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Ma and Pa Kettle are comic film characters of the successful film series of the same name, produced by
Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
, in the late 1940s and 1950s. The hillbilly duo had 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. Originally based on real-life farming neighbors in
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, United States, Ma and Pa Kettle were created by
Betty MacDonald Betty MacDonald (born Anne Elizabeth Campbell Bard; March 26, 1907 – February 7, 1958) was an American author who specialized in humorous autobiographical tales, and is best known for her book '' The Egg and I''. She also wrote the '' Mrs. Piggl ...
in whose 1945 best-selling novel, ''
The Egg and I ''The Egg and I'', first published in 1945, is a humorous memoir by American author Betty MacDonald about her adventures and travels as a young wife on a chicken farm on the Olympic Peninsula in the US state of Washington. The book is based on ...
'', they appeared. The success of the novel spawned the 1947 film ''
The Egg and I ''The Egg and I'', first published in 1945, is a humorous memoir by American author Betty MacDonald about her adventures and travels as a young wife on a chicken farm on the Olympic Peninsula in the US state of Washington. The book is based on ...
'' starring
Claudette Colbert Claudette Colbert ( ; born Émilie Claudette Chauchoin; September 13, 1903July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the late 1920s and progressed to films with the advent of talking pictures ...
and
Fred MacMurray Frederick Martin MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films and a successful television series, in a career that spanned nearly a half-century. His career as a major film le ...
, also co-starring
Marjorie Main Mary Tomlinson (February 24, 1890 – April 10, 1975), professionally known as Marjorie Main, was an American character actress and singer of the Classical Hollywood period, best known as a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player in the 1940s and ...
and
Percy Kilbride Percy William Kilbride (July 16, 1888 – December 11, 1964) was an American character actor. He made a career of playing country hicks, most memorably as Pa Kettle in the ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series of feature films. Early life Kilbride was ...
as Ma and Pa Kettle. Main was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role. 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 and are said to have saved Universal from bankruptcy.


Premise

*Phoebe "Ma" Kettle (played by
Marjorie Main Mary Tomlinson (February 24, 1890 – April 10, 1975), professionally known as Marjorie Main, was an American character actress and singer of the Classical Hollywood period, best known as a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player in the 1940s and ...
in all 10 films) is a raucous, hardworking country woman with a robust figure. She is more ambitious and 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 emigrated 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 by
Percy Kilbride Percy William Kilbride (July 16, 1888 – December 11, 1964) was an American character actor. He made a career of playing country hicks, most memorably as Pa Kettle in the ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series of feature films. Early life Kilbride was ...
in the first eight films and by
Parker Fennelly Parker W. Fennelly (October 22, 1891 – January 22, 1988) was an American character actor who appeared in ten films, numerous television episodes and hundreds of radio programs. Early life The son of gardener Nathan Fennelly and Estelle Doll ...
in 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 that Pa has won in a tobacco slogan-writing contest. 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" in ''Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki'', 1955)Fitzgerald, p. 69 or being jailed after he accidentally causes racehorses to eat feed laced with concrete (''Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair'', 1952). He has a younger brother, Sedgewick Kettle (played by
Arthur Hunnicutt Arthur Lee Hunnicutt (February 17, 1910 – September 26, 1979) was an American actor known for his portrayal of wise, grizzled, and old rural characters. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in ...
in the ninth film), who owns their parents' farm in Mournful Hollow, Arkansas.


