Ma and Pa Kettle
| Ma and Pa Kettle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First appearance | The Egg and I(book) The Egg and I(film) |
| Created by | Betty MacDonald |
| Portrayed by | Marjorie Main(as Ma) Percy Kilbride(as Pa) |
| In-universe information | |
| Films | Ma and Pa Kettle Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation Ma and Pa Kettle at Home Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki The Kettles in the Ozarks The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm |
Ma and Pa Kettleare comic film characters of the successful film series of the same name, produced byUniversal Studios,in the late 1940s and 1950s. “The hillbilly duo have their hands full with a ramshackle farm and a brood of rambunctious children. When the future comes a-callin' in the form of modern houses, exotic locales, and newfangled ideas, Ma and Pa must learn how to make the best of it with luck, pluck, and a little country charm.”[1]
Originally based on real-life farming neighbors inWashingtonstate, United States,[2]Ma and Pa Kettle were composite characters created byBetty MacDonaldin whose 1945 best-selling, semi-fictional memoir,The Egg and I,they appeared. The success of the novel spawned the 1947 filmThe Egg and IstarringClaudette ColbertandFred MacMurray,also co-starringMarjorie MainandPercy Kilbrideas Ma and Pa Kettle. Main was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actressfor her role.[3]
After the audiences' positive reaction to the Kettles in the film, Universal Studios produced nine more films, with Marjorie Main reprising her role in all and Percy Kilbride reprising his in seven. The films grossed an estimated $35 million altogether at the box office[4]and are said to have saved Universal from bankruptcy.[4]
Premise[edit]
- Phoebe "Ma" Kettle(played byMarjorie Mainin all 10 films) is a raucous, hardworking country woman with a robust figure. She is smarter than Pa, but not by much, and can easily be fooled. (In the book, she is earthier and more profane. When she was a newly immigrated Baltic teenager, she married Pa under the impression that since he owned a farm, he was a solid prospect.) Ma is content with her role as mother to 15 rambunctious, mischievous children on their ramshackle farm in rural Cape Flattery, Washington. Because she has so many children, Ma sometimes gets their names confused. A misspelled sign"Be-ware of childrun"is posted in front of the farmhouse to warn unwanted visitors of hurled rocks, projectiles from slingshots and pea shooters, and other missiles launched by the rowdy and unpredictable Kettle brood.
- Franklin "Pa" Kettle(played byPercy Kilbridein the first eight films and byParker Fennellyin the 10th and last film) is a gentle, slow-speaking, slow-thinking, and lazy man. His only talents appear to be avoiding work and winning contests. In the second film of the series, the family moves into a modern home with numerous electronic gadgets won by Pa in a tobacco slogan-writing contest.[2]As the series continued, various reasons were devised to have the family relocate to the "old place", sometimes for extended periods of time. Much of the comedy is cornball humor arising from preposterous situations, such as Pa masquerading as a wealthy industrialist ( "P.A. Kettle" inMa and Pa Kettle at Waikiki,1955)[5]or being jailed after he accidentally causes racehorses to eat feed laced with concrete (Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair,1952).[5]He has a younger brother, Sedgewick Kettle (played byArthur Hunnicuttin the ninth film), who owns their parents' farm in Mournful Hollow, Arkansas.
Recurring characters in the series[edit]
- Thomas "Tom" Kettleis the eldest of the Kettle children and is portrayed byRichard Longin the first four films. Tom works hard and goes to college at Washington State University, studying animal husbandry. He designs an improved chicken incubator. He meets his future wife, Kim, in a train ride back to Cape Flattery, but due to work issues, the two relocate to New York City.
- Kimberly "Kim" Kettle(néeParker) is the wife of Tom Kettle and is portrayed byMeg Randallin three films. She was the reporter for a popular Seattle magazine and came to Cape Flattery to write a series of articles on the Kettles and their new model home. Kim is very fond of the Kettles.
