Li'l Abner [DVD]

was excited to find this movie! My daughter and I watched it many times as my kids grew up! Love old movies

Journey back to Dogpatch just in time for Sadie Hawkins! High school musical memories got me in my feels.

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.

Good quality old movie. I’m glad I was able to find it!

This film is a nestolgic musical that brings me back to my youth, the film offers a bit of fun to everyday life. The story line is a bit corney, where a town - Dogpatch USA, is scheduled to be a test site for atomic weapons unless there can be found a usefullness for the town. The introduction of a tonic, that makes men handsome and strong, while at the same time decreasing their virility, was thought to be cause to save the town - Dogpatch USA. I do not want to reaveal the end but this musical while predictive and the songs may not meet up to todays standards is fun, jubalient and enjoyable and yes fit for children.

I love this musical. It's a colorufl hilarious satire on government, big city folk versus country folk, great music and lyrics, amazing dancing --Michael Kidd choreography ( recreated I believe) and features Jerry Lewis, Julie Newmar in small roles.In major parts are Peter Palmer and Stubby Kaye recreating their Broadway roles. Also wonderful are Billie Hayes as Mamie Yokum and the beautiful Leslie Parish. The supporting roles are all perfectly filled-Earthquake Muggoon and Pappy Yokum Some complain that it is too much like a Broadway musical --filmed. But that's what I love about it. It preserves much of the original Broadway musical with some of the original cast and amazing original choreography. It's lots of fun and if you are in a silly mood --all the better. It is the perfect live cartoon musical. Great music- "I'm Passed my Prime", "Put em Back" (love this number) "Jubilation T Corpone:", "Namely You", and the opening," A typical Day" is just great. Musical lovers will eat this up. Watch it watch it watch it and dig that Yokumberry Tonic.

We went on line to research Sadie Hawkins Day, kind of knowing what we would find and yet investigating resources. This DVD is a historical "must have." It marks an energetic era in creating musicals, not unlike "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (with Howard Keel). Of course the story line is kind of silly; for pity sake, what do expect from a musical based on a comic strip! But the songs are cute, the story well-told, and the actors and actresses most memorable. Julie Newmar. Jerry Lewis. What a hoot! Buy this and add it to your vintage collection. Pop some corn, put up your feet, and enjoy the antics, the music, the songs, and the film history.

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!

wonderful old time movie captures the spirit of Li'l Abner

ok

Very disappointed. Soundtrack not all that good. Very old film in black and white.Had hoped for the Musical version but it wasn'tMy bad judgement.

This has been returned to the supplier for credit. It is not what it claims to be.

Nothing much more to add.