The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975)

Three orphan children strike gold in 1878 California.

Director:

Norman Tokar

Writers:

Don Tait (screenplay), Jack M. Bickham (book)

Stars:

Bill Bixby, Susan Clark, Don Knotts

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Bixby	...	Russel Donavan
Susan Clark	...	Magnolia Dusty Clydesdale
Don Knotts	...	Theodore Ogelvie
Tim Conway	...	Amos Tucker
David Wayne	...	Col. T.R. Clydesdale
Slim Pickens	...	Frank Stillwell
Harry Morgan	...	Homer McCoy
John McGiver	...	Leonard Sharpe
Don Knight	...	John Wintle
Clay O'Brien	...	Bobby Bradley
Brad Savage	...	Clovis Bradley
Stacy Manning	...	Celia Bradley
Dennis Fimple	...	Rudy Hooks
Pepe Callahan	...	Clemons
Iris Adrian	...	Poker Polly

Storyline

Three orphaned siblings are forced upon confirmed bachelor Donovan (Bill Bixby) in a nineteenth century boom town of Quake City, California. 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 (Tim Conway and Don Knott's). But they only way they can get the gold is to steal it from the bank vault where it's being held for safe keeping.

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Plot Keywords:

bigfoot character | gold | outlaw | bank | orphan | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Western

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 July 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Semmelknödelbande

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$36,853,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the final film appearance for Larry Vincent. He died from stomach cancer four months before the film's release.

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Goofs

When Donovan and Stillwell are riding the fire wagon in the river, there is a quick shot in which there is no one on the wagon, but moments later the two are on the wagon again.

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Quotes

Clovis: What's that?
Russell Donovan: Salt pork.
[beat]
Russell Donovan: I think.
Clovis: It looks like fat.
Russell Donovan: Well, whatever it, it's dinner.
Clovis: [disgusted] That's dinner?
Russell Donovan: That's dinner!

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Connections

Referenced in Family Guy: 'Family Guy' Through the Years (2018)

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Soundtracks

The Apple Dumpling Gang
By Shane Tatum
Sung by Randy Sparks and The Back Porch Majority

User Reviews

Consignment, One Set Of Kids

Don Knotts and Tim Conway, two very big stars in their own right, teamed to do some very successful films mostly for the Disney Studio. Their comedy style was a lot like Laurel and Hardy, but in terms of individual stars teaming and being successful at both, the only comparison there is Crosby and Hope.

The Apple Dumpling Gang follows the misadventures of these two lunkheads as they try their hand at the outlaw trade. They accidentally shot a really fierce outlaw in Slim Pickens and left him crippled in one leg and he's out for their hides.

Paralleling that plot is that of gambler Bill Bixby who wins what he thinks is a consignment of freight in a poker game, but what he really gets is the delivery of three children. Being a roving bachelor Bixby naturally thinks the kids will cramp his style and they do for awhile. Willing to help is Calamity Jane like character Susan Clark who drives for the freight line that her father David Wayne owns.

One thing I do so like about Disney films is the use of familiar Hollywood faces who were having trouble getting work. For example the brassy Iris Adrian, a little older and heftier, but still full of sass.

But the film really belongs to Conway and Knotts. Conway is the Laurel like figure in the partnership, dumb and he knows it. But he has for a partner Knotts who like Oliver Hardy is full of grand schemes who when they blow up in his face will always blame is hapless partner. But in point of fact Knotts is just a bad planner.

The Apple Dumpling Gang spawned a sequel in The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again where Knotts and Conway have even more hysterical misadventures. This one however and its successor are some of the best films Disney Studios made in the Seventies.