Customer Reviews

Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin [VHS]

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Of those countless live-action films that Disney made and seemed to have forgotten about, this is by far one of the best - and now they're finally releasing it on DVD.
Roddy MacDowell stars as Eric Griffin, a by-the-books, remarkably canny Butler for the Flagg family. When the patriarch dies and the Flagg orphans are revealed to be destitute, Griffin must follow them to the wild west where he proves that good manners and a clever, clear head can help one overcome any situation, from poverty to bandits to bare-knuckle boxing championships. The villian of the show, played over-the-top with delicious relish by the potatoe-nosed Karl Malden, is a treat, and a great counter for MacDowell's clean, handsome Griffin.
There are laughs, great action sequences, and numerous episodic adventures, but what really makes this movie shine is a strong sense of period. The feeling that this really is the mid nineteenth century, and not a '60s recreation, is palpable, and is a must for any fan of Westerns, victoriana, steampunk, or just the good old days when "for the whole family" didn't just mean "for kids."
For similar enjoyment, check out Disney's soon-to-be-released dvd of "In Search of the Castaways", based on Jules Verne's riveting adventure "Captain Grant's Children."

THE ADVENTURES OF BULLWHIP GRIFFIN, a western comedy-rouser from Disney, gets it's long awaited DVD debut. Roddy McDowall, Suzanne Pleshette and Karl Malden (all veterans of Disney live action films) lead the impressive cast.

McDowall plays a meek butler from Boston, suddenly landed in the wild wild west, in the thick of the gold rush. Romance, adventure and comedy abound with Suzanne Pleshette an eyeful as saloon cutie Arabella Flagg. The cast also includes Harry Guardino, Richard Haydn, Hermione Baddeley, Cecil Kellaway and Joby Baker.

Disney has released THE ADVENTURES OF BULLWHIP GRIFFIN in pleasing 16:9 anamorphic. With the company in the bad habit of releasing most of their back-catalogue titles in fullscreen, this is rather a surprise. Sadly no extras, though having BULLWHIP GRIFFIN finally in digital format has been worth the wait.

After finishing the book BY THE GREAT HORN SPOON with my 4th graders, I wanted to reward them at the end of the year with a video. I had heard there was a movie version of the book, and was thrilled to find this video. Yes, there are differences betweent the book and video, but nonetheless, my students thoroughly enjoyed "The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin" with tons of positive comments and much laughter. I am so pleased to have purchased this video as I was highly entertained myself. This is a must-have buy for any teacher who completes a unit on the California gold rush! The video was certainly a hit, but make sure you read BY THE GREAT HORN SPOON, as well! :)

How can one resist the cast? Roddy McDowell, Suzanne Pleshette (YES, she sings! - and quite well), Karl Malden and a host of classic western stars. A very fun family film that has a fun story that takes many different directions - It will be nice on DVD, though only disappointment is that Disney NEVER does any extras at all on these old "claasics".

A series of extremely funny accidents take a butler, a boy and an independent young woman off to California for the gold rush.
They keep getting rich, and then losing it.
The whole movie is full of wonderful quotes that make you want to repeat them at random moments:
"Oh. Well, now I shall be forced to trounce the scoundrel!"

It's just an unwilling hero story, but so well done that you will always remember it. And who could pass up a butler with a theme song?

What a disappointment it was to watch this video. I was so excited to see it, since I've been reading the book to my 4th grade class every year for the last 3 years. The video took out all of the great parts of the book and created a whole new story. It was terrible. My kids were bummed too. It was really cheezy and just bad.

I purchased this DVD in 2005. I've watched this DVD with my students after reading By the Great Horn Spoon! by Sid Fleischman every year, except this year. The disc simply does not work any more. I would've given it 4 or 5 stars; however, the disc won't play on any DVD player or computer. I'm so disappointed.

I purchased this DVD for my fourth grade classroom. Students had finished studying about the California Gold Rush and reading Sid Fleischman's By the Great Horn Spoon!. Students loved the book and enjoyed the movie.
Great for California fourth graders.

I was in love with this movie when I was a kid, and I am in love with it now. . . some things never change. Roddy McDowall is without a doubt, the legendary Bullwhip Griffin, and it is his starring vehicle that makes this western comedy float over the ocean waters of time. Susan Pleshette, is equally as grand as the upper crust gal with determination to find her runaway younger brother in search of gold who is accompanied by her butler, Bullwhip. There is never a dull moment, and the scenes alter with brisk story telling and comedy sketches throughout. The grand western saloon piano plays another key element in giving the movie pure gold miner San Francisco atmosphere, as cool animated graphics display every now and then. The corny special effects give a sort of aura in the frontier that leads one to believe Mr. Bullwhip is somehow blessed with a gift of western magic. If one has sadly, perhaps, outgrown this movie from the early comedy days of the Disney studios, then one can at least enjoy the superb performance of Roddy McDowell, at his finest.

The adventures of Bullwhip Griffin sadly is a forgotten classic to many. This is a classic Disney film that shouldn't be missed. Mainly set in the old west during the gold rush Bullwhip Griffin is the family butler working payless out of loyalty to his deceased former employer. Many adventures abound while looking for gold and trying to keep his former employers grandson safe. This is a wonderful movie that our family will watch over and over again.