Fun Behind-the-Scenes Secrets About The Beverly Hillbillies (Part 2)
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Irene Ryan Had Some Stiff Competition for Granny
Before the role of Granny was ultimately awarded to Irene Ryan, another famous actress had her eye on it. TV star Bea Benaderet auditioned for the part, but she understood Paul Henning’s decision to go with Ryan after seeing the wiry little actress’ audition tape.
All wasn’t lost for Benaderet, however, as Henning later worked her into the storyline as Cousin Pearl, Jethro’s meddling mom. She wasn’t exactly what he had in mind for Granny Clampett, but he later wrote the role of Kate Bradley on Petticoat Junction specifically for her.
Max Baer Jr. Once Sued CBS
Jethro was a simple-minded guy on the show, but the actor who played him was a lot sharper. In 2014, Baer filed a lawsuit against CBS, claiming they had given him the right to use his character, Jethro Bodine, for marketing purposes.
Baer said that he had secured the rights to open a restaurant chain based on his character, but CBS had secretly awarded the same rights to an Iowa chain called Jethro’s BBQ. Ultimately, a settlement was reached with CBS, and Jethro’s BBQ was released from any damages and is still operational in Iowa today.
Buddy Ebsen Could Have Been the Tin Man
Long before his role as lovable hillbilly-turned-millionaire, Buddy Ebsen was offered another iconic role. He was initially cast to play the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz and even shot a few scenes. Unfortunately, things went horribly wrong when he started having mysterious breathing problems during production.
Doctors ultimately determined the aluminum makeup used for the Tin Man’s costume was responsible for the respiratory issues that ended up affecting Ebsen for the rest of his life. He gave up the role, and the film’s producers had to replace both him and the toxic makeup before filming the movie.
The Show’s Theme Song Became a Billboard Hit
No matter how long it’s been since you watched an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies, you can probably still hum the opening song’s tune on cue. It was actually titled “The Ballad of Jed Clampett” and was written by Paul Henning himself.
Performed by famous banjo player Earl Scruggs, guitarist Lester Flatt and singer Jerry Scoggins, the tune became so popular that it climbed to number 44 on the Billboard charts. When the sitcom was adapted to the big screen in 1993, Scoggins even returned to sing an updated version of Jed’s famous ballad for the soundtrack.
Paul Henning’s Daughter Voiced Jethrine
In a few episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies, we’re treated to the hilariously terrifying appearance of Jethro’s twin sister, Jethrine Bodine. While the character was blatantly played by Jethro actor Max Baer Jr. in drag, the show’s producers realized they needed an actual woman to voice the character.
They decided to bring in Paul Henning’s daughter, Linda Kaye Henning. If you were also a fan of Henning’s later show Petticoat Junction, you may recognize Linda as Betty Jo Bradley. While Jethrine came across as a woman who was a terrifyingly masculine handful, her character was undeniably hysterical.
The Beverly Hillbillies May Soon Hit Vegas
Max Baer Jr. may be the only surviving member of The Beverly Hillbillies cast, but he still has plans to cash in on the show’s success. During his lawsuit, he spoke a bit about why it was important to have the character to himself.
As it turned out, Baer had plans to open a chain of restaurants and casinos based on the sitcom on the Las Vegas strip. He had already entered into negotiations to use The Beverly Hillbillies name on a series of slot machines and planned to take things to the next level. Sounds like a fun gamble!
Tons of Episodes Accidentally Became Public Domain
The show has always been incredibly popular, but there’s another reason so many networks still play its reruns so often. When Orion Television purchased the rights to air the show, they forgot to renew the copyrights to 55 episodes before they expired.
Their mistake released the episodes into public domain, which meant they could be redistributed free of charge. Plenty of companies capitalized on Orion’s epic fail, although they were forced to air the shows without the iconic opening theme song. Apparently, it was still covered by copyright and had to be replaced by generic banjo music.
The Show Was One of the Top Sitcoms of Its Time
Although The Beverly Hillbillies wasn’t a critical darling, it proved that critics aren’t always right. Audiences were so enthralled with the Clampetts that the show hit number 1 in the ratings after just three weeks on the air.
It was able to maintain the number 1 spot for its first two years and was one of the 20 most-watched shows on television for most of its nine seasons. In a rare feat of television history, it’s one of the few shows you can watch today that can make you laugh just as hard today as it did back then.
The Clampetts Were Victims of “Rural Purge”
The Beverly Hillbillies enjoyed a nice nine-year run, but CBS pulled the plug on the popular sitcom in 1971 during the now-infamous “rural purge” of 1970-1975. Apparently, CBS started looking into their demographics and decided western and rural-inspired shows were no longer hip.
Shows like Green Acres, Hee Haw and Petticoat Junction met the same end. As Green Acres’ Pat Buttram put it, “It was the year CBS killed everything with a tree in it.” So abrupt was the show’s cancelation that the writers never had a chance to give the characters a proper send-off — always super frustrating for fans.
The Movie Version Just Wasn’t the Same
The series remained a popular favorite in reruns, and Hollywood took notice. In 1993, the Clampetts were set to make their comeback in a movie adaptation of the 1960s sitcom. If you were among those who saw it, we don’t have to tell you that it just wasn’t the same.
Although it somehow managed to rake in $57,405,220 worldwide, it left both critics and fans disappointed. The original actors managed to craft such funny and enduring characters that they simply can’t be replicated by anyone else.
