Snowball Express
| Snowball Express | |
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Theatrical poster
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| Directed by | Norman Tokar |
| Produced by |
Ron Miller Tom Leetch |
| Written by | Frankie O'Rear (book "Chateau Bon Vivant") John O'Rear (book "Chateau Bon Vivant") Don Tait Jim Parker Arnold Margolin |
| Starring |
Dean Jones Nancy Olson Harry Morgan Keenan Wynn Johnny Whitaker Michael McGreevey George Lindsey Kathleen Cody Mary Wickes |
| Music by | Robert F. Brunner Evelyn Kennedy Franklyn Marks |
| Cinematography | Frank V. Phillips |
| Edited by | Robert Stafford |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution |
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Release date
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Running time
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93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $6,100,000 (US/ Canada rentals) |
Snowball Express is a 1972 American screwball comedy film made by Walt Disney Productions about a man who leaves his middle class job to run a hotel left to him by his uncle.
Johnny Baxter (Dean Jones) is at his corporate middle class job when a probate attorney (David White) tells him that his recently deceased uncle, Jacob Barnesworth, has left him sole ownership of the lucrative Grand Imperial Hotel in the fictional town of Silver Hill, Colorado. A letter written by Barnesworth claims that the hotel brings in more than $14,000 per month. Baxter, clearly chafing under the dehumanizing conditions at the office, views this as a golden opportunity.
Baxter quits his job in a grand spectacle and moves his family to Colorado to take proprietorship of the hotel. The family finds it to be an immense but ramshackle building with no heat and a colorful old codger, Jesse McCord (Harry Morgan), living in the shed. Initially, Baxter is inclined to turn McCord out for what appeared to be breaking and entering until he is pressured by his family—mainly his children—to allow McCord to stay. McCord offers his services as a bartender, but Baxter assigns him the job of bellhop, which McCord takes with a characteristically easygoing nature.
Some time later, Baxter and his wife are walking on the hills behind the hotel, trying to decide what to do about the hotel. With no real attractions nearby, they are unsure what, if anything, they could do with the property until a chance meeting with Wally, a local boy employed by the gas station, out for a ride on his snowmobile. He apologizes for making tracks in Baxter's snow and is about to leave when Baxter stops him to ask what he meant. Wally explains that the Grand Imperial sits on a huge amount of property, "about as far as you can see," as he puts it. Baxter realizes that the hilly terrain is exactly the attraction the hotel needs; they can turn the hill adjacent to the hotel into a ski lodge.
Baxter attempts to secure funding for his plans. Local banker Martin Ridgeway (Keenan Wynn) expresses great interest in Baxter's daring idea, but also offers to buy the lodge in order to convert it into a boys' school in honor of the deceased uncle. Baxter declines. Ridgeway, in turn, declines to give Baxter a loan, citing him as a bad collateral risk and specifically pointing out that Baxter has no experience in hotel or restaurant management, likely making his business venture a failure. All during this exchange, Ridgeway's secretary appears quite agitated, but does not speak up. Baxter leaves the bank without a loan, but determined to find one.
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Wikipedia