Elly May Clampett
THE LOUISIANA BEAUTY AND
HAMLET ON THE HUDSON
Donna Douglas was the beautiful blonde who created one of television’s most endearing and enduring characters Elly May Clampett for the 1960’s series,
The Beverly Hillbillies. The show was one of the most popular sitcoms in television history, a sly satire on the
Southern California lifestyle. She also starred opposite
Elvis Presley in the
1966 movie,
Frankie and Johnny.
Mario Cuomo was the three-time governor of
New York, best known for his eloquence and liberal politics. He gave a legendary speech at the
1984 Democratic National Convention.
Donna Douglas (born
Doris Smith;
September 1932 –
January 1, 2015) was an
American actress and singer, known for her role as Elly May Clampett in
CBS's The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–
1971).
Following her acting career, Douglas became a real estate agent, a
Gospel singer and inspirational speaker, and authored books for children and adults.
Douglas moved to
New York City to pursue a career in show business and started out as an illustration model for toothpaste advertisements.[7] She was featured as the "
Letters Girl" on
NBC's The Perry Como Show in
1957 and as the "
Billboard Girl" on NBC's
The Steve Allen Show in
1959. These and other television appearances led New York photographers and newspaper reporters to award her the "Miss By-line" crown, which she wore on CBS's
The Ed Sullivan Show.[8]
Hal B. Wallis saw the
Sullivan episode and cast her in the role of
Marjorie Burke in the movie drama
Career (1959), starring
Anthony Franciosa,
Dean Martin and
Shirley MacLaine. This was followed by a bit part in the musical comedy
Li'l Abner (1959) and the role of a secretary in the comedy/romance
Lover Come Back (
1961), starring
Rock Hudson and
Doris Day.[9]
She made numerous television appearances in the late
1950s and early
1960s, including
The Twilight Zone episode "
The Eye of the Beholder" (1960).[9] She was also cast as
Barbara Simmons in four 1961 episodes of the CBS detective series
Checkmate. Her other credits included in
U.S. Marshal,
Tightrope,
The Adventures of
Ozzie and Harriet,
Bachelor Father,
Adam-12 and
Route 66. Douglas also appeared in
Thriller, season 1, episode 16, "The
Hungry Glass", which also starred
William Shatner,
Russell Johnson and
Boris Karloff.
Although Douglas was an active actress in the 1960s, she was still relatively unknown when selected from among
500 young actresses to work alongside veteran actor and dancer,
Buddy Ebsen, on The Beverly Hillbillies. This series ran for nine consecutive seasons, beginning in 1962 and ending in 1971. Continually typecast as a result of her Hillbillies role, Douglas decided to focus on her career as a gospel singer.
With the
1973 death of Hillbillies co-star
Irene Ryan, and
Max Baer Jr.'s refusal to participate, Douglas joined
Nancy Kulp and Buddy Ebsen as the only original cast members to appear in the reunion movie,
The Return of the
Beverly Hillbillies.[11] Douglas was a guest star on a number of other television programs and the subject of paper dolls, dolls, coloring books, and various toys during the height of the show's popularity. In a
2003 interview with "
Confessions of a
Pop Culture Addict", she summed up her views on the role: "
Elly May was like a slice out of my life. She is a wonderful little door opener for me because people love her, and they love the Hillbillies. Even to this day it's shown every day somewhere. But, as with any abilities, she may open a door for you, but you have to have substance or integrity to advance you through that door."
Mario Matthew Cuomo (/ˈkwoʊmoʊ/; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an
American politician and member of the
Democratic Party. He served as the 52nd
Governor of New York for three terms, from
1983 to
1994,[
1][2]
Lieutenant Governor of New York from
1979 to
1982;[1][2] and
Secretary of State of New York from
1975 to 1978.[1][2]
Cuomo was known for his liberal views and public speeches, particularly his keynote speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention[1] where he criticized
Ronald Reagan's policies.[1] The speech brought him to national attention, and he was widely considered a front-runner for the
Democratic nomination for
President in both
1988 and
1992, but he declined to seek the nomination in both instances. His legacy as a reluctant standard-bearer for the
Democrats in presidential elections led to him being dubbed "
Hamlet on the Hudson".[
3][4]
Cuomo was defeated for a fourth term as
Governor by
George Pataki in the
Republican Revolution of 1994, and he subsequently retired from politics. He was the father of five, including
Andrew Cuomo, the current Governor of New York, and journalist
Chris Cuomo, currently at
CNN.[
- published: 20 Jan 2015
- views: 635