Buddy Ebsen
Buddy Ebsen | |
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Buddy Ebsen as "Jed Clampett" on The Beverly Hillbillies |
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Born | Christian Rudolph Ebsen, Jr. April 2, 1908 Belleville, Illinois, USA |
Died | July 6, 2003 (aged 95) Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA |
Spouse(s) | Dorothy Knott 1985 – 6 July 2003) (his death) 1 child Nancy Wolcott (1944 – 1985) 5 children Ruth Cambridge (1936 – 194?) (divorced) 2 daughters |
Official website |
Buddy Ebsen (April 2, 1908 – July 6, 2003) was an American versatile character actor of stage, dancer and politician, who in his seven decades of television is best remembered for his starring roles as Jed Clampett in the popular 1960s television series, The Beverly Hillbillies and the title character in the popular 1970s detective series, Barnaby Jones. Before playing those roles, his first television exposure was that of George Russel, assistant to Davy Crockett, in the Disneyland television series in the 1950s.
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Early years
Born Christian Rudolph Ebsen, Jr., in Belleville, Illinois; his father, Christian Rudolph Ebsen, Sr., was Danish and his mother, Frances, was Latvian. He was raised in Belleville until age 10, when his family moved to Palm Beach County, Florida. After a brief stay there, Ebsen and his family, in 1920, relocated to Orlando, Florida. Ebsen and his sisters learned to dance at the dance studio his father operated in Orlando. He graduated from Orlando High School in 1926. Initially interested in a medical career, Ebsen attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, from 1926-1927; and then Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, from 1927-1928. Family financial problems that resulted from the collapse of the Florida land boom forced him to leave college for good at age 20.
Professional career
Ebsen left Orlando in the summer of 1928 to try his luck as a dancer. When he arrived in New York, he had $26.75 in his pocket. He and his sister Vilma Ebsen formed an act and performed in supper clubs and in vaudeville — they were known as "The Baby Astaires". On Broadway they appeared as members of the chorus in Whoopee, Flying Colors and the Ziegfeld Follies of 1934. A rave review from Walter Winchell, who saw them perform in Atlantic City, gave them a boost and led to a booking at the Palace Theatre, the pinnacle of the vaudeville world.
In 1935, the Ebsens were approached by MGM for a screen test, and signed a two year contract with a two-year option, with their salary to be $1,500 a week for each of them. They moved to Hollywood, and made their film debut in Broadway Melody of 1936. This was to be Vilma's first and only film — a contract problem prevented her from making any other films, and she shortly retired from show business — but Buddy appeared in numerous screen musicals including Born to Dance and Captain January (in which he danced with Shirley Temple), Broadway Melody of 1938 (in which he danced with a young Judy Garland) and The Girl of the Golden West. He partnered with Eleanor Powell and Frances Langford, among others, and also danced solo.
Ebsen was noted for his unusual, almost surreal dancing and singing style (see, for example, his contribution to the "Swingin' the Jinx Away" finale of Born to Dance), which may be a reason that Walt Disney chose Ebsen to be filmed dancing in front of a grid as an aid to animating Mickey Mouse's dancing in Disney's Silly Symphonies.
Despite having turned down Louis B. Mayer's offer of an exclusive contract with MGM, earning Mayer's warning that he would never get a job in Hollywood again, he was cast in the role of The Scarecrow in the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz, but later swapped roles with Ray Bolger, who was to play the Tin Man. Ebsen recorded all his songs, went through all the rehearsals, and started filming with the rest of the cast, however, the powdered aluminum makeup used badly irritated Ebsen's skin and because the aluminum was in powdered form, it escaped to the air, coating Ebsen's lungs as he breathed. This was a near-fatal illness and a professional and personal disaster for Ebsen.
