[30] She performed in as many as five shows daily,[33] causing her rehearsal dates to conflict with those of The Jack Benny Program and resulting in her reading live as Gertrude from a marked script she was handed upon entering the studio. Get the best viral stories straight into your inbox! Date Of Birth: Apr 4, 1906. The world had been unaware that Bea got diagnosed with lung cancer in 1967. [16] Bluegrass duo Flatt & Scruggs, who performed the show's opening theme, recorded a comedic serenade in 1963 titled "Pearl Pearl Pearl" and Benaderet was pictured on the single's cover. [119] Benaderet was good friends and a frequent collaborator with Mel Blanc, who wrote in his 1988 biography That's Not All Folks! Leave a Comment Cancel reply. She later cast as Cousin Pearl Bodine in The Beverly Hillbillies after initially being considered for the role as Granny. "Bea Benaderet she was more than just a good actress," The Beverly Hillbillies creator shared. Benaderet was then a prominent figure on television in situation comedies, first with The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show from 1950 to 1958, for which she earned two Emmy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. Bea Benaderet's first major starring role on television was sadly her last. [41] Benaderet did not receive onscreen credit for her work because she was employed by Warner Bros. as a freelance actor[note 2] who voiced peripheral characters, and unlike Mel Blanc, was not under contract with the studio. On October 13, 1968, Benaderet died due to lung cancer and pneumonia in Los Angeles, California at the age of 62 at the Good Samaritan Hospital. Click the bell icon to get notifications from FactsVerse and watch more pop culture videos and interesting stories. [102][103], Benaderet garnered praise for her mastery of dialects[92][104][105][106] and her work as a comedienne and character actress,[107][103][108] while she is recognized for her voice characterizations in animation. Benaderet voiced various one-time parts before joining the main cast as Iris, neighbor and friend of Ball's character Liz Cooper. But its a name worth remembering because little Higgins would go on to be his own star as the leading man well, dog in Benji. [79], In 1961, Benaderet dressed in a Flintstones-inspired leopard-print costume to collect donations for City of Hope and March of Dimes[82] and worked with Welcome Wagon in the San Fernando Valley. [52], When Benaderet was cast in Petticoat Junction, she was hailed as having "finally" become a star. Who was 'Pearl Pearl Pearl' used as a love song for? 146 (Segment by. "Today's Channel Check". Kate Bradely stopped appearing in some episodes of Petticoat Junction so that Bea could look after her health. Oak Island is a privately owned island that sits off the coast of Nova Scotia in Canada. She began her career in radio on The Jack Benny Program and as a member of Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre repertory company. "I think it is the most wonderful profession in the world. And I asked her to read the script and she . Listen to the first episode starring Gale Gordon & Bea Benaderet in the lead roles, you'll hear some of same jokes and setups in the pilots of both shows. ': What Happened to the Stars of the Iconic Series through the Years, Csar Domboy's Girlfriend: All We Know about the 'Outlander' Star's Dating History, Eva Perez Suarez - Eva Mendes' Mother the Star Calls 'Coolest of the Cools', Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz's Kids Lived Different Lives after Parents Thrust Them into the Spotlight, Annette Funicello Was Unable to Eat, Drink & Talk during Her Last Years Her Husband Never Gave up Hope, Jaclyn Smith Was Married to Bigamist & Shared 2 Kids with Him Meet Her Grown-up Children & Granddaughters. Born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, California, she had a remarkable career in radio and television. "That was what they wanted to see. 1960s sitcom fans owe a lot to one man: Paul Henning, the man behind The Beverly Hillbillies. She had been a longtime smoker and it was discovered that she had lung cancer. Joe Barbera thought about calling the show The Gladstones, then decided on The Flagstones until he realized there was a comic strip with the same name. They even performed on The Ed Sullivan Show with a cover of I Saw Her Standing There, but changed the title just for Ed to be I Saw Him Standing There. How Clever! 