Li'l Abner (1959)

Director:

Melvin Frank

Writers:

Al Capp (comic strip)
Melvin Frank (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

6 October 1961 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Family

Tagline:

COMES ALIVE IN TECHNICOLOR! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

As Sadie Hawkins Day approaches, Daisy Mae hopes to win the hand of Li'l Abner by catching him in the traditional race...

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Fishing | Senator | Sadie Hawkins Day | Apostrophe In Title

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 nominations

Cast

Peter Palmer	...	Li'l Abner Yokum
Leslie Parrish	...	Daisy Mae
Stubby Kaye	...	Marryin' Sam
Howard St. John	...	General Bullmoose
Julie Newmar	...	Stupefyin' Jones
Stella Stevens	...	Appassionata Von Climax
Billie Hayes	...	Pansy ('Mammy') Yokum
Joe E. Marks	...	Pappy Yokum
Bern Hoffman	...	Earthquake McGoon
Al Nesor	...	Evil Eye Fleagle
Robert Strauss	...	Romeo Scragg
William Lanteau	...	Available Jones
Ted Thurston	...	Senator Jack S. Phogbound
Carmen Álvarez	...	Moonbeam McSwine (as Carmen Alvarez)
Alan Carney	...	Mayor Daniel D. Dogmeat
Stanley Simmonds	...	Rasmussen T. Finsdale
Diki Lerner	...	Lonesome Polecat
Joe Ploski	...	Hairless Joe
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chester Conklin	...	Dogpatch Townsman (unconfirmed)
Ken Ackles	...	Muscleman (uncredited)
Eric Alden	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Tom Allison	...	Bullmoose's Secretary (uncredited)
Babette Bain	...	Louella (uncredited)
Robert Banas	...	Town Sharpie (uncredited)
Gilbert Brady	...	Scrawny Husband (uncredited)
William D. Brown	...	Bullmoose's Secretary (uncredited)
Cleo	...	Dog (uncredited)
Lesley-Marie Colburn	...	Hillbilly Girl (uncredited)
Carole Conn	...	Chorus Dancer (uncredited)
Lorraine Crawford	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Walt Davis	...	Scragg Family Member (uncredited)
Rockne Deane	...	Scragg Family Member (uncredited)
Ron Dexter	...	Dogpatcher (uncredited)
Nick Dimitri	...	Muscleman (uncredited)
Donna Douglas	...	Chorus Dancer (uncredited)
Anthony Eustrel	...	Finsdale's Second Assistant (uncredited)
Bonnie Evans	...	Chorus Dancer (uncredited)
Roy Fitzell	...	Dogpatcher (uncredited)
Paul Frees	...	Radio Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
Marianne Gaba	...	Chorus Dancer (uncredited)
Aaron Girard	...	Scrawny Husband (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Scragg Family Member (uncredited)
Valerie Harper	...	Luke's Wife (uncredited)
Brad Harris	...	Muscleman Luke (uncredited)
Len Hendry	...	Bullmoose's Secretary (uncredited)
Fritz Hess	...	Scrawny Husband (uncredited)
Hope Holiday	...	Chorus Dancer (uncredited)
Maureen Hopkins	...	Chorus Dancer (uncredited)
Jimmy Horan	...	Scragg Family Member (uncredited)
Beth Howland	...	Clem's Wife (uncredited)
Bob Jellison	...	Government Man (uncredited)
Robert Karl	...	Chorus Dancer (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Tall Bar Harbor Scragg (uncredited)
Ann Kunde	...	Dogpatch Townswoman (uncredited)
Jerry Lewis	...	Itchy McRabbit (uncredited)
Terence Little	...	Airforce Officer (uncredited)
Bert May	...	Dogpatcher (uncredited)
Fran McHale	...	Chorus Dancer (uncredited)
Torben Meyer	...	Butler (uncredited)
Gordon Mitchell	...	Muscleman Rufe (uncredited)
Charles Owens	...	Scrawny Husband (uncredited)
Joseph H. Pryor	...	Bullmoose's Secretary (uncredited)
Frank Radcliffe	...	Rufe (uncredited)
Mabel Rea	...	Chorus Dancer (uncredited)
Buddy Roosevelt	...	Scragg Family Member (uncredited)
Alex Ruiz	...	Scrawny Husband (uncredited)
Arthur Sacks	...	Scrawny Husband (uncredited)
Robert Smart	...	Bullmoose Yes Man (uncredited)
Dolores Starr	...	Zsa Zsa (uncredited)
Gloria Tennes	...	Party Guest / Dogpatch Girl (uncredited)
Mary O. Thomas	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Mark Tobin	...	Rejuvenated Government Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Melvin Frank

