THE GNOME-MOBILE (1967, U.S.)

The Gnome-Mobile

(1967, U.S.) color 84 minutes
Walt Disney Pictures / Buena Vista Pictures
Story: Upton Sinclair (from his book)
Screenplay: Ellis Kadison
Music: Buddy Baker
Songs: Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman
Cinematography: Edward Colman
Editing: Norman R. Palmer
Produced by James Algar, Walt Disney
Directed by Robert Stevenson

With: Walter Brennan (D.J. Mulrooney/Knobby), Matthew Garber (Rodney Winthrop), Karen Dotrice (Elizabeth Winthrop), Richard Deacon (Ralph Yarby), Tom Lowell (Jasper), Sean McClory (Horatio Quaxton), Ed Wynn (Rufus), Jerome Cowan (Dr. Conrad Ramsey), Charles Lane (Dr. Scoggins), Norman Grabowski (Male Nurse), Gil Lamb (Gas Attendant), Maudie Prickett (Katie Barrett), Cami Sebring (Violet)

***

In 1967, Ed Wynn appeared posthumously in his last movie, THE GNOME-MOBILE. The story opens at the executive offices of the Mulrooney Co., in modern-day San Francisco. D.J. Mulrooney is the owner and CEO of a large lumber corporation, finishing an important meeting with clients, and leaving to meet some VIPs at the airport. He heads for the garage and decides to take his Rolls Royce instead of the limo, as he drives to meet his guests, which are his grandchildren, Elizabeth and Rodney (Karen Dotrice and Mathew Garber, both of whom had appeared in Walt Disney's THE THREE LIVES OF THOMASINA and MARY POPPINS).

Mulrooney takes the kids to the woods for a picnic where, while walking through the woods, Elizabeth's presence is watched by some animals and a gnome named Jasper, who believes that she is the one “Doodeen” (gnome slang for human) that he could trust. The animals, an owl and a raccoon (voiced by Parley Baer and John Fieldler) warn Jasper that the Doodeens are not to be trusted, and he shouldn't meet with the girl. But seeing no other way to deal with his situation, the young gnome jumps into the scene and introduces himself to Elizabeth.

After hearing about his problem, Elizabeth goes to find her grandfather in the hopes that he might have the answer to the young fellow's problem. However, when she returns with her grandpa and her brother, Jasper becomes hesitant to show himself to the trio. Thinking that the girl has imagined the whole thing, they are about to leave the scene, with poor Elizabeth crying, until Jasper reconsiders and reappears before the startled Mulrooney and Rodney. Taking them to his little area, they find Jasper's grandfather Knobby (played by Walter Brennan) who is fading away. Mulrooney says, “I don't know much about gnomes, but if they're anything like Leprechauns, they live on and on but only if they want to.” Inquiring as to what is making the aging fairy give up the will to live, Jasper explains sadly that the two of them are the last of the gnomes; their colony has disappeared, and there are no gnome maidens for the young fellows to marry.

When Jasper introduces the Doodeens' to Knobby, his attitude changes from depression to outrage, and he wants the humans to leave. Mulrooney explains to the aging gnome that he knows of an untouched path of timber where they can find another gnome colony, and perhaps find a bride for Jasper. Knobby still refuses to accept this offer since he is fearful that these humans might sell them to a circus or freak show. Elizabeth promises, “We'll never reveal your existence to another soul.” “Besides,” says Rodney, “no one would believe us anyway!” Seeing that they have nothing to lose, the old gnome and his grandson finally accept the humans’ offer, and they all climb into the Mulrooney car, which they now re-dub, “The Gnome-Mobile”.

During the trip, the humans learn from Knobby the truth about the gnomes' extinction: greedy and irresponsible lumbermen have cut down the trees, and the falling trees have killed off the entire community. “And those infernal ax-swingers! They wouldn't give up!” shouts Knobby angrily. “They kept comin’ and a’ comin’ and the worst of them all was that Mulrooney outfit!” Seeing that he doesn't know who he is and that his identity would create a serious row, Mulrooney, Jasper and the kids say nothing to the old gnome.

However, when they stop at the Cedar Creek Lodge for the night, the gnomes are hidden inside of a picnic basket. The desk clerk (Byron Folger, best remembered for playing the train conductor on “Petticoat Junction”) refuses to give Mulrooney accommodations until he states his name, when Knobby begins to scream. Quickly getting their rooms, Mulrooney tries to pacify Knobby by explaining that his men were wrong to ruin the gnomes’ forest, and that he'd like to help in any way he can. But the old gnome refuses to listen, and Mulrooney angrily tells Knobby and Jasper, “Tomorrow morning we're going back to the redwoods, and we're going to drop you off and be free of you, and from that time, on as far as I'm concerned, you've never even existed!”

