Donna Douglas, who played Elly May Clampett on the hit 1960s sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies, has died. Ryans career began at the tender age of eleven, when she won a cash prize at a singing contest. But she'll always be known as Elly May the tomboy-but-sweetly sexy blond Clampett daughter who never seemed to be aware of her effect on men, and who referred to their Beverly Hills mansion swimming pool as the "SEE-ment pond.". Rock stars are infamous for their insatiable appetites for all things in excess. She only starred in one movie. Jethrene was a funny character, but Max didn't like acting in drag, and when Bea left for Petticoat Junction, they were phased out. Huh. r76 But Ebsen supported her opponent Bud Shuster, a crook whose ties with disgraced politico Ann Eppard were well-known. The two actors met while filming the 1957 film Loving You and were rumored to have been dating. She was kind and gentle with Douglas. While she had small roles on three movies prior, her only starring role on the big screen was . Wholesome blonde actress Donna Douglas, who played pretty tomboy Elly May Clampett on the hit 1960s sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies" and starred opposite Elvis Presley in the 1966 film "Frankie and Johnny," has died at age 81, her family said on Friday. Ratings aside - how would not Petticoat Junction not been a promotion for her? She was 81. She was 82 years old at the time of her death. our privacy/terms or if you just want to see the damn She was small and not overweight or anything. The Jethro becomes a Hippy or Jethro joins the Army kind of stuff hasn't aged well. I loved that fast-guitar theme (reminiscent of silent-movie villain music) they used to play when Mrs. Drysdale was on the rampage against the Clampetts, "And Kulp was loved, too. Donna Douglas played Elly May Clampett on the Beverly Hillbillies from 1971 to 1977. It's kind of sad as she really had to psyche herself each night to sing "No Time At All." She taught at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania / not Huntington. Flippo asked Parton about what the most outrageous thing shed [] More, Robert Urich was known throughout the world as a tough guy. Before her return on screen, Nancy was working at Juniata College, a private liberal arts college in Huntington, Pennsylvania, as an artist-in-residence, and later taught acting. Granny was most concerned with the fact that Ellie Mae wasn't married. Raised on her grandparents farm in Louisiana, her only companions were her . 25 Feb/23. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. "Well.I've whitewashed a few myself. Ebsen was poisoned by aluminum dust that was put on his face as part of his Tin Man costume. I wonder how Ryan would have been as Mamma, on the "Addams Family" TV series, instead of Blossom Rock(sister of Jeanette MacDonald, believe it or not). Did she have children, heirs or survivors? Douglas died Jan. 1 . But even some non-boomers expressed appreciation on Twitter at the news of Douglas' death. Nancy Jane Kulp was born on the 28th August 1921 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, the daughter of Marjorie C. and her husband, Robert Tilden Kulp. And so [] More, Sex, Drugs, and Rock n Roll. 26, 1973, when she was 70. March 29, 2021, 4:49 am, by Donna Douglas, who played hillbilly bombshell Elly May Clampett on the baby-boomer-beloved 1960s sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies, has died.She was 82. Donna Douglas performed as a gospel singer and wrote the book, "Miss Donna's Mulberry Acres Farm", which was published in 2011. It wasn't much of a stretch for Douglas to fit into the troupe, said her cousin, Charlene Smith. I think the funniest feuds were Granny and Pearl. She didn't drop dead, she had a stroke. The Jethro becomes a Hippy or Jethro joins the Army kind of stuff hasn't aged well. She was interred at Westminster Presbyterian Cemetery in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania, USA. What was Donna Douglas net worth when she died? Ebsen was still pissed he traded with Ray Bolger for the Tin Man and got kicked off of the Wizard of Oz. Loved Mrs. Drysdale. ". The family became rich from the oil, and moved to Beverly Hills in an opulent mansion. The suit was settled in 2011. Following her acting career, Douglas became a real estate agent, gospel singer, inspirational speaker, and author of books for children and adults. Ebson couldn't stand the role and waited for it to be cancelled. She died at the age of 82 due to a pancreatic malignancy. Paul Henning invited the cast and crew to his hometown of Joplin Missouri when he was being honored with an award. She got married soon after high school, had a son, divorced and won a couple of beauty contests, all