She appeared in several short films for Warner Bros. often voicing female supporting characters in the Looney Tunes shorts. Date Of Death: Oct 13, 1968. Born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, California, she had a remarkable career in radio and television. [33], Other recurring characters Benaderet portrayed were Blanche Morton on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show; school principal Eve Goodwin on The Great Gildersleeve; Millicent Carstairs on Fibber McGee & Molly; maid Gloria on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet;[34][35] and Iris Atterbury on the Lucille Ball vehicle My Favorite Husband, opposite Gale Gordon. Bea resumed her role as Kate Bradley in 1968, but after filming five episodes for the 1968-69 season, she left again, and this time, she didnt return. [19][20][21], In 1926, Benaderet joined the staff of San Francisco radio station KFRC, which was under the new ownership of Don Lee and where her duties included acting, singing, writing, and producing. Lets look back at Bea Benaderets incredible life and career and her final episodes of Petticoat Junction. Hootervilles Druckers General Store has one dedicated shopkeeper! [80] However, Bannon's heavy filming and touring schedule required for his portrayal of fictional cowboy hero Red Ryder took a toll on their marriage and she filed for divorce in September 1950. As for just Petticoat Junction, with all its cast changes, only three actors were in all 7 seasons. [68] Cousin Pearl was consequently written out of the Beverly Hillbillies storyline as having moved back home. Benaderet died on 10/13/68. After graduating from high school, she decided to join an acting troupe to gain more experience working in theater. "She was, in my opinion, a fine judge of material. show revolved around Kate Bradleys family, Alison Pearce from Bewitched had an impressive career. Bea Benaderet as Kate Bradley on the hit sitcom "Petticoat Junction," circa 1960s. Uncle Joe himself, Edgar Buchanan, came into the show with a very unique skill set already. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons Advertisement She made her radio debut when she was 12 years young. Benaderet was cast in the spy film Notorious in 1946, which generated a stunning $24.5 million at the box office against a $1 million budget. Died Oct. 13, 1968 of lung cancer in Good Samaritan Hospital, Calif. B ea Benaderet was an actress whose career spanned four decades but was probably best known for her comedic performances in. July 2, 2021, 6:38 am, by Apparently, they arent subscribers to the old adage that too much of a good thing can actually be a bad thing. [13] Benaderet made her professional theatre debut at 16 in a production of The Prince of Pilsen,[15] and, after graduating from the Academy of St. Rose, a private, all-girls' high school,[16][17] she attended the Reginald Travers School of Acting and joined his stock company The Players' Guild,[18] appearing in stage productions of works such as Polly, Lysistrata, and Uncle Tom's Cabin. Yeah, Id say the resemblance is pretty strong! The segment then resumed and Benaderet struck Keating with the book. Rosemary DeCamp was brought in as a temporary replacement, to play the Bradley girls' Aunt Helen. Look at that, youre just in time for our special giveaway: a once-in-a-lifetime trip down memory lane, and a round-trip ticket on the Hooterville Cannonball. In fact, it was Lucille Ball who originally wanted Bea Benaderet to take on the role. [55] Benaderet considered herself "lucky" to be cast in another series out of fear that she had become too closely associated with Burns & Allen. June Foray . In 1936, she started her profession in network radio, becoming a regular member of Orson Welles' performing company on "The Campbell Playhouse. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Margaret Benaderet (105540832)? The audience loved her and couldnt imagine the show without her! Following the success of The Beverly Hillbillies, he wanted to create another rural sitcom and use this sitcom as a starring vehicle for Bea Benaderet. Beatrice "Bea" Benaderet (April 4, 1906 - October 13, 1968) was an American radio and television actress, comedienne, and voice artist. 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. And all that reminiscing beautifully rounded out the Shady Rest. While Robert Urich was famous for doing battle with tough foes on the screen. Take a visual walk through their career and see 75 images of the characters they've voiced and listen to 4 clips that . March 28, 2021, 6:21 am, by 'Whos the Boss? Leave a Comment Cancel reply. 