The Apple Dumpling Gang (Special Edition) Reviews

• First they blew into town... then they BLEW IT UP!

  
  By A25ZVI6RH1KA5L on 2003-09-22
  I bought this movie out of a sense of nostalgia, being a child of the seventies. Watching this movie now, it didn't quite hold up as well as I remembered, but it is somewhat entertaining, and I would feel comfortable showing it to my nieces and nephews, given its' lack of anything that could be considered even remotely offensive.

  The plot has Donovan (Bill Bixby), a bachelor and small time hustler of sorts, getting stuck with the care of three orphan children. As he tries to unburden himself of his three wards, he finds the townspeople to be less than receptive to the idea of taking in the children. These orphans hold the deed to a goldmine, thought by everyone to be dried up, but an earthquake turns up a huge gold nugget, and now the townspeople are falling over themselves to take custody. Donovan, actually concerned with the welfare of the children, works up a plan to marry Dusty (Susan Clark), and pass the children on to her care, as she seems truly interested in the welfare of the children, and not their money.

  Don Knotts and Tim Conway play a pair of bungling thieves who scheme, among other things, to try and steal the huge gold nugget. The whole ladder theft from the firehouse scene was pretty funny.

  Some other easily recognizable stars in this movie are Harry Morgan and Slim Pickens.

  As I said before, while the movie didn't seem as humorous to me now as it did when I was a child, it was certainly entertaining. It's a fine wide screen presentation, but what I really enjoyed was the special features. The interactive menus are excellent and grant access to quite a lot of interesting information like lengthy biographies, interviews, history of the back lots at Disney studios, promotional stills and advertising material for the movie, a synopsis of what was going on at Walt Disney in 1975 (the year this movie was released), and so much more.
  
  

• Apple Dumpling Gang

  
  By AK61LQI92GTCH on 2005-04-03
  Seven ways to tell THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG is a Walt Disney movie.
  1- The story is set in Quake City, California, and is a western. The story is about three orphans - nine-year-old Clovis (Brad Savage), thirteen-year-old Bobby (Clay O'Brien), and seven-year-old Celia (Stacy Manning) - who aren't as insufferably cute as you were worried they'd be.
  2- The movie deals with a classic Disney theme - lost children in search of love and security. The movie throws the athletic Susan George and the charming Bill Bixby in their path. George plays a stagecoach driver and Bixby a roving gambler who becomes guardian of the children, and who, most of the time, forgets there's a pretty woman `neath George's cowboy clothes and trail dust. Bixby nearly burns down the cabin when he tries to fix the kids dinner. There's no way George and Bixby will ever get together, even though the kids need a stable family.
  3- The scariest moment takes place in an abandoned gold mine. You know this is a Disney movie because the vermin scuttling about the dark mineshafts aren't bats and rats, but rather the less threatening owls and mice.
  4- The scariest bad guy is played by Slim Pickens, who does put one of the kids in danger for a little while, but for the most part is an inept outlaw.
  5- The other bad guys are played by Don Knotts and Tim Conway, dumb and dumber partners who can't seem to do much of anything right. How dumb are they? After casing a bank prior to robbing it, Don Knotts tells Tim Conway "It's a piece of cake!" to which an agitated Conway responds "You mean it ain't gold!?"
  6- You know this is a Disney movie because the sets are richly detailed and look good and realistic.
  7- Finally, you know this is a Disney movie because you laughed when you were supposed to, rooted for the kids, hoped Bixby and George would finally realize they were meant for each other. In other words you like the movie quite a bit, but this being a Disney and you being a hip adult you don't want to spread that uncool news too far.
  