- Birdie Hicksis the Kettles' aging, cantankerousarchenemyand is portrayed byEsther Dalein four films. She usually rides around in either herModel Tcar or her horse-drawn buggy with her elderly mother, lamenting Pa's laziness and the family's lack of organization. Birdie frequently competes with Ma whenever there is a quilting or jam contest at the county fair. In a rare act of kindness, she gives Ma and Pa the prize money she won at a horse race so Rosie can go to college. Apparently, her mother,Mrs. HicksorMother Hicks(played by Isabel O'Madigan in two films and by Hallene Hill in one), sympathizes with the Kettles.
- Billy Reedis the town's local merchant, portrayed byBilly Housein the first film (1947), and then byEmory Parnellin four films (1949–1954). Billy has a general store in downtown Cape Flattery where his motto is written: "If there's anything you need, just come in and see Billy Reed." He often stops at the Kettle place to visit or deliver merchandise.
- Rosie Kettleis the Kettles' second-eldest daughter portrayed by Gloria Moore in one andLori Nelsonin two films. She desires to go to Sheraton College, but is unable to do so because of the family's economic instability. She is later learned to be working in Seattle. Rosie travels toWaikikiwith Ma and Pa to help with cousin Rodney's pineapple enterprise.
- JonathanandElizabeth Parkerare Kim Kettle's parents portrayed byRay CollinsandBarbara Brownin two films. They travel fromBostonto see Tom and Kim's newborn baby in the fourth film. Elizabeth does not get along with the Kettles at first, but over time, realizes her mistake; Jonathan enjoys being with them from the start. The Parkers invite Ma and Pa to a trip toParisin the sixth film.
- Geoduck(Oliver Blake) andCrowbar(Teddy Hart or Stan Ross) are Pa's Native American friends and usually act as his handymen, doing various tasks around the house under Pa's "supervision." Geoduck, pronounced "jaw-duck" inThe Egg and Iand then standardized as "gear-duck", is the chief of their tribe.
Kettle Kids[edit]
Ma and Pa KettleandMa and Pa Kettle Go to Townmention 15 kids (including Thomas and Rosie above), although inconsistency arises in the names
| Name | The Egg and I | Ma and Pa Kettle | Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town | Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm | Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair | Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation | Ma and Pa Kettle at Home | Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki | The Kettles in the Ozarks | The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Kettle | Teddy Infuhr | |||||||||
| Benjamin Kettle | Teddy Infuhr | Jon Gardner | Donald MacDonald | Jon Gardner | ||||||
| Betty Kettle | Judy Nugent | |||||||||
| Billy Kettle | Robin Winans | J.P. Sloane | Gary Lee Jackson | Richard Eyer | Rudy Lee | Richard Eyer | ||||
| Danny Kettle | Dale Belding | Ronnie Rondell Jr. (as Dannie) |
Tony Epper (as Donny) |
Ronnie Rondell Jr. (as Donnie) |
||||||
| Elwin Kettle | Brett Halsey | |||||||||
| Eve Kettle | Beverly Mook | Beverly Mook | Coral Hammond | Beverly Mook | ||||||
| George Kettle | Paul Dunn | Billy Clark | Gary Pagett | Billy Clark | ||||||
| Henry Kettle | George McDonald | Jackie Jackson | Jackie Jackson | Whitey Haupt | Jackie Jackson | George Arglen | ||||
| Kettle Boy | Billy Gray | |||||||||
| Kettle Child | Diane Florentine | |||||||||
| Kettle Child | Diane Graeff | |||||||||
| Kettle Child | Eugene Persson | |||||||||
| Kettle Child | George McDonald | |||||||||
| Kettle Child | Gloria Moore | |||||||||
| Kettle Child | Judith Bryant | |||||||||
| Kettle Child | Kathleen Mackey | |||||||||
| Kettle Child | Robert Beyers | |||||||||
| Kettle Child | Robert Winans | |||||||||
| Nancy Kettle | Elana Schreiner | Elana Schreiner | Carol Nugent | Elana Schreiner | Olive Sturgess | |||||
| Rosie Kettle | Gloria Moore | Lori Nelson | Lori Nelson | |||||||
| Ruthie Kettle | Margaret Brown | Margaret Brown (as Ruth) |
Margaret Brown | Donna Cregan Moots | Margaret Brown | |||||
| Sally Kettle | Donna Leary | Donna Leary | Donna Leary | |||||||
| Sara Kettle | Diane Florentine | Jenny Linder | Nancy Zane | Jenny Linder | ||||||
| Susie Kettle | Melinda Casey | Sherry Jackson | Patricia Morrow | Bonnie Kay Eddy | Cheryl Callaway | |||||
| Teddy Kettle | Eugene Persson (as Ted) |
Eugene Persson | Mark Roberts | Patrick Miller | Timmy Hawkins | |||||
| Willie Kettle | George Arglen | Eugene Persson | George Arglen | George Arglen | ||||||
Animals on the Kettles' farm[edit]
