“As they sought their fame and fortune, their legend up and sprang. And they soon became the Apple Dumpling Gang.” As you can probably tell by the lyrics, this week we watched The Apple Dumpling Gang, the 57th film in the challenge. Scroll on down for our review if you watched with us; if you need brushing up on the plot, our synopsis is below!

Synopsis

In 1879, a gambler named Russell Donovan arrives at the Wild West town of Quake City while en route to New Orleans. Two crooks named Theodore Ogelvie and Amos Tucker attempt to rob him, but are comically unsuccessful. At the saloon, Donovan plays a game of poker with several other men including the town’s sheriff (who is also the town’s barber and judge) and Homer McCoy. During the game, Donovan meets his old associate, John Whintle. Whintle needs to leave for San Francisco that night and needs some “valuables” to be picked up the next morning, and asks if Donovan would be able to attend to this. He bribes Donovan with five dollars as a down payment to use at the poker table, and Donovan agrees. Although Donovan loses his game, he optimistically believes that good luck is waiting for him soon. The next day, a stagecoach driven by Magnolia “Dusty” Clydesdale arrives in Quake City with some visitors, including three orphan children—Bobby, Clovis, and Celia Bradley. The children are inheritors to a large fortune their father left them. When Donovan asks Dusty about the valuables for Whintle, she tells him the children are the valuables! Whintle is their relative and legal guardian, but Donovan has been duped into becoming their temporary guardian. Donovan protests, but Dusty and Homer both tell him he is legally obligated by the law of the town to watch over the children. He learns of some of the children’s quirks, including Clovis’s tendency to kick people who touch him and Celia’s constant need to use the bathroom. The first night in the shack doesn’t go well; the roof leaks rain and Donovan’s attempt at dinner is abysmal. Dusty arrives to check in, and with her help the children eventually fall asleep. Donovan tries to pawn the children off to her, stating that she would make a better guardian than he would. Dusty simply says he ought to get a job to look after what are now, legally, his kids until he can get someone else to take them in. The next morning, Donovan checks around town for any folks willing to take the children, but their inadvertent misbehavior makes everyone turn them away. Frustrated, he sends the children off to find something to do and stay out of trouble while he goes to the saloon to play cards. The Bradley children come across an old mine and, thinking it could be their inheritance, decide to explore it. Back at the saloon, Donovan wins nearly five hundred dollars. The bandits Theodore and Amos overhear this and make plans to steal his winnings. The children accidentally start up an old mine cart while they are in it. The cart races down the mountain, creating a path of destruction. Donovan is forced to use all his winnings to pay for the damages. Not knowing this, Theodore and Amos try to ambush Donovan that evening, only to utterly fail. Donovan meets Dusty and shares having now met these two men twice. Dusty tells Donovan that the two are known as the Hashknife Outfit, and used to be members of the Stillwell Gang until their ineptitude caused them to shoot their boss, Frank Stillwell, in the leg. Donovan offers to buy Dusty a drink, however the conversation turns awkward when he realizes Dusty, as a woman, can’t enter the saloon, and Donovan walks off alone.

The children approach a hungover Donovan the next morning. They are off to the Commodore Mine to look for gold and ask him to come, but Donovan refuses and tells them there is no gold to be found. They come across Theodore and Amos, who are spooked by their sudden appearance, mistaking them for a posse. They point them in the direction of the mine. While digging around inside the mine, an earthquake causes it to partially cave in. After the dust settles, the children discover a huge hold nugget. The nugget is taken to the Quake City bank for valuation, and Donovan asks the bank manager to be sure that the children’s interests are protected since they found the gold. Theodore and Amos hatch a new plan to steal the gold from the bank by going through the roof. Homer arrives at a diner and finds Donovan treating the children to a gourmet supper in celebration of finding the gold. He has also bought Celia a new dress. Homer and Donovan discuss how nice the kids are, and Homer asks if Donovan still plans to go to New Orleans. Donovan says he is, but he wants to make sure the children’s futures are set before he leaves. Homer says that plenty of people are lining up to take the children, and suddenly Celia is accosted by several women Donovan had previously asked to care for the children. The women are only interested in the children for the gold nugget, and as they fight over Celia they rip her new dress apart. Later on, Donovan and Homer discuss finding someone good enough to be a parental figure to the children. Homer suggests Dusty, and when Donovan points out that she’s not even married, Homer implies that Donovan should marry Dusty for the sake of the children. The children excitedly agree to this and play to Donovan’s guilt to get him to propose to Dusty. Later that night, Theodore and Amos break into the city fire department to steal one of their ladders. They nearly wake up the fire chief as they awkwardly try to get the ladder out without making noise. The crooks accidentally break the ladder while using it to cross to the bank rooftop. Meanwhile, Donovan meets with Dusty to arrange a marriage so that Dusty will take over as their guardian while Donovan leaves for New Orleans. Dusty agrees, with the condition that Donovan will not “exercise [his] husbandly prerogatives.” Outside the bank, Amos tries using a mule and a rope to hoist Theodore up to the roof, but the mule doesn’t budge. The children walk by and talk to Theodore, recognizing him from earlier. He tries to shoo them away, and is then suddenly pulled up to the roof after Amos hit the mule. The next morning, Homer, the bank manager, and a bank teller run inside the bank to find the two crooks awkwardly tangled up in the rope. Homer shoots them down and exercises his role as judge to find them guilty. He sentences them to death by hanging with their own rope, lets them go, and tells them to arrive later for their hanging, fully expecting them not to show (unless they’re really that stupid).

