Allegedly, there was a bit of drama on “The Beverly Hillbillies” with Sonny really being Margaret Drysdale’s son from a previous marriage. Even though there is no real issue with this, the show always mentioned him as Sonny Drysdale, which wasn’t his last name.
Experts on the show know that Sonny’s last name was Adonis, after his father and Margaret’s first husband. It is unclear why the writers would include such a progressive twist, but not use it until much later seasons.
Shady Business Dealings
Jethro Bodine, who played Jed’s adopted nephew on the show, was a favorite amongst fans. He was played by Max Baer Jr., as dimwitted but good hearted. In real life, he was so savvy that he managed to sue CBS and win. He actually leveled five different charges against the TV industry.
It turns out that a restaurant chain was using the actor’s name, and CBS knew about it, but for whatever reason, they never shared the information with Baer. Instead, the network made some kind of secret settlement agreement, and Baer was quoted as saying: "It's not a secret deal; we just can't talk about it."
Two for The Price of One
Max Baer Jr. had no qualms about putting on a dress and playing his character’s twin sister, Jethrine Bodine. Which is a good thing because the scenes with her were hysterical. Although he played both Jethro and his plain twin, Jethrine’s voice was done by Linda Henning.
Linda is the daughter of Paul Henning, the inventor of “The Beverly Hillbillies”. The skits are not only iconic but also side-splittingly funny. Remember, the show was still shot in black and white, which made Max Baer Jr. one of the first male actors to play a woman’s role on television.
Animals On The Set
Your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you, there really is a raccoon on her back, but she’s still smiling. Elly May Clampett was known for keeping a wide variety of animals in the hillbillies’ mansion. It’s clear from this shot, that she felt very comfortable with all sorts of critters and not just ordinary house pets. The popular show featured everything from skunks to pigeons.
But Elly May wasn’t expected to charm the beasts by herself, there was a full-time animal trainer on set named Frank Inn. He took care of the furry friends, and the cast really enjoyed having them around. Or at least the cats and dogs, not sure about the skunks and racoons.
Start Your Day Off Right
Did you know that Kellogg’s was one of “The Beverly Hillbillies” main sponsors? It doesn’t seem like they were trying very hard to hide this fact. After the opening credits and theme song, Jed Clampett is clearly pointing to something off-screen. The camera moves to show Kellogg’s Corn Flakes on a billboard.
As the theme song continues, it shifts into the famous slogan, “K-E-Double L-O-Double Good. Kellogg’s best to you”. The show’s beloved characters were brand spokespersons for many years, as seen clearly in this ad.