MovieChat Forums > Li'l Abner (1940) Discussion > Great movie!

Great movie!

posted 14 years ago by moralix2002
4 replies | jump to latest

I'm writing a review of this movie for my blog. I've been a fan of the comic, and the Dogpatch universe ever since i was a kid. I must say i'm impressed. It really stayed true to the comics.

[–] danashley 11 years ago

I think "great" is a bit generous. To its credit, it is faithful to the comic strip, but the acting and makeup are simply awful.

[–] HarlowMGM 11 years ago

I'll give you the "awful" makeup but that is always overstated in criticism for the movie, it's really only limited to Mammy and Pappy Yoakam with their dreadly false noses and Mammy's ridiculous chin which all look like Playdoh or something stuck on their faces, however I thought the whole cast was terrific in capturing Al Capp's characters although perhaps Martha O'Driscoll was too citified and graceful as Daisy Mae.

[–] HarlowMGM 11 years ago

I was stunned how much I enjoyed this as it has a very bad reputation but I think that comes from film historians who are horrified that the great Buster Keaton was reduced to playing a minor supporting character role as early as 1940. I loved the characters, the true comic strip flavor captured, and yet believable in an "alternative world" ala Wizard of Oz and the superb casting most especially of Jeff York/Granville Owen as Abner.

[–] jgs1935 11 years ago

Denis Kitchen has noted that Keaton's name was (apparently) deliberately left off of the poster for the movie -- alluding to Keaton as somehow being disdained. Here's a quote:

"Buster Keaton plays Lonesome Polecat in the film but the once hugely popular silent star was in such professional disgrace by 1940 that he was not even listed among the seven acting credits on the film poster!"

(Kitchen was the publisher of a set of 27 volumes that reprinted the comic strip's dailies from 1934 to 1961 -- Kitchen Sink Press or "KSP".)

I hope you find this interesting, as it may lead to the shedding of light on Keaton's status at the time.