comedy:lil’abner

Comedy: Lil’ Abner

Lil Abner:

Li'l Abner was a comic strip in United States newspapers, featuring a fictional clan of hillbillies in the impoverished town of Dogpatch. Written and drawn by Al Capp, the strip ran from 1934 through 1977.

Read daily by scores of millions of people, the strips characters and humor had a powerful cultural impact. A pseudo-holiday created in the strip, Sadie Hawkins Day is still observed in the form of dances at which women approach (or chase after) men.

The first Li'l Abner movie was made in 1940, starring Jeff York (credited as Granville Owen), Martha O'Driscoll, Mona Ray and Johnnie Morris. The movie gave a fairly accurate portrayal of the various Dogpatch characters. Of particular note is the appearance of Buster Keaton as Lonesome Polecat. Naturally, the story is about Daisy Mae trying to catch Li'l Abner on Sadie Hawkins Day. Since this movie predated their comic strip marriage, Abner makes a last-minute escape.

In 1959, a Lil’ Abner movie was made based on the play that ran on Broadway during the 1950s.