  
  

• outstanding alternative to Disney/Pixar formulaic releases of today

  
  By ADWH2E3TYI0Q1 on 2007-10-17
  there isn't a star-studded soundtrack. there aren't guest appearances by every grown-up's favorite comedians. there is a noticeable lack of sarcasm. there aren't any kids saying grown-up "quasi curse phrases" like "that blows!" "he sucks" or any of that stuff.
  
  in other words, it's vintage disney -- from that era when disney actually created movies for CHILDREN, instead of attempting to entertain "the entire family" by introducing borderline material that most kids under the age of 10 (like my 8- and 5-year-old) have no business hearing.
  
  the "villains" are silly, hapless caricatures of "bad guys," and while they do carry and shoot guns, it's very stooges-y slapsticky types of "violence." somewhere along the line, "modern parents" and pop culture collectively decided that silly armed villains are a bigger menace to society than children who say mean, hurtful, sarcastic things to each other, their parents, teachers and all other adults/authority figures.
  
  frankly, movies like THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG are more than funny and entertaining; they possess a charm and innocence that children aren't allowed to have anymore, because america wants their children to grow up as soon as possible. unfortunately, on a social level, "growing up" too often means being disrespectful, negative, cynical and sarcastic at far too early an age.
  
  don't mean to be on the soapbox, don't mean to be too old-fashioned, but this wonderful movie is more than just a fun two hours for the family...it's a reminder that maybe it's not such a bad idea to make childhood last a little longer than it seems to now.
  
  worth every penny...just like the benji and original herbie movies. my kids love it!
  
  

• "3 little kids? 3 little swindlers, you mean!"

  
  By A10QUKLNY6C3GC on 2001-08-20
  If there was one movie I'd like on DVD someday, it's "The Apple Dumpling Gang!" It's a timeless classic where Russell Donavon (the late Bill Bixby) gets stuck with three orphaned kids who become popular in the town of Quake City after they discover gold in the father's old mine! Suddenly, everyone is after their gold! Including bumblers Theodore and Amos (Don Knotts & Tim Conway in one of their best movies)! Hopefully, someday I will be able to get the DVD version of the movie! Your kids will love this movie!
  
  

• Memories

  
  By A1WIWKT46OWH9O on 2002-03-21
  This film brings back memories of the old Disney shows that would come on the TV and of us going to the movies to see it. My daughter saw this movie and I think it was her first Disney Movie. This is a great kids movie, and a good family movie if you just want to get back to the roots of what makes a group of people a family...LOVE.
  
  
• BILL BIXBY THE ACIDIENTAL DAD IN THE APPLE DUMPLING
  By A3D33WFGYFW6DG on 2002-04-21
  THE MOVIE IN ITS ENTIRTY WAS UNSUSPASED, BILL BIXBY PLAYED THE SWEET DAD. ENVN IN THE INCRECEBLE HULK BIXBY'S SWEETNES COMES THOUUGH.
  
  
• Hilarious!
  By A294LG3DPHQITI on 2005-08-25
  I am so glad there are still some good clean movies out there.
  This one is real funny and you will enjoy it.
  
  
• Excellent Widescreen DVD release of a Disney favorite!
  By on 2004-02-13
  An excellent DVD release -- in WIDESCREEN -- that does justice to a Disney favorite from the 1970s. The print and sound are excellent -- the extras lots of fun. Note to Disney Home Video: PLEASE release all films in their original theatrical ratios. We were very disappointed with The Snowball Express, Balckbeard's Ghost, Babes in Toyland, and The Moon-Spinners. Disney fans take note: Escape to Witch Mountain is another outstanding "Special Edition" release that is highly recommended.
  
  
• Weeeeee!! FUN!
  By A1ZF2MSBDUM5SF on 2006-01-02
  Fun for the kids, and mom & dad too!
  
  Tim Conway & Don Knots - with those two - you KNOW you are in for a FUN time!!! The funniest pair of crazy fun-lovin guys around! This movie is heartwarming, sweet, funny, and wonderful for the family. How nice to not have anything bad in a movie? No swearing or anything! Yipee!
  
  When our kids were little, they'd put this movie on and sit and watch, over and over. Good for mom to be able to make dinner or do some sewing, and know that the kidlets are in good hands.
  
  Some slap-stick humor, and the duo getting into trouble, but there is a good story too. The three little kids are adorable, and you'll be rooting for them by the end.
  
  Wonderful clean fun. buy it!
  
  
  
• Great Fun For The Kid In You
  By on 1999-04-07
  I used to watch this movie as a child everytime it was on the wonderful world of disney back in the 70s and early 80s and it always cracked me up. I must say I think Don Knotts is an absolute genius and Tim Conway is also.The way their characters interact with each other is absolutely classic and is a tribute to the legacy of great Disney Slapstick.So what if the movie isn't what the so-called sophisticates call great art.It is still great fun for the kid in you. That is if you will aqllow it to be. I sure do!
  
