Ma and Pa Kettle were one of the first major film franchises. Starring as the bizarre neighbors of Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert in The Egg and I, they quickly captured the attention of America. Played by Marjorie Main (who earned a best supporting actress nomination) and Percy Kilbride, the lovable hillbillies stood out from everyone else in the film.
Universal Studios thought it might have a franchise in the making. Would America love this funny hillbilly couple on their own? The studio put a new film into production- The Further Adventures of Ma and Pa Kettle. It was an instant smash.
Universal Studios eventually released 9 Kettle films in all. Had it not been for this super franchise, Universal Studios would have gone bankrupt in the early 1950's.
