Roddy McDowell is Griffin. dedicated butler to the Flagg family, responsible for taking care of pretty Arabella (Suzanne Pleshette) and her younger brother Jack (Bryan Russell).
When grandpa Alonso Flagg dies, he leaves behind a generous will. Heck, Griffin alone stands to inherit $500,000.
Problem is, Alonso was an eccentric old man who lived well beyond his means during the later years of his life. He died penniless.
Jack, smitten by stories of fortunes to be made in the gold mines of California, runs off and stows away on a ship bound for San Francisco.
Griffin follows, determined to fetch the young boy home. Instead, they bought wind up sailing off for the West Coast.
Once she learns where they are, Arabella follows. She eventually winds up singing in a saloon owned by the double-crossing and lecherous Sam Trimble.
In the meantime, Griffin has adopted the nickname Bullwhip. He and Jack has acquired a rhyme-spouting thespian of a partner named Bartlett.
And they’ve made a couple of enemies too: Judge Higgins (Karl Malden), who’s forever plotting to get all the gold for himself. And Mountain Ox, Trimble’s mountain of a henchmen.
Bullwhip winds up in a prize fight with him. Arabella and Jack fear that could be a deadly endeavor.
Roddy McDowell as Bullwhip Griffin, shocked to spot Arabella singing in a saloon in The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967)
Suzanne Pleshette as Arabella Flagg, wondering what Bullwhip Griffin will do next in The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967)
Review:
Charming little Disney film, even if much of the comedy is handled Road Runner style, especially the climatic prize fight.
Pleshette never looked lovelier. If the film has a fault, it’s that she disappears for far too long once her butler and brother are bound for Frisco.
But Roddy McDowall helps pick of the slack in her absence. One of the film’s best scenes features him training for his prize fight with a much, much larger opponent, and Pleshette taking the role of that opponent in a pretend boxing match that turns into more of a dance.
This marked the final film appearance for child actor Bryan Russell, who plays Arabella’s younger brother. He had an uncredited role in 1962’s “How the West Was Won” and appeared on a number of Western TV series.
Bryan Russell as young Jack Flagg, planning to head to California in search of gold in The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967)
Karl Malden as Judge Higgins, forever trying to swindle others out of their gold in The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967)
Directed by:
James Neilson
Cast:
Roddy McDowall … Bullwhip Griffin
Suzanne Pleshette … Arabella Flagg
Karl Malden … Judge Higgins
Harry Guardino … Sam Trimble
Richard Hayden … Quentin Bartlett
Hermione Baddeley … Miss Irene Chesney
Bryan Russell … Jack Flagg
Liam Redmond … Capt. Swain
Cecil Kellaway … Mr. Pemberton
Jody Baker … Bandido leader
Mike Mazurki … Mountain Ox
Alan Carney … Joe Turner
Parley Baer … Chief Executioner
Arthur Hunnicutt … Referee
Dub Taylor … Timekeeper
Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez … Bandido
Runtime: 108 min.
Harry Guardino as Sam Trimble, the man who gives Arabella a job singing in his saloon in The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967)
Mike Mazurki as Mountain Ox, the strongman enforcing Sam Trimble’s will in The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967)
Memorable lines:
Arabella Flagg, taking her grandfather’s penniless state and her uncertain future in stride: “Grandpa used to say people are 98 percent water. And if you don’t stir them up once in a while, they stagnate.”
Jack Flagg, about the upcoming prize fight: “I always thought you were real smart about everything. But this doesn’t seem very smart to me.”
Bullwhip Griffin: “Master Jack, I have a feeling brute force is not always decisive … Fortunately, I once read the gentleman’s guide to boxing.”
Bullwhip Griffin, when Arabella suggests skipping town before the prize fight: “Miss Arabella, I couldn’t do a thing like that. I’ve given my word.”
Arabella: “What? To Sam Trimble? Why he’d double-cross himself.”
Jack: “Wouldn’t you rather break your word than have somebody break your neck.”
Jack, watching Bullwhip Griffin train for the big fight with his sister’s help: “I sure hope the Mountain Ox would rather dance than fight.”
Bullwhip Griffin, finding jealousy-filled inspiration: “Well, then. I shall be forced to trounce the scoundrel.”
Suzanne Pleshette as Arabella Flagg with younger brother Jack (Bryan Russell), keeping an eye on Bullwhip Griffin in The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967)
Richard Hayden as Quentin Bartlett, the man who partners with Bullwhip and Jack to find gold in The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967)
Liam Redmond as Capt. Swain, the man who welcomes Bullwhip aboard his ship when he learns Bullwhip can cook in The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967)
Suzanne Pleshette as Arabella Flagg, reacting when she learns of Bullwhip’s upcoming prize fight in The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967)
Bryan Russell as Jack Flagg and Roddy McDowall as Bullwhip Griffin trying to find a man with a gold map in The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967)
Suzanne Pleshette as Arabella, thrilled to learn Bullwhip Griffin (Roddy McDowall) has a jealous streak in The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967)
){kind=link}