  
• One of Disney's best
  By A373TTZ1ENNE3T on 2004-05-22
  One of the best live-action Disney movies. A sweet story about misplaced children, an unwilling but good-intentioned gambler as a foster parent and two bumbling crooks as the comic foil. Bill Bixby, of "My Favorite Martian" and "The Hulk" fame, plays Russell Donovan, the roaming gambler who is unwittingly stuck with some "valuables." Tim Conway and Don Knotts, a little past their prime, play the hapless crooks known as the "Hash Knife Outfit." Susan Clark plays the tomboy stage coach driver who fills in as the kids mother. Beautiful scenery, lots of action, comedy, and a fabulous saloon brawl that is the highlight of the film.
  
  
• Great Family Entertainment
  By on 1998-11-26
  This is the first movie my parents ever took me to. I now have the chance to share it with my nephews on video and they love it as much as I do. Its a children's movie that also gives adults a chance to chuckle. Don Knotts and Tim Conway are classic slapstick.
  
  
• a ride to remember
  By on 2000-11-26
  Young and old alike will find this to be a great way to bring the family together in laughter. With hardly a chance to catch your breath, the fun is non stop action all the way to the hilarious end.Leaving you anxiously waiting for their ride again.
  
  
• Could have been funnier
  By A3EM0BXTMVLFVY on 2002-03-16
  To begin with, I am a major fan of Don Knotts, and I watched this movie expecting good humor. Unfortunately, I came away greatly disappointed. There were some funny scenes, but the main plot detracted from the humor. Most of the story line involved an annoying squabble over three orphans who found an unbelievably large gold nuggett, and an unusual romance between a gambling entrepreneur (Bill Bixby) and a tom boy.

  Tim Conway and Don Knotts basically served as the comic relief, and they weren't at their best. The humor was forced and unnatural at times. Nevertheless, Knotts and Conway saved the movie from total disaster.

  My suggestion would be to try the sequel (Apple Dumpling Gang Rides again), which is much funnier. Or better yet, try one of Knotts's earlier flicks.
  
  

• Apple Dumpling Gang Is Finnaly On A Specail Edition DVD
  By A1WNJVA59HLMO5 on 2003-09-03
  I just got my copy of this DVD and I Love it. Another Great Movie for you to see is the sequel to this timeless classic Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again. Which is also available on DVD from Amazon.com.

  Here is a brief Description:

  3 kids are sent to a backwoods town and are supposed to belong to a backwoods drunk. Well the backwoods drunk has other plans so he gives them to a town newcomer Donnavan. Well than the kids find gold, and that is when they meet the 2 hilarious crooks Tim Conway, and Don Knotts. Well after they find the gold everybody wants the kids . And it attracts attention to a group of crooks. Well as the movie goes on you find out that Tim Conway, and Don Knotts used to work for the Head of the gang of crooks until Tim Conway acidentally show the guys leg in a hold up. well it ends the Donavan and his friend Dusty get married and they move to St. Louis where he starts a Gambling Joint. But in the sequel you don't here anything about it, and in the sequel they said that Donavan and Dusty and the kids moved onto a farm. Did I miss something somewhere ?

  Great Movie. 5 Star Rating.
  
  

• They call them the Apple Dumpling Gang
  By A1RBMJICU4Q3DA on 2004-04-09
  Once again Disney released a classic in it's fading days of "G" rated gems. The loose knit comedy team of Don Knotts and Tim Conway is always a hit in any situation. This is one is a bit plot heavy for them and Disney but it still makes you laugh. Bill Bixby is their straight man who carries most of the plot. At first they try to rob him but by the end they help him, his kids and his girlfriend defeat the bad guys and save the town. This is a very good movie and the sequel is even funnier.
  
  
• Dumpling Gang is a Disney live-action classic
  By AC1U7PPQJKA9D on 2006-03-30
  The Apple Dumpling Gang is a movie Disney made when for whatever reason they were straying temporarily away from animation and making more live action movies. And truthfully a lot of good(not great, but good)live action family films came out of the 1970's.
  
