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Rating:  -
I think this movie gets far to little credit. The skunk and car chase are the funnies parts of the movie. Kids will probably like this movie better than adults because they like jokes that an adult would label as "overly funny." Please, watch the movie yourself before you judge it based on the reviews.
Rating:  -
MOVIE: No Deposit, No Return is a 1976 Disney movie I looked forward to seeing as a kid after viewing the theatrical trailer. I distinctly remember it showing scenes of the police chase and two police cruisers sideswiping each other. But the movie was ultimately a forgotten by me, probably for good reason. (This theatrical trailer is NOT included on the DVD despite what the packaging says. The DVD includes a TV spot for NDNR from "The Wonderful World of Disney".)
To remember I watched it recently, but was again let down. The movie begins reasonably, but really slows down during two extended scenes. The first is with a ground burrowing skunk (a pet!) climbing to top of a multi-story building chased by kid owner Jay (Brad Savage from The Apple Dumpling Gang) and kidnapper wannabe Bert (Don Knotts). The second is the previously mentioned police chase where little by little and fender by fender the deficient detectives destroy their police car. And the ending of the film, while sweet, doesn't seem to help it out of its rut.
Kim Richards, of Witch Mountain fame, plays the smartest character in the movie, Tracy. She's sister to Jay, both who are sent to their grandfather J. W. Osborne for Easter (?!?) vacation. She plots and schemes, in ways many children would love to do, to avoid him and actually spend the time with their working mother in Hong Kong. This is typical Disney, where children are smarter than the adults and have crazy adventures. The kids ditch grandfather's butler at the airport when they arrive and jump into a waiting taxi. At least they think they do. Grandfather Osborne, played with dignity by David Niven, sees this and follows them to see what's up.
But while the precious pair have been running through the terminal, down-on-their-luck crooks Bert and Duke (Darren McGavin) have bungled an airport safecracking heist. Fleeing, they also leap into the same taxi as the kids, deciding to make a quick exit together. After pleading to stay for the night at the crooks' garage hideout, the kids discover that their new "friends" are in deep with loan shark Big Joe Adamo (Vic Tayback). Tracy then concocts the fake kidnapping by Bert and Duke to pay off Big Joe and buy plane tickets for Jay and her to see Mom in Hong Kong. Thus, the main movie plot is revealed and the ultimately explains its comedic title seeing as how Osborne doesn't feel obligated to pay the ransom, knowing the children's location.
Granted, Tracy could have just asked her grandfather for the money, but the movie makes it clear that they don't like each other enough for her to even ask.
While Jay chases his pet skunk as Duster wanders off again and again, Big Joe keeps applying pressure, and Osborne contentedly rationalizes non-payment, the ransom amount keeps dropping. It's at this point that the film loses it steam, when it should have kept building to the climax. The actors all do a fine job. The plot is amusing and interesting, although highly improbable. However the film loses focus by the overlong antics of Knotts and the skunk on the building's flagpole are followed by Knotts bumbling around on construction girders.
Meanwhile detectives (Herschel Bernardi and Charles Martin Smith) are trying to track down the supposed kidnappers, after Tracy puts the police on the case! This eventually leads to their big drawn out scene of police car brutality, brutal piece by brutal piece. The previews were funnier, probably because they were shorter. In another development, Mom (Barbara Feldon) had arrived at the ransom drop-off point and has jumped into Bert and Duke's convertible. Strangely enough, but not really ironically, she gets lectured on childcare by the kidnappers as they zoom about the docks in the great car chase.
But the movie isn't over yet; Jay and Tracy go to Grandfather's mansion where they accidentally become trapped in his safe. Learning that the kids have gone there, everyone else, except Grandfather Osborne, go there. Then it becomes Bert and Duke's big moment to redeem themselves in front of Mom and police by cracking open the safe. This scene is a little long.
Afterward, everybody is happy and getting along. Formerly dignified J. W. Osborne has now learned how to become a grandpa, even taking a tumble in a fountain. It makes a nice postlude, but it sure happened in a hurry. The story did not really explain this change, but assumes that the preceding traumatic events would change him. How else would it end up in a Disney movie?
DVD: Bad. Not widescreen, so no sale for me. Theatrical trailer is a lie. Bad transfer. Nothing special.
Rating:  -
I like Kim Richards, she is really very pretty and is a a very good actress and I wish I had hair like hers!
No Deposit No Returns is a good movie and I've been waiting for so long for it to come to DVD but now that it has come to DVD I'm mad that the transfer is stinky and it is only fullframe and not widescreen.
Does Disney hate widescreen or something?
FYI: Kim Richards in real life is the aunt of Paris and Nicky Hilton. Their mother Kathy is Kim's sister.
Rating: -
Buyers, beware! The recently released DVD of "No Deposit, No Return" is defective, at least here on the East coast. I exchanged three discs from two different stores of a major media retailer (initials BB) and all three copies had the same glitches in the same scenes. Obviously a manufacturing error. Hopefully an official recall from Disney is forthcoming. Also, I noticed that on some Deposit discs the voice-over varies for the so-called "trailer" (actually just a :30 promo for the film's broadcast airing on The Wonderful World of Disney). On my first disc, the voice was that of the original announcer from the 1970s (very nostalgic). On all subsequent discs, however, the voice was that of the contemporary announcer one hears on all current Disney video promos (not so nostalgic). At least the "Hot Lead and Cold Feet" theatrical trailer included on that disc is the real deal (includes even an accompanying Mr. Toad cartoon). But getting back to "No Deposit", be prepared for glitches when you purchase or rent your disc. I plan to hang on to my Ebay-purchased VHS until enough time has passed that another DVD printing has occurred. Seeing as how neither format is letterboxed or of any admirable picture quality, bailing on the DVD really is no sacrifice. Hey, if you can live with glitches, pay this review no mind. Everyone else: Hang on to that receipt!
Rating:  -
This is a typical Disney live-action film of the 70's. The comedy is thin at times (you almost expect a laugh-track to kick in at any moment to say "This is supposed to be funny"), but it has its moments. Don Knotts does well in his role, but he a little underused. Still, it's a good way for a family to spend time together one rainy Saturday afternoon.
Now on to the DVD transfer. It's sad. They didn't try to clean it up digitally or anything. It looks like they just used a VHS tape and threw it on a DVD. The quality of this film makes me a little leery about buying the next set they throw out. While I love to see these classics finally come to DVD, I hate to see them wasted on a junky transfer. If you have this one on VHS, don't waste your money to upgrade. And yes, it's in fullscreen with no extras other than the "trailer" (a 30 second television spot).
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