ENDED TV SERIES

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The Beverly Hillbilllies follows the fortunes of the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family who strike oil on their swamp land and move to Beverly Hills, California.

J.D. “Jed” Clampett (Buddy Ebsen) – Jed is the widowed head of the family who is out trying to hunt his family’s dinner when he shoots and finds oil, changing their lives forever. Though he has little in the way of formal education, Jed – unlike the rest of his family – has a good deal of common sense. He is good-natured, loyal and kind, and an excellent marksman. He lives with his mother-in-law, daughter, and his cousin’s son, who addresses Jed as uncle. After discovering the untapped riches on his land, Jed is paid a fortune for the drilling rights by the OK Oil Company. His cousin Pearl (Bea Benaderet) convinces him that he needs to move to California, not least since his humble property could yield as much as $25 million dollars. Although Jed still misses the hills, he makes the best of his new life. When he has something on his mind, he sits on the curbstone of his expensive mansion and whittles until he comes up with an answer. His favorite catchphrase is “We-e-e-ell doggies!”

Daisy Mae Moses “Granny” (Irene Ryan) – Granny is Jed’s mother-in-law. A true daughter of the South, she is a confederate to her soul with a unique take on history: her retelling of The War Between The States and Sherman’s March end with the South as the winners. She also refers to herself as a “dunked not sprinkled” Christian, with forgiveness in her heart. She hates blue-coat Yankees and what she calls “revenuers”, and is a self-proclaimed mountain doctor, believing she knows more than expensive city medics. When about to undertake one of her more painful procedures – say, leech bleeding or pulling teeth with pliers – Granny has no time for new-fangled anesthetic, relying instead on her “white lightning” concoction. What Granny lacks in physical size she more than makes up for in aggression, and she has been known to brandish a double-barreled shotgun at those who’ve got on the wrong side of her. Thankfully, Granny is very near-sighted, which usually means her shots miss their mark. Granny has two fears in life, “Injuns” and the swimming pool, which she refers to as the “cement pond”.

Elly May Clampett (Donna Douglas) – Elly May is the only child of Jed Clampett. Slender and beautiful, at heart she is a backwoods tomboy who loves animals and treats them better than most of the people she comes across. As she gets older, she admits that “fellas kin be more fun than critters” and she has many dates throughout the show’s run, from Hollywood actors to a U.S. Navy frogman. None of them, though, have what Elly May is looking for in a husband. No matter how hard she tries, Elly May can’t master cookery and she dresses the same way she did back home, in blue jeans, rope belts and with her hair in pigtails.

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Jethro Bodine (Max Baer, Jr.) – Jethro is the son of Jed’s cousin, Pearl Bodine. Not the sharpest tool in the box, Jethro drove the Clampetts to California and then decided to stay with them to further his education. The family is very proud of the fact that Jethro has a “sixth-grade” education, and upon arriving in Beverly Hills he decides to go to college. Of course this is not what really happens, although Jethro is kept in the dark about it. He is constantly searching for the right career, and tries out a range of different occupations. Jethro has an enormous appetite and is known as the “six-foot stomach”.

The Drysdales (Raymond Bailey, Harriet E. MacGibbon and Louis Nye) – The Drysdales are the next-door neighbors of the Clampett family. Milburn Drysdale is the president of the Commerce Bank, where Jed keeps his fortune. He is obsessed with money and an incredible cheapskate, and when suffering from an anxiety attack all he needs is to take a big sniff of a wad of cash to instantly feel better. He is often the confidant of the Clampett family and despite his wife’s distaste of them, convinces her and others to meet their often strange requests – anything to make sure he gets to keep the Clampett’s $96 million account (equivalent to over $600,000,000 today). Margaret Drysdale is Milburn’s arrogant wife, a blue-blooded Bostonian who despises the whole backwoods family, but hates Granny most of all. On several occasions she and Granny get into altercations, usually requiring Jed and/or Mr. Drysdale to pull them apart. The last of the Drysdales is Sonny, Mr. Drysdale’s lazy, mama’s boy of a stepson. He has a fondness for Elly May and the two briefly date.

