The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975)

Director:

Norman Tokar

Writers:

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

Release Date:

1 July 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Comedy | Western

Tagline:

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

Plot:

Three orphan children strike gold in 1878 California.

Plot Keywords:

Gold | Earthquake | Bachelor | Orphan | Mine Car

Cast

Bill Bixby	...	Russel Donavan
Susan Clark	...	Magnolia Dusty Clydesdale
Don Knotts	...	Theodore Ogelvie
Tim Conway	...	Amos
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
Fran Ryan	...	Mrs. Stockley
Bing Russell	...	Herm Dally
James Brodhead	...	The Mouthpiece (as James E. Brodhead)
Jim Boles	...	Easy Archie
Olan Soule	...	Rube Cluck (as Olan Soulé)
Tom Waters	...	Rowdy Joe Dover
Dawn Little Sky	...	Big Foot
Joshua Shelley	...	Broadway Phil
Richard Lee-Sung	...	Oh So
Arthur Wong	...	No So
Dick Winslow	...	Slippery Sid
Bill Dunbar	...	Fast Eddie
Wally K. Berns	...	Cheating Charley (as Wally Berns)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bruce Kimmel	...	Bank Teller (uncredited)
Larry Vincent	...	Townsman (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Tokar

Writing credits
Don Tait		(screenplay)
Jack M. Bickham		(book)

Produced by
Bill Anderson	....	producer

Original Music by
Buddy Baker

Cinematography by
Frank V. Phillips		(director of photography) (as Frank Phillips)

Film Editing by
Ray de Leuw

Art Direction by
John B. Mansbridge
Walter H. Tyler		(as Walter Tyler)

Set Decoration by
John A. Kuri		(as John Kuri)

Costume Design by
Shelby Anderson

Makeup Department
La Rue Matheron	....	hair stylist
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ronald R. Grow	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ronald R. Grow	....	assistant director
Pat Kehoe	....	second assistant director
Arthur J. Vitarelli	....	second unit director

Sound Department
Frank Regula	....	sound mixer
Herb Taylor	....	sound supervisor

Special Effects by
Art Cruickshank	....	special effects
Danny Lee	....	special effects
Hans Metz	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Donna Hall	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kim Kahana	....	stunts (uncredited)
Walter Robles	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Chuck Keehne	....	costumes
Emily Sundby	....	costumes

Music Department
Evelyn Kennedy	....	music editor
Walter Sheets	....	orchestrator

Production Companies

• Walt Disney Productions

Distributors

• Buena Vista Distribution Company (1975) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Walt Disney Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Walt Disney Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Walt Disney Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Certification:

Australia:G | Canada:G (video rating) | Canada:G | Iceland:L | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Deschutes National Forest - 1001 Southwest Emkay Drive, Bend, Oregon, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: When Frank Stillwell first enters the bank to rob it, he is holding a small pistol (possibly a Derringer). But once inside his gun changes to a full-size revolver.

Quotes:

Frank Stillwell: If I ever get within shootin' distance of that doggone Amos Tucker, he's gonna have "winders" where his ears was.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Pleasure of Your Company (2006)

Soundtrack:

The Apple Dumpling Gang

This is great!!!!!

So why no awards? Why a 5.8 here at the Internet Movie Database????? Oh well.

Anyways, Disney's 1975 live action classic "The Apple Dumpling Gang" is one of the many western films that Disney has released in the latter part of the "Vault Disney" period as well as the middle of, as I call it, "The Golden Age of Disney" (1920s-early 2002).

This, of course, is a fun and funny family western; everything from start to finish is wonderful, exciting, and genius.

I've heard about this movie being shown on the classic Disney Channel sometime in '97 or '98, and on the Hallmark Channel way later. However, I've only seen this once on an old VHS in fall 2001, and my family liked it! The ending's cute, too; I will leave it hush-hush so you can figure it out!!!!!

"The Apple Dumpling Gang," despite it's mediocrity, is still a wonderful Disney film.

10 stars