Marjorie Main
The Life and Films of Hollywood’s “Ma Kettle”
By Michelle Vogel
Description
She was a slum mother, witty
housekeeper, nosy neighbor, meddling maid, town gossip, and most memorably,
Ma Kettle. Marjorie Main is best remembered for her portrayal of the farm
mother of 15 children and wife of shiftless Pa Kettle. The characters were
introduced in the 1945 film The Egg and I, and were such a hit that eight
films followed. At an age when most actresses’ careers are waning, Main’s
star was just beginning to rise. In real life, Main was as down to earth
as characters she played. Her attire on the set and around her house were
the same: a simple cotton house dress or jeans. She preferred riding the
bus because she enjoyed interacting with regular people — the inspiration
for her characters.
This book chronicles Main’s childhood on an Indiana farm and the inspirations that led her to the stage. After a distinguished theater career and minor film roles, at age 50 she was offered a long-term contract with premier studio MGM. Details of her acting career and personal life covered here include her marriage to a scholarly widower 26 years her senior, and her work with actor Percy Kilbride, who was the antithesis of his character, the slothful Pa Kettle. A detailed filmography includes cast and credit lists and triva about each of Main’s 85 films.
About the Author
Film historian Michelle Vogel
is the author of Children of Hollywood: Accounts of Growing Up as the Sons
and Daughters of Stars (2005) and Gene Tierney: A Biography (2005). She
lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Available Fall/Winter 2005
ISBN 0-7864-2322-6
photographs, filmography, bibliograpy,
index [200]pp. hardcover (7 x 10) 2005
Marjorie Main:
The Life and Films of Hollywood’s
“Ma Kettle” (2005)
by MICHELLE VOGEL
Marjorie Main:
The Life and Films of Hollywood’s
“Ma Kettle”
is now complete and in the process
of publication. I was surprised to learn that no exclusive book has been
written about one of the great character actresses of our time, Marjorie
Main, so a little over a year ago, I made it my mission to change that.
The release of the Kettle films on DVD have sparked new interest in the series, and the Ma and Pa Kettle Fan Club serves as a place for all fans of Ma and Pa, and all people and events related to them to gather and discuss what the Kettles' mean to them.
Yes, their movies are a little corny, but going back to the farm for a visit with Ma and Pa is like visiting old friends.
Incidentally, the low budget Kettle pictures saved Universal International from bankruptcy, they made a lot of people laugh in a difficult post war era, and even today, they remind us of a time when things were just a little more innocent.
As Ma would holler, "Come an'
git it!"
The Life and Films of Hollywood's
Ma Kettle: Marjorie Main" is a mouthful. But this
new biography by Michelle Vogel, published by the distinguished publishing
house of McFarland, is a one-of-a-kind gem. So many books written about
the actors and actresses we all know and love for their exemplary work
on the great Silver Screen just don't grab us or hold us spellbound. Books
about Olivier, Hattie McDaniel and Louella Parsons, for example, all sound
fascinating and interesting but most fall short of their marks because
so many writers choose the same icons over and over to write about.
Not this author. Michelle Vogel, one of the most valued and respected writers in the industry has struck gold again. First, it was another McFarland publishing production, Vogel's "Gene Tierney: A Biography" and now her main story. Both books are Big Screen worthy of a biopic.
This book is filled with over seventy-six photographs and 216 pages with a very nicely designed hardcover. (You'd expect less from McFarland?)
But back to Main. A well-respected actress in a time when women were not powerhouses in the business, she's now largely forgotten, but not because of a lack of work. She had lots. This book chronicles Main's childhood in Indiana and delves into what led her to become a star. When I first read it in two nights, I couldn't put it down. Then I went back and read it for the third time just to get a feel of it. Vogel, a young new mother, seems to have channeled herself into Marjorie Main's very soul and almost time-travels with her to understand (and make her readers understand) what life was for this performer. From Stage to Theatre and the Big Screen, Main's life was never boring. Nor is this book. I suggest every Hollywood historian, actress and actor purchase this remarkable volume. Vogel and McFarland appear to have a marriage made in publishing heaven. She continues to produce best-sellers and this one will be no exception.