When The Beverly Hillbillies became a movie, Buddy Ebsen welcomed the new Jed Clampett
The series was developed into a movie that premiered in 1993.
While there are mixed emotions on the matter of reboots, we can’t deny that in the last few decades, there’s been an influx of attempts to bring well-loved series of the past into the present. Some might argue that this is a cheap attempt at cashing in on nostalgia, others with a more optimistic perspective may feel that it’s time to introduce beloved characters to a younger generation.
At any rate, reboots are a part of television and cinema that feel practically inescapable at this point, and they seem to be coming much earlier than previously anticipated. It feels like a show has only been off the air for a few years before announcements are made that it’s being developed into some sort of new project.
While The Beverly Hillbillies met its demise in the 1970s, some fans still feel that it was too soon for the announcement in the 1990s that the series was being developed into a film. What might have led to the less-than-warm reception was the recasting of the entire Clampett clan. But one man who had no problem with the new Clampett family was Jed Clampett himself, Buddy Ebsen.
According to an interview with the Los Angeles Daily News, Buddy Ebsen was able to meet the new patriarch of the Clampett family, Jim Varney, who portrayed the character in the 1993 film. Ebsen said, “I welcome him to a very exclusive club. There are only two members. There are 100 people who have played Hamlet, but Jim and I are the only men who have played Jed Clampett.”
Ebsen was actually able to feature in the film as one of his characters, it just wasn’t Jed Clampett. He appeared as Barnaby Jones, who was hired to find Granny after she went missing.
So while Ebsen wasn’t far away from the film at all, Varney had Jed Clampett The First’s complete blessing. In fact, Ebsen only took one issue with Varney’s portrayal. “My only criticism is that he doesn’t enunciate ‘We-l-l-l-l-l doggies’ that well.’”
Retirement can seem like an oasis at the end of life’s long workload. Whether we love it or hate it, a career is work, and it’s bound to exhaust us at least some of the time. So we save and do our best to ensure a secure future. Or, at least, most of us do.
For Buddy Ebsen, work was no great chore. Sure, it was a decade-long, physical job, but dancing and acting were his genuine passion. While the both crafts took a toll on his body, Ebsen was absolutely on board with the sacrifice. He would’ve done anything to keep entertaining.
In a 1984 interview printed by Scripps-Howard News Service, Ebsen described the philosophy behind his work ethic. There was a tune, “September Song,” from the Broadway show Knickerbocker Holiday, that said it best, according to him.
“There’s a line in that song which expresses why I never will retire,” said Ebsen. “‘Those few golden days I’ll spend with you.'”
By ’84, Ebsen was 76-years-old. His career bridges the gap from Shirley Temple to Barnaby Jones, stopping by for some of the most legendary Hollywood projects in between.
His career was incredibly far-reaching and he did seemingly everything an actor could do. But, if there was one thing Ebsen wasn’t going to add to his resume, it was retired.
“Maybe one of these days I’ll die on stage or in front of a TV camera. But retire? That wouldn’t be any fun.”
No matter where your life takes you, and whether you decide to retire or not, be sure to do what you can to have fun along the way.
