Bea Benaderet - Petticoat Junction

[ROBERT63]

She Played The Mother Of The 3 Girls On "petticoat Junction" 1963-68 But Became Ill From Lung Cancer And Died In 1968 The Show Went On Without Her Her Character Kate Bradley Simply "left Town" Leaving Behind Her 3 Daughters Her Uncle Joe Her Hotel The Shady Rest She Ran. The Show Was Cancelled In 1970 The Addition Of June Lockhart Didn't Help Ratings. But Bea Also Was The Voice Of Betty Rubble In The Flintstones And The Neighbor Blanche In "burns & Allen" She Was On Lucille Ball's Radio Show In The Late 40's Early 50's "my Favorite Husband" And Jethro's Maw Pearl Bodine In The First Season Of "the Beverly Hillbillies"

[LupeVelez]

I didn't know Bea was Betty Rubble!

[KELT]

BENADERET was also the original choice to play Ethel Mertz for
[SIZE=3]I LOVE LUCY[/SIZE], but other commitments kept her from getting the part and DESI ARNAZ lucked out when he heard about VANCE.

[dirk diggler]

Wasn't Sharon Tate in that show at some point?

[SistaSara]

Wasn't Sharon Tate in that show at some point?

I think Sharon was supposed to be in that show...and then well...you know the rest.

[DelightfulDeathHag]

I think Sharon had auditioned and something conflicted with her being on the show,she DID appear a few times on The Beverly Hillbillies as a secretary but she wore a dark wig

[Jack Raines]

I think Sharon had auditioned and something conflicted with her being on the show,she DID appear a few times on The Beverly Hillbillies as a secretary but she wore a dark wig

Yeah, Sharon Tate was Drysdale's secretary in several episodes in the 1st or 2nd season of Beverly Hillbillies. I remember for sure she was in the first "Chicka-Dee" episode, and in one Christmas episode as well.

I think she turned down the part of P.J. because she didn't want to be typecasted for being in "country" shows or something like that.

[KELT]

[SIZE=3]SHARON TATE[/SIZE] was going to be the original BILLIE JO (the blond daughter). There are some photographs floating around of TATE with LINDA KAYE HENNING, PAT WOODELL & BEA BENADERET that were taken in 1963. The girls all wearing an identical dress, white pointy toed pumps, & that early 60s hair. Anyway, MARTIN RANSOHOFF who had SHARON under exclusive contract changed his mind about placing her on PETTICOAT JUNCTION. He decided to spend more on building her up and giving her small sporadic exposure in the recurring role of JANET, MISS HATHAWAY'S assistant on [SIZE=3]THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES[/SIZE]. Yes, SHARON wore a dark wig in the role. Now, right before she began that venture, she did have two small roles on [SIZE=3]BEVERLY HILLBILLIES[/SIZE] w/o the wig: on one she was a snotty upper class girl who attends the school that ELLIE MAY is going to, on the other she was a guest of MRS. DRYSDALE' garden party who ventures over to the CLAMPETTS and is
awed by JETHRO ("Hey DORIS......look !" is her one line)

[Rudy's Girl]

BENADERET was also the original choice to play Ethel Mertz for
[SIZE=3]I LOVE LUCY[/SIZE], but other commitments kept her from getting the part and DESI ARNAZ lucked out when he heard about VANCE.

Bea is just wonderful, but thank god Desi found Viv. It was meant to be I think.

[blair]

I don't remember where, but I read this interview with Paul Henning where they asked him about Bea. He seemed obsessed with her big tits...like he mentioned them two or three times...I never really noticed before....

[KELT]

[SIZE=4][SIZE=6]N[/SIZE]ow, you didn't think that that town was called HOOTERVILLE for nothing did ya ? [/SIZE]

[johnny]

I don't remember where, but I read this interview with Paul Henning where they asked him about Bea. He seemed obsessed with her big tits...like he mentioned them two or three times...I never really noticed before....

oh god, he must have got quite the woody at the weekly script reads. i can see it now, Bea asking 'Paul, exactly why is it you got me wearing a low cut dress in this scene.'