During Ebsen's recovery, he was replaced by Jack Haley. Haley did not run the same risk, as the makeup was changed in the meantime from a dust to a paste. (Although Haley re-recorded most of Ebsen's vocals, Ebsen's midwestern voice with the enunciated "r" in the word "wizard" can still be heard on the soundtrack during a couple of the reprises of "We're Off to See the Wizard".) As noted in a documentary included with the 2005 DVD release of Wizard of Oz, MGM did not publicize the reasons for Ebsen leaving the film, and even Haley was not made aware of why Ebsen left until later. In an interview videotaped before his death (also included on the DVD), Ebsen recalled that the studio heads did not believe he was sick until someone tried to order Ebsen back to the set and was intercepted by an angry nurse. Footage of Ebsen as The Tin Man was included as an extra with the U.S. 50th anniversary video release of the film. Until his dying day, Ebsen complained of lung issues due to his involvement in "that damned movie."[1] Ironically, Ebsen outlived all of the major cast members of The Wizard of Oz. He sang some parts in the Wizard Of Oz for Jack Haley.
After recovering from the illness caused by his involvement with "The Wizard of Oz," he subsequently became embroiled in a contract dispute with MGM that left him with long periods of time with no professional work available. He began to take up sailing, eventually becoming so proficient in seamanship that he taught the subject to U.S. Navy officer candidates. In 1941 he applied for a commission in the Navy, but was turned down. He applied for a Coast Guard commission, was accepted, and promptly given the rank of LTJG (lieutenant, junior grade). This was one step up from the grade of ensign, which is the usual rank given newly appointed seagoing officers. He served on the Coast Guard-manned Navy Frigate USS Pocatello, which recorded weather at its “weather station” approximately 1,500 miles west of Seattle. These patrols consisted of thirty days at sea, followed by ten days in port at Seattle. He was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant in 1946.
Throughout the 1950s, Ebsen was a steady performer in many films, particularly Westerns, but none which brought him fame or fortune.
Premier character actor
Ebsen was one of the first actors to make his debut on an episode of The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre. His part led to other roles such as: Stars over Hollywood, Gruen Guild Playhouse, 4 episodes of Broadway Television Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Corky and White Shadow, Studio 57, Screen Directors Playhouse, 2 episodes of Climax!, Playhouse 90, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Johnny Ringo, 2 episodes of Bonanza, 3 episodes of Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip, among many others. He played Barnaby Jones on an 1975 episode of Cannon, and made his final guest-starring role in 1994 on an episode of the short-lived series, Burke's Law.
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
Ebsen received critical acclaim for his breakthrough role of Doc Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1961. He brought empathy and pathos to his fatherly portrayal of the rural veterinarian deserted by his young wife Holly, played by Audrey Hepburn. This role brought him to the attention of the casting director of The Beverly Hillbillies.
TV series
Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971)
Ebsen finally became truly famous with The Beverly Hillbillies, starring as Jed Clampett. Although the 1962 series was scorned by critics, the show was a massive hit, attracting as many as sixty million viewers on CBS between 1962 and 1971. Although Irene Ryan as Granny received the most critical notice, earning two Emmy nominations, and Donna Douglas received the most fan mail and media publicity, Ebsen was the show's most prominent star in the ensemble cast. The series was still earning good ratings when it was cancelled by CBS because programmers began shunning shows that attracted a rural audience. This series was the answer to such popular 1960s TV series whose issues dealt with widowhood such as, My Three Sons, The Andy Griffith Show, Petticoat Junction, Family Affair, Julia, The Doris Day Show, The Lucy Show and The Courtship of Eddie's Father. For most of the decade, he turned the series into a gun-toting conservative for the program. On one show, the Jack Rabbit episode was the highest-rated half-hour series ever to be watched on television. A decade after cancellation, Ebsen reprised his role in the 1981 TV movie of Return of The Beverly Hillbillies, which didn't submerge in the ratings.
