The Movie

On February 14, 1960, Bill and I had our first date.  We went to see the movie, Li’l Abner, based on the comic strip by Al Capp.  

Peter Palmer played the part of Li’l Abner Yokum, with Leslie Parrish as Daisy Mae.  Billie Hayes played Mammy Yokum and Joe E. Marks had the part of Pappy Yokum.  (No, I don’t think there is a single Oscar winner among the cast!)

The story goes like this...Daisy Mae hopes to win the hand of Li'l Abner by catching him in the traditional Sadie Hawkins Day race.  But Li’l Abner, the clueless man that he is, would rather go fishing.  A senator comes to visit to tell the residents of Dogpatch that their town is to be used as an atomic bomb testing ground, unless they can find “something” necessary about the town.  Li’l Abner who is big and strong, though perhaps dumb as a post, has been taking Mammy Yokum’s Yokumberry tonic since he was a baby.   Maybe it will save the town. 

Okay, you can stop laughing now!

***Some of this account of the movie I remember and some I refered to Wikipedia.