The "Francis" used in the movies was not named "Molly". She was named "Judy". I thought, perhaps, you would like a true version in regards to Francis (Judy) who belonged to my step-grandfather Archie Dean who, at the time, owned and operated the High Sierra Pack Train in Independence, California. As a young man in his teens Archie worked as a carpenter in one of the Hollywood movie studios and met people of the movie industry who were familiar with his father who had taken many of them on pack trips into the High Sierras from the town of Independence, California in the Owens Valley. After his father's passing, Archie took over the pack train operation. Archie Dean was contacted by Universal Pictures Studio when they wanted a mule for a picture they were making about a talking mule. Archie sold them a male mule named "Billie". The mule did not work out so they brought "Billie" back to Archie and wanted to use his pet mule "Judy" for the movie. Archie was reluctant to let his pet go, but finally told them he would "not ever sell her to them", but would loan her to them as long as they brought her back for the packing season in the Spring. The studio came back to Independence to get "Judy" in the Fall and promised to return her in the Spring. They never returned Judy the mule as promised and Archie, eventually, had to hire an attorney to try and get his pet mule, "Judy", returned. At the time, my mother, Mary "Tansy" Fitz-Patrick Smith and, my grandmother, Mary "Mateet" Fitz-Patrick Dean were very familiar with these events as they transpired. "Tansy" and "Mateet" worked at the pack station and were aware of the dealings with Universal Studios and knew all the people and animals involved with the pack station. In the end, the studio refused to return "Judy", Archie's pet mule, and he never saw or heard of her again except, as they say, "In The Movies".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_the_Talking_Mule
This is just excellent, it's like somebody wrote a letter entitled "Dear Mr. Pedia" and it got added to the page. Never change, internet.