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. [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 died on October 13, 1968, of lung cancer and pneumonia. '"[96] When she was introduced to Orson Welles in 1936, he remarked that her name "sounded like something you ad lib in a mob scene. After becoming the beautiful redhead Betty Jo, Linda Henning totally switched fields. Instead, I discovered her in a series of satisfying revelations over the years. Bea Benaderet (born Beatrice Benaderet; April 4, 1906 October 13, 1968) was an American actress who was the original voice of Betty Rubbleduring the first four seasons of the original series,The Flintstones. October 13, 1968 (aged 62)Los Angeles, California, U.S. 2022524 He has also accomplished a ton in his career, including NBA Titles and individual records. The show followed widowed aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas and his three sons. So audiences may remember Benaderet for her role as Cousin Pearl Bodine in the show. If you liked this story, hit the like button and be sure to Subscribe to FactsVerse for more great stories! Jim Bannon(m. 1938; div. She launched her network radio career in 1936, appearing as a regular on The Campbell Playhouse, The Jack Benny Show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Great Gildersleeve, and Fibber McGee. From expensive cars to enormous mansions to copious quantities [] More, While Peter Lawford might the least well-known member of the Rat Pack, he is sometimes referred to as the Man Who Kept The Secrets due to his secretive efforts to connect Marilyn Monroe and his brother-in-law JFK. [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". And the jobs these cast members had to also have may surprise you Find out all this and more in our Nostalgia Suite, platinum bundle. Then, terribly, her illness struck again, and Bea Benaderet passed away on October 13, 1968, at the age of 62. So, it shouldnt really be that big of a surprise that, with numbers like those, celebrities would face the same risk of dying [] More, Bea Benaderets Last Episode of Petticoat Junction is Hard to Watch, How Each Blazing Saddles Cast Member Died, Scientists Discovered Evidence That Exposes An Ancient Lie About Woolly Mammoths, Handlers Thought This Owl Was Male For 23 Years Then He Laid An Egg, This Baby Elephant Decided To Spend His Last Days Alongside This Creature, Woman Adpots Tiny, Adorable Puppy. [30][31][32] Intended as a one-time appearance, the pair became a recurring role starting in the 194546 season, and in early 1947, Benaderet and Berner momentarily took over the NBC switchboards in Hollywood for publicity photos. She later co-starred with fellow Looney Tunes voice actor Mel Blanc as the voices of Betty and Barney Rubble in The Flintstones. She remained the professional shed always been, and her co-stars loved working with her. When Bea saw Irene Ryan at the audition, she told producer/creator Paul Henning, " There's your Granny! Mork, of course, played by the late Robin Williams. Facts Verse Much as I love Bea, I think Viv was the most perfect Ethel Mertz that could be and I don't think the chemistry would have been as strong between Lucy . [16] Benaderet filmed six appearances as Kate in the first season as both shows' casts intermingled on several episodes in a process dubbed "cross-pollination". Only . She is the voice of Betty Rubble on The Flintstones that's handily the first place I ever encountered her. She appeared in plays such as Uncle Toms Cabin and Polly Lysistrata. Ironically I only came to Bea Benaderet's (1906-1968) biggest, best and best-known role only recently. Her son Jack became an actor, making his television debut in bit parts on Petticoat Junction (and working on the show as a dialogue coach), later appearing in Lou Grant. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! January 28, 2023, 4:29 pm, by She was one of the few female voice artists associated with Warner Bros studio in its early days. Benaderet voiced various one-time parts before joining the main cast as Iris, neighbor and friend of Ball's character Liz Cooper. [3][29] The following year she received her first big break in the industry on The Jack Benny Program, where she played Gertrude Gearshift, a wisecracking telephone operator who gossiped about Jack Benny with her cohort Mabel Flapsaddle (Sara Berner). Facts Verse The show was Petticoat Junction and Bea Benaderets role as Kate Bradley become one of her most famous roles. She missed 10 episodes, but they yearned to keep Bea on, so they didn't write the character out. While the show featured a great ensemble cast, Bea really stood out with her performances. 