The Apple Dumpling Gang (film)

The Apple Dumpling Gang
1975 theatrical poster
Directed byNorman Tokar
Screenplay byDon Tait
Based onThe Apple Dumpling Gang
by Jack M. Bickham
Produced byBill Anderson
StarringBill Bixby
Susan Clark
Don Knotts
Tim Conway
David Wayne
Slim Pickens
Harry Morgan
John McGiver
Clay O'Brien
Don Knight
CinematographyFrank V. Phillips
Edited byRay de Leuw
Music byBuddy Baker
Joseph Dubin (orchestration)
Production
company
Distributed byBuena Vista Distribution
Release date
  • July 1, 1975 (1975-07-01)[1]
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$36,853,000[2]

The Apple Dumpling Gang is a 1975 American comedy-Western film directed by Norman Tokar. It is about a slick gambler named Russell Donovan (Bill Bixby) who is duped into taking care of three orphans who eventually strike gold. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions.

The film is based on the 1971 novel of the same name by Jack M. Bickham. Don Tait wrote the screenplay. The so-called "Apple Dumpling Gang" are named after their favorite American dessert treat, the apple dumpling. It is also known as being the first film to feature the comedy duo of Don Knotts and Tim Conway.[3] They developed different styles of pulling off their comedy; Conway's characters were usually their less intelligent, which made Knotts usually their brains, though they were both equally inept. Buddy Baker composed the music for the film and its sequel, The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again, with Joseph Dubin performing the orchestration. The song "The Apple Dumpling Gang", as heard in the opening and closing credits, was composed by Shane Tatum and was sung/performed by Randy Sparks and The Back Porch Majority.

  1. ^ "The Apple Dumpling Gang - Details". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  2. ^ "The Apple Dumpling Gang, Box Office Information". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  3. ^ Cox, Stephen; Marhanka, Kevin (2008). The Incredible Mr. Don Knotts. Cumberland House. p. 125. ISBN 9781581826586.