The Apple Dumpling Gang / The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again

Funny movies for the whole family to enjoy. Highly recommend

It's California gold country, and an elegantly attired man rides his horse along a river track with a mournful harmonica in the background. At nightfall, he rides into Quake City, secretly observed by two men up to no good. They pull up their bandanas and attempt to rob the rider - with spectacular lack of success. We've just met Theodore Ogelvie and Amos Tucker (played with hilarity by Don Knotts and Tim Conway) - and two more hapless crooks would be hard to find.The elegant fellow is Russel Donavan, smooth-talking itinerant gambler (played with heart by Bill Bixby). The next day, for a small payment, he agrees to help out John Wintle, by signing for the valuables Wintle has coming in on the stagecoach. What a surprise for ardent-bachelor Donavan, when the valuables turn out to be Wintle's orphaned kin - three kids! Sheriff/Judge Homer McCoy (Harry Morgan) sets Donavan straight: "You don't jump another man's claim. You don't steal his wife, woman or whiskey. You don't strike a bargain and then entertain second thoughts about the matter. Any one of these offenses can make you the exalted guest of a hemp party!!"And the hilarity continues. The kids own half of the Commodore Mine, but it's played out. Or is it? The notorious Frank Stillwell Gang is after the 356 pound nugget in the bank vault. But so are Amos and Theodore, who really don't want to meet Stillwell again, having accidentally shot him in the leg when they worked for him before.That's the first movie.The sequel is even funnier, this is laugh out loud stuff. Amos and Theodore are trying to go straight. They saunter into Junction City, on the Wild West plains, and proceed, with the help of their mule, Clarice, to wreck destruction where ever they go. They accidentally join the army at Fort Concho and the army doesn't know what hit it. Hard on their trail is Marshal Woolly Bill Hitchcock, absolutely blazingly hilarious (played by Kenneth Mars) as the boys accidentally shoot both his hands, leave him in a neck brace, nearly burn him alive, and rob him of his sanity.The Bonus Extras are on the 1st disc, with the 1st movie:1. Audio Commentary for 1st movie, recorded in 2003. Commentators are Tim Conway, Don Knotts, Susan Clark (plays stagecoach driver Dusty) and Brad Savage (plays Clovis, the 8 year-old middle child). Susan says that she came in on her day off to watch Knotts and Conway film the firehouse scene, where Amos and Theodore steal a ladder from the firehouse for their bank robbery. Conway says, "This was a scene that was totally unrehearsed by Don and I.... We just kind of winged it." It is a testament to their experience and comic genius that they pulled it off. Of course, they had help. As Conway continues, "This donkey was great. What a great actor."And Susan answers one question that I had - she does not do her own whistling!All in all, I thought this was a great commentary. And don't pass up the separate interview with Tim Conway under "The Vault" extra, as he expands on the filming of "The Apple Dumpling Gang".2. Cartoon "Two Gun Goofy" (7 minutes) An animated color cartoon starring Goofy in the Wild West.3. The Vault. This is four separate extras. Not counting the time taken to read the printed material, there is about 69 minutes of video.A. Lost Treasures. "Studio Lot" This is a short history of Disney's back lot. They hadn't needed a back lot when they only put out animated films. But the dawn of Disney regular films required outside sets. In 1957, it built its first real set for the "Zorro" B&W TV show. Interesting history. The back lot was razed some time ago, to be replaced by office trailers and a gas station.B. Galleries. This is made up of A. Production stills, B. Biographies of 10 actors in these two movies, C. Advertising, D. A Look Back With the Gang, E. Conversations with Tim Conway, F. Disney's Rootin' Tootin' Cowboy Heroes.From the biographies, I had forgotten that Don Knotts had his own TV series. "The Don Knotts Show" lasted two years 1970-1971.The "A Look Back With the Gang" extra is fun - made up of extra interviews with the commentators and others. Susan Clark mentions that the Apple Dumpling Gang in the 1st movie was actually the three kids. The name is taken from when Donavan took them to dinner and told them they could eat all the apple dumplings they wanted. I had always assumed that Amos and Theodore were the Apple Dumpling gang!The star of the extras, though, is the Conversations with Conway. He is as funny off-screen as he is on.C. 1975 Disney Album. This is film clips or photos of 14 highlights of Disney's year. Films like "The Apple Dumpling Gang" and "Escape to Witch Mountain". Cartoons like "Pluto's Christmas Tree" reissue. TV such as "The Boy Who Talked to Badgers". And firsts, like the first America On Parade, a revised Disneyland parade to celebrate the United States Bicentennial.d. DVD Credits. One page information about firms that worked on the DVD.Two family favorites and excellent Disney movies.Happy Reader

