Li'l Abner

I had the DVD of this version of Al Capp's comic strip for years but it's only been now that I even bothered to watch it. The reason was because since I've been reviewing the Our Gang shorts-and films outside the series featuring at least one member from the series in it-in chronological order, this was next on the list. In this case, former member Mickey Daniels has a cameo in which he does his famous laugh. I also found out that a few supporting characters from various eps of the series are also in this movie like Johnny Arthur (Spanky's father in Anniversary Trouble, Darla's father in Night 'n' Gales and Feed 'Em and Weep), Hank Mann (Drunk worker at train station in Alfalfa's Double, Butch's father in Bubbling Troubles), Marie Blake (Butch's mother in Practical Jokers, the title role in Alfalfa's Aunt), and Edgar Kennedy (the cop in various OG shorts that starred Jackie Cooper). Of them all, only Kennedy was funny enough to me. There's some amusing sound effects and some pretty good visual gags and silent comedian Buster Keaton wasn't too bad with what he was given. In summary, this version of Li'l Abner was okay as entertainment.

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.

I was pleasantly surprised watching this comedy for a number of reasons. First, it was not as low budget and amateurish as I expected. It was actually a quite respectable B movie with make-up, sets, stunts and camera-work that matched the level of W.C. Fields and Laurel and Hardy features of the time.

Second, Buster Keaton's short role prefigured the third banana roles he would play in the American International Beach Movies of the 1960's. His on-screen time is less than five minutes, still, I suspect he had a lot more to do with the production of the movie than his bit part would indicate. The gags have a Keatonesque quality. For example the ending scenes of the women chasing men are reminiscent of the ending scenes in his "Seven Chances." The world of Dogpatch has a self contained, parody of the intellectual world quality, as does many of the comedic worlds created by Keaton (See his "Three Ages" for example.

The humor in the movie foreshadows the hillbilly humor of the 1960's television series, "The Beverly Hillbillies." A recent Lucille Ball biog movie suggested that Keaton had played a major part in the success of the 1950's television series "I Love Lucy." If Keaton did play a role in designing some of the gags in this movie, one might suggest that Keaton was in some sense responsible for a great deal of the successful comedies of the 1950's and 1960's.

On the other hand, the producers might have hired them only because they liked his silent film work and he might not have had any input to the film other than his two or three days on set in his bit part. I wonder if anybody else has any information about the role Keaton played in this still charming movie.

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.

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.