Ma and Pa Kettle (film)

Ma and Pa Kettle (also known as The Further Adventures of Ma and Pa Kettle) is a 1949 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont. It is the sequel to the 1947 film version of Betty MacDonald's semi-fictional memoir The Egg and I and the first official installment of Universal-International's Ma and Pa Kettle series starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride.[1]

Ma and Pa Kettle
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCharles Lamont
Produced byLeonard Goldstein
Written byAl Lewis
Based onThe Egg and I
by Betty MacDonald
StarringMarjorie Main
Percy Kilbride
CinematographyMaury Gertsman
Edited byRussell Schoengarth
Production
company
Universal Pictures
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • April 1, 1949 (1949-04-01)
Running time
75 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$200,000[1]
Box office$2,850,000 (rentals)[1] or $2.3 million[2]

Plot

Ma and Pa Kettle have lived in a broken-down ramshackle farmhouse for twenty-five years in rural Cape Flattery, Washington. The Kettles' arch-nemesis, Birdie Hicks, organizes a town council meeting to condemn the Kettles' "garbage dump" farm. In order to receive a new tobacco pouch for entering a contest, Pa Kettle writes a slogan for the King Henry Tobacco Company.

During the council meeting to condemn the property, Alvin, the town's mailman, calls about a telegram declaring Pa Kettle the winner of the contest's grand prize of a new "house-of-the-future". Mayor Dwiggins is delighted and cancels the meeting in order to deliver the telegram personally to Pa. All of the council members arrive at Ma and Pa's farmhouse but are greeted by the 14 youngest Kettle children who thinking they are defending their home from condemnation, attack them with slingshots and toy guns.

The Kettles' oldest son Tom, on his way home after graduating from college, meets easterner Kim Parker on the train and shows her his plans to improve a chicken incubator to make it more affordable for farmers. Kim is a young writer full of theories on the advantages of modern living, but when Tom learns of his family's windfall, he objects to the characterization that his upbringing had been one of "abject" poverty.

The family move into their large house-of-the-future. After Pa suffers a sunburned face from a heat lamp while shaving, he alone moves back to their old house to further avoid such troublesome gadgets. The jealous Birdie Hicks accuses Pa of plagiarizing his prize-winning slogan from traveling salesman Billy Reed, who has a similar one on a calendar. The bad publicity threatens Tom's chances for financing his incubator.

When Pa is disqualified from winning the prize, Ma and the kids have to literally fight off authorities trying to evict them from the modern house while Kim digs up proof that Pa thought up the slogan himself. Billy explains that he got his slogan from Pa, not vice versa, and they keep the house. Tom gets financing to manufacture his improved chicken incubator and marries Kim. At the ceremony Pa receives a telegram advising him that he has won another slogan contest, this time winning a free trip to New York.

Cast

Production

Helena Carter turned down the female romantic lead.[3]

Filming started December 1948.[4]

Reception

The film was a big hit, grossing over $3 million. According to a Universal executive, "their stuff is burlesque and it isn't sophisticated, but the company found that the film is drawing not only the younger element but also the so-called lost audience of over 35 who don't go to the movies regularly."[5]

References
  1. Reid, John Howard (2005). Movie Westerns: Hollywood Films the Wild, Wild West. Lulu.com. pp. 91–92. ISBN 9781411666108.
  2. "Top Grossers of 1949". Variety. 4 January 1950. p. 59.
  3. Vagg, Stephen (February 14, 2020). "Helena Carter: An Appreciation". Filmink.
  4. THOMAS F. BRADY (Oct 12, 1948). "M-G-M, FOX AT ODDS OVER FILM SUBJECT: Both Studios Planning Movies That Deal With the Royal Canadian Mounted Police". New York Times. p. 32.
  5. A.H. WEILER (Feb 5, 1950). "RANDOM NOTES ABOUT PEOPLE AND PICTURES: Jed Harris to Direct Film--Of Bogart And Bacall--Sequel to 'Iwo Jima' B AND B: SEQUEL: BONANZA". New York Times. p. 93.
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