within the span of a few years. . I is a Bodine, like Ma and my sister Jethrene. Donna Douglas's Salary and Net Worth. I think what he meant was that Bolger and Ebsen "traded" roles that Ebsen had been initially cast as the Scarecrow. The hit show The Beverly Hillbillies was the top show in America for two years and hugely popular for all nine . She died of pancreatic cancer on January 1, 2015 at the age of 82. At her age, she was afraid of being fired and replaced if she held out for more money. She refused to give out bj's and crotch licking. January 27, 2023, 6:25 pm, Trending I vaguely recall seeing somewhere they pocketed more this way then they did with their regular salaries. Was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. And, of course, [on her on- and off-screen chemistry with. Should also note that Raymond Bailey was starting to get Dementia towards the end of the show and was having a lot of trouble remembering lines and cues. The Beverly Hillbillies may have made her a TV star, but Douglas had tons of TV experience before nabbing the role of Elly Mae. Max Baer still makes a yearly pilgrimage to spit on her grave. What a shame. The albums were Back on the Mountain, Here Come the Critters, Donna Douglas Sings Gospel, and Donna Douglas Sings Gospel II.. 3. painful to see Ellie play the same character in her 50's. Apparently, they arent subscribers to the old adage that too much of a good thing can actually be a bad thing. In spite of all the early posts that Ryan (and Baer and Douglas) made minimum wages for BH, she must have amassed quite a fortune from the show to establish that trust. Raymond Bailey pissed them off occasionally but that was because he was very professional and didn't like dicking around on set. Donna's father, Emmett R. Smith Sr., a retired 'Standard Oil Co.,' died in a boating accident on October 7, 1988, near Port Allen. She did not win that contest, however, but did win several other local beauty contests, as well as being a judge in others. I am sure the three other top-billed cast members (as the nominal star, Ebsen would always be paid the most) had favored nations clauses so that they all had to get similar or same salaries if someone got a raise. Even though the show mainly focused on comedy, it had a few touching moral stories, as well. Douglas sued Goldberg, Midler, Disney, their respective production companies and Creative Artists Agency because she said the movie Sister Act was a direct rip-off of the book A Nun in the Closet, the rights to which Douglas and her business partners owned. July 2, 2021, 6:38 am, by Funny woman. The woman in the bandages was played by Maxine Stuart. R127, sorry to be pedantic, but that doll is a knock off and is not a licensed Elly Mae doll. Half the cast had to be replaced because the actors were dead (or refused to return - Max Baer Jr.) The rest of the cast looked like they'd rather be anywhere else. May your soul rest in peace, Donna Douglas. DoYouRemember.comThe site that takes you back!DONNA DOUGLAS: THE SAD STRANGE STORYhttp://doyouremember.com/https://www.facebook.com/DoYouRemember/https://twi. Thankfully, he decided to accept it eventually, and became incredibly dedicated to his character. CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images While modeling didn't appeal to her -- "I didn't want to be that skinny" -- television did. And she was wearing a nice white silk blouse and black slacks - no hillbilly drag at all. Donna Douglas 1933-2015 10 photos Douglas -- known for her sparkly blue eyes and platinum blonde hair -- had parts in the "Twilight Zone" and "Mr. Ed," and in 1966, she starred in "Frankie and . ", [quote] Wait. I've read that she loved the fact that no one ever recognized her without her Granny make-up on. R15, agreed! | Kirk Douglas celebrated his 103rd birthday in 2019 and has never been charged with a crime. American Actress Donna Douglas was born Dorothy Smith on 26th September, 1933 in Pride, Louisiana, USA and passed away on 1st Jan 2015 Zachary, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, USA . Bob said he'd take a look at her in the next day or two. I believe she actually died about three days later of some kind of heart failure. The Baton Rouge paper, The Advocate and other media outlets, including local TV station WAFB , also confirmed her death, although most put her age at 81. "So many people love her, and that means a lot to me.". Prior to joining BiographyPedia in July 2019, he was a Bizarre TV reporter and theatre critic at TheSun. Max Baer produced the film Macon County Line, "Ebsen was still pissed he traded with Ray Bolger for the Tin Man and got kicked off of the Wizard of Oz. She appeared on no less than 17 shows prior, including some of the biggest in TV history like The Twilight