1 Year-Later She Realizes Her Huge Mistake, Bebe Buell Reveals Everything About Her Rock Star Romances, The Real Reason Peter Lawford Got Kicked Out of the Rat Pack, Pam Dawber is Unrecognizable Today (Try Not to Gasp), Why Jan Smithers DISAPPEARED After WKRP in Cincinnati, Celebrities Who Died Due to Medical Malpractice, The ONE Time Dolly Parton Got Naked in Public, Rare Photos of Lynda Carter Not Suitable for All Ages, The Tragic Death of Robert Urich & His Wife, The Tragic Life and Demise of Angie Dickinson, How Each Gilligans Island Cast Member Died. '"[57] Benaderet voiced guest spots on the side for fellow Hanna-Barbera productions Top Cat and The Yogi Bear Show during 1961 and 1962. Throughout Monroe and Kennedys alleged affair, Lawford supposedly acted as a liaison for the President. ", "The Way We Rural: 'Hillbillies' Creator Paul Henning, to Be Honored in Santa Ana, Looks Back", "Jack Bannon, Actor on 'Lou Grant,' Dies at 77", "Benadaret Licks Tumor, Looks Forward To Petticoat Junction", "Last Rites Set Tomorrow for Bea Benaderet", "Pneumonia, Cancer Kills 'Petticoat Junction' Star", "Bea Benaderet's Own Star Shines Brightly As Any", "A Long-Term Next-Door Neighbor Gets Own Show", "Bea Benaderet's Dialect Returns Her to TV Work", "June Foray: From Rocky the flying squirrel to Cindy Lou Who, she was a master", "Bea Benaderet was both the best and the worst guest ever on, "Somebody Built a Hotel around Bea Benaderet", "Robert McKimson's "The Hole Idea" (1955)", TV Sidekicks: Bea Benaderet's Blanche to Gracie Allen's Gracie, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bea_Benaderet&oldid=1140604081, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 21:39. Paul Henning had dreams of a sequel, and his wife Ruth gave him the ammunition. 1950)Eugene Twombly(m. 1957; her death 1968) Benaderet was diagnosed with cancer in 1967, which led to her departure from Petticoat Junction in what was hoped would be a temporary absence, during which time Rosemary DeCamp was brought in to play "Aunt Helen" in scripts obviously written for Benaderet's character Kate. At first, this looks like a reference to the man vs dog rivalry they had going on. [64] When CBS granted him an open time slot after the massive success of Beverly Hillbillies, he crafted the 1963 rural sitcom Petticoat Junction around Benaderet, starring as Kate Bradley, the widowed proprietor of the Shady Rest Hotel. [115], She is credited with over 1000 combined radio and television episode appearances,[107][116] which earned her the nickname of "Busy Bea" from members of the press. [54] She played housekeeper Wilma in the lone season of the 1960 sitcom Peter Loves Mary, a part she received because of references from Burns. Hassan The segment then resumed and Benaderet struck Keating with the book. If you liked this story, hit the like button and be sure to Subscribe to FactsVerse for more great stories! In 1961, while The Andy Griffith Show was in its second season, she told The Charlotte News of living in California, "Whenever I feel lonely out here, I . [53], Benaderet became a fixture on television in the 1960s, which included working on two shows simultaneously from 1960 to 1964. Bea Benaderet as Kate Bradley on the hit sitcom "Petticoat Junction," circa 1960s. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons Advertisement June Foray . This was relatively rare for the time. When Bea Benaderet became ill with cancer and was forced to leave the series, her absence was explained by having Kate go away to visit her sister. She missed 10 episodes, but they yearned to keep Bea on, so they didn't write the character out. [13][75][103][117][118] The Pantagraph columnist Ernie Kreiling remarked in 1965 that "probably no Hollywood personality has spent as many hours in our homes". [75] She told Radio Life magazine that year that after having struggled to remember her lines, "Mr. Hitchcock looked me right in the eye and asked 'You want to go back to radio?' 2, including Jack Bannon. September 14, 2021, 5:02 am, by '"[64] He additionally took Benaderet's suggestion of casting Harriet MacGibbon as Granny's rival Margaret Drysdale. The only differences were that the show was colorized, and Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo had different actresses. October 13, 1968 (aged 62)Los Angeles, California, U.S. Beatrice Benaderet (/bndrt/ BEN--DERR-t; April 4, 1906 - October 13, 1968) was an American radio and television actress and voice actress. You come to life right away. But actually, Buchanan was the only cast member that Higgins behaved for. Nevertheless, though its hard to watch her last episode of Petticoat Junction her life was one that serves as an inspiration to us all. In fact, Bea Benaderets last episode of Petticoat Junction is hard to watch knowing that she suffered from lung cancer. Rosemary DeCamp was brought in as a temporary replacement, to play the Bradley girls' Aunt Helen. Career Then, in 1968, it was announced her treatment was finished and a complete success, just in time for her to come back for the season finale! [84] A longtime smoker,[16] she cut down her multiple-pack-a-day habit following her initial checkups[84] and quit entirely after her surgery. June 24, 2022, 6:34 am Theres nothing like a wholesome holiday-themed episodeWait anyone else getting deja vu? In his own mind he believed he was the reason