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Al Capp		comic strip
Melvin Frank		writer
Norman Panama		writer

Produced by
Norman Panama	....	producer

Original Music by
Joseph J. Lilley
Nelson Riddle

Cinematography by
Daniel L. Fapp

Film Editing by
Arthur P. Schmidt

Casting by
Edward R. Morse

Art Direction by
J. McMillan Johnson
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Grace Gregory

Costume Design by
Alvin Colt

Makeup Department
Sue Kirkpatrick	....	hair stylist
Nellie Manley	....	hair stylist
Frank Westmore	....	makeup artist
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Frank Caffey	....	production manager
C. Kenneth Deland	....	unit production manager
Curtis Mick	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles C. Coleman	....	assistant director (as C.C. Coleman Jr.)
Dale Coleman	....	second assistant director
Donald Roberts	....	second assistant director
James A. Rosenberger	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Wayne Buttress	....	standby painter
Carl Coleman	....	props
Jean Eckart	....	stage production scenery
William Eckart	....	stage production scenery
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Nick Gerolimates	....	cableman
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound recordist
Harold Lewis	....	sound recordist
Jim Miller	....	sound recordist
John Nostri	....	mike grip
Bud Parman	....	boom operator
Howard Beals	....	supervising sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
James Grant	....	assistant camera
James Knott	....	camera operator
Loren Nutten	....	best boy
Glen E. Richardson	....	still photographer
Herb Welts	....	company grip
Stanley Williams	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alvin Colt	....	costume designer: original stage production
Bill Edwards	....	wardrobe: men
Ruth Stella	....	wardrobe: women
Yvonne Wood	....	wardrobe executed by

Music Department
Lehman Engel	....	vocal arranger: original stage production
Michael Kidd	....	stager: musical numbers, original stage production
Philip J. Lang	....	orchestrator: original stage production
Joseph J. Lilley	....	conductor
Joseph J. Lilley	....	vocal arranger
Johnny Mercer	....	lyricist: songs
Genevieve Pitot	....	music arranger: ballet music, original stage production
Nelson Riddle	....	conductor
Dee Dee Wood	....	stager: musical numbers
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Van Cleave	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Hal C. Kern	....	assistant to producer
Terence Little	....	dialogue coach
Richard Mueller	....	technicolor color consultant
Art Sarno	....	publicist

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures
• Triad Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Paramount Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Punto Zero (2008) (Italy) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved | UK:U

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Billie Hayes, who portrayed Li'l Abner's Mother "Mammy" Yokum, is actually younger than Peter Palmer who portrayed Li'l Abner.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: In the final wedding scene, there is a long shot early in the song where the boom mic is plainly visible, well down in the top center, for the entire shot.

Quotes:

Marryin' Sam:[picking up Abner from Gen. Bullmoose's office, looking at Apassionata] Oh, General... you better fire that chauffeur!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Rhinestone (1984)

Soundtrack:

Put 'em Back

it may take a soupcon of sophistication...

as well as a knowledge of history to appreciate the political satire of this film. But I believe all it takes is an understanding of human nature, which is immutable. "Li'l Abner" does reflect the mores of its time, but so does everything. To judge it against today's work is useless and immature.

Al Capp was a satirist, and this movie is the best visual representation we have extant today of his genius. His books are mostly out of print; a sad lack for us. But this film contains timeless and true reflections of life. The one that tickles me most is "Put Them Back," when women wanted "perfect" men (buff, cut and all those other adjectives of current popularity) only to realize that people who are self-absorbed in their own perfection have nothing to provide to others. Talk about a telling statement of today!

The production design was perfect for its goal: to recreate the cartoon-like atmosphere of Capp's strips. The colors, costumes and sets draws one into the strip itself.

I'm an unabashed fan of the American musical as an artform. "Li'l Abner" fills all the slots of the musical in a superior achievement. Is it dated? Of course it is - it's over 40 years old. Is it obsolete? Absolutely not, just as human nature in all its good and bad can never be obsolete.

If you don't take the time to learn about the ebbs and swells of the human tide, you'll never understand what life is about. Instead of being negative about a time and place you didn't experience, try learning about it. After all, those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. (Can we say "weapons of mass destruction?"