Quotes

[on the Ma and Pa Kettle films] Only saw one of 'em before I got out here. Forgot the name of it. Last week they showed me another.

[on the previous Pa Kettle, Percy Kilbride] He's an old crony of mine. Decided to retire, just like that. Won't be easy to follow him. After seeing that second [Kettle] picture I think Percy was perfect for the part.

Somehow I just take naturally to playing quiet, rural characters. Yep, I like 'em.

[on replacing Percy Kilbride as Pa Kettle] I don't know how they happened to choose me. I don't resemble Percy at all.

But I told them if they wanted to see something more like Kettle, they should see a film I did a year ago for the Robert Young show, Father Knows Best (1954). I played a farmer in that one, the only film I had ever made in Hollywood.

[referring to a stunt he performed in The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm (1957) where he had to swing from a wire to fall into Ma's arms] I didn't read the script before I signed. They didn't tell me anything about this.

[on his early years as a stage actor] I knew both Marjorie and Percy in those days. In fact, Marjorie and my wife were good friends even before we were married.