Legendary 1940s movie actress, Irene Ryan, also starred as Jed's mother, Daisy Moses, also known as Granny. The chemistry of mother and son was an important part of the program, as well as away from the set, despite being six years Ebsen's senior. In addition to Ryan, it also starred unfamiliar character actor and former gambler, Max Baer Jr., in the role of Jed's young nerdy nephew, Jethro Bodine, and also starring on The Beverly Hillbillies was an unfamiliar young blonde character actress, cowgirl, former high school cheerleader, model, beauty contest winner of 1957, Republican, future gospel singer and real estate agent, from the Baton Rouge suburb of Pride, Donna Douglas, as Jed's only daughter, Elly May Clampett, whose wearing blue jeans became her trademark, while working with the animals. The professional father/daughter chemistry of both Ebsen and Douglas had been an obvious answer for most of the 1960s on the set, as well as being friends and family off the set, finding they both had a lot in common. She in turn also made the show the success that it was for most of the nine seasons which it went on the air. Although Douglas was an asset to the set, it was her series' star who gained most of the respect, during the series run. Douglas said of her on- and off-screen chemistry with Ebsen, the very first time she met with Buddy when she was going to be her second-father, "Jed was my Pa, played by Buddy Ebsen, he was my Pa, and you know, the wonderful thing was it was very easy to relate to him; because my own father, my real dad, was about the same height and the same statue as Buddy was." Donna also said of Ebsen's character who also played the same role that Andy Griffith began to play (as the widower), "And so he's been sorta mama/daddy to me. So, he's explaining to me, he said, 'You know, I'll teach you and give you the right principles.' We had a close relationship." In a scene where the doorbell rang (for a running gag); she was concerned, "I don't know if we found out how that thing works." She also said about where the noises came from on a long-running sitcom, "You know, The Beverly Hillbillies showed that no matter where you found yourself that you can be so successful. Success doesn't have to change you." When it debuted, she also said about the time where families were limited to the amount of television they had in their homes; including Douglas herself who was still living with her dad at the time, "That's when people had one TV usually, and I've had so many people just say, 'Our daddy was always right there, watching that show, he may not watch any other shows that he was right there with us.'" The last thing that Donna said and second-only to her, she also commented about her series' lead and actress' Nancy Kulp campaigns [as Republicans], and the disagreements they had together, "They had a different view, so they had some heated discussions about that. They would go at it for weeks." After cancellation, Douglas continued being friends with Buddy for more than three decades and was reunited once in 1981, for a television movie, just eight years after the death of beloved actress Irene Ryan. The deaths of both Helga and Norma (Buddy's real-life sisters) in the late 1990s, drew the friendship closer between Ebsen and Douglas, as she bestowed her condolences to a popular star, a few years before Ebsen's death.
Barnaby Jones (1973-1980), and beyond
Temporarily after his departure from his signature Jed Clampett role, he cameback to television in early 1973, this one as the title character of Barnaby Jones, which proved to be his second long-running TV series of his long career. Ebsen's character was a milk-drinking detective who coped out of retirement; after the death of his son, who immediately hired his daughter-in-law, who-in-turn was Barnaby's son widow. Critics and CBS executive ridiculed about the age of the show's audience, and despite Barnaby Jones changing its time slots, annually, the show finally moved late in 1975, when it was a Thursday night staple until the popular soap opera, Knots Landing, took over its time slot, the following month. Despite of the show aiming an elderly audience for years, this series was actually an answer to such 1970s crime dramas such as: Ironside, Adam-12, Hawaii Five-O, Cannon, McMillan and Wife, The Streets of San Francisco, Kojak, Police Woman, The Rockford Files, and Switch. After 8 1/2 seasons, and 178 episodes, Barnaby Jones was pulled off the air, making it one of the last longest-running 1970s police dramas to ever get cancelled. Overall, Ebsen became the highest-paid entertainer who spent 18 seasons altogether (shed 1 1/2 years in 1971 and 1972) playing 2 separate roles on television, Clarence Gilyard became the second actor to play 12 seasons in 2 roles, years after Ebsen. Second-only to The Beverly Hillbillies, In a 1991 interview of the 2005 A&E Biography, Ebsen predicted that the Barnaby Jones show was actually a cult classic, when it wasn't that popular in reruns, though it was his second favorite role to date.
