The Kettles in the Ozarks (1956)

Copyright 1955 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. A Universal-International picture. No New York opening. U.S. release: April 1956. U.K. release through J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors: November 1955. Australian release: 9 March 1956. 7,253 feet. 81 minutes. Cut to 71 minutes in Australia so that it could easily fit on the lower half of a double bill.SYNOPSIS: Ma Kettle and thirteen of her sixteen children visit her lazy brother-in-law's rundown farm in the Ozarks.NOTES: Ninth of Universal's ten-picture Ma and Pa Kettle series. Percy Kilbride by this time was heartily sick of playing Pa. Minor injuries received in an auto accident gave him a good excuse to bow out of the series. He retired permanently from the screen and even refused $1 million to appear in a TV version of the Kettles. Ironically he was killed in December 1964 when struck by a car whilst crossing the street.COMMENT: This attempt to get by without Pa is not overly successful. Not only is Kilbride sadly missed, but the scriptwriter injudiciously calls our attention to his absence on no less than three occasions including two long letters which Ma Main reads. As might be expected, Miss Main carries the whole burden of this entry. Hunnicutt has no personality and is even outclassed by a goose wearing galoshes. Exaggerated slapstick abounds. But the movie signally lacks wit and charm. Heavy-handed direction and meat-axe film editing don't help.Miss Main was determined to continue the series without Kilbride. "I'd stand on my head to make people laugh," she said at the time. "That's all I have to live for. I don't want to retire." Unfortunately, the popularity of the series was now on the wane. Never highly regarded by the critics who found the cornball slapstick tedious and the lack of production values irritating, the Kettle movies were now upstaged by a host of TV imitators such as The Real McCoys, The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres and Petticoat Junction.OTHER VIEWS: About the only claim to fame this entry can muster is the presence of that personable stuntman Dave O'Brien (the perennial fall-guy of Pete Smith Specialties) as a Kettle-kids-harassed train conductor. These sequences occur quite early in the film. If you think this railroad slapstick embarrassingly inept, be warned it's all downhill from there. And to think that producer Richard Wilson, a long-time associate of Orson Welles, was assistant director on Citizen Kane and an associate producer of The Lady from Shanghai.

Universal Studios chose to make two Ma and Pa Kettle films even after Pa (Percy Kilbride) retired and refused to make any more. This is a testament both to the popularity of this genial series as well as an indicator of just how stupid some studio execs can be!! Frankly, after I watched the previous Kettle film, "Ma and Pa Kettle in Waikiki", I think Kilbride was smart to get out. The series had obviously jumped the shark and was trying really strange plots that indicated it had seen better days.Considering there is no Pa, this film is about as good as you can expect. Instead of Pa, Ma and the kids go to the Ozarks to spent time with Pa's brother, Sedge. Now if you think about it, however, why wouldn't Pa go with the kids to see his brother and leave Ma at home to watch the farm?When Ma and her brood arrive, they find a heap of problems. First, Sedge is about ready to lose the farm. After all, he's super-lazy just like Pa. Second, when he comes up with a scheme to make money, it blows up in his face because the folks paying him for his corn crop and to use his barn want to do this because they are gangsters making moonshine! Third, after dating for 20 years, Sedge's girlfriend is about ready to walk! Can Ma held lazy old Sedge to straighten out all these messes?Sedge and his lady friend were fine characters and would have been welcome IF they would have been introduced in addition to keeping Pa. But again and again, I was annoyed to hear characters say "Wow, Sedge....you're just like Pa"...as if they were trying to convince the audience that he was an adequate replacement. Additionally, the problem with the crooks and how it got worked out with taffy was a bit dopey. Still, harmless and entertaining.

"Ozarks" opens with the Kettle family making a scene in the train station... and the slapstick comedy and antics continue when they finally get on the train. The Kettles, minus Pa, are on their way to visit Pa's brother in the Ozarks. This was the second-to-last episode in the collection. Keep an eye out for big stars Richard Deacon (was Mel Cooley on D.V.Dyke Show) as Big Trout, the Indian, and Una Merkel, (old time movie star) is Bedelia Baines. A twelve year old Bonnie Franklin (the Mom on One Day at a Time) is even in here as Betty ! About halfway through, we are introduced to the "bad guys", who are planning some sort of caper. Things move a little more slowly in this adventure... it was getting a little tired by this time. Ma Kettle yells "Come and Get it !" every few minutes, scaring the daylights out of everyone around. It's a pleasant mix of pratfalls and jokes. Fun running gag of a boot-wearing goose. Also a funny scene where all the farm animals get drunk...they probably wouldn't be allowed to make that scene today. This was the first one without Pa (Percy Kilbride), but Ma reads letters from him a couple times. Directed by Charles Lamont, who had directed about half of the "Kettle " films. He also worked with the Three Stooges, as well as Abbott and Costello, so he certainly worked with the Pros!

I recently watched The Kettles In The Ozarks with my family and we had a wonderful time! This was the ninth movie in the Kettle series and I went in to it wondering how they were going to come up with anything novel in the ninth film of the series. Fortunately there are indeed some funny moments in this one and it's pretty darn good for a part nine. It certainly made us smile. The Kettles in the Ozarks is really an enjoyable little movie with plenty of cute, charming, and funny moments. I laughed out loud quite a few times. Pa's brother is a hoot and the inebriated animals made me almost bust a gut! No it's not an artistic masterpiece, but it is darn fun!