Recurring characters in the series

*Thomas "Tom" Kettle is the eldest of the Kettle children and is portrayed by Richard Long in 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 (
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Parker) is the wife of Tom Kettle and is portrayed by
Meg Randall Meg Randall (born Genevieve Roberts;''The Milwaukee Journal'', September 18, 1949, Jesse Daniels, Hollywood, "It Paid Her to Do Nothing", Milwaukee, WI, p. 5. August 1, 1926 – July 20, 2018) was an American film actress. She was active in moti ...
in 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 Hicks is the Kettles' aging, cantankerous
archenemy In literature, an archenemy (sometimes spelled as arch-enemy) is the main enemy of someone. In fiction, it is a character who is the protagonist's, commonly a hero's, most prominent and most-known enemy. Etymology The word ''archenemy'' sometim ...
and is portrayed by
Esther Dale Esther Dale (November 10, 1885 – July 23, 1961) was an American actress of the stage and screen. Early years Dale was born in Beaufort, South Carolina. She attended Leland and Gray Seminary in Townshend, Vermont. In Berlin, Germany, she stud ...
in four films. She usually rides around in either her
Model T The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relati ...
car 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 quilt 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. Hicks or Mother Hicks (played by Isabel O'Madigan in two films and by Hallene Hill in one), sympathizes with the Kettles. *Billy Reed is the town's efficacious salesman portrayed by
Billy House William H. Comstock (May 7, 1889 – September 23, 1961), known by his stage name Billy House, was an American vaudevillian, Broadway performer and feature film actor. After devoting most of his career to live performance, he moved to Hollywood ...
in the first film (1947), and then by
Emory Parnell Emory Parnell (December 29, 1892 – June 22, 1979) was an American vaudeville performer and actor who appeared in over 250 films in his 36-year career. Early years Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Parnell trained as a musician at Morningside ...
in four films (1949–1954). Billy has a 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 sell or to pay a visit to them. *Rosie Kettle is the Kettles' second-eldest daughter portrayed by Gloria Moore in one and
Lori Nelson Dixie Kay Nelson (August 15, 1933August 23, 2020), known professionally as Lori Nelson, was an American actress and model mostly active in the 1950s and early 1960s. She had roles in the TV series ''How to Marry a Millionaire'' and the films ''Re ...
in 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 to
Waikiki Waikiki (; haw, Waikīkī; ; also known as Waikiki Beach) is a neighborhood of Honolulu on the south shore of the island of Oahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Waikiki is most famous for Waikiki Beach, which is one of six beaches in the district ...
with Ma and Pa to help with cousin Rodney's pineapple enterprise. *Jonathan and Elizabeth Parker are Kim Kettle's parents portrayed by Ray Collins and Barbara Brown in two films. They travel from
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
to 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 to
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
in the sixth film. *Geoduck and Crowbar (Oliver Blake and Teddy Hart, respectively) are Pa's Native American friends and usually act as his handymen, doing various tasks around the house under Pa's "supervision." Geoduck is the chief of their tribe.


Kettle Kids

''Ma and Pa Kettle'' and ''Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town'' mention 15 kids (including Thomas and Rosie above), although inconsistency arises in the names