Unfamiliar actor Mark Shera played the role of Barnaby's youngest private investigator and distant cousin, Jedediah Romano "J.R." Jones, from 1976 to 1980. And also starring on Barnaby Jones was a familiar prolific character actress of stage, Johnny Mathis's high school classmate, Bill Bixby's college classmate & best friend, Miss America 1955 winner, game show panelist and future soap opera star from San Francisco, Lee Meriwether, in the role of Barnaby's widowed daughter-in-law and loyal partner, Betty Jones, and the lovely chemistry of both Ebsen & Meriwether were a huge success of the 1970s, as they were both professional relatives, on- and off-the set, solving each of the cases, and Ebsen even became an acting coach to her, as the years progresses. Meriwether said of her on- and off-screen chemistry with Ebsen based on the show was about the job his character was going to take as a police officer, "I don't think Buddy used a gun or shot a gun, except for maybe four to five times, in fact, in eight years. If somebody who's hit, they would get hit in the arm, and you never saw anybody." Lee also said about fans who were over the age of 60, who were also avid card game players, who enjoyed watching the show, "They even had cards made and everything and you were a card carrying Barnaby Jones Fan Club Member." The final thing she said about her series' star's Republican friend, who was the 37th President of the United States, who had other plans, but was still watching Ebsen every week on a hit show was, "And Richard Nixon, found out about it and wanted to join in; but he was either at a dinner or at a speaking engagement where Pres. Nixon was, and he pulled Buddy off to the side --- 'I love, I love your show." After cancelation, both Ebsen & Meriwether had kept in contact together for 23 years. The deaths of both Helga & Norma (Buddy's real-life sisters) in the late 1990s, connected the friendship together between Ebsen & Meriwether, as Meriwether sent him her condolences. This was a few years before Buddy had died, himself.
His last work was mainly in television, reprising his Beverly Hillbillies and Barnaby Jones roles, though his last regular television series was Matt Houston on ABC, starring Lee Horsley. Ebsen played the role of Matt's uncle, Roy Houston, during the show's third season in 1984-1985.
He also narrated the documentary series Disney Family Album during the 1980s on the Disney Channel.
Later years
Although generally retired from acting as he entered his 80s, he had an amusing cameo in the film version of The Beverly Hillbillies, again playing "Barnaby Jones", with the TV theme underscoring the scene. This cameo would prove to be his final motion picture appearance, although Ebsen would go on to appear in an episode of the 1994 revival of Burke's Law and, in 1999, make his final acting appearance anywhere, providing a voice for an episode of King of the Hill. Illness and infirmity kept him from a cameo on Son of the Beach.
As Ebsen entered his 90s, he continued to keep active, and there were media reports that he had begun work on his first novel about a year before his death at the age of 95. During these later years, Buddy Ebsen became a folk artist, and as an avid coin collector co-founded the Beverly Hills Coin Club in 1987 along with a much younger actor, Chris Aable. One of the last known on camera interviews with Buddy Ebsen was conducted by Steven F. Zambo. A small portion of this interview can be seen in the 2005 PBS program The Pioneers of Primetime. His last known radio interview was conducted by Opie and Anthony.
Buddy Ebsen has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1765 Vine Street, as well as a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
Personal life
Ebsen also had four sisters, Helga, Leslie, Norma & Vilma Ebsen, who was a dance instructor at their father's dance studio. He was the only son and the fourth of five children. He married Ruth Cambridge in 1936, and had 2 daughters, Elizabeth and Alix, however, the marriage didn't last and the couple divorced in 1942. In 1944, he met and married, Nancy Wilcott, and had five children: Susannah, Cathy, Bonnie, Kiersten and Dustin. In 1985, Buddy & Nancy divorced after 41 years of marriage. That same year, he met his third wife, Dorothy Knott, and the couple produced 1 child. Almost all of Buddy's siblings lived long lives. In the 1990s, both Helga & Norma, died of natural causes separately, and Vilma died in 2007, also of natural causes, just four years after her brother's death.
Hobbies
Throughout his long life, Buddy had 14 hobbies: public speaking, traveling, singing, playing guitar, golfing, spending time with his family, riding horses, swimming, gardening, fishing, sailing, painting and building sailboats. His most favorite leisure time, undoubtedly was dancing, esp. on several episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies.
