One of the most suspenseful moments in The Beverly Hillbillies occurs when the Clampett family seriously considers leaving Beverly Hills and returning to their mountain home.
For banker Milburn Drysdale, this possibility is nothing short of a disaster.
Drysdale’s bank depends heavily on the enormous fortune of Jed Clampett. If the family leaves Beverly Hills and moves back to the Ozarks, Drysdale could lose the most valuable client he has ever had.
Unfortunately for him, the Clampetts often feel uncomfortable with the strange customs of city life.
Fancy parties confuse them. Expensive stores seem unnecessary. And many of their wealthy neighbors behave in ways that feel completely unfamiliar.
At one point, these frustrations lead the family to discuss the possibility of returning to the simple life they once knew.
For Drysdale, the news sends him into a full panic.
He begins desperately trying to convince the Clampetts that Beverly Hills is the perfect place for them. From organizing events to offering new opportunities, he does everything he can to make sure they never consider leaving again.
The storyline highlights the central conflict of the show: a humble mountain family suddenly living among the wealthiest people in California.
And the possibility that they might walk away from it all makes the situation even more hilarious.