Common Sense Media Review
Rollicking Old West ride lassos some stereotypes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
What's the Story?
THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG opens with roaming bachelor Russell Donovan (Bill Bixby) arriving in Quake City. He tells a con man named Wintle that he'll wait for the stagecoach to pick up the man's "valuables," which turn out to be three kids. Stuck in the Gold Rush ghost town and saddled with the kids, Donovan tries to pawn his new charges off on hostile townsfolk. Meanwhile, the kids (Stacy Manning, Clay O'Brien, and Brad Savage) explore their family's gold mine. After a near-disastrous cave-in, the kids find a 300-pound gold nugget. Suddenly the apathetic townsfolk are so concerned about the kids' welfare that they're grabbing Celia, the youngest of the three, roughly enough to tear her new dress, and the town's hapless criminals, Theodore and Amos (Don Knotts and Tim Conway, respectively), hatch a scheme to take the gold for themselves. But when Wintle returns to claim the kids and the riches, the kids have to act quickly to outwit him and hold on to the family they're slowly forming with Donovan and his love interest, a local woman named Dusty (Susan Clark).
Is It Any Good?
Full of thrills and adventure exciting enough to keep kids interested, this comedic Western is mild enough not to frighten more sensitive kids. Knotts and Conway carry The Apple Dumpling Gang through a straightforward plot with their slapstick, and they're the characters kids are likely to remember and love. Though the effects may seem dated now, the mild hijinx and silly fun, wild races and chases, and wacky characters are enough to keep kids giggling.
The main drawbacks are a cliched plot and offensive portrayals of Latinos and Asian Americans (as shown in the Chinese laundromat). The film also leans on gender stereotypes, seen in the romance between Dusty and Donovan: Donovan settles down and becomes a "family man" while Dusty gives up her job to become his wife and a homemaker. While there's nothing wrong with this dynamic, The Apple Dumpling Gang presents it as the only way to be happy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the children in The Apple Dumpling Gang try to get gold by organizing a robbery because they want to stay with Donovan and Dusty. Are those actions understandable, reasonable, or responsible? Should kids be encouraged to act outside the rules in order to bring about a certain kind of life?
What would you do if you 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 film's townspeople?
Dusty gets angry at Donovan and attacks him because of a misunderstanding. What could they have done to avoid the misunderstanding in the first place? How else could Dusty have confronted Donovan after the misunderstanding occurred?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 7, 1975
- On DVD or streaming : September 2, 2003
- Cast : Bill Bixby , Don Knight , Don Knotts , Susan Clark , Tim Conway
- Director : Norman Tokar
- Studio : Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Adventures
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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