Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this 1975 Disney Western suffers from the stereotypes of its day, including a stereotypical portrayal of Asian people, and a condescending view of women. When Dusty gets married, she's no longer interested in running her father's business; She puts on a dress and stays home with the kids. There's also mild violence and danger that may frighten very young children, but it's mostly harmless.
Families can talk about what they would do if they came across lost money. Would you return it or keep it? What would you do for a lot of money? How different are you from the townspeople?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Heather Boerner
Like the Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster at Disneyland, classic Disney Western THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG is full of thrills and adventure exciting enough to keep kids interested, while mild enough not to frighten more sensitive kids.
Russell Donovan (Bill Bixby) is a roaming bachelor who stops in Quake City to try to win a few hands of poker and move on. But when local swindler Wintle (Don Knight) convinces Donovan to wait around to pick up his "valuables" when the stage coach arrives, suddenly he finds himself saddled with three kids and stuck in the Gold Rush ghost town.
Despite Donovan's repeated attempts to pawn his new charges off on hostile townsfolk, the kids (played by Stacy Manning, Clay O'Brien, and Brad Savage) make their own fun. They explore their family's gold mine, convinced they'll find the gold their pa promised is there. After a scary earthquake the kids find their way out of the mine -- and into a fortune when a 300-pound gold nugget tumbles its way into their lives.
Suddenly those apathetic townsfolk are so concerned about the kids' welfare that they're tearing at Celia's new dress and the town dumb criminals Theodore and Amos (Don Knotts and Tim Conway, respectively) hatch a scheme to take that gold for themselves. But when Wintle returns to claim the kids and the riches, Donovan and the kids have to act quickly to outwit him.
This may be a Western, but it's as harmless as its title suggests. In the opening scene, Theodore and Amos plan to hold up Donovan, but their gun falls apart and the only person they manage to lasso is themselves. It's Knotts and Conway who carry the film and, like Scooby and Shaggy, they're the characters kids are likely to remember and love. Though the film may seem dated now, the mild hijinx and silly fun, along with enough horse races, out-of-control mine carts, and wacky characters are enough to keep kids giggling.
The only drawback is the outdated and offensive portrayals of women and Asian Americans. Out of nowhere, there's an Asian camp next to Quake City -- full of people yelling menacingly in Chinese and doing tons of laundry. Sigh.
The film may have been made in the 1970s, but the 1950s screwball comedy ethos is still in full-effect when it comes to the romance between Dusty (Susan Clark) and Donovan. She's clearly unhappy being single, and jumps at the chance to marry Donovan, even if he professes to having no interest in her at all. When they do get married and settle down, she trades her Old West gear for dresses, loses interest in running her father's stagecoach business, and suddenly settles down.
People who enjoy this film may also like the follow-ups The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again and the later TV show Tales of the Apple Dumpling Gang. They may also like the Don Knotts classics The Incredible Mr. Limpet and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentDonovan and Dusty kiss. |
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ViolenceLots of slapstick violence, like Amos falling off a roof, the kids flying through town on an out-of-control gold mine cart, lots of chasing, crashing, and some explosions. There's a shoot-out at the end of the film in which some characters appear to be shot, but there's no blood and no one is seriously injured. Lots of people point guns at each other. Dusty throws things at Donovan and hits him with a pool stick. The Stillwell Gang kidnap the kids. Stillwell tries to strangle Donovan. |
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Message |
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Social BehaviorThere's lots of gambling, and Wintle abandons his kids. There's also a tiny community of Chinese people in the film yelling in Chinese and doing a lot of laundry. They are treated stereotypically and as scary characters meant to amuse kids. Some objectification of women: A character says that a man should never take another man's "wife, woman, or whiskey." |
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Commercialism |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoSeveral characters smoke, including Donovan and Amos. A woman appears drunk and drops and breaks a beer bottle. Col. Clydesdale gets drunk. |
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