Outside town, Frank Stillwell spies on the bank. He and his gang plot to steal the gold nugget. Back in town, Donovan, Dusty, and the children walk to Homer’s barber shop to be married. Homer kicks out a half-shaved patron and begins the “ceremony” after confirming Dusty is a willing participant. He pronounces them married and charges two dollars, which he then uses to buy Donovan a drink. Dusty watches the children while Donovan leaves. Dusty takes the children to the store for some candy and sees a large, brass bed being sold. When asked about the buyer, the clerk tells her it’s Donovan. Enraged, Dusty storms into the saloon while the children follow. There, she marches up to Donovan and begins yelling and throwing things at him. Donovan, completely confused, attempts to get her stop while she keeps attacking, accusing him of lying about not exercising his husbandly prerogatives. After being knocked out briefly, Donovan asks Dusty what’s wrong. She demands to know why he bought the bed if he was planning on leaving, and Donovan angrily tells her the big bed is for the boys and he ordered a smaller bed for Celia. Dusty asks why he didn’t just say so, and takes off with Celia and the boys. Homer makes a final judgement to the whole town that Donovan and Dusty are the children’s legal guardians. However, before the judgement is official, John Whintle returns with his lawyer and a federal order demanding the children be turned over to him. Homer is forced to comply. Frank pretends to be a pastor and gleans information out of Dusty’s father about how the gold nugget will be transported to San Francisco. Donovan delivers annulment papers to Dusty; since the children are no longer legally Donovan’s, the marriage doesn’t need to exist. Donovan decides to move on to New Orleans, leaving Dusty saddened since she had begun to fall for him. Theodore and Amos rethink their lives and discuss apologizing to Homer and giving up the life of robbing. The kids arrive and tell them that Whintle only wants them for their gold, and tell the crooks that they want them to have the gold nugget. All they need to do is take it from the bank. They give the kids the moniker of “The Apple Dumpling Gang” and together come up with a plan to get the nugget. The Stillwell Gang sneaks into town and Frank forces the bank manger to open the safe holding the nugget, while also taking the Bradley children hostage. Theodore and Amos arrive at the wrong time to “hold up” the bank in their planned attempt, but are also taken hostage by Frank. As Dusty and Donovan arrive at the bank, the Stillwell Gang begins a shootout with them as well as Homer and several of the townsfolk. Frank escapes with Celia and flees town while Theodore and Amos remain at the bank. Donovan and Dusty chase Frank and save Celia, while Donovan also takes down Frank in a fight. Donovan and Dusty declare their love for each other and Frank is arrested. Meanwhile, the dynamite Theodore and Amos brought for their heist is shot, causing the bank to explode and the gold nugget to shatter into smaller pieces. Luckily, Theodore and Amos hid inside the safe and are unharmed. Whintle angrily renounces his guardianship of the children after the loss of the gold nugget. Frank’s bounty is awarded to Donovan, enough for his home in New Orleans. Instead, he decides to stay in Quake City and buy a ranch for himself, Dusty, and the children. On their way to the ranch they meet a reformed Theodore and Amos who ask for work as farmhands, and Donovan happily accepts.

Thoughts Before Watching

Kevin: This is another title to add to my list of movies I haven’t seen before. Just by the title and description alone, I’m wondering if the outlaws are the titular gang? Or does it refer to the other characters? Ugh, I gotta say I groaned a bit when I saw this was another Western. The last Western I can remember somewhat enjoying was Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, but everything since has been subpar. Still, I think this might be the first one that is also tagged as a comedy? Or is it just the first one I’ve noticed? Either way, I’m keeping my expectations low here just to be safe.