[KELT]

Now, right before she began that venture, she did have two small roles on [SIZE=3]BEVERLY HILLBILLIES[/SIZE] w/o the wig: on one she was a snotty upper class girl who attends the school that ELLIE MAY is going to, on the other she was a guest of MRS. DRYSDALE' garden party who ventures over to the CLAMPETTS and is
awed by JETHRO ("Hey DORIS......look !" is her one line)

SHARON TATE on the left in the dark dress with JUDI SHERVAN in the middle & JOANNA BARNES on the right from the
ELLIE STARTS SCHOOL episode of
[SIZE=3]THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES[/SIZE]
which oringinally aired on 10/16/1963. This was SHARON first (of 15) appearance(s) on the series.

[johnny]

here is a pic of a younger bea pointing to the fellows. gale gorden doesn't seem interested
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...3Doff%26sa%3DN

[susalu]

I don't remember where, but I read this interview with Paul Henning where they asked him about Bea. He seemed obsessed with her big tits...like he mentioned them two or three times...I never really noticed before....

yeccchh... she was an old bag by then...

wasn't paul henning the cropduster guy Steve?

S

[kafenervosa]

No, Paul Henning was the producer/writer for the Beverly Hillbillies and the rural comedy shows that followed like Petticoat Junction and Green Acres.

[susalu]

No, Paul Henning was the producer/writer for the Beverly Hillbillies and the rural comedy shows that followed like Petticoat Junction and Green Acres.

you're right... Mike Minor played Steve... but of note, Betty Joe was played by Linda Henning, who is the daughter of Paul Henning...

S

[imogene schlogenwockle]

I loved Bea. She was originally the choice for Granny Clampett but voluntarily stepped aside when she saw Irene Ryan audition for the role. What a classy person.
How sad that she died soon into her leading role on Petticoat Junction and even sadder that she was replaced by the pukey June Lockhart.

[Cathy J.]

I think she turned down the part of P.J. because she didn't want to be typecasted for being in "country" shows or something like that.

Another story goes that Petticoat Junction turned down Tate because she had done some nude pics and that would cause a problem. Her doing something like that and being on a "family" show.

[Yksguy]

I had also thought nude pics were the reason Sharon Tate didnt get the part on PJ, although what I read implied it had more to do with the sponsors, (Dove soap, I think) than Henning.

One thing I dont think was mentioned above about Bea Benaderet was that her husband suffered a heart attack the day of her funeral, and died 4 days after she did.

[unihikid]

not to get off subject,but nat king cole had a affair while dying of cancer with a chick from pj i cant think of her full name but its something like glutton,i gotta get my book back out to get it right.anyways yea nat gave her 5000 dollars before he died and didnt tell her he was dying up until a week before he passed away.

[Yksguy]

Gunilla Hutton? She was the second Billie Jo.

[janel]

Linda Kaye Henning was Paul's daughter and Mike Minor was her real and reel life husband. I believe they are now divorced.

[unihikid]

Gunilla Hutton? She was the second Billie Jo.

there you go.he was gonna leave maria cole for her.i mean it was serious,he even bought an apt in nyc for them.but yea he and maria i guess made things right before he died.

[Cathy J.]

I had also thought nude pics were the reason Sharon Tate didnt get the part on PJ, although what I read implied it had more to do with the sponsors, (Dove soap, I think) than Henning.

My husband claims he read somewhere that the sponsor of Petticoat Junction was Marlboro and Virginia Slims cigarettes. Both made by Phillip Morris which back then was known as being quite conservative. Still it could have been Dove since by the 60s many shows had two seperate companies sponsoring them "..and the second half of XXX is sponsored by..."

Oddly I believe Virginia Slims is the brand Sharon herself smoked.

