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.”
Striking It Rich
Just like Jed Clampett’s sudden financial windfall, “The Beverly Hillbillies” quickly became a huge hit, making stars of all participants, including the actors and producers. The not-so-cleaner but warm-hearted Clampetts won America’s hearts by keeping it real and not putting it on air.
All these lovable characters hit upon a recipe for success. At the beginning of the show, “The Beverly Hillbillies” made $25 million, and at the end, the show brought in more than $100. That is quite an accomplishment and a pretty great salary!
Plagued by Alzheimer’s
The banker on “The Beverly Hillbillies” made a lasting impact on fans. Every new millionaire needs some financial advice on how to manage their money. Raymond Bailey played the financially savvy Mr. Drysdale on the popular show.
Sadly, in the last two seasons of the show, Bailey began to exhibit early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. In the last few episodes, his condition was quite apparent. Raymond Bailey was forced to quit acting not long after the show ended and passed away in 1980 at the age of 75.
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.