When Granny Really Slapped Jethro: The Secret Behind Irene Ryan’s On-Set Smacks md23
Slapstick comedy has long been a staple of television, but on The Beverly Hillbillies, one of its funniest running gags had a surprising element of […]
Beverly Hillbillies
Buddy Ebsen’s Ultimatum: Why Jed Clampett Wasn’t the Fool You Expected md23
Before Buddy Ebsen stepped into the role of Jed Clampett, the producers of The Beverly Hillbillies envisioned the patriarch as a broad caricature—a simpleminded hillbilly […]
From Flannel to Fashion Icon: How Elly May Made Jeans Break the Mold md23
When The Beverly Hillbillies rolled onto television screens in the early 1960s, mainstream fashion for women was often rigid: dresses, skirts, gloves, pearls—usual television fare. […]
Buddy Ebsen’s Edge: How Jed Clampett Became More than Just a Hillbilly md23
When The Beverly Hillbillies was in the works, the character of Jed Clampett was nearly written as a comic buffoon—uneducated, clueless, incapable of understanding much […]
The Beverly Hillbillies’ “Cement Pond”: How a Simple Joke Became an Icon of American Television md23
When The Beverly Hillbillies premiered in 1962, audiences were instantly charmed by the Clampetts—a backwoods family that suddenly struck oil and moved into a Beverly […]
Guideposts Classics: Donna Douglas on Giving Her Best md23
In this story from October 1993, the actress best known as Elly May Clampett reveals how God met her halfway in her pursuit of an […]
Max Baer Jr. said his lowest point was when he was acting on The Beverly Hillbillies md23
It takes a great deal of love for something to be able to admit its shortcomings. So often, when people love their work, they’re reluctant […]
Max Baer Jr. talked about the true dynamic of The Beverly Hillbillies cast md23
Sometimes, the backstage ongoings are more interesting than the actual show. While we’re free to revisit every episode of most of our favorite shows, some […]
Max Baer Jr. studied Andy Griffith in preparation for his role as Jethro in The Beverly Hillbillies md23
Andy Griffith has served as an inspiration for many actors who came after him. Ron Howard, who got his beginnings as an actor on The Andy […]
Donna Douglas lost her Southern accent to be in show business — then had to get it back when she starred in ”The Beverly Hillbillies” md23
A television series has the potential to capture the attention of the whole world, which means that every decision that goes into it is usually […]