[Yksguy]

On the episodes I have from the first season, the sponsors are Tide and either Dove or Ivory soap, cant remember which. The cast appear in character doing the commercials...and a Tide box is superimposed over the closing credits.

[ethelmaepotter]

I liked Bea Benaderet. Always thought she was another great actress you didn't hear much about. Her son married John Travolta's sister, I believe.

[Vamp]

I loved the reruns from that show!

[crazedfemale]

Linda Kaye Henning was also the voice of Jethrine during the first season or so of Beverly Hillbillies.

[KELT]

My husband claims he read somewhere that the sponsor of Petticoat Junction was Marlboro and Virginia Slims cigarettes. Both made by Phillip Morris which back then was known as being quite conservative. Still it could have been Dove since by the 60s many shows had two seperate companies sponsoring them "..and the second half of XXX is sponsored by..."

Oddly I believe Virginia Slims is the brand Sharon herself smoked.

Two things:

1) VIRGINIA SLIM cigarettes didn't debut until the fall of 1968
by which time PETTICOAT JUNCTION was beginning
its 6th (of 7) season.

2) SHARON TATE quit smoking 'Cold Turkey' as soon as she found out that she was pregnant in January '69.
VIRGINIA SLIMS had only been available in the San Francisco area for the first 3 months of distribution.
SHARON, btw had been a fan of TAREYTON cigarettes whose motto was showing a smoker with a black eye and the caption
" Us TAREYTON Smokers Would Rather Fight Than Switch !"

[choff]

Two things:

1) VIRGINIA SLIM cigarettes didn't debut until the fall of 1968
by which time PETTICOAT JUNCTION was beginning
its 6th (of 7) season.

2) SHARON TATE quit smoking 'Cold Turkey' as soon as she found out that she was pregnant in January '69.
VIRGINIA SLIMS had only been available in the San Francisco area for the first 3 months of distribution.
SHARON, btw had been a fan of TAREYTON cigarettes whose motto was showing a smoker with a black eye and the caption
" Us TAREYTON Smokers Would Rather Fight Than Switch !"

I doubt any cigarette company sponsored Petticoat Junction. Winston did sponsor the Beverely Hillbillies for a time when that show first went on the air ( and Benaderet was sadly featured in those ads ) but when the health risks associated with smoking came out in 1964, Paul Henning hooked up with Kelloggs. By the late 60's cigarette ads were already getting phased out thanks to some rule where for one cigarette ad that aird, three anti-smoking PSAs had to air or something like that. As a result from what I was told cigarette ads were a rare sight on TV by 1968 and 1969.

[AtlantaBlair]

Another bit of trivia - Bea's son is Jack Bannon that played a reporter on the "Lou Grant" TV series...

[ethelmaepotter]

I doubt any cigarette company sponsored Petticoat Junction. Winston did sponsor the Beverely Hillbillies for a time when that show first went on the air ( and Benaderet was sadly featured in those ads ) but when the health risks associated with smoking came out in 1964, Paul Henning hooked up with Kelloggs. By the late 60's cigarette ads were already getting phased out thanks to some rule where for one cigarette ad that aird, three anti-smoking PSAs had to air or something like that. As a result from what I was told cigarette ads were a rare sight on TV by 1968 and 1969.

I have The Beverly Hillbillies DVD set that features the Winston cigarette commercial ads. It is just weird to see Granny, Jed, Miss Jane...all smoking cigarettes. It seemed so out of character. Donna Douglas refused to be in those ads I believe.

[ROBERT63]

Another bit of trivia - Bea's son is Jack Bannon that played a reporter on the "Lou Grant" TV series...

Jack made many guest appearances on Petticoat Junction playing mostly boyfriends or date's to one of the 3 Bradley sisters whose mother was played by his real life mother.

