Any MOPO member ordering these: for $75.00 I will include a U.S. three
sheet.
Lots of good stills, including 10 choreography rehearsal and other
rehearsal stills with
photos of the VistaVision camera, the director, the DP.
1 great portrait still of Stella Stevens and one of Leslie Parrish.
Photos:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v479/movieartaustin/?action=view¤t=lilabnerstills1.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v479/movieartaustin/?action=view¤t=lilabnerstills2.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v479/movieartaustin/?action=view¤t=lilabnerstills3.jpg
From the Times info on LI'L ABNER. Some of these people may be in
these stills.
December 12, 1959
The Screen: 'Li'l Abner'
By BOSLEY CROWTHER
Published: December 12, 1959
SINCE it was Norman Panama and Melvin Frank who put Al Capp's "Li'l
Abner" on the Broadway stage, where it ran for two years and proved
conclusively that Mr. Capp's comic strip was not above Broadway taste,
it pretty well stood to reason that they wouldn't change it much in
putting it on the screen. They haven't. It is the Broadway "Li'l
Abner" that opened as a movie in Vista Vision and color at the Roxy
yesterday.
To be sure, Edie Adams is no longer the well-put-together Daisy Mae.
That role falls to Leslie Parrish, who fills it out generously. Nor is
Appassionata von Climax played by Tina Louise. That sly dish is played
by Stella Stevens, who is almost as svelte as Miss Louise. Two or
three other small cast changes have been made for the switch to the
screen. But that's about all that's been altered, so far as we can see.
Peter Palmer is still the big-boy hero of the hillbilly cartoon
masquerade, glowing with health and stupidity behind an acre or so of
glistening teeth. Joe E. Marks is still Pappy Yokum, dumbfounded at
what he hath wrought. And Billie Hayes is Mammy, downright arrogant
about her blushing boy.
Stubby Kaye is Marryin' Sam, the marriage vender; Bern Hoffman is
Earthquake McGoon, the self-advertised world's dirtiest wrestler, and
Howard St. John is General Bullmoose. Al Nesor is Evil Eye Fleagle and
Julie Newmar is Stupefyin' Jones, the girl with the burlesque-queen
figure, the sight of which turns men to stone.
They're here in the same proportions, state of minds and outrageous
costumes as they were on the stage, and they are doing almost
precisely the same things. So are the other ragtag bobtail of
Dogpatch, the place in Alcappland where most of the comic-strip
shenanigans of this jape are supposed to occur.
And, as with the stage production, the most lively action on the
screen is that of the boys and girls of Dogpatch when they cut loose
and shake their legs. Michael Kidd's acrobatic dances, calculated to
be done to the new-fashioned hillbilly music of Johnny Mercer and Gene
DePaul, explode with an energy that is stunning and splatter and splay
all over the place with an evidence of joy and jubilation that even
gets into the static viewer's bones.
Indeed, there's one massive hoedown, done to "Don't That Take the Rag
Offen the Bush," that had this congenital non-hoedowner twitching for
several minutes after it was done. Not since "Seven Brides for Seven
Brothers" has there been such splendid roughhouse dancing on the screen
—and the dances in that one, you'll remember, were also created by Mr.
Kidd.
As for the quality of satire in this take-off from Mr. Capp's cartoons
we'd say it is on the nonsense level of that of a Jerry Lewis farce.
(Incidentally, Mr. Lewis shows up briefly in this bit in the difficult
role of one of the ossified victims of Stupefyin' Jones.) The
adventures of the denizens of Dogpatch with some sharpers from
Washington are in the knockabout area of sheer travesty or burlesque.
But they're jovial and funny in that area, though inclined to be
random and long. And they're well surrounded in a clutter of scenery
such as you get on the stage. Unless you are thoroughly allergic to
bad grammar and cartoon repartee, you should have a good time at "Li'l
Abner," especially if you're a kid.
On the stage of the Roxy are Francis Brunn, juggler; Georgie Kaye,
comedian; Baudy's Greyhounds, dog act; the Four Goetschis, tumblers,
and the Roxy Caroleers.
The Cast
LI'L ABNER, screen play by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, based on
their play and characters created by Al Capp; directed by Mr. Frank;
produced by Mr. Panama; music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer and Gene
DePaul; presented by Paramount Pictures. At the Roxy, Seventh Avenue
and Fiftieth Street. Running time: 114 minutes.
Li'l Abner . . . . . Peter Palmer
Daisy Mae . . . . . Leslie Parrish
Marryin' Sam . . . . . Stubby Kaye
General Bullmoose . . . . . Howard St. John
Stupefyin' Jones . . . . . Julie Newmar
Appassionata von Climax . . . . . Stella Stevens
Earthquake McGoon . . . . . Bern Hoffman
Mammy Yokum . . . . . Billie Hayes
Pappy Yokum . . . . . Joe E. Marks
Romeo Scragg . . . . . Robert Strauss
Senator Jack S. Phogbound . . . . . Ted Thurston
Evil Eye Fleagle . . . . . Al Nesor
Available Jones . . . . . William Lanteau
Moonbeam McSwine . . . . . Carmen Alvarez
Mayor Dawgmeat . . . . . Alan Carney
Hairless Joe . . . . . Joe Ploski
Lonesome Polecat . . . . . Diki Lerner
Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com
___________________________________________________________________
How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List
Send a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L
The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
