Series Description

The Beverly Hillbillies TV show was a 30 minute comedy series on CBS about a dreadfully poor hillbilly family named the Clampetts who find oil on their property and become rich overnight. They move into a Beverly Hills mansion where everything is strange to them. The best part of the show was the contrast between the unworldly but very decent Clampetts (and Jethro) versus the cultured but "devilish" people of the big city. Luckily, the hillbillies usually came out on top of their run-ins with >the upper-crusters!

Beverly Hillbillies Cast

Buddy Ebsen .... Jed Clampett
Irene Ryan .... Daisy May "Granny" Moses
Max Baer Jr. .... Jethro Bodine
Donna Douglas .... Elly May Clampett
Raymond Bailey .... Milburn Drysdale
Nancy Kulp .... Miss Jane Hathaway
Harriet E. MacGibbon .... Mrs. Margaret Drysdale
Bea Benaderet .... Cousin Pearl Bodine

Beverly Hillbillies Trivia

Nancy Kulp originally spelled her last name with a "C". She changed it to avoid any potential confusion with "I Spy" star Robert Culp. The show was filmed in black & white for the first three seasons and in color thereafter.

Max Baer Jr. (Jethro) was no idiot in real life. In fact, he had a degree in Business Administration. Also, his father, Max Baer Sr. was at one time the heavyweight boxing champion of the world!

At the beginning of the series it was stated that Jed Clampett got $25 Million for the oil on his property. By the end of the series his net worth was mentioned as being $95 Million!

You may have known that Bea Benaderet (Cousin Pearl) also appeared on "Green Acres (1965)" and "Petticoat Junction (1963)" but she also was on the "George Burns & Gracie Allen Show (1950)" as early as 1950!. Even before that she was a star on the radio with Lucille Ball on "My Favorite Husband", on "Fibber McGee & Molly", the "Jack Benny Program" and many others. She also did many cartoon voices ... the best-known being "Betty Rubble" on "The Flintstones (1960)".

"The Ballad of Jed Clampett" climbed to #44 on the hit parade chart in the first season (1962). Not bad for a TV show theme song!

The Beverly Hillbillies was the #1 show (highest rating) during 1962 & 1963! In fact, it went to the #1 position within its first three weeks on the air ... faster than any other series ever had! Episodes #10-17 were the most-watched episodes of all time, probably because of the assasination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy on November 22, 1963. The nation needed a reason to laugh again after that terrible tradgedy!

Beverly Hillbillies Theme Song

Title: "The Ballad of Jed Clampett"

By: "Paul Henning"

Opening Theme:

Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed
A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed,
Then one day he was shootin at some food,
And up through the ground came a bubblin crude.

Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.

Well the first thing you know ol Jed's a millionaire,
Kinfolk said "Jed move away from there"
Said "Californy is the place you ought to be"
So they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly.

Hills, that is. Swimmin pools, movie stars.

Closing Theme:

Well now its time to say goodbye to Jed and all his kin.
And they would like to thank you folks fer kindly droppin in.
You're all invited back a gain to this locality
To have a heapin helpin of their hospitality

Hillybilly that is. Set a spell, Take your shoes off.

Y'all come back now, y'hear?.