The Apple Dumpling Gang1975The Apple Dumpling Gang
1975
Carefree gambler Russel Donovan expects to win a valuable shipment in a card game in 1870s California, and instead ends up responsible for three orphaned children. When the kids strike a giant gold nugget, every crook in town, including two bumbling would-be outlaws, wants a piece of it.
The default: films the whole family can watch together; any scary or intense moments for the littlest viewers are flagged in the Context Notes.
Why it’s here
A carefree gambler becomes, almost against his will, a father to three orphans and discovers he loves them. It ends in a marriage and a family.
Context notes
For parents, before you press play.
The children are trapped in a collapsing mine, which may tense little ones, and there's slapstick. Frequent smoking, comic drunkenness, and a bumbling bank robbery are played for laughs.
The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975)
Discussion questions
When the credits end, go around the room. Each person gives the film a score out of ten and says why.
- Why didn't Donovan want the children at first?
- What changed his mind?
- Were Amos and Theodore really bad guys? Did they change?
- What would you do with a giant gold nugget?
Content advisory
Common Sense Media 7+: slapstick, explosions, a collapsing mine; frequent smoking and comic drunkenness; a kiss.
Trailer
Best edition
The disc comes first.
The Apple Dumpling Gang Blu-ray (Disney Movie Club Exclusive)
Blu-ray · September 9, 2014
Edition link coming soon.
Listing on Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)Coming later
Where to stream
Streaming services are not listed yet. When they are, this note stays secondary to the disc.