Ma and Pa Kettle (1949)

Director:

Charles Lamont

Writers:

Al Lewis (writer)
Betty MacDonald (characters)

Release Date:

1 April 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

It's Loaded . . . with new laffs !!! All Your Favorites fresh from "The Egg And I" !

Plot:

The Kettles and their fifteen children are about to be evicted from their rundown rustic home when Pa...

Plot Keywords:

Large Family | City Country Contrast | Sequel

Cast

Marjorie Main	...	Ma Kettle
Percy Kilbride	...	Pa Kettle
Richard Long	...	Tom Kettle
Meg Randall	...	Kim Parker
Patricia Alphin	...	Secretary
Esther Dale	...	Mrs. Birdie Hicks
Barry Kelley	...	Mr. Victor Tomkins
Harry Antrim	...	Mayor Dwiggins
Isabel O'Madigan	...	Mrs. Hicks' Mother
Ida Moore	...	Emily
Emory Parnell	...	Bill Reed
Boyd Davis	...	Mr. Simpson
O.Z. Whitehead	...	Mr. Billings
Ray Bennett	...	Sam Rogers
Alvin Hammer	...	Alvin

Also Known As:

The Further Adventures of Ma and Pa Kettle

Runtime:

76 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

Second of eight films in which Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride portrayed Ma and Pa Kettle.

Quotes:

Ma Kettle: [about Pa's underwear] It's the latest thing, Billy Reed said they'd fit perfectly.
Pa Kettle: They probably would if he were in them with me!
Ma Kettle: [laughs] Well, we'll just pin them up for right now, they'll shrink once I wash them.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "You Bet Your Life: (#2.35)" (1952)

Probably the Real Inspiration For the Clampetts

This was the very first appearance Ma and Pa Kettle and it is probably the second ranked film in the series in terms of laughs (just behind Ma and Pa's trip to Hawaii). This is film definitely has all the elements that made the series great, boisterous Ma, lazy Pa and their wild brood of 15 (or is it 16?). Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride were perfectly cast in this film and made for a classic pairing that and they would become two of the most enduring characters in all of filmdom. The chemistry between the two made you actually think they were married and it made for a great time and made the whole series great.

Also, I often wonder if Paul Henning actually got his ideas for the "Beverly Hillbillies" from this film and not from the hillbillies he saw on his vacations.