Monkeys, Go Home! (1967)

Henry Dussard, a young American, inherits a picturesque but badly neglected olive farm in southern France and is determined to make it operational again despite cautionary advice from the ... See full summary »

Director:

Andrew V. McLaglen

Writers:

Maurice Tombragel (screenplay), G.K. Wilkinson (book),

Stars:

Maurice Chevalier, Dean Jones, Yvette Mimieux

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Maurice Chevalier	...	Father Sylvain
Dean Jones	...	Hank Dussard
Yvette Mimieux	...	Maria Riserau
Bernard Woringer	...	Marcel Cartucci
Clément Harari	...	Emile Paraulis (as Clement Harari)
Yvonne Constant	...	Yolande Angelli
Marcel Hillaire	...	Mayor Gaston Lou
Jules Munshin	...	Monsieur Piastillio
Alan Carney	...	Grocer
Maurice Marsac	...	Fontanino
Darleen Carr	...	Sidoni Riserau

Storyline

Henry Dussard, a young American, inherits a picturesque but badly neglected olive farm in southern France and is determined to make it operational again despite cautionary advice from the local priest and a pretty villager. Desperate for laborers, the inventive Dussard turns to the zaniest crew of olive pickers ever recruited - four mischievous monkeys! As former members of an Air Force space team, these intelligent chimps quickly pick up on their new responsibilities - but prove to have a turbulent effect on the local townspeople.

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Plot Keywords:

olive | olive farm | priest | france | southern france | 

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Taglines:

MORE FUN than a basket full of monkeys! (original poster)

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 February 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Francesa e o Americano

Filming Locations:

Walt Disney Studios, 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the last film project for Maurice Chevalier.

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Goofs

During the scene where the 4 chimpanzees are moved to a barn as a temporary home, there is one particular part where two are in the hay loft, one swinging there on a pulley and one having climbed up previously. Hank then tells the others to go into the loft, and three chimpanzees climb the ladder.

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Connections

Referenced in 1st Annual Mystery Science Theater 3000 Summer Blockbuster Review (1997)

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Soundtracks

"Joie De Vivre"
Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman
Sung by Maurice Chevalier

User Reviews

Bottom of the Barrel of Monkeys

Speaking as someone who has made an extensive study of the live-action Disney films of the 1960s-1970s I can say with some authority that this is truly one of the worst films ever released by Disney; almost unwatchable. With the charming Dean Jones and Yvette Mimieux at the center of a romantic plot this film has its moments (along with a delightful Maurice Chevalier, in what is a small role though curiously first-billed), but it is constantly derailed by the need to add monkey antics to the mix. Bringing in trained animals is a constant source of mirth in Disney live action gimmick comedies; it works in a Bubblegum Pop/ College Comedy setting (see the Disney film "The Monkeys Uncle") but against the backdrop of an American desperately trying to save an olive farm in Provence the entire film just fights against itself for a hundred minutes. Supporting characters rage about for no apparent reason, constantly entering and exiting the plot with no apparent motivation; and we are supposed to believe (and the plot hinges) on the concept that the entire village would be outraged that a man would use trained monkeys to pick olives for a harvest that last but three days a year instead of hiring locals is a stretch even by Disney standards (and this is the studio that convinced us a boy could turn into a dog and a car could have a mind of its own).

This was released in the year following Walt Disney's death. One might wonder if he would have chucked the entire thing rather than release this to theatres under the Disney name. It is truly shocking that this film made it to DVD before many other, better-remembered titles from the era.