Snowball Express (1972)

A winter classic

This is a classic movie that came out when I was three, but I grew up watching it on TV. This is a clean, fun movie to watch with the whole family. December 21, 2008

Just a little short, I believe

First off I love this movie. I remember seeing it at the base theater in Norfolk VA. I saw it several times. I was wondering if anyone remembers seeing it back in 1972. I've had the VHS tape for several years now. It runs for 93 minutes. I haven't bought the DVD yet, but noticed that it runs 93 minutes too.
I remember when I saw it, that towards the end when Keenan Wynn, asks for a drink of water and an aspirin, he goes into the kitchen. As I remember it, shortly after that noises are heard and then Harry Morgan comes out of the kitchen and informs Nancy Olson that Keenan Wynn has just swallowed a fish. (Don't guess they ever fixed that)
Checking with IMDB it gives a runtime of 99 minutes. I don't think the part I'm missing is 6 minutes long, so I was wondering what else they had cut out.
I know that sometimes the military bases get movies with extra minutes in them, but to me that was the funniest part of the movie.

This was also done with some releases of Excape to Witch Mountain. A scene in which Ike Eisenmann (Tony Malone)was making toys fly around the room while being held in Ray Milland's (Aristotle Bolt) home was missing from my VHS tape. (That might have been on the lazerdisk) (It's in the DVD release of ETWM!)
December 15, 2008

An often overlooked Disney treat!

Dean Jones stars as office clerk and family man Johnny Baxter, a job-weary soul whose ship may have just come in. After being informed of an inheritance from a recently deceased, distant relative, Johnny immediately quits his job in a grand fashion and packs up his life and reluctant family to head for Colorado to run the Grand Imperial Hotel. Little does he know that the Grand Imperial is a dilapidated heap. In an effort to revitalize the place, Johnny and family, along with new friends Jesse and Wally, work to fix it up and soon find themselves in debt to a scheming banker (Disney baddie Keenan Wynn) who desires to own the property himself. The idea of turning the area into a ski resort gives the Baxters the needed inspiration to get things rolling, but luck just doesn't seem to be on their side. Or is it?

From Disney's line of 1970's family comedies comes the delightful "Snowball Express", a sweet, simple little film with a fantastic cast of Disney favorites like frequent leading-man Dean Jones, legendary villain Keenan Wynn, Nancy Olson as wife Sue Baxter, Johnny Whitaker as son Richard and Kathleen Cody as teen daughter Chris, Harry Morgan as squatter Jesse McCord, Michael McGreevey as goofy teen Wally Perkins, and other familiar faces in smaller roles, like Dick Van Patten as Baxter's crabby boss in the city. Is "Snowball Express" a five star movie in every sense? Okay, not really, but Amazon defines fives stars as meaning, "I love it!" and I do. Without living cars, pirate ghosts, golden-egg laying ducks, or the ability to transform into a dog in this one, Dean Jones must carry this film on his talents alone, and he does it wonderfully! This lighthearted comedy is an excellent lesson on working together, family support, and never giving up, though the importance of persistence is let up a bit in the end with the expected but all too instant and effortless "happy ending" resolution. Nevertheless, it's all good, clean, family fun, 70's Disney style! A great comedy to watch with or without the kids when there's snow on the ground or at least the desire for it.

The DVD looks pretty good, a must own for the Disney collector, though it is presented in fullscreen with zero extras. On the bright side of the fullscreen issue, I have been informed from a usually trustworthy source that it appears to only add to the top and bottom rather than actually cropping anything off the sides. So, rather than lose picture you're actually getting more. Still a problem for some who insist on the exact aspect ratio of the theatrical presentation, but as I still have a TV screen shaped like a square, I'm okay with this kind of fullscreen (though, of course, I generally opt for the true theatrical aspect ratio). It's a better presentation than most of Disney's old live-action stuff gets outside of the Vault or Treasures collections.
November 18, 2008

"You mean for a thousand dollars, we got stuck with this...clapboard igloo?"

Three and a half stars for SNOWBALL EXPRESS.

Here's the plot: When a distant great uncle passes away, harried working drone John Baxter (Dean Jones) inherits the Grand Imperial Hotel in snowy Silver Hill, Colorado. In a highlight moment, Baxter quits his job in grand style, and then off he goes to pack his reluctant family to ski country. They get a shock, however, when they instead arrive at a run-down, deserted shambles of an establishment (the locals dub it "Crazy Jake's place").

Bats in the lobby. Raccoons in the oven. An uninvited guest lurking in the shadows. Nevertheless, the Baxters try to make a go at it, converting the hotel into a ski lodge; this, despite the fact that none of them actually knows how to ski. And a conniving banker, with an eye towards John Baxter's inheritance, aims to make things that much harder...

It boils down to this: A perhaps foolhardy venture at a new life. A dilapidated home. Snowball fights. An avalance. A lowdown, dirty trickery. And, it all, more or less, culminates in a wacky snowmobile race and with John Baxter paying attention to his clever kid.

Back in the '60s and '70s, Dean Jones was a staple in Disney cinema. And, like all of his other Disney outings, SNOWBALL EXPRESS, coming out in 1972, showcases Dean's patented everyman charm and accesibility. Like the awesome Fred MacMurray, Dean is down-to-earth and quite believable as an average bloke. Because of this, his reactions to his plights become that much funnier, because we're able to better connect with him and, by extension, the madcap situations in which he lands himself. Note, too, that Dean Jones handles himself just fine with the physical antics. Plus, his characters tend to be a wee bit uptight, further fueling the humor. I really think Dean flaunts one of the better "royally put upon" facial expressions out there.

SNOWBALL EXPRESS follows that tried-and-true Disney brand of family sentimentality and awkward goofiness. A Disney flick means that the wife is supportive and loving (this time, she's brought solidly to life by the always lovely and wholesome Nancy Olson), and the kids are juuust a tad rebellious but innately good at heart. The bad guy is oily and shady, in an over-the-top kind of way (as ably done by Keenan Wynn). And, naturally, there's always a lovable pet, this time in the shape of the humongous and cowardly dog, Stoutheart.

Yes, the humor is very silly and slapstick and might even make you roll your eyes. Still, there are some funny bits in here, such as Dean's classic backwards downhill ski and that red-headed kid's attempts to dislodge a massive tree root. Not to mention, the great character actor Harry Morgan drops several good one-liners.

To be honest, this isn't the best of Disney. I don't find SNOWBALL EXPRESS quite as enjoyable as, say, The Love Bug (Special Edition), Blackbeard's Ghost or even The Shaggy D.A.. But I liked it enough, as nothing more or less than a pleasant diversion and a good family flick. And, if nothing else, if you watch this, you might learn what to yell out in warning should you suddenly go out of control on the slopes. August 2, 2008

Funny!!!

Used to watch this movie when it came on tv as a kid. I was very excited when they released this to DVD. I have watched it several times now and still laugh at the mishaps that occur. It's a great family movie with lessons to be learned and clean comedy. Although it is an older movie, it is still funny today. Great for family night. July 25, 2008

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