CineBad!!!

“The Gnome Mobile, The Gnome Mobile, rolling along in the Gnome Mobile!” I can just hear the song now. In fact, the song is so catchy it’s going to be rolling along in my head for the next several months. This is a charming tale of oppression, redemption, family values, random singing, environmentalism– basically, it’s all in here! Based on the book by Upton Sinclair, author of the Jungle -everyone’s favorite happy tale about Chicago’s meat packing industry, this film has all the fun without the preachiness of his more famous book.

D.J. (Walter Brennan,) the owner of a large timber conglomerate, must face past wrongs when his granddaughter Elizabeth (Karen Dotrice) makes friends with Jasper the Gnome. D.J.’s company has caused massive devastation to the gnome population in this certain area, leaving just Jasper and his ailing Grandpa (Walter Brennan) left. Alas, Grandpa has lost his will to live because there are no females left for Jasper to reproduce with! The Gnome population is doomed! Luckily, D.J. has a heart of gold, and uses his extensive knowledge of Leprechauns back in the Old Country to find out the problem. He turns his old Rolls Royce into the Gnome Mobile: a transportation vessel for gnomes to seek out new worlds and civilizations! And he, Elizabeth, and her brother Rodney (Matthew Garber in his final performance before his drug overdose in 1977) set out to forego an Important Business Meeting to help the gnomes repopulate.

Unfortunately, Horatio Claxton (Sean McClory,) the sleazy owner of a Freakshow, wants to capture the gnomes for his show. Plus, D.J.’s right-hand-man thinks D.J. has lost it, and tries to have him committed. This provides the opportunity for hilarious car chases. Don’t miss the happy, sexist ending, involving crazed, leaping, scantily clad female gnomes. This film features many cheesy special effects- especially when it comes to the gnomes themselves. Because of union laws, Disney had to actually cast real people rather than gnomes to star in this film. Unfortunately, humans are much larger than gnomes, so special props were needed. Don’t miss the scenes of Elizabeth talking to the gnomes that use a giant nodding blonde head. If you like good old fashioned family fun, and gratuitous use of the blue screen, this is one not to be missed!