[ROBERT63]

I forgot to mention Petticoat Junction seasons 1 and 2 are out on DVD both seasons hosted by Linda Kay Henning and the original Bobbie Jo Pat Woodell they give interviews and talk about Bea,Jack Bannon, Edgar Buchanan , Mike Minor ,Sharon Tate they show brief footage of Sharon on Beverly Hillbillies and briefly mention Sharon's tragic end. they show still pictures of the cast. definetly a must have for real Petticoat Junction fans.

[Slick SKillet Mayhand]

Here's an old Salem commercial on youtube that features Lori Saunders at the very end. This would have been a year or two after PJ went off the air.

I also think Candice Bergen (looks like her), Roger E. Mosely (pretty sure), and maybe even Lee Wallace (on drums--not so sure on that one) are in it.

[STsFirstmate]

I have The Beverly Hillbillies DVD set that features the Winston cigarette commercial ads. It is just weird to see Granny, Jed, Miss Jane...all smoking cigarettes. It seemed so out of character. Donna Douglas refused to be in those ads I believe.

amd 2 of the 3 you mention died of cancer.
Regards,
Mary

[Heavenly Tiger]

Her father ran a tobacconist shop in San Francisco for many years.

http://users.ap.net/~burntofferings/packsbenaderet.html



This pic was before Petticoat Junction maybe.

[John carpenter]

I loved bea as Pearl & Mrs Bradley too. I could tell the voice of Betty was different ...Didn't Bea die during the run of The flintstones? Because betty sounded different later on?

[Heavenly Tiger]

I loved bea as Pearl & Mrs Bradley too. I could tell the voice of Betty was different ...Didn't Bea die during the run of The flintstones? Because betty sounded different later on?

The Flintstones ran 1960 to 1966. I think she died 1968. She probably was doing Hillbillies or Petticoat Junction after 66.

[radiojane]

Bea was the female Mel Blanc. She did everything. I used to love her on the old Jack Benny radio shows as the nosy switchboard operator.

[Slick SKillet Mayhand]

Yeah, she was an incredible vocal talent. . . TO HAVE! This character in the cartoon looks kinda like Artye Folz from "Our Gang."

[ROBERT63]

Bea made a memorable guest appearance on"I Love Lucy" in the first season playing a elderly single woman who asks Lucy to help hook her up with the old grocer. and Bea played Lucy's best friend on the radio show "My Favorite Husband"

[angelo's ghost]

I loved bea as Pearl & Mrs Bradley too. I could tell the voice of Betty was different ...Didn't Bea die during the run of The flintstones? Because betty sounded different later on?

Gerry Johnson took over the voice of Betty Rubble when Bea left to do PJ.Gerry is in a Christmas episode of Bewitched. The one with Billy Mumy from Lost In Space, where he doesn't believe in Santa so Sam takes him to the north pole to meet him. Gerry Johnson is at the end of the episode playing the woman who adopts him.

[theotherlondon]

I doubt any cigarette company sponsored Petticoat Junction. Winston did sponsor the Beverely Hillbillies for a time when that show first went on the air ( and Benaderet was sadly featured in those ads ) but when the health risks associated with smoking came out in 1964, Paul Henning hooked up with Kelloggs. By the late 60's cigarette ads were already getting phased out thanks to some rule where for one cigarette ad that aird, three anti-smoking PSAs had to air or something like that. As a result from what I was told cigarette ads were a rare sight on TV by 1968 and 1969.

The cartoon voices of the Flintstones characters did a cigarette
commercial.
Not sure if Bea Benaderet was one of them.

[Northern Lights]

[Northern Lights]

[growl]

Wasn't Ann Sheridan hired to play the mother on Petticoat Junction then became ill and the part was taken over by Bea? I bet Kelt knows!!!
Also- I'd like to see Ann Sheridan given the Northern lights treatment!!!!!
Thanks in advance!!!!!!

[Northern Lights]

Also- I'd like to see Ann Sheridan given the Northern lights treatment!!!!!
Thanks in advance!!!!!!

I have done that already months ago
http://www.findadeath.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11747

[growl]

Thanks So Much!!! I'll check it out. Love your posts!!!!!!!