Zone and Mr. Ed. So was "Jed" short for Jedediah or a nickname based on his initials? Those frogman episodes were UNBEARABLE to me as a 7-year-old watching the reruns. Today, actors change everything and won't do parts. And just what WERE her politics, anyway? And he wasn't "traded" with Ray Bolger. He purchased the rights to the show and made Beverly Hillbillies themed slot machines and casino games. She was an absolute, raving cunt. Like so many others she was basically the Estelle Getty of her day, except Ryan was totally needed in the BH and Getty wasn't needed at all. I remember it was esp. He spent his last years of life mostly a recluse, although he occasionally kept in touch with one of his former castmates, Nancy Kulp. Because she had a tiny pair of vestigial balls? During her final days, she enjoyed giving speeches and reading the letters she received from fans. When it comes to Nancys private life, she liked to keep it that way, private. Benjy is currently a reporter for BiographyPedia based in Adelaide, Australia. Ebsen was the only person who disliked her, for being a "lesberal.". So was Dash Riprock and Roger Torrey who played Matthew and Mark Templeton. Please click here to update your account with a username and password. Donnas Critters and Kids: Childrens Stories with a Bible Touch came with a coloring book and was geared towards kids aged 2-7. Max Baer adored her and the cast of Pippin were shocked and saddened when she died a couple weeks after having a stroke only a few months into the show's run. And so unlike her character in real life. Raymond Bailey sadly died of a heart attack on April 15th, 1980, at age 75. She was a former vaudevillian who had been an infrequent performer on radio. But I guess it's as good a song as any actress could hope to go out on: "Here is a secret I never have told Maybe you'll understand why I believe if I refuse to grow old I can stay young till I die.". Torrey was bigger than Baer but much less adept at comedy. Facts Verse Donna Douglas, who played the buxom tomboy Elly May Clampett on the hit 1960s sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies," has died. "Oh. She reached the rank of a lieutenant, junior grade, and for her service received several awards and honors, such as the American Campaign Medal. I saw my mistakebut there's no editing function. This was after Douglas' death in January. She signed all of her pictures with a Bible verse. I still find it hilarious! My gay stepbrother and I saw Pippin with Della Street's son, William Katt in the title role and Martha Raye in Irene Ryan's part. They did not have any children together her only child was her son Danny P. Bourgeois from her first marriage to Roland Bourgeois and they divorced in 1980. Please complete the process by verifying your email address. Upon diagnosis, she started the chemotherapy. County fairs, parades, etc. She was alway going around that she was in the legitimate theatre, undoubtedly spelled "re" and the other cast members were just TV yokels. Douglas received her real estate license after "The Beverly Hillbillies" went off the air, but did not work in that field long. Donna Douglas (born Doris Ione Smith; September 26, 1932 - January 1, 2015) was an American actress and singer, known for her role as Elly May Clampett in CBS's The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971). More: Double Oscar-winning actress Luise Rainer dead at 104. In todays video, were going to take a look at the contributions of each member of The Beverly Hillbillies cast, as well as the way each cast member eventually died. Here's the true story: . It was a bad year for Elvis to lose stability; he had just been enlisted. Nancy Kulp was a disliked lesbian throughout Hollywood. Baer, Jr, didn't like his role and he talked about Ryan kicking him in the ass with her big boots when he stood in her light, but other than that, nothing. When the show debuted on Sept. 26, 1962, Douglas was 30 years old. for all nine seasons of the show and reprised her role in a TV movie reboot of the series in 1981. After the series endedm Ryan did Pippin on Broadway where she received a Tony nomination. She missed her life and her friends in LA where she had lived for many years, and the cold winter and the eight-show schedule undermined her spirit somewhat. Get the best viral stories straight into your inbox! As a bonus, it's Harrison Ford's first screen credit. Try our quiz and enter to win $500!Click below to check the trivia questionDonna Douglas will always be best remembered. Natalie was traumatized by the rape and spent years in therapy. I was in "Home Town USA" (not telling which role). One of the few shows where the entire cast actually liked each other. 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