Marjorie Main played the character of Ma Kettle in 10 movies beginning with The Egg and I in 1947.
Main had been a reliable supporting performer in many films prior to this such as Meet Me In St. Louis, The Harvey Girls, and Summer Stock. Last year, a terrific post from Secluded Charm highlighted her performances in these films.
But as Ma Kettle she received her greatest success, including an Academy Award nomination for her performance in The Egg and I. In the movie, she was arguable the funniest character; I love the way she haphazardly sets the table for her, Pa, and the 15 kids (!!). Audiences wanted to see more of her and "Pa Kettle" (Percy Kilbridge), and more movies were made - a franchise was born.
In The Further Adventures of Ma & Pa Kettle, the Kettles move from their old, dilapidated farm house into a modern home-of-the-future after Pa wins a contest. Ma is really funny in this movie, especially in the scene where she sees her and Pa on television. Her reactions are amusing.
In Ma & Pa Kettle go to Town, the movie opens with Ma making pancakes. Pa accidentally drops popcorn kernels in the batter. Ma goes crazy when the flapjacks jump through the air off the griddle.
Then Kettles go off to New York City on vacation and get mixed up with some criminals, but 99% of the time they are completely oblivious to any nefarious deeds, which is part of the fun. A highlight of the film has Ma going to an upscale beauty salon.
And the funniest of them all has to be Ma & Pa Kettle Back on the Farm. In this hilarious installment, the Kettles become grandparents for the first time. The movie stars with Ma confused as to why her daughter-in-law has to go to the hospital to have the baby. Ma says proudly, "I had 15 right here in my house and there ain't nothing wrong with any of 'em". Then the highfalutin in-laws come to visit and it's funny to see Ma hold her temper against her son's mother-in-law.
I recommend any of these movies to enjoy the comedic performances of Marjorie Main as Ma Kettle and to see how a franchise thrived through a ten movie franchise.
This past Spring, the Stanford Theater held a film fest with the theme, "Films of the 1950s".
I was able to make it to the Stanford on Friday June 7 --- that night the Stanford was playing Bus Stop and Some Came Running.
I only had time for one movie so I went to see Bus Stop, which was nominated for an Academy Award (Don Murray's performance).
I love to come to this theater any chance that I get.
Every time I step into the lobby, it feels like I've died and gone to movie heaven. Or stepped into a dream.
The smell of the freshly popped popcorn. The movie posters hanging on the walls as if it were the year they were originally released.
The lovely chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
Here is a view from the 2nd floor - yes, the theater has a balcony! And you can sit there!
The magnificence of the screen. And the organist playing a few tunes before the show!
Pure cinema splendor.
The movie was really good. I had a feeling that everyone in the theater enjoyed it. Marilyn, playing a stripper, was very good in the film as was Don Murray who plays a country bumpkin smitten with her at first sight. The supporting cast is wonderful, too, including Eileen Heckart playing Marilyn's friend. The movie gets better as the story unfolds, and the characters get more interesting, including supporting player Arthur O'Connell, playing a father figure to Murray; at a pivotal point in the film he confronts an obnoxious Murray about his relationship with Marilyn and tells him, "I'm beginning to think that she's too good for you". And loved all the scenes in the diner, where everyone gets stranded for a night, and a fight breaks out.
In July of 1985, I turned 9 years old. Up until that year, most of the movies I went to see in the theaters were Disney movies, particularly the Disney theatrical re-releases such as Snow White and Bambi. 1985 was the first year I remember seeing more than two movies in a theater. I think I was finally old enough to want to ask my parents or an adult guardian to take me to see a movie. There were no theaters I could walk to, so I always needed a ride.
In 1985, small "neighborhood" movie theaters were still to be found in the Chicagoland area, and most of the movies I saw were at The Will Rogers, Mercury, Mont Clare, or Norridge Theaters. All of them have been closed and/or demolished.
A blog post from moviefone inspired me to remember all of the films I went to see in the theater that year.
January 1985
I might have gone to see Disney's Pinocchio (1940) at least 2 times during the winter of 84/85; it had been re-released that season and I'm pretty sure I saw it for a school field trip and again with my family.
I also have a very strong memory of going to see David Lean'sA Passage to India; though I cannot remember which month, I remember the weather being cold outside. This was a highly-talked about film, and I remember seeing many Indian-Americans in the theater lobby had who bought a ticket to see it. If I recall, I went with my mother and a friend (I can't remember if my father went); they were no doubt curious to see it and the exotic locales. I have not seen the film since, but I do remember strongly the scene where Peggy Ashcroft dies and her body is thrown overboard a ship, per custom. I'll never forget that scene, sort of scary to me I guess. I also remember elephants and sand, lots of sand.
Another movie I have a strong memory of seeing in the theater was Oh God You Devil! starring George Burns. This movie also came out in the winter of 84/85, and I remember seeing it in the theater. I may have seen George Burns on TV talking about the movie or may have seen an ad on TV, but something made me want to see it.
March 1985
In March a local, neighborhood movie theater - The Will Rogers, now demolished - showed a double feature of Witness and The Breakfast Club. Both films were rated "R", and I guess they were the first "adult" films I remember seeing in the theater. I don't remember any of the profanity used in either movie... not sure why. I think it was because I wasn't used to hearing those words ("F---", "S---", etc) around the house or in school. My mother was careful not to use those words around me growing up. I guess I didn't realize they were "bad" words yet. Also, at 8 years old much of the dialogue just went over my head, and both of these movies had long "boring" parts (or so I thought at the time).
