets stocky bully Mountain Ox (Mike Mazurki) and flattens him with a punch that earns him the nickname Bullwhip.

Eric understandably lusts after Jack’s older sister, the delectable Arabella Flagg (Suzanne Pleshette), who sets off to California to uncover her gold-seeking kid brother Jack, arrives in town and takes a job in a dance hall.

The unique character players, a lively comedic script and the quality Disney production make this above average family entertainment. In an unusually fine cast, Karl Malden, Harry Guardino, Mike Mazurki and Joby Baker are all splendid baddies.

The songs are written by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman, and the theme song is written by Mel Leven and George Bruns, with Bruns composing the film’s score.

It is Neilson’s fifth and final film for Disney.

The cast are Roddy McDowall as Eric ‘Bullwhip’ Griffin, Suzanne Pleshette as Arabella Flagg, Bryan Russell as Jack Flagg, Karl Malden as Judge Higgins, Harry Guardino as Sam Trimble, Richard Haydn as Quentin Bartlett, Mike Mazurki as Mountain Ox, Hermione Baddeley as Miss Irene Chesney, Alan Carney as Joe Turner, Liam Redmond as Captain Swain, Cecil Kellaway as Mr Pemberton, Joby Baker as Bandido Leader, Parley Baer as Chief Executioner, Arthur Hunnicutt as Referee, Dub Taylor as Timekeeper, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez as Bandido, John Qualen as Barber, Jimmy MacDonald as Saloon Percussionist, Dave Willock, and Gil Lamb.

Tony Hancock was sacked because his ‘erratic behaviour’ and replaced by Richard Haydn.

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin is directed by James Neilson, runs 110 minutes, is made by Walt Disney Productions, is released by Buena Vista, is written by Lowell S Hawley, is shot by Edward Colman, is produced by Walt Disney and Bill Anderson and scored by George Bruns.

It was edited for content on Disney+, removing the word ‘Coolie’.

Release date: June 15, 1967.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,831

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