Evengyny
Thanks for the memories!
AniInterview
Sorry, this movie sucks
Rosie Searle
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Atreyu_II
In all the 3 movies which Matthew Garber appeared, Karen Dotrice was his co-star. "The Gnome Mobile" is the third of them. The previous ones are "The Three Lives of Thomasina" and "Mary Poppins". This duo is also known as the «Mary Poppins kids». Matthew Garber and Karen Dotrice are two of my favorite kid stars, particularly Matthew.This fantasy film is something I recommend for anyone who likes old live-action Disney films, Disney in general and especially for fans of Matthew Garber and Karen Dotrice, no matter their age. Yet, this film seems to be more for children because it's somewhat childish.The film was directed by the famous Robert Stevenson, the same guy who directed movies such as the great "Old Yeller" and "Mary Poppins" and the okay films "The Love Bug", "Herbie Rides Again" and "Bedknobs and Broomsticks".The movie is generally likable, colorful and has soul, but it doesn't manage to be a truly great movie. The movie is quite promising in the beginning and it goes rather well until more or less the middle, perhaps a bit later than that. However, after that it isn't that great and becomes a little goofy for my taste.The sceneries are great, particularly the forest, which create an atmosphere that strongly resembles "The Wizard of Oz". Less good are some scenes with cars that inspired certain scenes for "The Love Bug", but at least those scenes are separate. The scenes with gnomes clearly resemble later movies such as "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". At the end, there are some nice primitive special effects.Walter Brennan is excellent in the role of the eccentric but disciplined D.J. Mulrooney and he is never annoying, unlike that gnome with big beird whose name I don't even know. The character D.J. Mulrooney owns a Rolls-Royce Phantom II, the gnome mobile of the title. A fine automobile indeed, but gigantic. If we consider its immense size and the time when the car was made, it's concerning the serious dangers they took with such an unsafe and huge car by doing some crazy stuff in curves and high speed.As for the kids (Matthew Garber and Karen Dotrice), they are perfect in their acting. Very lively, cute, charming, smart and classy. It's possible to see Matthew Garber doing incredible things here, such as driving a car and climbing a building. In fact, the scene when Matthew tries to drive the huge car but can't reach the pedals because he's too small for it is funny and Karen gives him a help. After the funny sequence when he climbs a building and helps his grandfather to escape is when the movie begins to lose its initial greatness.Matthew Garber portrays Rodney, while Karen Dotrice plays Elizabeth. They're brothers and their surname is Winthrop. I've gotta say, Rodney is a lovely and different name - very classy and British too. I love Matthew's lines «When I get a car, it's going to be a Maserati» and «1 horsepower??». The kid is fine, huh? I mean, a Maserati. That's thinking tall :)The classic comedian Ed Wynn has a small role as one of the gnomes at the end, but this time he isn't as funny as usual.Sad that Matthew Adam Garber is not with us anymore. Why didn't he and Karen keep in touch after this film? After all, they did 3 movies together and they were friends. Another funny line of Matthew is when he comments that nobody has a snoring like grandpa...As for the soundtrack, "The Gnome Mobile Song" is great, very charming, jolly and timeless. The movie wasn't a success. Maybe Matthew lost his motivation because of this and gave up on his acting career. Probably Karen felt the same and maybe that's why she was such a long time without making movies.In conclusion, a decent movie although not all that great. But it's worth for the lovely Matthew Garber and Karen Dotrice.
bkoganbing
One of the most charming fantasies that Walt Disney ever produced was The Gnomemobile. Even seeing it at the age 20 I was rather pleased with this wonderful kid's film. And if you've imbibed in any spirits while viewing it, The Gnomemobile can be quite a trip if you get my drift.The creators of Mary Poppins almost duplicated their success with The Gnomemobile. Walter Brennan gets to play a dual role, a reprise of the business tycoon from his series, The Tycoon and a mini me version of himself as a leader of a tribe of gnomes.These little folks live deep in the forest that Brennan's lumber company keeps chopping down and depriving them of a home. I imagine if this had an Irish locale, the wee ones would speak with a brogue and be called leprechauns. Anyway Brennan the tycoon has a couple of more little ones now, his grandchildren played by Matthew Garber and Karen Dotrice the kids from Mary Poppins. They work on grandpa and he takes an interest in the plight of the gnomes. But to help them grandpa faces some considerable opposition, not the least of which that folks just don't believe in the wee folk.The Gnomemobile marks the farewell performance of Ed Wynn who was a delightful performer who had been in show business for over 60 years when he passed away. Wynn plays one of the gnomes and a rival of sorts to Brennan's mini me.The Shermans, Robert M. and Richard B. wrote the musical score for The Gnomemobile and while it doesn't provide any lasting songs like Mary Poppins, the score is serviceable enough for the film.It's as charming as it ever was, but what a gas it is if you're indulging.
MARIO GAUCI
A good many of Walt Disney Productions' live-action movies would regularly turn up on Italian TV as I grew up, including this one – which I missed. That said, while it's well enough liked by authoritative sources such as the late Leslie Halliwell and Leonard Maltin, the film is only average in my view; maybe I'd have enjoyed it more had I caught it during my childhood.The plot (from an Upton Sinclair book) is simply too juvenile for one to be engrossed in it – with perhaps the corniest element of all being the belated introduction of romance among the gnomes. Even so, it's all reasonably pleasant and colorful – though the special effects haven't worn the passage of time all that well.Veteran character actor Walter Brennan appears in a dual role – a lumber tycoon (who ends up in a lunatic asylum when he sets detectives on the trail of missing gnomes) and one of the latter, an elderly curmudgeon; Ed Wynn is the head of another of the species' communities; Sean McClory, then, is the villainous owner of a freak-show (who kidnaps a couple of the little people for his act).In the long run, Disney fared much better with this particular kind of whimsy in DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE (1959) – which, incidentally had the same director…and it's doubly disappointing given that Stevenson, Wynn, the two child actors (Matthew Garber and Karen Dotrice) and the songwriters (the title tune by the Sherman brothers ain't no classic) had all previously worked on MARY POPPINS (1964)!
urthmothr
We are both Walter Brennan fans and fantasy lovers. We remember this fondly from years ago...how we would like to own it! We thought it was Disney because it involved two Disney child actors (from Mary Poppins). Does anyone know whether it has ever been released to video?
