Cinema: New Picture, Dec. 21, 1959

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Li'l Abner (Paramount), the Hollywood version of the Broadway version of Al Capp's comic strip, is a great big overblown pink-walled synthetic two-time reCapp. Like all Capp, it is Rabelais for the retarded, but it will probably carry an impressive bundle to the bank.

Written, produced and directed by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, who took the writing and production credits for the Broadway show, Li'l Abner boasts an appropriate Dogpatchy plot. After a nationwide survey, Dogpatch is declared "the most unnecessary place in these U.S.," and selected as the site of the next A-bomb test. Dogpatch is dramatically saved when Mammy Yokum (Billie Hayes) produces the only surviving specimen of the Yokumberry tree, whose fruit distills a tonic that can make any man as big and strong and beautiful as Li'l Abner (Peter Palmer). Then the plot thickens as the villain (Howard St. John) slinks upon the scene in the form of that well-known Cappitalist, General Bullmoose ("What's good for General Bullmoose is good for the U.S.A."). His plot: to secure the secret formula of Yokumberry Tonic and sell it to the thirsty public as Yoka Cola.

Will the general succeed in this nefarious scheme? Will Evil Eye Fleagle (Al Nesor) perpetrate a Triple Whammy on po' Li'l Abner? Will Appassionata von Climax (Stella Stevens) catch him in the annual Sadie Hawkins Day Race? Will Li'l Abner ackchelly have to (sob!) marry up wif "a female of THUH OPPOSITE SEX," thereby yielding her a half interest in Yokumberry Tonic? And if he does, what will happen to po' Daisy Mae (Leslie Parrish)?

To all these questions, Cartoonist Capp's millions of unflagging fans will find satisfactory answers. In the Broadway musical, the Capp characters were type-cast with amazing accuracy, and most of the Broadway players are there in the Hollywood production. The show's score (words by Johnny Mercer, music by Gene de Paul) is the big letdown: a chance to make good mountain music is passed up in favor of bad Broadway tunes. But the story gallops along, and the dancing scenes preserve the essential whomp. They'll love it in Lower Slobbovia.