Megan: I haven’t seen this one before, either, and I’m not quite sure what to expect. I know my mom spoke highly of it at one point. I also recognize Don Knotts (I know him from The Andy Griffith Show), and he’s usually pretty funny, so I’m hoping he’ll bring some good humor to this one. On the whole I’ve been pretty underwhelmed by this decade of Disney films, though, so I’m not gonna get my hopes up too high.

Thoughts After Watching

Pleasantly surprised!

Megan: I gotta say, this was way cuter than I thought it was going to be, and definitely far more enjoyable! Celia’s constant pleas of “I gotta go” are hilariously timed, Dusty’s character is awesome, and the antics of Amos and Theodore are great comedy! My two favorite scenes in the movie are (1) when Dusty starts a bar brawl with Donovan over a minor misunderstanding, and (2) when Amos and Theodore steal the ladder from the firehouse with the fireman asleep and the dog literally watching the antics unfold. So glad this film did not disappoint!

So glad to have been wrong!

Kevin: This was HILARIOUS! Seriously, I am so, so happy this was not another dull Western like most of the previous ones we’ve watched. Honestly, this film was primarily a comedy with just a Western overcoat. Regardless, I applaud the filmmakers here for mixing the two genres and making something this funny! I’m now curious about the original novel this was based on, and whether it, too, was this comedic. Still, we’re reviewing the movies here, so I’ll have to try reading the novel another time. Anyway, the comical elements are given to us by a number of characters, each as interesting as the next. First, we have the two hapless crooks, Theodore Ogelvie and Amos Tucker, played by comedy duo Don Knotts and Tim Conway, respectively. These two completely steal the show! What’s interesting is that they are featured as the front and center characters on both the Disney Plus preview image as well as the film’s theatrical release poster. I can completely understand why this was done, because these two were the best thing about this movie (and that’s saying something because this was very good!). Knotts and Conway had extensive and highly notable comedic roles on their resumes, with Knotts being well known on The Andy Griffith Show (I did not realize this until Megan pointed it out to me once she recognized him. Yeah, I’m sorry, I haven’t watched that television show, SUE ME!) and Three’s Company. Conway would go on to become a regular cast member of The Carol Burnett Show, as well as a prominent voice actor, including being the voice of Barnacle Boy from SpongeBob SquarePants. (Now that I said it, I can hear the similarities between Barnacle Boy and Amos Tuckett!)

Kevin: Now, in front of the camera, Theodore and Amos are as inept as you can imagine. They’re not very good outlaws, and sometimes you can’t help but wonder how much of this is due to the ineptitude and how much might be because their hearts really aren’t in it. At the beginning of the film, it looks like they mean business, since Theodore pulls a revolver on the unsuspecting Donovan only for his barrel to fall out. Though Theodore has his own screw ups, it becomes clear that he’s the smarter of the pair. Most of Theodore’s plans go awry due to Amos’s inability to follow instructions properly, such as when Amos bungles Theodore’s attempts to break into the bank via the roof. This is where I question how committed the two are to their profession; during that scene, the three Bradley children come across Theodore and he deflects their questions of what he’s up to. I honestly wondered why at no point Theodore didn’t decide that he and Amos should just kidnap the children and use them as leverage. Of course, there’s at least one major reason: this is a comedy and the hilarity is built on the two crooks being absolutely bad at their job. It probably never occurred to Theodore or Amos to even consider the possibility. I also think it may just be the case that Theodore was just trying not to give away what he and Amos were doing. Still, I like to think it’s because they simply don’t want to actually hurt anyone, and just want to make some money. Given that they retire from the outlaw life and Donovan takes them on as farmhands, I think this makes sense.

Kevin: Theodore and Amos may be the funniest characters here, but there are others that deserve recognition. Next is Homer McCoy, the town’s sheriff, barber, and judge all in one. Put simply, this guy is basically of the opposite of the crooks. He appears by all accounts to be good at his job(s). He also chooses when and where he decides to act on each role, even if it kind of screws people over. The first time we meet him, John Whintle comes to Homer to talk to him about some “valuables,” and Homer says this:

HOMER: If you need a haircut, Whintle, my barber shop’s closed. If you’re looking to sue somebody, my court’s open every second Tuesday. If you want the sheriff, I’m playing poker.