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(May 2020) |
Bossieis the Kettles' red and whitemilk cow,which provides Ma, Pa, and their family with plenty of milk. Most of the time, the older Kettle boys or even Pa'sIndianfriends, Geoduck and Crowbar, milk her. In "Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town" (1950), Pa is seen milking Bossie while listening to the music playing on the radio.[citation needed]
The chickensare a flock of nearly 100chickenskept by the Kettles on their broken-down farm, which provide them with manyeggseach day. Sometimes, one or two of the hens cause mischief towards the Kettles or other characters in the films. InMa and Pa Kettle at Home(1954), Ma Kettle's prizedspeckled henis seen a few times laying eggs on Mannering's head or in hisbowler hat.[citation needed]
Pa Kettle's teamincludes an old, retired trottinghorse,named Emma, and a whitedonkeywearing a straw hat, which together pull Pa's wagon around the county. InMa and Pa Kettle at the Fair(1952), Pa buys Emma originally to win a horse race at the county fair.[citation needed]
Nickis the Kettles' prized blackbull.He spends most of his time living on the Kettles' farm, which is his main home, but inMa and Pa Kettle at Home,he sneaks out of the farm and lumbers towards the Maddocks' farm to visit one of John Maddocks' prize cows, Bessie. He is often seen wearing aderby haton his head, similar to the hat worn by Pa Kettle.[citation needed]
The goatsare herd of four whiteSaanengoatsthat live on the Kettles' farm. InMa and Pa Kettle at Home,their original owner, John Maddocks, sells them to Pa Kettle for $100 (equivalent to $1,135 in 2023). The goats spend most of their time grazing around the farm, but the largest of them, a large billy with massive, curved horns, often causes everyone trouble. InMa and Pa Kettle at Home,he butts Ma, then Mannering, and lastly Pa, after they turn their backs to him. InMa and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm,he starts chewing on several sticks ofdynamitewhich Pa bought to make a newwellfor Ma, but Pa keeps snatching them from him.[citation needed]
Agnesis the Kettles' familyBluetick Coonhound,which also lives on the farm. She is often seen wearing asweaterthat Ma Kettle made for her. InMa and Pa Kettle at Home,she produces a litter ofpuppiesfor the Kettles and their friends at theirChristmas Eveparty.[citation needed]
Kettle farm set[edit]
| Kettle Farm | |
|---|---|
| Ma and Pa Kettlelocation | |
 The set as it appears in the filmMa and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm(1951) |
TheKettle Farm(also known asGausman Ranch,playfully named for set decoratorRussell A. Gausman) was amovie ranchinUniversal Studios,where most of theMa and Pa Kettlefeatures were filmed.[6]The set was redressed several times to resemble a cluttered farmhouse with dilapidating farm buildings.[7]The Kettles' farmhouse did not appear inMa and Pa Kettle on VacationandMa and Pa Kettle at Waikiki.The farm buildings were restored and painted forMa and Pa Kettle at Home.The entire farm set was modified forThe Kettles in the Ozarks,where it was reused as Uncle Sedge's farm in Arkansas. The remodeled farmhouse was also used forThe Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm.Prior to the Kettle Farm area being demolished in 1969 to begin construction on the Gibson Amphitheatre, it was significantly altered for the filming ofSpartacus.Today, this site isThe Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
The movie ranch appeared in other films and television series, including:
- The Thing That Couldn't Die(1958)
- The Deputy(1959–1961)
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents(9th season episode "The Jar" )
- Adam-12(1968–1975)
Films[edit]
The ten Kettle films are:
- The Egg and I(1947)
- Ma and Pa Kettle(1949) orThe Further Adventures of Ma and Pa Kettle
- Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town(1950)
- Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm(1951)
- Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair(1952)
- Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation(1953)
- Ma and Pa Kettle at Home(1954)
- Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki(1955)
- The Kettles in the Ozarks(1956)
- The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm(1957)
The Egg and I[edit]