Animals on the Kettles' farm

Bossie is the Kettles' red and white milk cow, which provides Ma, Pa, and their family of with plenty of milk. Most of the time, the older Kettle boys or even Pa's
Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...
friends, 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. The chickens are a flock of nearly 100
chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
s kept by the Kettles on their broken-down farm, which provide them with many
eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...
each day. Sometimes, one or two of the hens cause mischief towards the Kettles or other characters in the films. In ''Ma and Pa Kettle at Home'' (1954), Ma Kettle's prized speckled hen is seen a few times laying eggs on Mannering's head or in his
bowler hat The bowler hat, also known as a billycock, bob hat, bombín (Spanish) or derby (United States), is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown, originally created by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler in 1849. It has traditionally been worn ...
. Pa Kettle's team includes an old, retired trotting
horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...
, named Emma, and a white
donkey The domestic donkey is a hoofed mammal in the family Equidae, the same family as the horse. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a ...
wearing a straw hat, which together pull Pa's wagon around the county. In ''Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair'' (1952), Pa buys Emma originally to win a horse race at the county fair. Nick is the Kettles' prized black
bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions, includin ...
. He spends most of his time living on the Kettles' farm, which is his main home, but in ''Ma 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 a
derby hat The bowler hat, also known as a billycock, bob hat, bombín (Spanish) or derby (United States), is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown, originally created by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler in 1849. It has traditionally been worn ...
on his head, similar to the same type of hat that Pa Kettle wears. The goats are herd of four white
Saanen Saanen (french: Gessenay; Highest Alemannic German, Highest Alemannic: ''Saanä'') is a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Bern (canton), Bern in Switzerland. It is the capital of the Obersimment ...
goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...
s that live on the Kettles' farm. In ''Ma and Pa Kettle at Home'', their original owner, John Maddocks, sells them to Pa Kettle for $100 (). The goats spend most of their time grazing around the farm, but the largest of them, a large buck with massive, curved horns, often causes everyone trouble. In ''Ma and Pa Kettle at Home'', he butts Ma, then Mannering, and lastly Pa, after they turn their backs to him. In ''Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm'', he starts chewing on several sticks of
dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germa ...
that Pa bought to make a new
well A well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, or drilling to access liquid resources, usually water. The oldest and most common kind of well is a water well, to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The ...
for Ma, but Pa keeps snatching them from him. Agnes is the Kettles' family
Bluetick Coonhound The Bluetick Coonhound is a breed of coonhound originating in the United States. The Bluetick Coonhound is known for its friendly personality, cold nose, and deep bawl mouth. It is most commonly used as a raccoon hunting dog, but may also be kep ...
, which also lives on the farm. She is often seen wearing a
sweater A sweater (North American English) or pullover, also called a jumper (British English and Australian English), ...
that Ma Kettle made for her. In ''Ma and Pa Kettle at Home'', she produces a litter of
puppies A puppy is a juvenile dog. Some puppies can weigh , while larger ones can weigh up to . All healthy puppies grow quickly after birth. A puppy's coat color may change as the puppy grows older, as is commonly seen in breeds such as the York ...
for the Kettles and their friends at their
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
party.


Kettle farm set

The Kettle Farm (also known as Gausman Ranch) was a
movie ranch A movie ranch is a ranch that is at least partially dedicated for use as a set in the creation and production of motion pictures and television shows. These were developed in the United States in southern California, because of the climate. The fir ...
in
Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
, where most of the ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' features were filmed. The set was redressed several times to resemble a cluttered farmhouse with dilapidating farm buildings. The Kettles' farmhouse did not appear in ''Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation'' and ''Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki''. The farm buildings were restored and painted for ''Ma and Pa Kettle at Home''. The entire farm set was modified for ''The Kettles in the Ozarks'', where it was reused as Uncle Sedge's farm in Arkansas. The remodeled farmhouse was also used for ''The 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 of ''
Spartacus Spartacus ( el, Σπάρτακος '; la, Spartacus; c. 103–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising ...
''. Today, this site is
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a chain of themed areas at Universal Parks & Resorts based on the ''Harry Potter'' media franchise, adapting elements from the Warner Bros.' film series and original novels by J. K. Rowling. The areas wer ...
. The movie ranch appeared in other films and television series, including: * '' The Thing That Couldn't Die'' (1958) * ''
The Deputy ''The Deputy, a Christian tragedy'' (German: ''Der Stellvertreter. Ein christliches Trauerspiel''), also published in English as ''The Representative '', is a controversial 1963 play by Rolf Hochhuth which portrayed Pope Pius XII as having failed ...
'' (1959–1961) * ''
Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...
'' (9th season episode "The Jar") * ''
Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the stre ...
'' (1968–1975)