  While they play only supporting characters, Tim Conway and Don Knotts steal the show as funny but not so successful outlaws. The two parts they play Theodore and Amos it seems were specifically created for Knotts and Conway. In some parts I felt like I was watching Barney Fife's great great grandfather way out west.
  
  The other castmembers are well portrayed, I especially liked Harry Morgan and the kids. Clovis was my favorite child of the three (clovis don't like to be touched).
  
  Overall the story is humerous and enjoyable for all ages. In a time when the live action family film has just about disappeared it's nice to see Disney releasing these movies again.
  
  If you liked this movie go ahead and pick up the sequel, it follows the antics of Conway and Knotts again, and while the story is not as good as the original, it is a lot funnier.
  
  
  
• A gut-wrenching tour de force of latterday film noir
  By A1F6KNKYSHPNYX on 2000-02-11
  Like being kicked in the head by the Budweiser Clydestale team, one at a time, then stretched out on a makeshift rack and tattooed with the indisputable evidence of one's own sins ala Franz Kafka's "In the Penal Colony." Knotts is, literally, among the cinema's most spine-chilling villains in his role as the pederasst/rustler kidnapping innocent young boys from the rustic frontier town and selling them into brute harem slavery aboard a renegade Chinese junk, then slinking home to the seedy Burroughsian morph habit which is the only thing keeping his oily, tortured conscience at bay... Small wonder that John Cassavetes numbered this film among his Top 5, despite the weak supporting cast who seem, to a one, unable to do ought but pale and shrimble in the long dark shadow cast by Knotts. That said, I cannot call this film a pleasurable viewing experience -- but an educational one, undoubtedly, it remains, even unto the brave new century in which we all suddenly find ourselves. If you're a Mike Leigh fan, you're exceptionally likely to find that this film sends you running to the loo, again and again and again. Semper fi, Don...
  
  
• These apples have worms
  By on 1998-08-28
  Knotts, you are a disgrace to acting. This movie has the bite of a toothless lion. When the stuttering moron pulls down his pants and shouts "WE-llll, my apppple isssss rotting!", well, lets just say the apples on my tree all turned sour. END
  
  
• The Apple Dumpling Gang
  By A3D5VKD6NYZMXY on 2001-09-21
  Really cute and fun for the whole family. Don Knotts (as always) is hysterical.
  
  
• great family fun
  By ALCEIR4463HCR on 2006-02-01
  I had forgotten about this movie and my son who is now 25 asked me if I remembered watching it when my children where small. I did not. He thought it would be worth finding. So was very happy to find it on amazon.com along with some other oldies that both kids remembered. My kids were thrilled when they watched these oldies again. I also know that these good, funny movies will be watched by my grandchildren.pw
  
  
• Another Great Walt Disney Picture
  By A2VGS4F6A5UNE8 on 2007-02-01
  When I do a movie review I base it on what I think of the movie and not anyone else. This picture was made back in 1975 and is another great Walt Disney picture. Bill Bixby plays the role of Russel Donovan, Tim Conway plays the role of Gangster Amos Tucker, Don Knotts plays the role of Gangster Theodore Ogelvie, and Harry Morgan plays the role of Sheriff Homer McCoy. Donovan comes to town looking for a poker game while on his way to New Orleans. Donovan is approach by an old friend and wants him to claim what's on the stage that belongs to him. Donovan agrees only to fine that he's reasonable for three little kids. According to the local sheriff Donovan has to attend to these three little kids. After an earthquake shakes the area, the children find a large gold nugget worth tens of thousands of dollars. But their newfound wealth is causing more problems than it's solving, so they agree to "give" the gold to two bumbling outlaws (Knotts & Conway). But they only way they can get the gold are to steal it from the bank vault where it's being held for safe keeping.
  
  
• Yee haw!
  By A6GMEO3VRY51S on 2005-11-11
  The Story: Set in 1879 small town Quake City, California, it a story about a traveling gambler that obtains an unknown item in a game, a "valuable" shipment to arrive by stagecoach. The coach is driven by the woman he falls in love with, Dusty Clydesdale. The shipment turns out to be the unwelcome treasure of 3 orphan kids of a dad who has abandoned them to find his fortune in San Francisco. Dead broke, the gambler struggles to feed the kids. But when the kids find a huge gold nugget, their troubles are over. Except this brings the pursuit of the Hash Knife Outfit, the bumbling crooks played by Knotts and Conway, who can't seem to get anything right. They attempt bank robberies and other crimes in their attempts to get rich quick.
  