for the success of the show. Bea had worked with George Burns and Gracie Allen on the radio version of the show. Collections; Project #ShowUs; Creative Insights; EDITORIAL; . Oddly enough, she didnt get credit for her work with Warner Bros. as she was a freelance artist rather than under a fixed contract. [112] Donna Douglas said, "Watching her timing is like watching a ballerina. CREATIVE. After becoming the beautiful redhead Betty Jo, Linda Henning totally switched fields. "[68] Benaderet and director Richard Whorf auditioned the young actresses who would play Kate's three teenaged daughters;[70] she persuaded Henning to let his 18-year-old daughter Linda read (successfully) for the role of Betty Jo Bradley. Children She was one of the few female voice artists associated with Warner Bros studio in its early days. Then, terribly, her illness struck again, and Bea Benaderet passed away on October 13, 1968, at the age of 62. Bea Benaderet . ", Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet performing in Granby's Green Acres in 1950. " She was one of the actresses to lend her voice to Betty Rubble on The Flintstones. Pronunciation of Bea benaderet with 3 audio pronunciations, 1 meaning, 1 translation, 2 sentences and more for Bea benaderet. But her best work was arguably in a show created by Paul Henning. [84] She resisted immediate exploratory surgery as she was filming the fifth season of Petticoat Junction and feared the show would be affected by her absence. Even next to the beautiful girls. The voice actors for the US animated sitcom 'The Flintstones', circa 1962. 13 days later, The Valley Has a Baby aired, and this was the last time that fans would get a chance to watch Bea on TV. Facts Verse She had a powerful voice and had the ability to bring characters to life solely through audio performances. She appeared in several short films for Warner Bros. often voicing female supporting characters in the Looney Tunes shorts. Born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, she began performing in Bay Area theatre and radio before embarking on a Hollywood career that spanned over three decades. While Robert Urich was famous for doing battle with tough foes on the screen. Benaderet first specialized in voice-over work in the golden age of radio, appearing on numerous programs while working with comedians of the era such as Jack Benny, Burns and Allen, and Lucille Ball. Or has the show become dated and wont resonate with a newer generation? Near the end of season 5, the plot had Kate away visiting a sick relative when in actuality, Bea was very sick, recovering from lung cancer. [70] CBS promoted the show's September 22, 1963, premiere with a print ad featuring an Al Hirschfeld caricature of Benaderet as Cousin Pearl. It meant a lot to them.. Mork, of course, played by the late Robin Williams. Unfortunately, the cancer continued to grow and took its toll on her. She had a brief role as a File Clerk in Alfred Hitchcocks Notorious. [68][94][95][96][13] She had previously played supporting roles throughout her career, usually as a next-door neighbor,[55][94][97] and had been openly averse to leading roles. "[98] Benaderet often discussed facets of the acting profession in promotional interviews for the show,[95][99][100][101] and believed that leading a series required a "feeling of responsibility", including her being more observant of on-set activity and her costars' performances, while continuously evolving her character. She was also the original voice of Granny in the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies franchise. "The world had been unaware that [Benederet was] diagnosed with lung cancer in 1967. The actress appeared in 179 episodes of Pennicoat Junction wherein she as hotelkeeper of the Shady Rest Hotel, also had three daughters to manage. . Linda and Mikes wedding was supposed to line up with that date, too, but they had a falling out, Linda called it off, and Mike spent the next year winning her back. Dawber has married to NCIS star Mark Harmon for more than three [] More, Jan Smithers is a former television actress that is best known for her portrayal of the character Bailey Quarters on the television series WKRP in Cincinnati. Why did Bea Benaderet leave the bachelorette? Boy, was Petticoat terrific wholesome fun. The dentistry practice responsibilities fell to his wife when Buchanan decided to give acting a go, but he was still known to tend to cast and crews teeth on-set as needed, and even pulled a tooth from his stand-in Jack Henderson! 1.6k Views. Popular, by Born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, she began performing in Bay Area theatre and radio before embarking on a Hollywood career that spanned over three decades. Bea Benaderet. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! Facts Verse For Betty Jo, Bea Benaderet stepped in and finally suggested Hennings own daughter, Linda.