The show took Irene Ryan from a vaudeville player to a recognized Emmy Award-nominated actress. She was best known for her portrayal of Granny Clampett, and Granny had more than her share of quirks. It’s easy to recall her cooking up her famous “vittles,” such as fried opossums.
Luckily, this is not one of the recipes in her popular cookbook, but it was the inspiration for a few delicious others. The cookbook had more than recipes, it includes pictures and character descriptions from the infamous series.
Here Comes Barnaby
Now, who does this actor from the notorious 1993 Beverly Hillbillies movie remind you of? Buddy Epsen appeared in the movie, and he was still pretty darn good. However, the actor wasn’t only a household name for his starring role as Jed Clampett; he also headlined another successful series, “Barnaby Jones.” Buddy Ebsen and Lee Merriweather starred in the detective series.
The duo played a father and daughter-in-law team who ran a private investigation firm in LA. The show was quite successful and ran for seven seasons. Sadly, the legendary actor passed away at the ripe old age of 95 years old in 2003.
A Bright Idea
The original concept for the show came to creator Paul Henning in 1959 while he was traveling through the south and visiting important locations from history. The whole thing hinged on transplanting someone from the rural south smack into an upper-crust community.
His first thought was for the show to take place in New York City, but that was both complicated and expensive, and they decided to change the location to Beverly Hills. Paul Henning is also the man who brought two other hit shows to the world, “Petticoat Junction” and “Green Acres.”
Granny Delivers a Whooping
If you watch any season of the show, you can always catch Granny knocking some sense into Jethro repeatedly. The indomitable Irene Ryan admitted once in an interview that she was pleased every time hitting him was required in the script.
She also confessed that she put all her strength behind every single blow. Jethro was young and strong, but even he had to be feeling sore after more than a couple of takes!
She Was Left All Alone
Irene Ryan, who portrayed Granny on the show, felt she had no family to leave her fortune to. She had no surviving heirs, and all of her fame, glory, and essence were left to the Irene Ryan Foundation. The foundation has been providing scholarships and financial support to theater students and professionals since its establishment in 1972.
When Ryan decided to leave everything she owned to the establishment, it was because she wanted to make a statement. She wanted to emphasize her commitment and dedication to the industry and support young actors who wanted to make their dreams come true.