View source for Li'l Abner (1940 film)

{{Infobox film
| name           = Li'l Abner
| image          = Billie Seward-Jeff York in Li'l Abner.jpg
| caption        = Still with Billie Seward and Jeff York
| director       = [[Albert S. Rogell]]
| producer       = Lou L. Ostrow
| screenplay     = [[Charles Kerr (assistant director)|Charles Kerr]]<br>Tyler Johnson
| based_on       = {{based on|''[[Li'l Abner]]''|[[Al Capp]]}}
| starring       = [[Jeff York]]<br>[[Martha O'Driscoll]]<br>[[Mona Ray]]<br>[[Johnnie Morris (actor)|Johnnie Morris]]<br>[[Buster Keaton]]
| cinematography = [[Harry Jackson (cinematographer)|Harry Jackson]]
| editing        = [[Otto Ludwig (film editor)|Otto Ludwig]]<br>Donn Hayes
| music          = [[Lud Gluskin]]
| studio         = Vogue Pictures, Ltd.
| distributor    = [[RKO Radio Pictures]]

reissued by [[Astor Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1940|11|01}}
| runtime        = 78 minutes
| language       = English
}}

'''''Li'l Abner''''' is a 1940 film based on the [[comic strip]] ''[[Li'l Abner]]'' created by [[Al Capp]]. The three most recognizable names associated with the film are [[Buster Keaton]] as Lonesome Polecat, [[Jeff York]] as Li'l Abner, and [[Milton Berle]], who co-wrote the title song.

This was the first of two films based on the popular Al Capp strip, the second being Paramount's 1959 musical, ''[[Li'l Abner (1959 film)|Li'l Abner]]'', which was also based on the hit 1956 Broadway musical ''[[Li'l Abner (musical)|Li'l Abner]]''.

The film was poorly received, with the rubber "facial appliances" worn by some of the characters to simulate Capp's character designs being especially deficient.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Davis |first1=Blair |title=Movie Comics: Page to Screen/Screen to Page |date=2017 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=9780813572284 |page=177}}</ref>

==Plot==
Li'l Abner becomes convinced that he is going to die within twenty-four hours, so he agrees to marry two different girls: Daisy Mae (who has chased him for years) and Wendy Wilecat (who rescued him from an angry mob). It is all settled at the [[Sadie Hawkins Day]] race.

==Cast==
{| class=wikitable
! Role !! Actor
|-
| Li'l Abner Yokum || [[Jeff York|Jeff York (as Granville Owen)]]
|-
| Daisy Mae Scraggs || [[Martha O'Driscoll]]
|-
| Pansy "Mammy" Yokum || [[Mona Ray]]
|-
| Lucifer "Pappy" Yokum || [[Johnnie Morris (actor)|Johnnie Morris]]
|-
| Lonesome Polecat || [[Buster Keaton]]
|-
| Cousin Delightful || [[Billie Seward]]
|-
| Wendy Wilecat || [[Kay Sutton]]
|-
| Granny Scraggs || [[Maude Eburne]]
|-
| Hairless Jo' || [[Bud Jamison]]
|-
| Cornelius Cornpone || [[Edgar Kennedy]]
|-
| Montague  || [[Johnny Arthur]]
|-
| Barber || [[Walter Catlett]]
|-
| The Sheriff / Mr. Oldtimer || [[Lucien Littlefield]]
|-
| Earthquake McGoon || Charles A. Post
|-
| Hairless Joe || [[Bud Jamison]]
|-
| Mayor Gurgle || [[Chester Conklin]]
|-
| Marryin' Sam  || [[Dick Elliott]]
|-
| Cicero Grunts || [[Mickey Daniels]]
|-
| Hannibal Hoops || [[Doodles Weaver]]
|-
| Miss Lulubell || [[Marie Blake]]
|-
| Sarah Jones || Rene Riano
|-
| Joe Smithpan || [[Al St. John]]
|-
| Barney Bargrease || [[Eddie Gribbon]]
|-
| Bachelor, Sadie Hawkins Day Race || [[Hank Mann]]
|-
| Bachelor || [[Eddie Borden]]
|-
| Fantastic Brown || [[Victor Potel]]
|-
| Undetermined Role || Louise Keaton
|}

==See also==
* [[Dogpatch]]
* [[Dogpatch USA]]
* [[Salomey (cartoon pig)|Salomey]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0032703}}
* {{AFI film|4214}}
* {{Internet Archive film|lil_abner}}

{{Li'l Abner}}
{{Albert S. Rogell}}

[[Category:1940 films]]
[[Category:Li'l Abner]]
[[Category:1940 comedy films]]
[[Category:Films based on American comics]]
[[Category:Films based on comic strips]]
[[Category:Live-action films based on comics]]
[[Category:RKO Pictures films]]
[[Category:American comedy films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:1940s English-language films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Albert S. Rogell]]
[[Category:1940s American films]]


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