Films

The ten Kettle films are: #''
The Egg and I ''The Egg and I'', first published in 1945, is a humorous memoir by American author Betty MacDonald about her adventures and travels as a young wife on a chicken farm on the Olympic Peninsula in the US state of Washington. The book is based on ...
'' (1947) #''
Ma and Pa Kettle Ma and Pa Kettle are comic film characters of the successful film series of the same name, produced by Universal Studios, in the late 1940s and 1950s. The hillbilly duo had their hands full with a ramshackle farm and a brood of rambunctious child ...
'' (1949) or ''The Further Adventures of Ma and Pa Kettle'' #''
Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town ''Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town'' is a 1950 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont. It is the second installment of Universal Pictures, Universal-International's ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride. Plot A ...
'' (1950) #''
Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm ''Ma and Pa Kettle Back on the Farm'' is a 1951 American comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick. It is the third installment of Universal-International's ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride. It was also the last ...
'' (1951) #''
Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair ''Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair'' is a 1952 American comedy film directed by Charles Barton. It is the fourth installment of Universal-International's ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride. Plot Ma and Pa Kettl ...
'' (1952) #''
Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation ''Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation'' is a 1953 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont. It is the sixth installment of Universal-International's '' Ma and Pa Kettle'' series starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride. Plot In May 1953, Ma ...
'' (1953) #''
Ma and Pa Kettle at Home ''Ma and Pa Kettle at Home'' is a 1954 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont. It is the sixth, and also most successful, installment of Universal-International's ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride. P ...
'' (1954) #''
Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki ''Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki'' is a 1955 American comedy film directed by Lee Sholem. It is the seventh installment of Universal-International's ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride in his final starring role. Pl ...
'' (1955) #''
The Kettles in the Ozarks ''The Kettles in the Ozarks'' is a 1956 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont. It is the ninth installment of Universal-International's ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series starring Marjorie Main and introducing Arthur Hunnicutt as Sedge, Pa's ...
'' (1956) #''
The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm ''The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm'' is a 1957 American comedy film directed by Virgil Vogel. It is the tenth and last installment of Universal-International's ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series starring Marjorie Main and introducing Parker Fennell ...
'' (1957)


''The Egg and I''

Ma and Pa Kettle first appeared in supporting roles as neighbors in ''The Egg and I'', starring Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert as a refined city couple who move to a rural chicken farm. Marjorie Main, a veteran
character actress A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to be ...
, played a hardy country woman in dozens of films, so was a natural for the role of Ma Kettle. Main was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.


''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series

After the success of ''The Egg and I'', Percy Kilbride and she 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. Kilbride retired after making ''Ma and Pa Kettle at Home'' (although ''Waikiki'' was released last), primarily from boredom with the character, as well as health concerns.


''The Kettles'' films

The Pa Kettle character did not appear at all in ''The Kettles in the Ozarks'', in which
Arthur Hunnicutt Arthur Lee Hunnicutt (February 17, 1910 – September 26, 1979) was an American actor known for his portrayal of wise, grizzled, and old rural characters. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in ...
played Pa's brother Sedgewick Kettle. In ''The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm'', the last Kettle movie,
Parker Fennelly Parker W. Fennelly (October 22, 1891 – January 22, 1988) was an American character actor who appeared in ten films, numerous television episodes and hundreds of radio programs. Early life The son of gardener Nathan Fennelly and Estelle Doll ...
played Pa Kettle.