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! The world had been unaware that Bea got diagnosed with lung cancer in 1967. [84] On November 26, she underwent the surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, when it was discovered the tumor could not be removed. Thats right, he was the titular Benji, still ready to help out anyone in need. She is best remembered for starring in the 1960s television series Petticoat Junction as Shady Rest Hotel owner Kate Bradley and The Beverly Hillbillies as Jed Clampett's cousin Pearl Bodine (Jethro's mother), and as the original voice of Granny of Warner . When the shows ran a. t the same time, Cady maintained the role across them all. Maybe this was a preview of things to come, because they split up five years later. [12], Benaderet was raised Catholic and attended grade school at a Dominican convent. Oddly enough, she didnt get credit for her work with Warner Bros. as she was a freelance artist rather than under a fixed contract. [65] Henning created for Benaderet the supporting character of Cousin Pearl Bodine, the middle-aged widowed mother of Jethro Bodine (Max Baer Jr.) and cousin of main character Jed Clampett (Buddy Ebsen), whom she convinces to move from his humble home in the Ozarks after he strikes oil on his property and becomes a millionaire. Four days after her death--the day of her funeral, her husband died of a heart attack. She attended the Reginald Travis School of Acting in the same city. Pennicoat Junction became a beloved and successful series and remained a favorite long after the last episode aired in 1969. In fact, that hotel had everything the train, even the setting details came from that real location. [84] Diagnosed with lung cancer, Benaderet underwent six weeks of laser radiation treatment via a linear particle accelerator at Stanford University Medical Center. Died However, in November 1967, it had returned and grown in size. [54], In the late 1940s, Benaderet befriended Paul Henning, a scriptwriter on the radio production of Burns & Allen. Lucy had burdens and had her heart broken. She headlined the sitcom Petticoat Junction, which ran for seven seasons from 1963-69, though she passed away three episodes into the sixth season. Career Her expertise in dialect and characterization led to her becoming Warner Bros.' leading voice of female characters in their animated cartoons of the early 1940s through the mid-1950s. Lung cancer [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. Bea was better than her medium and her material. 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. At the time of her death, the Indianapolis Star reported Benaderet had completed filming for. I said yes". She got her own spinoff. Publicity photo of Bea Benadaret, circa 1966. CREATIVE. Why did Bea Benaderet leave Petticoat Junction? [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. Popular, by Benaderet auditioned with past radio coworker Jean Vander Pyl for Betty and Wilma Flintstone by exchanging dialogue before the show's co-creator Joseph Barbera, who asked afterward what part they preferred. But we almost had actress and model Sharon Tate, who had been very quickly hailed as the most promising newcomer of her era, and later the tragic victim of the horrifying Manson cult murder spree. The show was a success due to its excellent writing and directing. The Flintstones. Bea Benaderet became best known for her comedic performances in The Flintstones, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Petticoat Junction., Fans of the country hotel keeper at Petticoat Junction, which began its run in 1963, will know that Bea suddenly became absent on the show in 1967. Whats a great episode that you remember? "[29] It was misspelled in a 1946 press release created specifically about its proper spelling,[122] and Radio Life wrote in 1947: "If someone were to conduct a survey to decide the radio personality with the most frequently misspelled name, Bea Benaderet would probably win hands down. [and] Bea said, 'That's fine with me. [3], Benaderet continued her Burns & Allen radio role of the Burns' neighbor Blanche Morton, Gracie's friend and staunchest supporter in her escapades. 1960s sitcom fans owe a lot to one man: Paul Henning, the man behind. Birthplace: New York, New York, USA. 1950)Eugene Twombly(m. 1957; her death 1968) Then they ended up marrying in September 1968. Previous Next. They can be enjoyed on their own of course, but fans enjoy the crossover episodes, too. In 1959, they filmed a 90-second pilot. "That was what they wanted to see. When she was cast in "Petticoat Junction" as Kate Bradley in 1963, Bea was recognized as having "finally" become a star. Youd be forgiven for not knowing his actual name, since they only ever call him the dog or good boy, but an episode card once revealed his name was actually Higgins. Incarnations View all 36 versions of Betty Rubble on BTVA. She appeared in a wide variety of television work, which included a starring role in the 1960s television series . Lets hear your thoughts in the comments. [74], Benaderet played bit parts in six motion pictures from 1946 to 1962, four of which were uncredited. Click the bell icon to get notifications from FactsVerse and watch more pop culture videos and interesting stories. Nevertheless, she worked hard till the very end and is remembered as a brilliant actress and a consummate professional.