Li'l Abner (1959)

What a waste of my time!!!

Some things I liked some I did not.

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Yes, it's horribly dated. But I remember when I first viewed this really peculiar glop, at the tender age of about 10, only a year or two after it had premiered, I was unimpressed even then.The "acting" - if you can call it that, is so over-the-top, hyper-energetic, schmaltzy, in-your-face, "I'm gonna entertain you or else" overdone, that it's just fatiguing to watch. There's basically no story, the songs are instantly forgettable, and the dance numbers resemble cheerleading routines more than anything else. I can't think of anything to recommend it.And with it's bizarre colors, intentional (I assume)filming on a barely disguised soundstage, and incredibly plastic costumes and sets, along with the aforementioned overacting, the overall tone is one of just unbelievable creepiness. REALLY creepy.Yes, avoid at all costs...

I saw L'il Abner for the first time in over 30 years and to me it's an outstanding movie musical based on the Broadway show and Al Capp's comic strip. There were memorable performances from Peter Palmer in the title role, Leslie Parrish as Daisy Mae, Billie Hayes (who later went on to play Witcheepoo on H.R. Pufnstuf) as Mammy Yokum and Stubby Kaye, whose rendition of the song about Dogpatch's founder "Jubliation T. Cornpone" was a highlight. Also, watch for early sightings of Stella Stevens and Valerie Harper. Other songs that stood out were "Namely You," "Put 'Em Back" and "The Matrimonial Stomp."Unfornately, the political humor in the movie seems dated, especially in the song "The Country's in the Very Best of Hands." There are also a couple of songs that were in the Broadway version that got cut from the movie. General Bullmoose's song "Progress is the Root of All Evil" and the song the doctors sung at the testing site "Oh Happy Day." Otherwise, L'il Abner is a hilarious throwback to the days of the late 50s.

I am shocked at some of the comments posted here. To me it seems like we have become so jaded as a society that a simple, funny musical that you need a drop of education about is consigned to the trash heap of history.The 1950's was a great time in history, change was on the horizon, and the Cold War hung over everyone's head. The problem is that the change agents of the 1960's decided to destroy the past instead of improve on it. So a simple play that had good satire and music in it became not intense, or sexy, or socially relevant enough for the avant-garde tastes of modern times.It's a funny musical, no more than that, and it aspires to nothing else. enjoy it for what it is, good wholesome fun.

All right, so Al Capp's satire is dated half a century later. It's still one of the most thoroughly enjoyable musicals ever adapted from Broadway.Dogpatch, USA has been determined by the government to be the most useless place in the country and therefore a suitable place to conduct nuclear testing. So the bizarre inhabitants have to move unless they can find a reason to stop the bombing.I admit to being old enough to remember the original comic strip, so I'm probably biased. But lively musical numbers like "Jubilation T. Cornpone" and "Put 'em back the Way They Wuz" elevate this above standard Broadway translations.If you like musicals and great choreography, check this one out!