US Release date: 1 April 1949
First Melbourne Saturday Suburban: 6 May 1950
Genre: Comedy
Country: USA
Running time: 76 minutes
Director: Charles Lamont
Cast: Marjorie Main, Percy Kilbride & Richard Long
Australian Distributor: Universal
Melbourne Premiere Venue: Union’s Majestic theatre for five weeks from 17 February 1950 with Illegal Entry as support.
Suburban Release Type: Hoyts Victory EX-1
Rankings
| Rank | ||
| EF Points | 348 | 40 |
| EF PPE | 5.90 | 70 |
| Metres Travelled | 619,906 | 5 |
| Average MT | 10,507 | 134 |
| Engagements | 59 | 6 |
| Slots | 68 | 67 |
| Weeks | 9 | 124 |
| Weeks as % of engagements | 15.25% | 163 |
| Saturdays | 41 | 8 |
| Sats as % of engagements | 69.49% | 24 |
| Tuesdays | 9 | 182 |
| Tues as % of engagements | 15.25% | 259 |
| First billed | 58 | 5 |
| Second billed | 0 | 293* |
| Feature only | 0 | 34* |
Hoyts ratios
| Engagements weeks 1-10 | 55 |
| Ratio | 93.22% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 0.86% |
| Eng weeks 11-26 | 3 |
| Ratio | 5.08% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -0.31% |
| Eng weeks 27-52 | 1 |
| Ratio | 1.69% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -0.55% |
| Hoyts eng | 36 |
| Ratio | 61.02% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -4.76% |
| Independent eng | 8 |
| Ratio | 13.56% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 2.06% |
| Suburban eng | 15 |
| Ratio | 25.42% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 2.70% |
Notes: This spin-off of The Egg and I was a genuine crowd pleaser and by year’s end another installment would be in theatres. 348 EF points put it in the top 40 and there were top 10 placings for distance travelled, engagements, Saturdays and top billings. A star performer.
Ma and Pa Kettle engagements
| SUBURB | VENUE | CHAIN | DATE | W | D | B | CO-FEATURE |
| St.Kilda | Victory | Hoyts | 6/5/50 | 1 | W | 1 | That Dangerous Age |
| Caulfield | Crystal Palace | Suburban | 13/5/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Free For All |
| Albert Park | Park | Hoyts | 13/5/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Fitzroy | Regent | Hoyts | 13/5/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Malvern | New | Hoyts | 13/5/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Free For All |
| North Fitzroy | Merri | Hoyts | 13/5/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Port Melbourne | Eclipse | Hoyts | 13/5/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Richmond | Cinema | Hoyts | 13/5/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| South Yarra | Regent | Hoyts | 13/5/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Windsor | New | Hoyts | 13/5/50 | 2 | S | 1 | That Dangerous Age |
| Collingwood | Austral | Suburban | 13/5/50 | 2 | T | 1 | That Dangerous Age |
| Brunswick | Padua | Hoyts | 13/5/50 | 2 | W | 1 | That Dangerous Age |
| Ascot Vale | Ascot | Suburban | 20/5/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Northcote | Northcote | Suburban | 20/5/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Ascot Vale | Waratah | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Brighton | Centre | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Elsternwick | Renown | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Essendon | Circle | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Glenhuntly | Glenhuntly | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Guns of Hate |
| Thornbury | Regent | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Newmarket | Newmarket | Suburban | 20/5/50 | 3 | T | 1 | That Dangerous Age |
| Richmond | Globe | Suburban | 20/5/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Black Magic |
| Essendon | Plaza | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Black Magic |
| Coburg | Grand | Hoyts | 20/5/50 | 3 | W | 1 | Black Magic |
| Balwyn | Time | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Bentleigh | Bentleigh | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Carnegie | Carnegie | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Gardiner | Regent | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Glenferrie | Palace | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Hampton | Southern | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Kew | Rialto | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Preston | Circle | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Brunswick | Alhambra | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 4 | T | 1 | It’s Hard to be Good |
| Camberwell | Broadway | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 4 | W | 1 | Black Magic |
| Footscray | Trocadero | Hoyts | 27/5/50 | 4 | W | 1 | That Dangerous Age |
| Hartwell | Regal | Suburban | 3/6/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| North Fitzroy | Palace | Suburban | 3/6/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Brunswick | Lygon | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Canterbury | Maling | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Ivanhoe | Ivanhoe | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Malvern | Victory | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Fairfield | Fairfield | Suburban | 3/6/50 | 5 | T | 1 | That Dangerous Age |
| Footscray | Barkly | Hoyts | 3/6/50 | 5 | T | 1 | Red Canyon |
| North Melbourne | Loco | Independent | 10/6/50 | 6 | S | 1 | Free for All |
| Williamstown | Shore | Hoyts | 10/6/50 | 6 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Prahran | Empress | Hoyts | 10/6/50 | 6 | T | 1 | Everybody Does It |
| Yarraville | St. George | Suburban | 10/6/50 | 6 | W | 1 | Black Magic |
| Elwood | Broadway | Independent | 17/6/50 | 7 | S | 1 | April Showers |
| Eltham | Plaza | Suburban | 17/6/50 | 7 | S | 1 | Casbah |
| Oakleigh | Paramount | Independent | 17/6/50 | 7 | W | 1 | The Big Fight |
| Clifton Hill | Clifton | Suburban | 17/6/50 | 7 | W | 1 | That Dangerous Age |
| Box Hill | Rialto | Suburban | 24/6/50 | 8 | S | 1 | Black Magic |
| Chelsea | Plaza | Independent | 24/6/50 | 8 | W | 2 | Captain China |
| North Richmond | Victoria | Independent | 1/7/50 | 9 | S | 1 | April Showers |
| Preston West | Rivoli | Independent | 8/7/50 | 10 | S | 1 | It’s Hard to Be Good |
| Reservoir | Plaza | Independent | 15/7/50 | 11 | S | 1 | Make Believe Ballroom |
| Coburg West | Progress | Independent | 29/7/50 | 13 | S | 1 | Lust for Gold |
| Malvern East | Verne | Suburban | 12/8/50 | 15 | S | 1 | Whiplash |
| South Melbourne | Empire | Suburban | 13/1/51 | 37 | T | 1 | Larceny |
The 1950 Project 