Ma and Pa Kettle first appeared in supporting roles as neighbors inThe Egg and I,starring Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert as a refined city couple who move to a rural chicken farm. Marjorie Main, a veterancharacter actress,played a hardy country woman in dozens of films, so was a natural for the role of Ma Kettle. Main was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress.[8]
Ma and Pa Kettleseries[edit]
After the success ofThe Egg and I,Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride starred in their own series of Ma and Pa Kettle movies, which became box-office bonanzas for Universal Pictures, having earned an estimated $35 million for the entire series.[4][9]
Universal insisted on releasing only one Kettle picture annually, during the spring months. Consequently there was a backlog of completed but unreleased films.Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Pariswas ultimately released asMa and Pa Kettle on Vacation;Ma and Pa Kettle Hit the Road HomebecameMa and Pa Kettle at Home.Kilbride retired after the latter film in 1953, primarily from boredom with the character, as well as health concerns.[10]Kilbride's farewell film wasMa and Pa Kettle at Waikiki,filmed in February 1952 but finally released in 1955.
The Kettlesfilms[edit]
In 1954 Universal assigned theKettleproducer, director, and writer to make a new rustic comedy with Main but without Kilbride,Ricochet Romance,while trying to persuade Kilbride to return to the series.[11]When Kilbride refused, the studio kept the franchise going by dropping "Pa Kettle" from the film titles and referring to the series as "The Kettles."
Arthur Hunnicuttplayed Pa's brother Sedge Kettle inThe Kettles in the Ozarks(1956). The next film brought back Pa Kettle in the person ofParker Fennelly,who had played homespun, laconic types on radio;The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm(1957) was not successful enough to prolong the series, but Universal kept the older films playing in theaters into the 1960s.
Box office rankings[edit]
At the height of the popularity of the series, exhibitors polled by Quigley Publishing voted Kilbride and Main among the most popular stars in the US:
- 1951 - Marjorie Main alone 15th-most popular star
- 1952 - Main and Kilbride 25th-most popular
- 1953 - Main and Kilbride 13th-most popular
- 1954 - Main and Kilbride 15th-most popular
- 1955 - Main and Kilbride 25th-most popular
Adaptations and revivals[edit]
| This sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(March 2020) |
Betty MacDonald's characters Ma and Pa Kettle also appeared in television's first comedy serial,The Egg and I,which aired on CBS (September 3, 1951 – August 1, 1952).[12]Each episode was only 15 minutes long. Ma Kettle was played by Doris Rich and Pa Kettle was played by Frank Twedell.Betty Lynn(better known asBarney Fife's girlfriend Thelma Lou fromThe Andy Griffith Show) played Betty MacDonald in some episodes, including "Pa Turns Over a New Leaf" (which aired on May 21, 1952). The role was usually played byPat Kirkland.Another episode, "The Purloined Jacket", starred Mary Perry as Cammy, Richard Carlyle as Joe Kettle, and William A. Lee as Ed Peabody.[citation needed]
AnimatorWalter Lantzproduced a short-lived cartoon series for Universal Pictures called "Maw and Paw",although only four cartoons were released between 1953 and 1955. The characters Maw and Paw (voiced byGrace StaffordandDal McKennon,respectively) were based on the characters of Ma and Pa Kettle. The spellings of Maw and Paw Kettle appeared in the bookThe Egg and I(1945). Another Walter Lantz cartoon, "The Ostrich Egg And I" (1956), from theMaggie & Samseries, was a spoof ofThe Egg and I,with Maggie voiced by Grace Stafford and Sam voiced byDaws Butler.[citation needed]
InThe Munstersseason-one episode "Family Portrait"(S01 E13, 1964-12-17), a magazine writer makes a reference to the Kettles when he sees the Munster home, which he implies resembles the Kettle farmhouse:" Let's see if Ma and Pa Kettle are home. "[13]
In several Warner Bros. cartoons of the 1950s and 1960s, prolific voice artistJune Forayimitates Marjorie Main's voice whenever a big, aggressive female character appears in the cartoon. Many boomer kids became familiar with Foray's version of Main's voice before they discovered Marjorie Main as the source of Foray's imitation.[clarification needed][citation needed]
The satirical filmLoose Shoes(1980), which starredBill Murray,included a sketch called "A Visit With Ma and Pa", where Ma Kettle was played by Ysabel MacCloskey and Pa Kettle was played byWalker Edmiston.[citation needed]
DVD releases[edit]
The Adventures of Ma and Pa Kettle Volume 1 [14]
as the first part ofUniversal'sFranchise Collectionseries.
