Gumby: The Movie (also referred to as its on-screen title Gumby 1) is a 1995 stop-motion claymation feature filmfeaturing the character Gumby.[1][2]
The movie is rated G by the MPAA.
Plot[edit]
When the Blockheads' E-Z Loan company threatens to take away the farms belonging to the small farmers, Gumby and his band, the Clayboys, decide to have a benefit concert to save the farms. But when the Blockheads find out that Gumby's dog, Lowbelly, cries pearls when he sees the Clayboys perform, they decide to kidnap Lowbelly and force him to cry pearls. When he doesn't respond, they kidnap Gumby and the Clayboys and create robotic clones of them. With the help of Pokey, Prickle, Goo, fans Tara and Ginger, and talent agent Lucky Claybert, Gumby takes on his robot clone and is still in time for his video taping session. At a picnic, Gumby announces that he's opening his own farm loan company. The Blockheads are forced to weed Gumby's garden as punishment, Gumby and Tara end up together, and the eponymous duo Gumby and Pokey decide that things are looking up for them as they head back to outer space.
Cast
- Dallas McKennon voices several roles:
- Gumby: A young green boy made of clay
- Professor Kapp: A silliest scientist
- Fatbuckle: A red man with a big belt
- Thinbuckle: A young blue man with a thin belt
- Lucky Claybert: A Groucho Marx-like Talent agent who makes "Gumbymania": A Lucky Production (as Charles Farrington)
- Nobuckle: A yellow man with a New Jersey accent
- Art Clokey voices several roles:
- Pokey: a talking red horse and Gumby's best friend
- Prickle: a yellow dinosaur with voice much like Jerry Nelson of the Muppets fame.
- Gumbo: Gumby's dad
- Gloria Clokey voices Goo: a blue flying teenage mermaid girl
- Manny La Carruba voices Thinbuckle, A blue teenager with a thin belt. A teenager much like Gumby and Goo.
- Patti Morse (speaking voice)/Melisa Kary (singing voice) voices Tara: a hot light blue chick and Gumby's love interest and girlfriend
- Alice Young voices Ginger: Tara's best friend
- Janet MacDuff voices Gumba: Gumby's mom
- Bonnie Rudolph voices voices Lowbelly: The dog who cries pearls every time he sees Gumby change shapes, Farm Lady
- Ozzie Ahlers voices Radio Announcer
- Kirby Coleman voices "This Way 'N That" Singer
- Anthony McNulty voices "Burnzy"
- David Archer
- Lillian Nicol
- Rick Warren
- Art Clokey voices several roles:
Production
This movie was actually completed after production started in 1988 (which would mean that the film took 3 years to complete), but Premavision was unable to find a company that would distribute the film, until 1995, when they found a small company called Arrow Releasing. This company distributed the film the same year.[3]
In the scenes where Gumby plays his electric guitar solos, the producers asked former Jefferson Starship, later Starship guitarist Craig Chaquico to provide the music for the solos. Soon after, Chaquico took over the majority of the music score (despite being uncredited other than "featuring Craig Chaquico"). The featured songs "Take Me Away", "Ark Park" and "This Way'n That" were written and produced by Ozzie Ahlers and are featured on YouTube.
Release[edit]
The film was released December 1, 1995 by Arrow Releasing, but the film only got a limited release in 21 theaters.
Home Media[edit]
The film was released as a direct-to-video film on VHS by KidVision and Astral Home Video on December 26, 1995. In April 2007, a director's cut version of the movie was shown at the Tribeca Family Film Festival, In this version the film's runtime was cut from 90 minutes to 76 minutes, This so-called "director's cut" version of the film was released on DVD by Genius Products, LLC on April 22, 2008. Plans for a Blu-ray release of the film have not been announced.
Reception[edit]
The film received mixed to poor reviews from critics.[4][5] Some critics complained that the animation style looked old fashioned compared to films like The Nightmare Before Christmas, while others argued that the soft 1950s-style humor and references to actors like W.C. Fields and Ed Wynn were out of touch with 1990s audiences.
The film grossed $57,100 at the box office, and as of May 2014 remains the 40th best-performing TV adaption of all time.[6]
| Directed by | Art Clokey |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Art Clokey
Gloria Clokey Kevin Reher |
| Written by | Art Clokey
Gloria Clokey |
| Starring | Charles Farrington
Art Clokey Gloria Clokey |
| Music by | Jerry Gerber
Marco d'Ambrosio |
| Cinematography | Art Clokey |
| Editing by | Marilyn McCoppen
Lynn Stevenson |
| Studio | Clokey Films |
| Distributed by | Arrow Releasing Inc.
WarnerVision Films |
| Release dates | December 1, 1995 |
| Running time | 90 minutes (VHS)
76 minutes (DVD) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $57,100 |