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.
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.
Hidden Scandal
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.
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.
Typecasting
You’d be surprised to learn that Max Baer Jr.’s real name is Maximilian Adalbert. That name sure sounds fancy! Baer is most famous for his role as slow but lovable Jethro Bodine on “The Beverly Hillbillies.” But after the show wrapped, the actor felt like he was having a hard time finding other roles, especially ones where the character is something other than a good-hearted hick.
This is actually quite common in Hollywood, where actors can be pigeonholed into similar types of roles. After a number of similar opportunities, Baer decided to make a change and focused on writing, producing, and directing rather than acting.