Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick

Marshmallow Moon(or Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick) is an okay film, but after a few days it is not much more than that. There are a fair number of things to redeem it. The costumes, sets and photography are striking enough, and while not particularly memorable the music especially Marshmallow Moon is quite pleasant. The film is decently directed too, but the main attraction is the cast. Alan Young, Dinah Shore, Adele Jurgens and especially Robert Merrill(yes the very same Robert Merrill the baritone) give it their all and their efforts are commendable. However, the film is rather ponderously paced, complete with a hokey story, predictable set-ups and scenes comedy wise and a disjointed script. So overall, a decent watch but rather forgettable. 5/10 Bethany Cox

I have to admit I watched this oddity out of curiosity because of Dinah Shore's oft repeated put-downs of it. Whenever her film career was brought up over the years on her television show Dinah would mockingly mention this film with a wry smile and a chuckle, it's easy to see why that would be her reaction.

Maybe not the worst movie ever made but a dumb, flat footed concoction to be sure. If the horrible title wasn't enough of a warning, although the alternate title "Marshmallow Moon" isn't much better, the basic plot summary should warn off most people. Stereotypes abound and the musical numbers are mediocre but it has nice color photography and an amusing supporting performance by Minerva Urecal. As for the two leads, Dinah is almost idiotically naive and too chipper for words, Alan Young starts out as an annoying bumpkin but gets better as the film goes along. A forgettable enterprise best viewed, if at all, by those who enjoy campy foolishness.

At best, this old fashioned, country mouse versus city slickers story is amusing and disarmingly cute. At worst, it occasionally becomes dull. There are several things that make the movie possibly worth watching.

First, there's Alan Young. He's kind of a low rent Danny Kay with a gentle boyish style of acting reminiscent of Harry Langdon. He became a big star with the talking horse comedy series "Mr. Ed" in the early 60's. This movie shows that Young is talented and entertaining even without a talking horse. As far as I can tell, this was his only starring movie. Its too bad. He has a lovely and unique quality that should have led to a much bigger career. He makes every scene he's in amusing and interesting to watch.

Second, there's Robert Merrill. He became famous as a great Metropolitan Opera singer. This was his only straight starring acting role. He is actually quite natural and funny. Again we have an actor who shows a lot of screen presence. Unfortunately, the Hollywood studios didn't agree. He went back to the opera stage permanently after this film failed at the box office.

Third, we have Dinah Shore. She was famous as a singer and successful as a television talk show host later in the 1960's and 70's. This seems to be her only real staring movie role. She comes off as a low rent Doris Day. Unlike Merrill or Young, its hard to see her really being a movie star, she has a dull but pleasantly folksy personality, perhaps best suited to second banana roles. She probably made a good decision to stick with the singing.

This is a sweet movie which I think kids 8-12 would really enjoy. It should probably be seen in conjunction with the 1940 and 1959 versions of "Li'l Abner." Some of the humor matches up.

I won't argue that it is a lost masterpiece, but it is a generally pleasant little musical 75% of the time. If you want to be put into a mild and nostalgic mood, give it a try.

It's not that ALAN YOUNG and DINAH SHORE don't try to bring some life to a lifeless, uninspired script co-authored by Claude Binyon, who directed this mess. Considering what they have to work with, they sometimes rise to the occasion and produce a few chuckles. And as the villains of the piece, ROBERT MERRILL and ADELE JERGENS contribute somewhat to what few laughs there are.

Shore is a country bumpkin lass who longs for the big city and is taken in by on-the-lam gangsters (Merrill and Jergens) who are really after the $20,000 worth of savings. Young is the equally country hick neighbor enamored by Shore and willing to go to the extreme to extricate her from the clutches of the villains.

It has a L'IL ABNER flavor to the sets and costumes but the score is rather commonplace and no help in bringing any entertainment value to the ponderous farce.

It's films like this that probably put a hex on DINAH SHORE's stab at a film career. Wisely, she was content to enjoy her TV stardom.

Fun to watch Alan Young and Dinah Shore together. Silly musical didn't age well but still fun to watch.