Basically, no matter how you slice it, this man ain’t givin’ you the time if he doesn’t want to. To be fair, he’s not obligated, but it’s just so wonderful to watch him be dismissive of Whintle like that! Later, when Donovan protests to Dusty that he can’t legally be the Bradley children’s guardian and her argument wouldn’t hold up in any court of law, Homer says:

HOMER: It would in my court. And I’m the law around here!

This is one of several examples where Homer’s interpretation of law clashes with Donovan, and in each example Homer tells Donovan that this is just simply the way things are done in Quake City. There is also one more stand-out moment that had me rolling, and it was the scene where Donovan and Dusty get married in his barber shop. Although he is in the middle of giving a man a shave, Homer immediately dismisses his patron when he realizes Donovan and Dusty are there to get married. The customer protests, but Homer straight up tells him to leave before he fines him for loitering! In reality, this kind of behavior wouldn’t hold up well, but the comedy just works so well for this movie!

The rest of the movie’s humor comes from smaller moments. Donovan and Dusty are written to be more serious, but the situations they find themselves in are entertaining. Their banter is great, and I have to admit my sides were splitting from laughter when Dusty attacks Donovan in the saloon (shoutout to Homer with the line “they got married” when asked what was going on). Scenes like this would probably not go over super well if they were filmed in modern times, but it still works out well in this type of movie. Lastly, the running gags involving Clovis’s kicking people when touched and Celia’s constant need to go to the bathroom are amusing and spaced out just enough that they don’t get old.

Kevin: I would easily watch this again; maybe over and over as much as I do my top favorites, but I’d be totally down to seeing this every once in a while. I’m really excited for the sequel, which according to a lot of reviewers is even funnier than this one!

Western Women and Sexism

Megan: I’m not quite sure if we can say this truly passes the Bechdel test. Although Dusty speaks directly to Celia about something other than the male characters at several points throughout the film, Celia’s responses are generally non-verbal, like nodding her head “yes.” They’ve definitely communicated with each other about something other than a man, but does it count if only one of them actually talks? I feel like it probably doesn’t…though I would be willing to give this one a slim pass simply because I enjoyed the interactions between Dusty and Celia so much.

Megan: Also, can we take a moment to appreciate that Dusty is not your typical female character in a Western? For one thing, she’s the only woman in the whole film who doesn’t wear a dress for the bulk of the film, but it goes so much more beyond that. She’s got a powerful, fighting personality, that helps protect her from being taken advantage of. Also, in her conversations with her father, we learn that it’s Dusty who’s really running their stagecoach business—and not just by driving the stagecoach, but by doing the behind-the-scenes work as well. While her father benefits from her work, he doesn’t really understand, recognize, or appreciate how much Dusty does. In fact, he tells her to go enjoy her evening and she’s the one reminding him of all the real work that has to be done…right before her father walks into the saloon. (Speaking of the saloon, it totally slipped my mind that women weren’t allowed in saloons back in the day. It wasn’t until Donovan awkwardly asked Dusty to get a drink with him that I caught on that she wasn’t technically allowed in there.)

In a real-world, historical context, I’m sure many women had to have been similar to Dusty. Heading out West was not for the faint of heart, so I’m sure the real women pioneers were just as tough as Dusty. In the context of this film, though, I really enjoyed seeing Dusty hold her own. Honestly, she kind of has to. The other women in town don’t exactly seem friendly, so there’s no hope for allies there. (Honestly, I really didn’t like how the film portrayed every woman aside from Dusty and Celia as catty and selfish—the women trying to tear each other’s hair out during the courtroom scene was unnecessary.) Plus, the men in town aren’t much better. Though we don’t see much evidence of men being violent toward women in the film, it’s clear that in Dusty’s world she’s already learned that men’s intentions are not to be trusted. That’s why she makes clear to Donovan that if she goes through with the marriage to legally protect the children, she doesn’t want him taking advantage of his “husbandly duties.” It’s also why she becomes outraged when she believes Donovan purchased the bed with the intention of sharing the bed with her. In Dusty’s world, that’s how things go. Men say one thing, but they do another. That’s why I personally didn’t mind that Dusty started a bar brawl over the bed. Some might argue that Dusty was overreacting, but I disagree. In her mind, she was convinced that this was a sign of Donovan’s intention to rape her. Her reaction to this assumed violation of her body is to violate the “male space” of the saloon, where women aren’t allowed to enter. (Gotta love the poetic justice there.) Now, could all this have been avoided if she’d simply asked Donovan why he bought the bed? Sure. But then we’d lose out on the comedy—and the underlying message. You see, this scene is only funny in part because our society (and the society of this film world) has a problem with men being violent toward women, and violating women’s bodies. Women grow up learning and internalizing this, so most women watching this scene would fully understand Dusty’s need to proactively protect herself. Some men might echo the sexist sentiments of the male characters in the film and call Dusty “hysterical,” but my hope is that, at least on some level, audiences viewing this film realize how awful it is that a woman’s first reaction to a man buying a bed is to assume he has ill intentions, and to recognize that our society needs to change.

