Family Members. Collections; Project #ShowUs; Creative Insights; EDITORIAL; . The show was a success due to its excellent writing and directing. 19261968 Theres nothing like a wholesome holiday-themed episodeWait anyone else getting deja vu? [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. 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. She missed 10 episodes of the show as she recuperated, during which her character of Kate Bradley was vaguely described in the storyline as being out of town, as expectations were that Benaderet would eventually recover and be able to resume filming. Residing in Bedrock, Fred Flintstone worked an unsatisfying quarry job, but returned home to lovely wife Wilma and eventually daughter Pebbles. After-all, Benaderet was a capable actor in her own right and also knew how to make a script work in her favor. Move over, Partridge Family, theres another rocking set of relatives with a band ready to step out of the TV and onto the stage! She's so effortless. She had a supporting role as Ella Heather in the Western film Plunderers of Painted Flats. 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. After she graduated from St. Rose Academy in San Francisco, Bea attended the Reginald Travis School of Acting. [2] On October 17, four days after her death and the day after her funeral, her husband Eugene Twombly died at the age of 54 from a massive heart attack[93] and was interred beside her. She attended the Reginald Travis School of Acting in the same city. Bea would make a huge impact on pop culture as the voice of Betty Rubble in The Flintstones. [67] Benaderet described Pearl's curly hair as "just my mental image of the character. Instead, they brought in Rosemary DeCampto play Aunt Helen. "[50][note 3], Henning had long admired Benaderet's talents and strove to create a starring vehicle for her, as he felt she was worthy of headlining her own series after years of supporting parts. The character and Beas performance was so popular among audiences that the shows creators didnt wish to replace the character in the later seasons. [84] It was no longer visible at the time of her follow-up visit, but by November 1967, it had returned and grown in size. When the shows ran a. t the same time, Cady maintained the role across them all. [85] Initial plans were for her to record her voice to be inserted into future episodes. Died October 13, 1968 Biography Read More One of the busiest voice actors of the post-war era, radio star Bea Benaderet then became a fixture of CBS TV comedy with roles in "The Burns and Allen Show" (CBS 1950-1958), "The Beverly Hillbillies" (CBS 1962-1971) and "Petticoat Junction" (CBS 1963-1970). Benaderet became sick with cancer in 1967, which led to her leaving Petticoat Junction (1963) in what it was hoped would be a temporary retirement. because the scripts for the season 1 and season 4 Christmas specials were exactly the same. She appeared in several short films for Warner Bros. often voicing female supporting characters in the Looney Tunes shorts. She . January 27, 2023, 7:28 pm, by As Bea Benaderet came of age, radio was becoming increasingly popular throughout the United States. Now, back to the video, _______________________________________________________________________. Having starred in such television programs as VEGA$ and Spenser: For Hire. Roseanne was certifiably insane. So, if you feel like you missed the finale, youre not alone. Petticoat Junction Cast Then And Now 2021, Gregg Allmans Son Is Paying Tribute To His Dad With An Allman Family Revival Tour, Betty Whites Top 3 Secrets To Living To 99 Years Old. Bea Benaderet. 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. At the age of 9, she moved with her family to San Francisco where she would grow up. 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. Previous Next. Her occupation is listed as such in the 1940 U.S. census. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons Advertisement [70] CBS promoted the show's September 22, 1963, premiere with a print ad featuring an Al Hirschfeld caricature of Benaderet as Cousin Pearl. While shes voiced some of our favorite animated characters, we remember her most for her on-screen TV roles. Goldmark & Granata (2002), pg. See Bea Benaderet full list of movies and tv shows from their career. June Foray, Bea Benaderet, Gerry Johnson are the voices of Betty Rubble in The Flintstones, and Mariko Mukai is the Japanese voice. She performed in a variety of radio plays and involved in acting, singing, writing, and even producing. Pennicoat Junction became a beloved and successful series and remained a favorite long after the last episode aired in 1969. 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. Producers of the show eased concerns and said that she was out of town.. The show had been created with her in mind as the lead, by longtime friend Paul Henning. Before long, Bea Benaderet had become a household name both in theater and radio. She had a brief role as a File Clerk in Alfred Hitchcocks Notorious. Nevertheless, her voice had made her famous in the industry and the work offers continued to come in. And thats exactly how we got the plot for Petticoat Junction. Probably the most harrowing was Bea Benaderets. Her mother was Irish American, and her father was a Turkish immigrant who worked as a tobacconist. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons. She also provided the voice for several Warner Brothers cartoons, usually for females (those Mel Blanc could not do), like Tweety's owner, "Granny". [37], Beginning in 1943, Benaderet became Warner Bros.' primary voice of adult female supporting characters for their Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes animated shorts, initially sharing duties with Sara Berner. [72] Petticoat Junction was an immediate hit, peaking at fourth in the Nielsen ratings, and remained in the top 30 during Benaderet's four full seasons on the show from 1963 to 1967. Benaderet voiced various one-time parts before joining the main cast as Iris, neighbor and friend of Ball's character Liz Cooper. Instead, its the nickname for a water stop near the hotel, and the nickname came together because the girls would leave their petticoats on the railway when they swam in the water tower. [and] Bea said, 'That's fine with me. If you liked this story, hit the like button and be sure to Subscribe to FactsVerse for more great stories! 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. [42] In 1955, she was succeeded by June Foray as Warner's premier female voice artist. Instead, I discovered her in a series of satisfying revelations over the years. "I think it is the most wonderful profession in the world. The following year, she managed to land a small acting role on a radio play and was paid for it! Bea Benaderet is a voice actor known for voicing Betty Rubble, Granny, and Witch Hazel. [60] She became one of his regular players in the first two seasons of Burns & Allen, a two-episode guest appearance on The Bob Cummings Show in 195657, and her involvement in three of the most successful sitcoms of the 1960s. Yeah, Id say the resemblance is pretty strong! ", "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. Being a "voice" was nothing new for Bea Benederet, who was the vocal part of cavewoman Betty Rubble in ABC-TV's series "The Fllntstones," television's first fully animated cartoon tailored for adult tastes and slotted in prime time Friday nights. Beatrice "Bea" Benaderet (April 4, 1906 - October 13, 1968) was an American radio and television actress, comedienne, and voice artist. Ironically, if you look at Petticoat Junction promotional material, you usually see Higgins sitting on Edgar Buchanan. At first, this looks like a reference to the man vs dog rivalry they had going on. And all that reminiscing beautifully rounded out the Shady Rest. Knowing how she suffered with lung cancer and still managed to work, its challenging to watch The Valley Has a Baby knowing that she died before the episode aired. And thats exactly how we got the plot for. The only differences were that the show was colorized, and Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo had different actresses. 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 didnt write the character out. 1961 . Nevertheless, though its hard to watch her last episode of Petticoat Junction her life was one that serves as an inspiration to us all. "[120], Keeping the spelling of her surname, which has been misspelled as Benederet or Benadaret,[96] was a choice she had to make. She could read and write, and the curled hair seemed to Pearl the height of smartness. [77] On Irving Taylor's novelty album Drink Along with Irving (1960), she duetted with Elvia Allman and Mel Blanc, respectively, on tracks titled "Sub-Bourbon Living" and "Separate Bar Stools". Bea died on October 13, 1968, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, where she was undergoing further treatment for lung cancer, as reported by Newspapers.com. Benaderet made one final appearance as Pearl in the October 11, 1967 fifth-season episode "Greetings From the President". [71] Linda Henning and Benaderet's son, Jack Bannon, were members of a young actors' theater group at the time. [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. [44] However, Benaderet had to turn down the offer since she was contracted to the television adaptation of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, so Vivian Vance was eventually cast. In fact, Bea Benaderet's last episode of Petticoat Junction is hard to watch - knowing that she suffered from lung cancer. I also wonder what happened to the original Billie Jo. [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". Or has the show become dated and wont resonate with a newer generation? [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. Morton in The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and as the voice of Betty Rubble during the first four seasons of The Flintstones, and in The Beverly Hillbillies as Pearl Bodine. 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 . So, why didnt she join the Shady Rest Hotel? She was chosen from 200 actresses for the part of a government file clerk in Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious (1946) and completed filming in half an hour, but her scenes were cut from the final print. Beatrice Benaderet (/bndrt/ BEN--DERR-t; April 4, 1906 - October 13, 1968) was an American radio and television actress and voice actress. Chest pains related to her sickness required her to come back to the hospital for the last time. "The world had been unaware that [Benederet was] diagnosed with lung cancer in 1967. 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's big break as a comedian came three years later on Jack Benny's show. [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?' In 1959, they filmed a 90-second pilot. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame honoring her work in television. What was going on with Bea Benaderet while she was away? Her major breaks in radio came on The Jack Benny Program and as a member of Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre repertory company. I said yes". Thats almost true.