THE GNOME-MOBILE
US, 1967, 90 minutes, Colour.
Walter Brennan, Matthew Garber, Karen Dotrice, Richard Deacon, Sean Mc Clory, Ed Wynn, Jerome Cowan, Charles Lane.
Directed by Robert Stevenson.
The Gnome- Mobile is one of Walt Disney's more delightful fantasies. It was directed by Robert Stevenson, who directed a number of Disney features, most importantly Mary Poppins. In fact, the two young stars Matthew Garber and Karen Dotrice were in Mary Poppins.
The film has a contemporary setting but shows us gnomes living in the forests north of San Francisco. Walter Brennan enjoys himself as a lumber tycoon and as the most cantankerous of the old gnomes. There is a lot of fantasy blending of contemporary American business with the world of the gnomes, excellent process and special effect photography.
The film is based on a novel by the celebrated American author Upton Sinclair.
1. An appealing fantasy? For family audiences? For children?
2. Disney production values: colour photography, Californian locations, the city, the forest? The importance of the special effects work for creating the gnomes? The animation for the talking animals? The interplay of normal sized characters with the gnomes? With Walter Brennan playing two characters? The special effects for the chase sequences and the collapse of the asylum car? The musical score and the jaunty theme?
3. The focus on the children? Audiences identifying with Rodney and Elizabeth? Their seeing their grandfather? The arrival in the city? The decision to go for the picnic? The car-ride? Elizabeth meeting Jasper? The appeal for help? Elizabeth enlisting her grandfather's help? Rodney and his help? The taking of the gnomes north? The finding of another place for them? The staying at the motel? Their being kidnapped? The children concerned? The taking of their grandfather to the sanatorium? The children helping their grandfather to escape? The mad chase? The happy ending and the satisfaction the children got from helping the gnomes?
4. Walter Brennan as D. J. Mulrooney - genial grandfather, his wealth, the car, the picnic, his talking about the forests? His decision to help Jasper, driving Jasper and Knobby to the untouched forest? The joy ride in the Rolls Royce - the Gnome-Mobile? The attack by Knobby on Mulrooney? Hiding the gnomes at the motel? The attack by Knobby? D. J. Mulrooney being taken to the sanatorium, his Vice President having him certified? The escape, the chase, D. J. searching for Jasper and Knobby when they were taken by the freak show? The rescuing of the gnomes? The meeting with Rufus? The beautiful gnomes and the competition for Jasper's hand? The final bequeathing of the fifty thousand acres of the forest for the gnomes? The happy ending with the ride? Walter
Brennan's differing styles as D. J. and Knobby?
5. Jasper and his searching for help, the encounter with the children, Knobby and Jasper being kidnapped by the proprietor of the freak show? Their being rescued? The mad chase? The Kingdom of the Gnomes? The race for the catching of the wife? Violet and her shyness, her marrying Jasper?
6. The presentation of the humans - much less sympathetic than the gnomes? The Vice President and his concern about D. J., having him committed to the sanatorium? The madcap chase and the fun at the expense of the humans? Horatio Quackston and his freak show, stealing the gnomes?
7. The delight of this kind of contemporary fairy tale? The delight in fantasy? The message about ecology, business? A pleasant table for younger audiences?