While Mulrooney and Rodney go to the garage to get the car fixed, the conversation between the gnomes and the Mulrooney clan come to the attention of an exploitative showman, Horatio Quaxton, the owner of a sideshow called “Quaxton's Academy Of Fantastic Freaks.” Seeing that Elizabeth is the only one in the room with the gnomes, Quaxton calls her on the phone to deliver a false message, that her grandfather and brother have been injured in a terrible car crash; she leaves the hotel room, which gives Quaxton (Sean McClory) the opportunity to grab the gnomes, put them into the picnic basket, and drive off into the night. When she finds the pair at the garage and discovers that they're not hurt, Mulrooney believes something is wrong, and after the car is fixed, he heads back to the hotel only to find the gnomes are gone.

Concerned for Knobby and Jasper's welfare, Mulrooney decides to call one of his staff, Ralph Yarby (Richard Deacon), to have the Mulrooney security staff find the gnomes. Yarby, who is having a physical check-up with his doctor and nurse (Charles Lane and Maude Prickett), refuses to let Yarby call in the security staff, since they believe their boss has lost his mind, and should be locked up in a mental hospital. Yarby tricks Mulrooney into taking him to see a private investigator at his office in a secluded part of the Northern California redwoods. When he meets the doctor (Jerome Cowan, best remembered for playing the DA in MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET and Morse in HAVE ROCKET, WILL TRAVEL with The Three Stooges), Mulrooney finds out that he's been had. Mulrooney's outrage is for naught, as he is being taken away by two strong-arms to a room.

In the meantime, the nurse checks in on the kids, and when Rodney listens in on the nurse's phone call to Yarby, he realizes that their grandfather is in trouble, and they sneak out. Taking some tools from the Gnome-Mobile's trunk, the kids drive the car to the mental hospital, where Rodney helps his grandpa escape. They climb over a wall and into the Gnome-Mobile. Seeing that they’ll have to save their friends on their own, Mulrooney wonders who could have taken the two gnomes. Recalling his meeting with Quaxton in the lobby of the Cedar Creek Lodge, Rodney pulls out two tickets from his jacket pocket and shows them to his grandfather. Now knowing who is behind the kidnapping, Mulrooney takes them to Quaxton's sideshow, only to find out that he is not there. After gaining information from Quaxton's two caretakers, Edna and Charlie (Ellen Corby, who played Grandma Esther Walton on “The Waltons”, and Frank Cady, who played Sam Drucker on “Petticoat Junction” and “Green Acres”) that Quaxton might be at his lodge in the mountains.

The group heads for the lodge. Knobby manages to escape from the lodge but Quaxton grabs poor Jasper and tries to force the gnome to accept his fate. He refuses, and a chase ensues. Mulrooney enters the lodge and hangs the villain onto the antlers of a moose head and, with Jasper in tow, they leave the scene. Heading for the hidden woodlands that he spoke of earlier, Mulrooney, Jasper and the kids search for Knobby. They finally find him, and an entire colony of gnomes lead by another old gentleman, Rufus (Ed Wynn), who accepts Jasper and the Doodeens as members of their community. Jasper finally finds his bride in one of Rufus' granddaughters, Violet. The couple are married by Rufus, and as a wedding gift, Mulrooney bestows to the community another hidden forest that he assures will never be touched by other Doodeens, so that they can live happily. The entire group climbs into the Gnome-Mobile and head for the forest, singing the film's theme song into the final credits.

***

I saw this film at the Laconia Theater in the Bronx, back in 1967. The script is full of thrills, charm and laughter. The f/x are great and the casting is perfect. Brennan is delightful in his dual roles of kindly corporate exec and grumpy but fun-loving gnome. Dotrice and Garber are charming as the two grandkids, and McClory is a perfectly crafty villain. There are also memorable cameos from Corby, Cady, Foulger, Alvy Moore (Hank Kimball on “Green Acres”) as the mechanic, Gil Lamb as a gas station attendant, Charles Lane, Maude Pricket, Jerome Cowan, Richard Deacon, William Fawcett (Pete on “The Fury”), Van Williams (TV's “Green Hornet”) and of course, Ed Wynn as Rufus. THE GNOME-MOBILE is a wonderful musical-fantasy that is a part of a list of fine Disney fantasy films including DARBY O’GILL & THE LITTLE PEOPLE.

- Kevin S. Butler

Video/DVD availability: VHS/DVD (Disney Home Video)