Reviews

Li'l Abner is a fine example of the American musical. After all, it has Stubby Kaye in it, so it must be good. Stubby Kaye is probably the highest profile actor in this musical, although his legacy seems to have been forgotten in the last couple of decades. In Li'l Abner, he plays Marryin' Sam, an itinerant preacher whose route has brought him back to Al Capp's Dogpatch in time for the annual Sadie Hawkin's Day race. Through the first half of the film, he is continually discussing the various grades of weddings he offers; "the four dollar wedding, now with that I start by giving yo' a haircut, clipping yo' toenails, and giving yo' a bath, iff'n yo' needs one. And confidentially, yo' needs one...." Based on Al Capp's weekly comic, writers Norman Panama and Melvin Frank manage to capture something of the cheerful lunacy and social satire that the original strip was famous for. Capp was a true satirist, cheerfully savaging anything that came within his gaze, inverting everything he touched, and sparing nothing and no one. The film can't quite lay the same claim to fame, but does at least try to follow in Capp's footsteps.

As with any musical, it is the song and dance numbers that either carry the film or let it fall. Here, Gene de Paul gives us big brassy music with memorable melodic hooks. But it is Johnny Mercer's lyrics that really stand out. When Stubby Kaye leads the town in a song celebrating their founder, that "beloved man a'settin' up there on that beloved horse," Jubilation T. Cornpone, Mercer best captures Capp's spirit:

"They say that General grant was pretty good with a jug Who went drink for drink with him And wound up under the rug? Why it was Jubilation T. Cornpone

[...]

When a Northern spy came into town for a night Who was it snuck in her room And lost a glorious fight? Why it was Jubilation T. Cornpone"

It might be obvious that this is my favourite song in the film, though many of them are eminently hummable-"Put 'Em Back ", Stubby Kaye (again!) leading the assembled in "Dearly Beloved" at the wedding of Daisy Mae and Earthquake McGoon ("Dearly beloved/ we is gathered here today/ to put this unfortunate sinner away..."), and "The Country's In The Very Best Of Hands" (showing that current concerns about big government and globalization were alive and well back in 1959). Leslie Parrish is satisfying as Daisy Mae (showing miles of leg), Peter Palmer is acceptable as Li'l Abner (lots of muscles, a great smile, and a decent voice), Stubby Kaye is, well, Stubby Kaye, and Julie Newmar doesn't get a word, but is the center of every scene she's in as Stupefyin' Jones. Overall, Li'l Abner is something unusual for the American musical; a fine, fun film with a point to make.

I watch this film about twice a year. Far superior to the overrated Dances With Wolves, this is a film about beginnings rather than endings.

As Apted points out at the begining of the film, this is based on actual events on Indian land, but the reality doesn't interfere with the story. The story is only peripherally about the actions of the US government and Native North Americans, but rather is about tradition, roots and the power to affect the future that their rediscovery brings. Val Kilmer's best film, Graham Greene is brilliant, and John Trudell's small part is essential to the film. The only reasonable comparison is to Bogart's rediscovery of himself in Casablanca.

Up front, I've seen this film way too many times. That I can watch it more than once probably points out some basic character flaw in me.

My favourite scene in this neo-gothic masterpiece has to be the moment when the alien berates the humans about "your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!" and the human punches him in the jaw. This is no "Michael Rennie moment", this is passion and rage and a calculated revelation of humanity's true nature.

Ed marries vision and talentlessness like no director before or after him. Ed's insight into the human condition is marred only by his inability to translate it to the screen with any coherence or intelligence. This is one of the most inadvertently funny and incompetently insightful films I have ever seen. All this and Tor Johnson too!

Another social commentary from the mind of Edward D. Wood Jr. As in _Glen or Glenda_, Ed tries desperately to make an _On The Waterfront_ or _Wild One_ and, as usual, fails again. In _The Violent Years_, Ed addresses parental neglect and small-town boredom as the motivations behind a girl-gang's reign of terror. Ed emerges as a moralist who doesn't shy away from the hard issues arising from the result of criminal actions. The parents must face their failure, but the girl must face the results of her actions. As a filmmaker with a social conscience, Ed is truly without peer. A confirmed liberal, Ed also understands the balance between the needs of society and the needs of the individual. The problem is, he can't translate his inchoate emotion into a functional script. This film hangs together better than the (surprisingly) later film _Plan 9_, having consistent story and less than painful acting. And the rape scene is truly a unique moment is cinematic history. A strong film marred only by the Curse of Ed Wood.