It is a well-known fact that the Clampett’s kept their money at Milburn Drysdale’s Commerce Bank, on “The Beverly Hillbillies.” What is not so well known is that the bank is named after a real bank in Kansas City, Missouri.
It turns out that Paul Henning, the creator of the hit show, lived right by the bank when he was a kid and raised it up from obscurity. When you have your own hit show, you can use things from your own life, too.
Top Dollar
In 1962, “The Beverly Hillbillies” introduced us to Jed Clampett, a rich man who was true to himself despite receiving a massive fortune of $25 million. Taking into account inflation, that would be around $195 million dollars today.
Remember when we said that by the end of the ninth season, the Clampetts were worth more than $100 million? That would translate to about $583 million in 2017. Can you even imagine coming into that much money? Sounds like a pretty sweet deal. Where can we sign up?
Duke
As we mentioned before, Frank Inn was the animal trainer on the set of “The Beverly Hillbillies,” and he was in charge of the Clampett family pet. Duke, the beloved bloodhound, was a fixture in the Clampett house. Obviously, since he had been with Jed long before he moved to California and had even been by his master’s side when they struck oil.
Talk about a man’s best friend! The way Duke’s fur folds and rolls all over is the cutest, but it also keeps him looking a bit sad and often befuddled.
Quite a Mouthful
In both movies and television shows, the names of characters are extremely important. The name gives insight into the character and helps audiences to know what to expect. Sometimes, leaving off a name makes it interesting.
It is unclear why, but the show’s creators decided to name Margaret Drysdale’s father, Lowell Fahrquar. We’re not sure how to pronounce that last name, either. Now try to say it ten times fast. But seriously, you can’t go wrong with a Smith or a Jones.
We Are Family
“The Beverly Hillbillies” ran from 1962 to 1971. The popular show had an amazing run with nine terrific seasons and a whopping 274 episodes. Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, and Donna Douglas were the only three actors to star in every single episode of the show. It seems like Jed, his daughter Elly May, and his mother, Granny, were the real backbone of the series.
Honestly, the connection between these three generations makes us a little jealous, especially in this rare photo of all three together while in character. (We suspect that Jethro was also in every episode, but the picture is still pretty great).