Take a successful television series — it really doesn’t matter the decade or whether you’re talking about a comedy or drama — and you’ll find an ensemble of actors who, as far as the television audience is concerned, will forever be known as those characters no matter what else they do. That being said, it’s nonetheless intriguing to see where they came from before assuming those parts, and that’s certainly the case with The Beverly Hillbillies cast young.
The Beverly Hillbillies ran on CBS from 1961 to 1972 and, in a nutshell, is about a poor family from the Ozark who strike it rich when they discover oil on their land. In response, they take their newfound wealth to Beverly Hills and embark on what turns out to be an hysterical culture clash where the supposed backwoods folk teach their neighbors a thing or two.
The Beverly Hillbillies cast, young or otherwise, consists of Buddy Ebsen as Jed Clampett, Irene Ryan as Daisy May Moses, otherwise known as Granny, his mother-in-law; Donna Douglas as Elly May, only daughter of Jed and his late wife, Rose Ellen; and Max Baer, Jr. as Jed’s second cousin, Jethro Bodine, who calls him “Uncle Jed.”
Buddy Ebsen (Jed Clampett): The Beverly Hillbillies Cast Young
Born April 2, 1908 in Belleville, Illinois, Buddy Ebsen enjoyed a career that spanned from 1935’s Broadway Melody of 1936 to providing his voice in a 1999 episode of King of the Hill. Next to The Beverly Hillbillies, his most popular role was as detective Barnaby Jones, which aired on CBS from 1973 to 1980. Married three times, he had seven children and passed away on July 6, 2003 at age 95.
Original Caption: Buddy Ebsen, comic dancer, is never too busy to help a friend. Here he is showing Judy Garland and Deanna Durbin, MGM starlets, how to do a few of his famous dance steps. The young ladies are only 13
Original caption: Comedian, dancer and actor Buddy Ebsen dances with his fingers and his feet in this publicity still for the 1936 musical Born to Dance.
Shirley Temple and Buddy Ebsen teamed up for this performance of “At the Codfish Ball,” part of the 1936 move Captain January. The clip has been colorized.
In the photo above, Buddy Ebsen is adorned in part of the costume for the Tin Man in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz; he’d leave the project due to an allergic reaction to the makeup. The video beneath it, however, features his version of the character’s song, “If I Only Had a Heart.” In the end, Jack Haley would assume the part.