I'm from Arkansas

While this is a somewhat entertaining movie, I have to wonder how people from Arkansas truly felt when they saw this movie (I highly doubt that this movie played in Arkansas anywhere). Playing the residents there as slow, stupid hillbillies is not exactly the way to promote the state, and would NEVER be made today. The story here is quite simple, several groups go down to Pitchfork, Arkansas to exploit the town's notoriety when the town pig has a litter of 14 piglets. Along the way, hillbilly music happens. Lots and lots of it. I love the yodelers. The rest I can take or leave. Not a bad movie, it's just terribly stereotypical.

Oddly enough Lew Landers director of such horrors classics as "The Raven" (1935) and "The Return of the Vampire" (1943) is at helm here bringing forth to us this low-below-low budget tired redneck stereotype filled too musical-hardly a comedy.

After it makes national headlines that Esmeralda a pig gave birth to eighteen piglets multiple visitors overrun the overly southern small town of Pitchfork. Amongst them are - an all male band who grew up there, an all female band who plan on using the publicity for their own advantage, and two spies from an industrial meat factory who were sent in order to find out what "secret formula" caused that many pigs to be born.

With this kind of a ridiculous plot the film takes an extremely lazy route and gives each of it's characters only one clichéd characteristic as an identifier. You have your old fools (Slim Summerville), Cynical gals (Iris Adrian), feisty elderly ladies (Maude Eburne), dashing young men (Bruce Bennett), a somewhat well known musical sensation of the time appearing as themselves (Jimmy Wakely), and it just goes on.

Summerville is enjoyable especially while bantering with tenacious Eburne though to a certain extant as his mumbling southerner Walter Brennan-esque routine gets stale real quick. Adrian never got another main starring role which was lucky since her brassiness here is spread so thin it's pretty tiring after a while, Bennett's nothing special but watchable. Wakley should not have been present at all the action stops dead as soon as there's a musical number and despite them being pleasant to one's ear they're basically noting more than just filler.

At seventy minutes long this tiny and hidden for a good reason picture does provide some entertainment when it doesn't mainly and heavily rely on poor attempts at screwball comedy-like humor.

The sleepy town of Pitchfork, Arkansas becomes famous when hillbilly Slim Summerville (as Juniper "Pa" Jenkins) celebrates his prolific pig's latest litter. Not only does she have a personality (which we never really see), "Esmeralda" is blessed with eighteen piglets. As many Arkansas residents don't know many numbers more 'an ten, Mr. Summerville calls it "a heap a' pigs all in one lump." This stupid story is partially redeemed by the presence of some legendary country names in the extended cast, moat notably sunshine girl Mary Ford and musician Merle Travis. Best of all are the songs by country and western recording star Jimmy Wakely. Also featured are vocal group The Pied Pipers, yodeling blonde Carolina Cotton, and The Milo Twins. The soundtrack is far superior to the story.

*** I'm from Arkansas (10/31/44) Lew Landers ~ Slim Summerville, Jimmy Wakely, Iris Adrian, Bruce Bennett

I'm From Arkansas is what is is, a lowbudget "B" ("C", really) comedy-musical clearly made for rural southern audiences and likely not seen that much outside of that region. Hillbilly bed-and-board owner Maude Eburne's prized pig manages to knock out eighteen young-uns in one pregnancy that manages to become novelty news across the country (read the headlines, one is a good joke in reference to the smash comedy The Miracle of Morgan Creek, released earlier that year). A gregarious manager of a small-time singing act decides to bring the girls down to Arkansas on the presumption they can somehow get tied into the spotlight. Brassy Iris Adrian is the most cynical of the gals and when she mistakes Bruce Bennett (a major radio bandleader back in his hometown for a vacation) for a local rube, he decides to milk it and play the hick while romancing her.

Slim Summerville starred or was featured in scores of rural comedies for over a decade when this film was released, his earlier ones were for the major studios and had bigger budgets. Near the end of his career (he passed away in 1946), he is top-billed but has less screen time than either Bennett (surprisingly billed fourth when he was only a few years before considered possible major star material) or the always enjoyable Ms. Adrian, in the main lead, and the only truly starring role I can recall seeing her in (her specialty was snappy costarring small parts, even bits). Maude Eburne is a delight as always as "Ma" (one surprise later plot turn is Summerville's ardent pursuit of Eburne in marriage, he's always on her property so probably the major viewers presumed they were a long-married couple). Country music great Jimmy Wakely has a few nice numbers (including the legendary hit "You are My Sunshine" made famous by another Jimmy, Jimmie Davis), 50's pop star Mary Ford is in Wakely's girl group, and country star Merle Travis can be spotted in Bennett's band. Not a great comedy by any means, but a pleasant time killer.

"Guy takes a girl for a sleigh ride in the middle of July!"

Juniper and Ma Alden's pig Esmeralda has 18 piglets which apparently is news back in 1944. This is the quirkiest romantic comedy with music, ventriloquism, southern accents, and playing acting at being "yokels".

The real reason to watch this odd gem is really the music, particularly Jimmy Wakely and The Sunshine Girls. I particularly loved their western take on "You are my Sunshine". The other highlight is the handsome star Bruce Bennett, who plays Bob Hamline. Bob and his band take a break down in Arkansas in Pitchfork Springs, Esmeralda's hometown...which conveniently subverts a slick company from taking advantage of Ma Alden with the help of a theater girl he has his eye on named Doris.

Another musical highlight is " If You Can't Go Right, Don't Go Wrong" by Jimmy Wakely and The Pied Pipers.

If you are a music aficionado I highly recommend checking this quirky film out...especially if you like The Pied Pipers and their music like "The Hit of The Season".