Death
On July 6, 2003, Ebsen died of pneumonia at the age of 95 at Torrance Memorial Medical Center in Torrance, California. His ashes were scattered at sea. After the family had a private funeral, there was a public memorial service, late the following month for Buddy at the Television Academy in North Hollywood, California. Amongst the people who attended the service were Buddy's family and friends, Fess Parker, Jane Withers, Linda Henning, Dick Van Dyke (who hosted the event), two of Buddy's surviving co-stars from The Beverly Hillbillies and closest friends, Donna Douglas was also there, and Max Baer Jr. --- who broke down weeping and spoke, because Ebsen was a second father to him, and two of Buddy's Barnaby Jones's co-stars, Lee Meriwether and Mark Shera had attended and mourned a great legend. Daughter Kiki Ebsen, sang a song that her father wrote, at the end of the memorial. Fellow actress and dancer, Shirley Temple, refused an invitation to the memorial service.
Quotes
Buddy: "You take a blank piece of paper and, whatever you're thinking, you write it down. I'm very satisfied if, in my mind, it increased the value of the paper. That's what writing should do. It should increase the value of the paper." (Source: USIMDB.com)
Buddy: "You get more negative reactions than positive reactions as you go through life, and the big lesson is nobody counts you out but yourself...I never have, I never will." (Source: USIMDB.com)
Buddy: "'As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.' Often the values of the influences imposed on us by our mothers and fathers, our teachers and certain friends, are not realized until years later, when we, as a sailor does, look back at our wakes to determine the course we have steered that got us to where we are. Today when I look back, then look around me to see with whom I am standing, I fully realize the influence on my life that must be credited to DeMolay." (Source: USIMDB.com)
Buddy on commenting on having written a romance novel at age 93: "There are a lot of mes." (Source: USIMDB.com)
Buddy when asked why he had returned to the rigors of a weekly show (Matt Houston (1982)), at the age of 76: "I'm used to getting up at dawn and going to the studio to be with my pals on the set. It's my lifestyle and I wouldn't trade it for any other."
Buddy on being a best-selling author: "Writing fiction, there are no limits to what you write as long as it increases the value of the paper you are writing on." (Source: BrainyQuote.com)
Buddy who said in 1965 about his stage performances: "I probably enjoyed show business most when I was doing plays like 'The Male Animal' and 'Good Night, Ladies,' when people would lay down their money and laugh and you'd see them walk out happy. By God, I'd feel honest. I could go home with a good taste in my mouth. You'd feel better, you'd feel more alive and like you were justifying your existence." (Source: New York Times.com)
Buddy who said as to why The Beverly Hillbillies was his favorite TV series to date: "The one flaw in this is that you can't hear the people laughing." (Source: New York Times.com)
Filmography
- Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)
- Captain January (1936)
- Born to Dance (1936)
- Banjo on My Knee (1936)
- Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937)
- Girl of the Golden West (1938)
- Yellow Jack (1938)
- My Lucky Star (1938)
- Four Girls in White (1939)
- The Kid from Texas (1939)
- Hollywood Hobbies (1939) (short subject)
- They Met in Argentina (1941)
- Parachute Battalion (1941)
- Sing Your Worries Away (1942)
- Under Mexicali Stars (1950)
- Silver City Bonanza (1951)
- Thunder in God's Country (1951)
- Rodeo King and the Senorita (1951)
- Utah Wagon Train (1951)
- Night People (1954)
- Red Garters (1954)
- Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1954)
- Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)
- Attack (1956)
- Between Heaven and Hell (1956)
- Mission of Danger (1959)
- Frontier Rangers (1959)
- Twilight Zone (Episode 95: The Prime Mover) (1961)
- Fury River (1961)
- Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
- The Interns (1962)
- Mail Order Bride (1964)
- The Mike Bialka Story (1966)
- The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968)
- Tom Sawyer (TV) (1973)
- Fire on the Mountain (1981)
- The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) (Cameo)
Notes
- ^ Cox, Stephen (1988, rev. 2003). The Beverly Hillbillies: A Fortieth Anniversary Wing Ding. Cumberland House Publishing; Rev Exp edition. ISBN 1581823029.