Jane Hathaway (Nancy Kulp) – Miss Hathaway – referred to by the Clampetts as “Miss Jane” – is the hard-working, efficient and decent secretary of Mr. Drysdale. She is often forced to go against her better judgment in carrying out her boss’s requests, and when one of his schemes goes too far she’s known to shout “Chief!” She regularly finds herself having to clean up after one of his ridiculous plans has failed, although she rarely gets any thanks for her troubles. It is later revealed that she graduated from Vassar and gave up a position as the top secretary of the top executive at the best insurance firm, in order to become Mr. Drysdale’s secretary at the bank. Unlike everyone else in California, Miss Hathaway is well-liked by the Clampetts, even Granny.

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Main Cast

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Additional Cast

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Trivia

Buddy Ebsen was offered the part of the Scarecrow in timeless classic The Wizard of Oz but ended up switching roles with Ray Bolger, who had been the original choice for the Tin Man. Ebsen, however, became ill from inhaling the aluminum powder in the silver make-up he had to wear and after a lengthy hospitalization he was replaced by Jack Haley. He complained of lung problems from his involvement in what he termed “that damned movie” until the day he died. Footage of Ebsen as the Tin Man was included as a bonus with the Wizard of Oz U.S. 50th anniversary release, and one chorus of the famous song “We’re Off to See the Wizard” containing Ebsen’s voice made it into the final cut.

Irene Ryan (Granny) used to join Bob Hope on his famous military tours, and became known as “the gal who makes Bob Hope laugh”.

Max Baer, Jr. is the son of boxing champion Max Baer.

The Beverly Hillbillies was on screens for nine seasons, and for eight of those it ranked in the top twenty of most watched programs on TV.

The pilot episode of The Beverly Hillbillies was released on the same day as Donna Douglas’s (Elly May Clampett’s) 29th birthday.

Near the end of his life Buddy Ebsen was visited in hospital by two of his former co-stars, Donna Douglas and Max Baer, Jr.

The inscription on Irene Ryan’s headstone contains the word “Granny”.

Nancy Kulp (Jane Hathaway) joined the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1944 as a member of Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, otherwise known as WAVES.

It took Raymond Bailey three attempts to become a Hollywood actor. After the first failed attempt he became a stockbroker and (ironically) a banker. Later he sailed on various freighters and travelled around the world. After the start of World War II, he also joined the Merchant Marines.

The theme song of the show was sung by Jerry Scoggins and backed by Flatt and Scruggs. Flatt and Scruggs later cut their own version with Flatt singing for Columbia Records. Released as a single, it reached #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop music chart in 1962 and went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot Country chart. Strangely enough it was the pair’s only country chart-topper.

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Buddy Ebsen (Jed Clampett) was married three times and had a total of eight children.

Much like her character on The Beverly Hillbillies, Donna Douglas grew up in the south, a self-described tomboy and animal lover.

The house used for the Clampett family’s home was the Kirkeby mansion. It was actually located in Bel-Air not Beverly Hills. The agreement between Arnold Kirkeby and Filmways Productions stipulated that the grounds were to be cleaned up immediately after filming, only the exterior of the house would be filmed, and that the address would never be disclosed to the public. However, after the fourth season of the show began it became obvious that the agreement had been broken. The mansion’s address was leaked and an unending stream of tourists arrived at the property looking for the Clampetts. As a result, Filmways Productions was no longer allowed to film either any long shots of the mansion’s grounds or its exterior.

Though Nancy Kulp was once married, she later indicated during an interview that she was a lesbian.

Max Baer, Jr. (Jethro Bodine) only auditioned for the part of Jethro because he had driven his roommate to the audition for the same part. He won the role without speaking a word, instead chasing a bird around the room making odd facial expressions and gestures. It was enough to convince the producers he was the perfect choice.