- The Egg and I
- Ma and Pa Kettle
- Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town
- Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm
The Adventures of Ma and Pa Kettle Volume 2 [15]
as the second part of Universal'sFranchise Collectionseries.
- Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair
- Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation
- Ma and Pa Kettle at Home
- Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki
The Further Adventures of the Kettles [16]
as aTCMVault Collection presented by Universal Studios:
- The Kettles in the Ozarks
- The Kettles in Old MacDonald's Farm
The Ma and Pa Kettle Complete Comedy Collection [17]
as aTCMVault Collection presented byUniversal Studios:
- The Egg and I
- Ma and Pa Kettle
- Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town
- Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm
- Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair
- Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation
- Ma and Pa Kettle at Home
- Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki
- The Kettles in the Ozarks
- The Kettles in Old MacDonald's Farm
References[edit]
- ^Ma & Pa Kettle Complete Comedy Collection,retrieved2021-07-18
- ^abFitzgerald, Michael G.(1977),Universal Pictures: A Panoramic History in Words, Pictures, and Filmographies,New Rochelle, NY: Arlington House Publishers, p. 67,ISBN0-87000-366-6
- ^"Awards for The Egg and I".Internet Movie Database.Retrieved11 November2011.
- ^abcHarkins, Anthony (2005) [2003].Hillbilly: A Cultural History of an American Icon.New York; Oxford: Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195189506.001.0001.ISBN978-0-19-518950-6.OCLC656796911.RetrievedNovember 26,2011.
- ^abFitzgerald, p. 69
- ^Gennawey, S. (2014).Universal versus Disney: The Unofficial Guide to American Theme Parks' Greatest Rivalry.Unofficial Guides. p. 32.ISBN978-1-62809-015-4.RetrievedApril 28,2018.
- ^Vogel, M. (2013).Marjorie Main: The Life and Films of Hollywood's "Ma Kettle".McFarland. p. 68.ISBN978-1-4766-0426-8.RetrievedApril 28,2018.
- ^The Egg and I,AwardsatInternet Movie Database
- ^Main and Kilbride also appeared together in the 1948Universalfilm "Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin",costarringDonald O'ConnorandJoe Besser.Many have mistaken this movie to be a Kettle film. Main played Maribel Matthews and Kilbride played Billy Caswell.
- ^Thomas, Bob (1953-04-08)."'Pa Kettle To Quit Family Film Series ".Sarasota Journal.Retrieved2014-05-11.
- ^Variety,Nov. 3, 1954, p. 6.
- ^McNeil, Alex (1996).Total Television.New York, NY: Penguin Books. p. 254.ISBN0-14-024916-8.
- ^"Family Portrait"episode -The Munsters1964, Kayro-Vue Universal Studios.
- ^TCM Shopping: The Adventures Of Ma And Pa Kettle, Vol. 1Archived2010-11-09 at theWayback Machine,Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^TCM Shopping: The Adventures Of Ma And Pa Kettle, Vol. 2Archived2010-07-09 at theWayback Machine,Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^TCM Vault Collection: The Further Adventures of the KettleArchived2011-01-12 at theWayback Machine,Retrieved January 26, 2011.
- ^TCM Vault Collection: The Ma and Pa Kettle Complete Comedy Collection,Retrieved October 6, 2011.