Li'l Abner
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Movie Reviews of Li'l Abner
Movie Review: AH HAS SPOKEN!
Summary: 5 Stars
Musically it's no Rodgers & Hammerstein; but it is an exceptional adaptation from comic strip to cinema, the more so considering its meager budget. Leslie Parrish, Peter Palmer (reprising his Broadway role as Abner), Billie Hayes and Al Nesor are dead ringers for their Dogpatch counterparts, and so is everyone else ...except for Earthquake McGoon (though no one notices). Cult legend Julie Newmar has a minor role as Stupefyin' Jones, and Jerry Lewis makes a stupified cameo. Only Salomey is missing!
Script and sets have a trace of Al Capp's sharp pen and wit ("'Afternoon, I'm Moonbeam McSwine; sleepin' out with pigs is mah line"), and even the choreography resembles the strip's manic tempo and outlandish draftsmanship -something the much more lavished "Dick Tracy" tried hard to achieve years later, but didn't.
Given today's infatuation with putting comics and graphic novels on film, it would be interesting to see a LI'L ABNER remake done with state of the art technology, but only if they repeat what makes this forgotten movie a gem: good script and good casting. One can put all the eye-popping visuals money can buy on screen, they won't amount to much if those two basic ingredients are missing. Remember PEARL HARBOR, and that SUPERMAN RETURNS bomb!
Movie Review: Great music, great fun!
Summary: 5 Stars
When I was a boy, I had this score played by Percy Faith, and I never got tired of it. I bought the CD of the B'way show as soon as I could. The music is marvelous. I think Johnny Mercer is as badly overrated as are Hammerstein, Ira Gershwin and Harburg. Someone said that Abner was his masterpiece. I don't even think it's his best effort. He did a few moderately adquate pieces with Henry Mancini, but that's about it. The plot is ridiculous and that adds to the fun. Stubby Kaye was Stubby Kaye and that's good enough for me. He and Peter Palmer (both from the stage show) were treasures, as was everyone else in the movie. I thought the Sady Hawkins dance was boring and long, but it's a small price to pay for such delicious singing and inspired nonsense. One warning. The dialogue sucks! Always a problem with musicals, in this case even worse. But for $13, you can't beat it. I loved it. Especially the music and the singing.Movie Review: Controlled absurdity...
Summary: 5 Stars
It's so silly, and brilliantly presented, you can't help but love it. The beautiful cast sells it well, especially Peter Palmer. Whatever happened to him? Much of the Broadway cast was here to bring life to this endearing Al Capp opus. Leslie Parrish is gorgeous; one of Stella Stevens' first roles; the singing is great and the very athletic dancing, on a smaller scale, is reminiscent of "7 Brides" (also choreographed by Michael Kidd). Stubby Kaye, as usual, is wonderful. The adapted Score was Oscar nominated. I was 10 years old when I first saw this in a theatre in 1959."The country's in the very best of hands". Government deception could never happen, huh? This play and film was made in the 50's, the "comfortable" Eisenhower years, and after Joe McCarthy's disgrace. Think about the thoughts at that time. How're we doin' now? This was one of the first films/plays to suggest government "ambivilence"...in a humorous way.Movie Review: Must See for Li'l Abner Fans
Summary: 5 Stars
This is great because it is so unpretentious-- a crowd pleasing musical farce based on Al Capp's popular comic strip. The gorgeous 50's pin-up style women are especially true to their source (and Julie Newmar really earns the name "Stupefyin' Jones"). Leslie Parish makes a luminous Daisy May, and Peter Palmer is the biggest, brawniest baritone Abner you could imagine. Mammy and Pappy are also great, but the weirdest impersonation has got to be Eagle-Eye Fleagle-- that guy moves like a cartoon! The plot is as kooky as one of Capp's Sunday half-page strips. Kind of corny but lively, with very athletic dancing by various hillbilly-clad young Broadway performers. The only flaw is its stagey-ness and flat lighting with multiple shadows on the studio floor. Still, with Gen. Bullmoose, Marryin' Sam (Stubby Kaye), Mooshine McSine, the Scraggs and a lot of plot convolutions, it is a very satisfying fable.Movie Review: Lil Abner
Summary: 5 Stars
I live in South Africa (where your boys are presently playing soccer better than ours :-)] so, although you delivered my order to LA extremely quickly, my sister-in-law only returned here yesterday so I have just received the DVD and haven't had a chance to see it. I am really thrilled to have it - been dying to get a copy of the movie for many years so am thrilled with your service - only pity is I believe you don't deliver DVD's to SA so I had to get it the long way around via a nephew in LA. So far I am happy and have no doubt that I'll enjoy watching the movie, which I last saw about 30 Years ago. Thank you so much.