Also in March (or April), I remember going to see Ghoulies in the theater - also at the Will Rogers. This was a PG-13 rated horror/comedy, and the poster featured a bald puppet coming out of the toilet.There was something about that image that was so funny to me. I remember seeing commercials of it and thought it would be funny like Gremlins. My mother didn't go (I don't think), but my father took me to see it. He thought the puppet in the toilet looked funny, too, as did the woman with the killer tongue.
April 1985
This month, Return of the Jedi was re-released in theaters, and my mother took me, and two neighborhood friends - Peter and Aaron - to see it. We went to the now-demolished Mont Clare theater to see it.
I was big into Star Wars during that period, and even collected the action figures.
I have a fond memory of seeing Police Academy 2 in the theaters. I remember asking my mother to take me because I had been seeing commercials on TV that looked funny - guess I was a good target for the juvenile antics of the policemen in the film. Peter told me he wanted to see it, too, and he and his mom went with my mom to see it.
This was the TV spot that made me want to see it!!
I remember laughing at a bunch of parts, including one scene where a cop has his hands glued to his hair in the shower and he walks around the locker room nude (you see his bare bottom). It was a funny scene, I thought. My mom didn't think highly of it (neither did Peter's mom).
When I was born and was young, my mom didn't go to see too many movies. So I think the whole movie theater experience was a new one for her, too. I think she was starting to learn that not all movies were appropriate for young children under 10.
A "kids" movie was released around the same time (The Care Bears Movie), but I didn't want to see that one; felt like it was a "girl's movie".
May 1985
I have a fond memory of going to see a "kids" movie in the theater....can't remember the theater but it was a group outing with a bunch of neighborhood kids. We all went to see a "He-Man" movie called He-Man and the Secret of the Sword. It was a fun movie at the time. It was a spin-off of the Saturday-morning cartoon show that I loved watching.
Good old fashioned 2-D animation.
June 1985
Here Come the Littles opened in theaters, and it was being promoted as a children's movie. It was good, old fashioned 2-D animation. "The Littles" was an animated cartoon show that I watched at the time, and commercials for the movie aired quite regularly. I asked my mother to take me to see it and she did (but she didn't enjoy it).
I remember my father really wanted to see the new "Rambo" movie - First Blood Part II. My father was from Ecuador, and didn't speak much English. He preferred action movies over movies with much "conversation" as he put it. I remember watching First Blood on TV (an edited for television version) so I was familiar with the story somewhat.
I remember seeing posters for the new James Bond movie A View to a Kill but for some reason I never saw it in the theater. I also remember seeing the poster for The Goonies, but I never saw that in the theater, either.
July 1985
If I recall correctly, a second-run theater in Chicago (The Gateway) showed a special re-release screening of 1983's Superman III that summer. I think it was in July. Peter and I went to see it with our moms (if I remember correctly). I was big into Superman that summer. Parts I and II were shown on the ABC network that year, and I was a fan of the cartoon series on Saturday mornings and had all the DC Comic action figures. I also remember having a collection of "Superman III" trading cards.
Back to the Future was a big movie that summer, but I never went to see it in the theater. I didn't see it until 1987 on VHS. I was more into Superman I guess.
The Man With One Red Show had an unusual poster of a sketch of a red shoe. I tried to draw it many times because I loved to draw cartoons and illustrate, and there was something about that shoe that impressed me so. I asked my mother to take me to see the movie, and we went. I think it was the Will Rogers again. I don't remember much about the film, but I remember Tom Hanks and Lori Singer playing a violin. She always reminded me of Daryl Hannah. Dabney Coleman was also in the movie, and I remember seeing him in 9 to 5 and in the Muppets Take Manhattan. The plot of Red Shoe was too complicated for me to understand, and I never saw the film again.
Disney's The Black Cauldron opened in late July, and for some reason it didn't appeal to me. Never saw it.
August 1985
Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird opened in August, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I went to see it. I really loved the Muppets --- anything with a Muppet in it I wanted to see. The kidnapping story I understood (and it was sad to see Big Bird lonely and cry) but most of the witty dialogue meant to appeal to adults slipped over my head. Also I liked the cameos by John Candy and Chevy Chase. I knew who they were! I didn't know who Waylon Jennings was, and this was my introduction to him and his music.
Another movie with alot of "kid appeal" came out that month, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, but I didn't see it until VHS.
September 1985
Ghostbusters & Gremlins were re-released... saw both of them in the theater, both times with my father. At the Will Rogers theater.
December 1985
When school started (5th grade) I didn't go to the movies all that much.
I did see 101 Dalmatians when it was re-released in time for the Christmas holiday.
That's about it! All the movies I remember seeing in the theater (and those I didn't see) in 1985. Can't believe it has been 28 years ago!
Last night, a colleague and I had dinner at John's Grill in San Francisco, which is my new favorite restaurant in San Fran.
The theme of the 2-floor restaurant is the classic 1941 film. Movie photos and memorabilia throughout the interior, and there was a nice jazz band playing live music upstairs.
To eat, I had the most delicious seafood cannelloni, which was filled with dungeness crab, shrimp, baby spinach, cheese, and cream sauce.