Great family movies with lots of laughs! Apple Dumpling Gang has always been a favorite of mine since I was a kid

The summer camp I went to/worked at had a copy of 'The Apple Dumpling Gang' to show during rainy afternoons. So I can still pretty much quote the movie verbatim. I still enjoy it-- Tim Conway and Don Knotts are just hysterical, and now that I know Carey Grant's work better, watching Bill Bixby work in this movie is even more enjoyable.I tried this out on my preschooler son. He is now old enough to watch it...and watch it...and watch it... Nothing really scary, clean dialogue... not even Disney makes them like this anymore. A real shame. Some great nostalgia for adults and a great choice for young families.'The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides again' just capitalizes on the Tim Conway/Don Knotts teamwork... with much less success. Like all comedy duo movies, the team works better interwoven with a real plot, which in this second movie never really gets going-- most of the time is taken up with the Conway/Knotts business. They're great together, and Kenneth Mars (Young Frankenstein) does a good job as the insane marshal... but the plot is thin. It also has too much violence for the under-5s. This disc will just never get out of its box again. If I could have purchased The Apple dumpling Gang by itself, I would have.

Both of these movies are extremely entertaining and suitable for the entire family. The Apple Dumpling Gang is better than its sequel due to the interactions of all of the major stars. Susan Clark is excellent as Dusty, and Bill Bixby is wonderful and believable as Donovan. The children do an excellent job and appear to have good on screen presence. I would recommend it for children of all ages, including adults who are young at heart.The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again is good, but it relies more on slapstick than the first movie. You miss the parts of Dusty and Donovan and the children. It is also a little confusing that Harry Morgan plays in both productions, but plays two separate characters. They could have said that he was the Justice of the Peace's twin brother or a look alike relative. Of course he always does an excellent performance in whatever part he plays.

Love these movies and had to add them to my collection. Will be watching these for years to come.

The first movie is your introduction into the Apple Dumpling Gang and the second movie continues the story. This is Disney western style and comedy of Tim Conway and Don Knotts. I tend to enjoy the Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again because they are trying to go the right way in life and get caught up in a cover up plot uncovered by special agent played by Tim Matheson.

Always good for a laugh

I've been watching these films for years and still enjoy them, a must see for all the family, young and old!The extra's info I have got from another website so I presume it is right!EXTRA'S: Audio Commentary, Cartoon-"Two Gun Goofy", A Look Back With The Gang, Conversations With Tim Conway, Disney's Rootin Tootin Cowboy Heroes, Lost Treasures: The Disney Back Lot, 1957 Disney Studio Album, Production Stills, Actors' Biographies, Advertising: Lobby Cards, Posters, Publicity, Comic Book (The Apple Dumpling Gang Only)Specifications: Widescreen(Apple Dumpling Gang), Fullscreen (Rides Again), Color, Dolby Digital, 189 Minutes

I got these movies cause I found out my dad, who is no longer alive, thought they were very funny.Let's just say I don't appreciate his sense of humour.In the first film the gags are lame, like the little girl has to pee all the time....hilarious...a small child peeing a lot is funny...right? NO! It isn't.The second film is better but still its a 1 joke film... Don Knots and Harvey Corman are incompetent... Ha ha ha...The writing is lazy as a cat who's found a sunbeam and the "comedy" is awkward and contrived.Wow was this stuff lame...One last note... Don Knots and Harvey Corman in drag will go e me nightmares until the day I die!I only give 2 stars because it wasn't total torture to sit through them.

Once we had kids, I wanted them to enjoy some of the comedies I did as a child. And thinking of that, the Apple Dumpling Gang came to mind... tough to find in most stores... someone suggested checking Amazon and lo and behold, found it, 2 in 1, in fact. Of course, the video quality is only as good as the original, but converting it over to DVD has enhanced it a bit, but more so, I now have 2 great movies, in a minimally sized format, that withstands a lot of use.Now they are even cheaper than when I bought them. These are great movies to sit and watch with the family for great laughs, and especially memories of your own childhood... definitely recommended...

Love it. Exactly as advertised. Good quality DVD’s, good sound. Super funny, movies!

This was great old fashioned fun for my son and I to watch; he is 8 years old and loves anything to do with cowboys and the Wild West. My 11 and 13 year old daughters quickly became bored with it though and would have rather watched something more "modern" day!