In later life, with no surviving relatives and an estate worth over $1 million dollars, Irene Ryan decided to establish the Irene Ryan Foundation for theatre thespians.

The Beverly Hillbillies was so popular that it helped to inspire two other “rural” shows, Petticoat Junction and Green Acres. However, in 1971, despite respectable ratings, CBS cancelled all three shows, wanting to rid itself of its image as a “rural network”. It was said at the time that “CBS cancelled every show with a tree in it”.

The Clampett family’s truck was a 1921 Oldsmobile.

Harriet E. MacGibbon (Margaret Drysdale) was married to the same man, William R. Kane, not once but twice.

Though Donna Douglas received more fan mail than any of the other cast members, she spent many hours personally answering letters and signing photographs.

Irene Ryan’s screen test for the role of Granny apparently “blew everyone away”. The test is included as bonus content in the DVD box set.

Buddy Ebsen became a best-selling author at the age of 93 with his novel Kelly’s Quest. Creative to the last, he also recorded his own CD in the last two years of his life. The CD included a number of songs he had written himself.

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Just before production of the pilot episode began in December 1961, Buddy Ebsen had been seriously considering retiring from show business. He changed his mind after receiving a copy of the script.

In the 1960’s Max Baer, Jr. was a Hollywood buddy of singer Elvis Presley.

When Nancy Kulp (Jane Hathaway) made her Democratic congressional bid in Pennsylvania in 1984, her former co-star, Buddy Ebsen helped to defeat her. He made radio ads for her opponent, Bud Shuster, accusing her of being too liberal. After many years of not speaking, the two eventually settled their differences.

The Beverly Hillbillies rose to #1 in the ratings within the first three weeks of its premiere, faster than any other television show before or since. It kept the top spot for the next two years.

After becoming a proficient sailor, Buddy Ebsen applied for a position in the U.S. Navy as World War II was starting. He was repeatedly turned down but was accepted to the Coast Guard and given the rank of Lieutenant, Junior Grade.

The eight episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies that aired after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy are, to this day, the most-watched half-hour shows in television history.

Donna Douglas has written two children’s books. The latest was in 2011.

Part way through the series, screen legend John Wayne made a cameo appearance. When asked how he wanted to be paid he is quoted as saying, “Give me a fifth of bourbon – that’ll square it.”

Buddy Ebsen died from complications due to pneumonia shortly after his 95th birthday. After his death, he was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the sea.

According to Zap2it.com, as of 2011 The Beverly Hillbillies had thirteen episodes ranked in the Top 100 Nielsen Rated Shows of all time.

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After The Beverly Hillbillies ended, Irene Ryan co-starred with Ben Vereen in the Broadway musical Pippin, winning wonderful reviews. Unfortunately, she became ill during the production’s run and died soon after.

The story of Max Baer, Jr.’s father, boxer Max Baer, was told in the movie Cinderella Man. His son however, was not pleased with the unsympathetic portrayal, in particular the part where Baer Snr. brags about killing a man in the ring. Baer Jr. said that it was something that haunted his father for the rest of his life, and he often cried about the incident.

Raymond Bailey (Milburn Drysdale) wore a toupee while in The Beverly Hillbillies.

Two years after The Beverly Hillbillies ended Buddy Ebsen starred in the popular series Barnaby Jones. The show was cancelled after eight series when Ebsen decided to retire from acting. He later appeared briefly on the series Matt Houston.

Buddy Ebsen is one of four Illinois-born nonagenarians and Hollywood legends from the “Golden Age” of television to have died in the first decade of the 21st century. The other three were Karl Malden, Eddie Albert and President Ronald Reagan.

Fellow cast members Donna Douglas and Buddy Ebsen had several things in common: both were Republicans, character actors and gospel singers. Ebsen was also Douglas’ acting mentor. Incidentally, Ebsen was the acting mentor of Max Baer, Jr. as well.