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| Parisian dining: Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride |
Ma (Marjorie Main) and Pa (Percy Kilbride) Kettle receive an invitation from Elizabeth and Jonathan Parker (a returning Barbara Brown and Ray Collins) -- their married daughter's in-laws -- to accompany them on a trip to Paris after their original traveling companions cancel. Once there, the foursome get embroiled in a silly story involving a nest of spies and secret Naval plans. Ma and Pa Kettle On Vacation is a step down from the previous movies in the series, although Ma and Pa remain utterly endearing creations and Main and Kilbride are superb in bringing them to life. There are still humorous lines and sequences in the film, such as when Ma belts an Apache dancer in a nightclub because she thinks he's actually hitting his lady partner, and Ma cluelessly refers to Parisians as "Parasites!" The supporting cast includes Sig Ruman [Thank You Mr. Moto] as a spy, and the ever-versatile Jay Novello has a very small role -- as a Frenchman no less!
Verdict: The screenplay is weak but the players are spirited. **½.
I remember Novello mostly from his appearances on I Love Lucy...he always makes me smile. How many Ma and Pa Kettle movies were there? They were on every Sunday morning when I was a kid...
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I think there were about ten or eleven. There are still more to come if you can stand it, LOL!
ReplyDeleteNovello was on Lucy twice: as Mr. Meriweather at the seance -- "Ethel to Tilly -- come in Tilly!" -- and the nervous witness who briefly sublets Lucy's apartment -- poor guy! He was very funny in both. And a third episode as well involving pizza.