Gus

Who: Bill
What: Gus
Where: Old tape from a Disney Channel airing in the 1990's
Why: Are you ready for some football?

It’s that time of year again for high school, college and NFL action. It seems appropriate to look back at an unusual sports film. In 1976, Walt Disney Productions presented the story of Gus, the place-kicking mule.

In Yugoslavia, Andy Petrovic (Gary Grimes) discovers his pet mule Gus is quite adept at kicking a soccer ball pretty far. All it takes is a ball at Gus’s feet and a call of “Oyage!” But Andy’s family is less-than-impressed, considering their other son is a famous soccer player. Meanwhile in California, the Atoms football team is dead last in the NFL. After reading about Gus’s kicking abilities, team owner Hank Cooper (Ed Asner) and Coach Venner (Don Knotts) arrange to bring Andy and his “miracle mule” over to the states if only to entertain the audience during halftime. But then Cooper has an idea: why not use Gus in the games themselves to kick long-range field goals? Improbable it is, but Cooper uses a loophole in the NFL rules book to let Gus become a team player. Soon, the Atoms are easily winning their games and become contenders for the playoffs and the Super Bowl. Will Gus take them all the way? Do Disney movies have happy endings?

It is a silly premise, but very entertaining. Incredibly, Gus was filmed with the cooperation of the National Football League. So expect to see plenty of references to actual teams such as the San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers and a few made-up for the movie. There are also some famous names from the NFL’s past who turn up: Dick Butkus (Chicago Bears), Johnny Unitas (Baltimore Colts), Timothy Brown (Philadelphia Eagles) and in an unaccredited role as an Atoms player, Fred Dryer (at the time of filming, he was a Defensive End for the Los Angeles Rams). Producer Ron Miller, Walt’s son-in-law, was a tight end for the Rams in 1956. Along for the fun are other familiar faces including Tim Conway, Tom Bosley, Bob Crane, Harold Gould, Dick Van Patten and Dick Enberg.

As is the case with most Disney live-action films of the 1970’s, Gus is suitable viewing for the whole family. Dads and sons will especially enjoy the football sequences. However, the movie comes up short in two areas: first, many of the close-up shots in the football scenes were done in a studio against a backdrop and this looks too obvious, even by mid-1970’s standards. Second, a scene where Gus gets loose and causes chaos in a supermarket is funny, but lasts far too long.

Still, Gus is a movie that can be enjoyed anytime of year, football season or otherwise. Oyage!