Box office rankings

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

Betty MacDonald's characters Ma and Pa Kettle also appeared in television's first comedy serial, ''
The Egg and I ''The Egg and I'', first published in 1945, is a humorous memoir by American author Betty MacDonald about her adventures and travels as a young wife on a chicken farm on the Olympic Peninsula in the US state of Washington. The book is based on ...
'', which aired on CBS (September 3, 1951 – August 1, 1952). 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 as
Barney Fife Bernard "Barney" Fife is a fictional character in the American television program ''The Andy Griffith Show'', portrayed by comic actor Don Knotts. Barney Fife is a deputy sheriff in the slow-paced, sleepy southern community of Mayberry, North C ...
's girlfriend Thelma Lou from ''
The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The ...
'') played Betty MacDonald in some episodes, including "Pa Turns Over a New Leaf" (which aired on May 21, 1952). The role was usually played by Pat Kirkland. Another episode, "The Purloined Jacket", starred Mary Perry as Cammy, Richard Carlyle as Joe Kettle, and William A. Lee as Ed Peabody. Animator
Walter Lantz Walter Lantz (April 27, 1899 – March 22, 1994) was an American cartoonist, animator, producer and director best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker. Biography Early years and start in animation Lantz ...
produced a short-lived cartoon series for Universal Pictures called "
Maw and Paw Maw and Paw are Walter Lantz characters, who made their first appearance in the cartoon "Maw and Paw", in 1953. Their final appearance was in 1968, in "Feudin Fightin-N-Fussin". They are based on the Universal's popular live-action ''Ma and Pa Ke ...
", although only four cartoons were released between 1953 and 1955. The characters Maw and Paw (voiced by
Grace Stafford Grace Lantz ( Boyle, November 7, 1903 – March 17, 1992), also known by her stage name Grace Stafford, was an American actress and the wife of animation producer Walter Lantz. Stafford is best known for providing the voice of Woody Woodpecker, ...
and
Dal McKennon Dallas Raymond McKennon (July 19, 1919 – July 14, 2009), sometimes credited as Dal McKennon, was an American film, television and voice actor, who had a career lasting over 50 years. During World War II he served in the Army Signal Corps and wa ...
, respectively) were based on the characters of Ma and Pa Kettle. The spellings of Maw and Paw Kettle appeared in the book ''The Egg and I'' (1945). Another Walter Lantz cartoon, "The Ostrich Egg And I" (1956), from the Maggie & Sam series, was a spoof of ''The Egg and I'', with Maggie voiced by Grace Stafford and Sam voiced by
Daws Butler Charles Dawson Butler (November 16, 1916May 18, 1988) was an American voice actor. He worked mostly for the Hanna-Barbera animation production company where he originated the voices of many familiar characters, including Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Ho ...
. In ''
The Munsters ''The Munsters'' is an American sitcom depicting the home life of a family of benign monsters. The series starred Fred Gwynne as Frankenstein's monsterEpisodes referring to the fact that Herman is Frankenstein's monster include #55, "Just Anoth ...
'' season-one episode "
Family Portrait Family Portrait may refer to: Portraiture painting * Family Portrait (Hals, four persons), ''Family Portrait'' (Hals, four persons), a 1635 painting by Frans Hals * Family Portrait (Hals, five persons), ''Family Portrait'' (Hals, five persons), ...
" (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." In several Warners Bros. cartoons of the 1950s and 1960s, prolific voice artist
June Foray June Foray (born June Lucille Forer; September 18, 1917 – July 26, 2017) was an American voice actress. She was best known as the voice of such animated characters as Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Natasha Fatale, Nell Fenwick, Lucifer from Disney' ...
imitates 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. The satirical film ''
Loose Shoes Loose may refer to: Places *Loose, Germany *Loose, Kent, a parish and village in southeast England People * Loose (surname) Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Loose'' (B'z album), a 1995 album by B'z * ''Loose'' (Crazy Horse album), ...
'' (1980), which starred
Bill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan delivery. He rose to fame on ''The National Lampoon Radio Hour'' (1973–1974) before becoming a national presence on ''Saturday Nigh ...
, included a sketch called "A Visit With Ma and Pa", where Ma Kettle was played by Ysabel MacCloskey and Pa Kettle was played by
Walker Edmiston Walker Edmiston (February 6, 1926 – February 15, 2007) was an American radio, television and voice actor. Early years Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Edmiston participated in local theater productions during his high school years. He later stu ...
.


DVD releases

The Adventures of Ma and Pa Kettle Volume 1 as the first part of
Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...
's ''Franchise Collection'' series. *''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 as the second part of Universal's ''Franchise Collection'' series. *''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 as a TCM Vault 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 TCM Vault Collection: The Ma and Pa Kettle Complete Comedy Collection
Retrieved October 6, 2011.
as a TCM Vault Collection presented by
Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
: *''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


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ma And Pa Kettle Fictional characters from Washington (state) Fictional married couples Film series introduced in 1947 Films about farmers Literary characters introduced in 1945 American film series