Film #100 - Li’l Abner (1940)
Quoting my over five-year-old review from amazon.com:
The thing about this adaptation of Li’l Abner is that it manages to capture the light-hearted feel of the strip at the time. Unencumbered by any political or social leanings (in either direction) it gives a sense of Al Capp at his finest. When Li’l Abner and the citizens of Dogpatch were celebrated heroes of America.
The cast is mostly unknown. But they bring a sense of excitement to their roles that more than makes up for their lack of experience. That’s not to say this is a flawless film. It’s cheaply produced and it was sad to see film great Buster Keaton in such a small role. But it is funny (despite Maltin’s opinion) and well worth the price.
Li’l Abner may not be the height of comic book adaptations, but, then again, the original strip wasn’t exactly high drama or adventure. Creator Al Capp’s clean-cut art style on the strip easily lent itself to a highly stylized production like this film or the successful stage musical that followed a few years later.
It helps that the film’s cast of little-knowns are all spot-on. Jeff York (working under his then-stage name Granville Owen) is a great choice for Abner. He carries just the right mix of stupidity and simple goodness that defines the character. The same can be said of Martha O’Driscoll, who sighs her way through the film as Daisy Mae, yet still has the steely resolve needed when necessary. Mona Ray and Johnnie Morris do great work with Mammy and Pappy Yokum, even if their makeup is a bit too obvious for my tastes.
This is not true of all characters. Particularly Hairless Joe (Bud Jamison), one of Capp’s more outlandish creations, comes across perfectly on-screen. His sidekick, Lonesome Polecat (Keaton) is helped to life by the fact that Buster resembled him already. It just took some makeup and a costume to complete the look.
And for what is obviously a “B” picture, this film has some very impressive sets. Obviously soundstages, the locations still have a distinct look to them that remains consistant from beginning to end. Pieces such as Abner’s home and the “cricks” and “hollars” of Dogpatch are all, just like the characters, consistant with their look in the comic strip.
Li’l Abner also succeeds in the story department. Again, it’s not an incredibly complicated or original story, but it is perfectly in line with the source material, faithfully translated. In a time when most comic strips or comic books were being heavily adapted for the screen, Li’l Abner made the jump with startling faithfulness. Even today, few comics find their way to the big screen with as little reworking as can be found in Li’l Abner.