Megan: The one complaint I have about Dusty’s character is how this film portrays her at the end. Throughout the entire film we’ve seen Dusty in a very practical outfit of a shirt and trousers, but at the very end of the film we see her wearing a highly impractical white dress—right before getting into an open carriage which is sure to kick up all kinds of dust that will inevitably get on her dress. The implication here seems to harken back to Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew—Dusty, a wild Western woman, has been “tamed” by marrying Donovan and becoming a surrogate mother to the three children. Honestly, I don’t like it, and I don’t buy it. Dusty isn’t much different from the start of the film. Yes, she’s come around to the idea of helping to care for the children, and she’s found a friend in Donovan, but her fiery personality hasn’t changed, and I saw no indication earlier in the film that Dusty even liked dresses. The only hint of her wanting something more traditionally feminine was when she held the flowers and put on the ring for the impromptu marriage ceremony. If the film had established that Dusty was a woman who dressed practically for work yet still liked fine, feminine clothes when the occasion called for it, I might have accepted the wardrobe change at the end of the film (though I still would have questioned the dress color choice for an open carriage ride…). However, we have never seen this more feminine side of Dusty, so saving that “reveal” for the end makes it feel less like a choice Dusty made and more like something she did for or because of Donovan (or, more likely, a decision made by the male filmmakers telling this story).

Finding family when you don’t expect it

Kevin: Right after losing a hand of poker, Donovan optimistically states that he’s sure his good luck is just around the corner. Of course, what he meant at the time was he would soon wind up in New Orleans to buy himself the fancy house he’s dreamed of. What he did not expect was for his whole life to change and be turned upside down in the most absurd way. After Whintle tricks him into taking in his niece and nephews, Donovan finds himself an unwitting participant in their upbringing. He is a self-proclaimed bachelor, so we at first wonder how on earth the Bradley children will be able to get by with this man looking out for them. Luckily, Donovan is by no means heartless. He goes though a very notable yet admittedly predictable arc. Though he initially wants out of this situation, he ultimately decides to stay with the children and genuinely falls in love with Dusty. As predictable as this was, however, I’m glad that the filmmakers made this arc fairly gradual and believable instead of just dropping the man into a strange situation and somehow winning the affections of kids and the love interest while not giving the audience any reason to care about or believe it (*throws a dirty side-eye at The Castaway Cowboy*). We already explained why we did not believe Costain’s relationships with Henrietta and Booton in The Castaway Cowboy, so I’ll avoid the rehash here. By contrast, The Apple Dumpling Gang gives us something more. We immediately see in Donovan a very genuine fatherly instinct in spite of his misgivings. This instinct is most noticeable in Donovan’s interactions with Celia. I mean, just look at those moments when he picks up or consoles Celia! It’s heart-warming! He’s admittedly less affectionate with the boys, Bobby and Clovis (this is still set in the 19th century after all), but I had no trouble believing he cared for the well-being of all the children. His suggestion to Dusty that they get married so she can provide for the children is done with the best of intentions, and Dusty’s own care and affection for the children makes her willing to go in on this deal with Donovan. Eventually, the two are able to bond over their shared connection in giving the Bradley children a family that I can buy their love growing, even it it still happens a bit quickly. When all of this culminates in Dusty and Donovan chasing down Stillwell and saving Celia, it is very much like mother and father coming to rescue their daughter. The arcs come full circle, and although neither of them expected it, Dusty and Donovan both find a family in each other and in the children.

One final unanswered question

Megan: This is such a small thing, but why in the world was Dusty’s father drinking himself to oblivion and trying to hide while the big shootout was happening? Was it because he realized he’d revealed too much to the fake pastor and inadvertently told the bank robbers precisely how to rob the bank? Or was there something else going on there? I may have to watch the movie again to figure that one out, but it would seem that no one else in town knew that he’d spilled the bank’s secrets, so there ultimately weren’t any consequences for his error.

Verdict

Megan: 6

Kevin: 8

Final Score: 7

Tell us what you thought of The Apple Dumpling Gang! Was it as funny to you as it was to us? We’d love to read your comments below!

Ways to Watch

Disney Plus

Amazon Digital Video

DVD