Li'l Abner

I came across the budget DVD of this one some time back though I never got around to renting it, not so much because of, say, Leonard Maltin’s lowly opinion but rather the unavailability of the later and better-known musical version from 1959. Consequently, I’d previously been interested in it more as a Buster Keaton film (in fact, many a Silent comedian make an appearance here) than as an adaptation of the Al Capp comic strip – but, having now found the latter as well, I decided to make it a double-bill! In retrospect, Keaton’s role is minor (playing the Indian Lonesome Polecat who has a long-haired and eyeless giant for a sidekick) despite the ballyhoo regarding his presence on the DVD front cover.

Still, despite its intrinsic cornball nature, the film proved less oppressive than I had anticipated: being a low-budget production and a brief 73 minutes in length, the plot (as seen in the musical version) has been considerably streamlined – focusing solely on the Sadie Hawkins’ Day race (where the unwedded females of Dogpatch pursue the community’s eligible bachelors) and the character of the villainous Earthquake McGoon. Even so, the piece’s essence is already there – including the unexpected earthiness of the girls; it goes without saying, however, that the later film is the more satisfactory rendition of LI’L ABNER.

The Plot.

Li'l Abner becomes convinced that he is going to die within twenty-four hours, so agrees to marry two different girls: Daisy Mae (who has chased him for years) and Wendy Wilecat (who rescued him from an angry mob).

It is all settled at the Sadie Hawkins Day race.

The movie isn't as bad as some reviewers say. It's actually somewhat interesting to see the first renderings of some of these characters.

A few giggles here and there and a notable appearance of Buster Keaton as Lonesome Polecat.

I grew up on this one, and it's one of the few that my family still agrees on as being hilarious and worthwhile.

It's about a bunch of wonderfully stereotypical mountain people. The hero is Li'l Abner, a strapping big young man who eats "pork chops for' breakfast, pork chops for' dinner, and for' supper, mo' pork chops." To quote the opening song, "He's the biggest catch in Dog Patch." The entire plot revolves around the impending Sadie Hawkins race where eligible gals chase eligible guys to win husbands.

The characters are what make it worth watching - Mammy Yokum, who stands about 4'7" and has a potato shaped nose and rules all with her inexorable will; Pappy Yokum, whose memory is balder than his bald head and who lives his life in happily forgetful delirium, punctuated by moments of terror brought on by his wife; Hairless Joe, who's basically just big and loud and stupid; Lonesome Polecat (brilliantly played by Buster Keaton), who's basically just weird and small and stupid; and several more. Not quite as quotable as some of the cult classics, but my dad and I regularly allude to some of the lines - "Look - it's Granny!" "I'se a-comin, Pansy, I'se awake!" Give this one a chance. It's somewhat slow, but worth it.

In comparison to the 1959 musical, this non-musical 1940 version seemed closer to the comic strip in ways the musical missed.

There was more of a feeling of shut-off from society in the 1940 film. Granville Owen was far better than Peter Palmer in '59.

Mammy bathing Pappy Yokum is a scene to behold all on its own. Granted the performers probably didn't need the makeup tho, as Granny Scragg did indeed make for a memorable character with no facial makeup.

Always nice to see Buster Keaton.

The very first person we would see was Daisy Mae (in bed, no less), so clearly there was supposed to be some launching of a screen beauty here.

This movie would make better use of the dregs of Dogpatch society, such as Fantastic Brown's wife saying it is time for his bath.

We also see Abijah Gooch (always liked that name) and Hannibal Hoops.

By far one of the best lines must be when Hairless Joe proclaims about the ten dollar reward for Earthquake McGoon, "ain't that much money in all tarnation!"

Peter Palmer may have been able to sing better, but Granville Owen got the character down much better.

The actor who portrayed Earthquake McGoon here would be the actual wrestler who inspired the character in the comic strip. Using the term 'actor' loosely, as he really didn't offer much of a performance.

This movie would have none of Capp's 'satirical humor' in it, but if the musical contained any of the strip's statements, it really didnt shine through there either.

Al Capp's cartoon strip was so satirically acidic that he was constantly being threatened with suit by the public figures he parodied--and at least one, Joan Baez, actually took him to court. But viewers needn't expect much of Capp's celebrated wit in this 1940 cinematic take on the much-celebrated residents of Dogpatch, USA; more silly than clever and more embarrassing than entertaining, L'IL ABNER has been justly neglected for more than a half a century.

Still, it does have a few charms, and most of these are among the cast. Director Albert S. Rogell was a workhorse of the silent era, and the film is crammed to overflowing with a host of silent actors taking one more shot at fame--with the great Buster Keaton the most celebrated name on the roster. Sad to say, they are largely wasted, but we're at least given a chance to see them once more, a decade after their stars faded.

The most successful members of the cast are actually the younger players, with Jeff York (billed as Granville Owen) unexpectedly effective in actually looking the part of L'il Abner himself. Martha O'Driscoll is merely acceptable as Daisy Mae, but Billie Seward strikes all the right notes as the man-hungry Cousin Delightful. And now and then a moment "pops" enough for you to see a little of what made Capp's concepts so wickedly funny.

The plot is standard Capp, but it lacks Capp's bite: Daisy Mae loves Abner, Cousin Delightful wants him for herself, and Abner prefers pork chops. In terms of production values, the film was very obviously done on the cheap, and Rogell's direction is hardly inspired: not only is the camera static, the pace is positively leaden. Fans of the original strip will probably find it a guilty pleasure, but even they will likely admit that this is Al Capp with both fangs pulled.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer