The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967)
To restore his family's lost wealth, a young Boston lad stows away on a ship bound for the California Gold Rush. When their very proper butler gives chase, all roads lead to nonstop adventure, wild and woolly characters, and a lucky punch that leads to a bonanza of belly laughs!
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Wonderful Movie
Very Cool!!!
everything you have heard about this movie is true.
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
This a Disney film that most people have never heard of and, to me, it is one of the funniest. OK, some of it is a little hokey, but, by and large, it is a film the whole family can enjoy. Roddy McDowall is perfect as the straight-laced butler who tries his best to help his young friend in the gold fields of 1849 California. Suzanne Pleshette (beautiful as ever) plays the love interest that Bullwhip can't bring himself to admit. She can also belt out a pretty good barroom tune. Add a crooked judge who is also a thief, one of the funniest fist fights ever filmed and likable villains and you have an entertaining romp in the old west.
It's a pity this film isn't more well-known. "Bullwhip Griffin," is one of the better live-action Disney films of the 60's. Roddy McDowell is perfectly cast and delivers an appealing performance in the title role. Disney was wise to give leading roles to "character actors" from time to time. Like Angela Lansbury in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," McDowell proves that he's strong enough to carry an entire picture when given the opportunity. The kid-actor who accompanies him in his adventures is useful and not obnoxious. Suzanne Pleshette is just amazing, especially in her "San Francisco" musical number. She is the sexiest saloon-hall singer you could hope to find in a G-rated film!
At the end of the fight scene with Roddy McDowall & Mike Mazurki, Richard Hadyn goes to the fight timekeeper (Dub Taylor) to distract him from ringing the triangle thereby ending the fight's round. He takes the triangle causing Taylor to whack, and utterly destroy, the pocketwatch that hangs on a post and that he is using to keep the time. Cut to cast congratulating McDowall on winning the fight. Cut back to Hadyn who hands Taylor back the triangle--only now the pocketwatch is back in place and totally intact!
This movie is sweet, fun, entertaining for the whole family. For those who appreciate the more innocent days that are no longer. (The boxing match scene is a bit overdone though.) Roddy and Suzanne are cute together. Can't understand why this is not available on VHS!