Li'l Abner (1959)

In the town of Dogpatch U.S.A., a hillbilly haven in the mountains, the muscle bound but dim witted Li'l Abner (Peter Palmer) is pursued by pretty Daisy Mae (Leslie Parrish). She hopes to catch him on Sadie Hawkins Day, an annual race where the women chase the men they want to marry and if caught, they're obligated to wed. But if the government's plans to use Dogpatch as an A-bomb test site goes through, there won't be any Sadie Hawkins Day! Based on the 1956 hit Broadway musical (which in turn is based on the Al Capp comic strip), this is a pleasant if unmemorable musical (lyrics by the great Johnny Mercer, music by Gene De Paul). The songs are passable, the choreography (by Dee Dee Wood from Michael Kidd's original staging) is energetic and the stylized production design is in vivid Technicolor. There's no attempt to make the film's setting look realistic, we're clearly on a sound stage with fake trees and a fake mountain backdrop but since the film is based on a comic strip, it actually helps give the film a comic strip look and feel to it. If you're not into musicals, you might find the film a bit gauche and tiresome. For musical buffs however, it's a pleasant diversion. Directed by Melvin Frank. The supporting cast includes Stella Stevens, Julie Newmar, Stubby Kaye, Valerie Harper, Donna Douglas, Hope Holiday, Carmen Alvarez, Robert Strauss, Howard St. John, Beth Howland, Billie Hayes and Jerry Lewis as Itchy McRabbit.