The Apple Dumpling Gang

The Apple Dumpling Gang is a 1975 American comedy-western film directed by Norman Tokar. The plot is about a slick gambler named Russell Donovan (Bill Bixby) who is duped into taking care of a group of orphans who eventually strike gold during the California Gold Rush. The film was produced by Walt Disney Productions.
The film is based on the novel of the same name by Jack Bickham. Don Tait wrote the screenplay. The so-called "Apple Dumpling Gang" are named after their favorite American dessert treat, the apple dumpling. It's also known as being the first film to feature the comedy duo of Don Knotts and Tim Conway. Knotts and Conway developed different styles of pulling off their comedy; Conway's characters were usually the dumber of the two, which made Knotts usually the brains of the group, though they were both equally inept. Paul J. Smith and Buddy Baker composed the music for it and its 1979 sequel, The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again. 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.
Category:1975 films
Category:1975 comedy films
Category:1970s American films
Category:1970s comedy films
Category:1970s children's comedy films
Category:1970s English-language films
Category:American Western (genre) comedy films
Category:Walt Disney Pictures
Category:Walt Disney Pictures films
Category:Rated G
Category:Films directed by Norman Tokar
Category:Films produced by Bill Anderson (producer)
Category:Films scored by Buddy Baker (composer)
Category:Films starring Bill Bixby
Category:Films starring Susan Clark
Category:Films starring Don Knotts
Category:Films starring Tim Conway
Category:Films starring David Wayne
Category:Films starring Slim Pickens
Category:Films starring Harry Morgan
Category:Films starring John McGiver
Category:Films starring Don Knight
Category:Films about the California Gold Rush
Category:Films set in 1879
Category:Films shot in Bend, Oregon
Category:Films based on American novels
Category:Films based on children's books