  Behind the Scenes: Based on a book by Jack Bickham. Directed by Norman Tokar, this film brought together a team of two well known comedians, Don Knotts and Tim Conway, of their day for this 1975 movie. The pair were wonderful together and their slapstick comedy gets some great belly laughs. The movie also featured television star Bill Bixby (of Courtship of Eddie's Father, The Magician, The Hulk, etc), Slim Pickens as a bad guy, Harry Morgan, and Susan Clark. The film was shot at the Disney studio lot and soundstage, as well as on location at the Tropico Gold Mine in Rosamond, California and the Deschutes National Forest in Oregon. The bank robbery scenes were so complex to shoot that they built 3 near identical sets for the bank, one indoors in a Disney soundstage, and two more were built on the back lot at the studio. One was built without a roof and was to be the image of the burnt bank after the explosion.
  
  The movie has a strong history with the public, it was aired on the "Wonderful World of Disney" television show on November 11, 1976 for the first time, only a year after its theatrical release. It was popular enough to be re-aired twice in 1980, and again in '86, and '89. The movie spawned a sequel with Knotts and Conway called "The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again" in 1979, as well as a television remake movie "Tales of the Apple Dumpling Gang", and a TV series called "Gun Shy". First released on VHS in 1980, then again in 1985, & 1992.
  
  DVD: The DVD version has some nice extras including a seperate audio commentary track with the voices of Susan Clark, Tim Conway, and Don Knotts. Also includes a featurette called "A Look Back With The Gang" with Tim Conway; and two Disney cowboy themed cartoons; and a nice featurette on the studio called "The Disney Back Lot". Also a 1975 Disney Studio Album showing all the other material in movies, animation, and theme parks that Disney worked on the year of this movies release; A gallery of production stills, biographies, and advertising items related to the movie. Good clean fun, I reccommend.
  
  
• Review of Video's I ordered
  By A35Q6YPY2OMGQ6 on 2006-08-04
  I order video's from Amazon quite frequently and am always satisfied with their quality.
  
  
• A great show for the family...
  By A2GLJF1DHHX5R2 on 2006-11-13
  I purchased this because I loved it as a kid. Don Knotts and Tim Conway were some of the funniest guys and they do a great job in this flick. Recommended for Family viewing and it's appropriate for all ages.
  
  
• some good family values
  By AD8CNMZFHUN1D on 2006-11-18
  My kids and I laughed really hard. The movie also reinforced the value of a family unit. It showed a bachelor sacrificing his freedom and money for kids he didn't know.
  
  There was 1 character who was intended to be funny who was apparently an alcoholic and stole liquor, but overall a good, clean movie.
  
  
• Very entertaining
  By A20S2GD9RJXAEF on 2006-12-06
  I'm a huge Disney fan and this was one that I hadn't seen before so I rented it. I fell in love with it. Tim Conway and Don Knotts make this movie great. I also really liked the little girl. She was cute and adorable and funny. After watching it I decided it was a must have.
  One of the best scenes in the whole movie is Knotts and Conway trying to steel a ladder out of the fire house. In the special features it is confessed that they were supposed to figure out the scene and reherse it, but didn't. The whole scene was improvised and turned out brilliantly.
  
  
• It was just as advertised.
  By A1V036L7JX3T2M on 2007-01-16
  The Video was was new and played just fine. The grandchildren enjoyed the movie.
  
  
• When will the movies be on one DVD?
  By A2SBF2FPI0NY9R on 2007-01-18
  I love both Apple Dumpling Gang films. I can't wait to own both films. I'm waiting for the 2-Movie Collection of both movies on one DVD. When will the two movies come out on DVD? Please let people like me know. Thank you very much.
  
  
• APPLE DUMPLING GANG
  By A35KE0M3GLPDEI on 2007-02-10
  THIS WAS A VERY GOOD FILM. WE REALLY LIKE DON KNOTTS AND TIM CONWAY.
  WISH THERE WERE MORE GOOD CLEAN MOVIES TO WATCH.
  
  

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