She could read and write, and the curled hair seemed to Pearl the height of smartness. If the character of Sam Drucker looks familiar, thats because he and his actor Frank Cady have been in ALL 3 Paul Henning creations. He wrote several episodes for the radio show and impressed by Beas talent. Benaderet guest-starred on the January 21, 1952, first-season episode "Lucy Plays Cupid" as the character of Miss Lewis, a love-starved spinster neighbor. [58] While filming the debut season of her show Petticoat Junction the next year, she continued voicing Betty by recording her part alone or with her Flintstones castmates during evening hours[29] until scheduling conflicts forced her to drop the role at the end of the fourth season in 1964. ", "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. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! I also wonder what happened to the original Billie Jo. In the 1960s, she had regular roles in four series up until her death from lung cancer in 1968, including the commercial successes The Beverly Hillbillies, 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. Some of her popular characters included Little Red Riding Hood, Witch Hazel, and Miss Prissy. Staff (September 1, 1965). ANSWER: Actress Bea Benaderet (Kate) died of lung cancer in 1968 while Petticoat Junction was still in production. Why did she leave the show? [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. Previous Next. 1966. During a routine medical checkup in the early 1960s, it was discovered that Bea had a spot on one of her lungs. Thats almost true. Then they reference how Bea Benaderet played Cousin Pearl and called the two look-alikes. Its the Ladybugs, led by Billie, Bobbie, and Betty Jo themselves! 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. [87][88] Benaderet returned for the March 30 fifth-season finale "Kate's Homecoming",[89] but five months later, after shooting the first three episodes of the sixth season, she took leave from the series due to being too ill to continue. What more could you ask for? Residing in Bedrock, Fred Flintstone worked an unsatisfying quarry job, but returned home to lovely wife Wilma and eventually daughter Pebbles. Hassan 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. [68] Cousin Pearl was consequently written out of the Beverly Hillbillies storyline as having moved back home. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. In 1936, she started her profession in network radio, becoming a regular member of Orson Welles' performing company on "The Campbell Playhouse. Hootervilles Druckers General Store has one dedicated shopkeeper! In fact, Bea Benaderet's last episode of Petticoat Junction is hard to watch - knowing that she suffered from lung cancer. [43], Benaderet was Lucille Ball's first choice as Ethel Mertz for the sitcom I Love Lucy; Ball said in a 1984 interview that she had "no other picture of anyone" for the role. After becoming the beautiful redhead Betty Jo, Linda Henning totally switched fields. So audiences may remember Benaderet for her role as Cousin Pearl Bodine in the show. Oddly enough, the switch might have been unnecessary, since years later their major spokes model Marilyn Chambers ended up doing a very similar shoot. Background information RELATED: Petticoat Junction Cast Then And Now 2021. Related searches. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! Then, terribly, her illness struck again, and Bea Benaderet passed away on October 13, 1968, at the age of 62. Nevertheless, though its hard to watch her last episode of Petticoat Junction her life was one that serves as an inspiration to us all. June 20, 2021, 9:06 am, by The couple had no children together, but Bea had two children, Margaret, and Jack from her first marriage to Jim Bannon, whom she divorced in 1950. 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. Facts Verse [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. Lung cancer Married to her second husband, Gene Twombly at the time, he passed four days after her death from a heart attack. She was one of the few female voice artists associated with Warner Bros studio in its early days. [74], Benaderet played bit parts in six motion pictures from 1946 to 1962, four of which were uncredited. Bea was better than her medium and her material. Spouse She attended the Reginald Travis School of Acting in the same city. Facts Verse She had a brief role as a File Clerk in Alfred Hitchcocks Notorious. Do you think that Petticoat Junction still holds up today? 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. 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. Filmography The Flintstones - Betty Rubble (Seasons 1-4) Categories Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted. In the new millennium, Jan has turned her interests [] More, Each year over 1.5 million patients become victims of medical malpractice in the US alone. 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. 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! She also became known as the voice of Betty Rubble in The Flinstones. . "[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. [22][23], Initially seeking work as a dramatic actress, she switched to comedy and performed on multiple programs, in particular the Blue Monday Jamboree variety show,[22] where her castmates included Meredith Willson, Elvia Allman, and future I Love Lucy producer Jess Oppenheimer. Facts Verse And if something isnt broke, dont fix it. . When she was cast in "Petticoat Junction" as Kate Bradley in 1963, Bea was recognized as having "finally" become a star. [25] The 1950 CBS program Granby's Green Acres, a perceived spinoff of My Favorite Husband,[36] was her one radio lead role and reunited her with Gordon as a husband and wife who abandon city life to become farmers, but it lasted only eight episodes. 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. And all that reminiscing beautifully rounded out the Shady Rest. When the shows ran at the same time, Cady maintained the role across them all. 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. Bea Benaderet was born on the fourth of April, 1906, in New York City. She also studied acting at his school. Facts Verse October 13, 1968 (aged 62)Los Angeles, California, U.S. The show revolved around Kate Bradleys family where they lived in the fictional town of Hooterville, with the only transportation in or out town being an old steam engine. Or has the show become dated and wont resonate with a newer generation? [112] Donna Douglas said, "Watching her timing is like watching a ballerina. 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. She remained the professional shed always been, and her co-stars loved working with her. 1.6k Views. It meant a lot to them.. . Lucy had burdens and had her heart broken. The segment then resumed and Benaderet struck Keating with the book. After she completed filming the fifth season, Bea underwent the operation at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, and a tumor was discovered that couldn't be removed. Beatrice Benaderet (/bndrt/ ben--DERR-t; April 4, 1906 October 13, 1968) was an American actress and comedienne. The Flintstones. . Thats right, he was the titular Benji, still ready to help out anyone in need. She was actually the first choice to play Ethel in I Love Lucy. Bea Benaderet in 1966. [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. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons. Chest pains related to her sickness required her to come back to the hospital for the last time. [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. She had a powerful voice and had the ability to bring characters to life solely through audio performances. Facts Verse Bea Benaderet is a voice actor known for voicing Betty Rubble, Granny, and Witch Hazel. Legendary actress Bea Benaderet began her starring role as Kate Bradley on the hit sitcom "Petticoat Junction" in 1963 and proceeded with the part until the time of her death. The Flintstones, and her best known role . In the 15th episode of the first season, "Jed Rescues Pearl" (aired January 2, 1963), Pearl plays the piano during a screening of the 1925. "That was what they wanted to see. "She had an infallible eye for a script and for a character. [4][6][7] Her mother, Margaret (ne O'Keefe), was Irish American,[8][9] and her father, Samuel David Benaderet,[10] a Turkish Sephardic emigrant,[11] was a tobacconist who relocated the family from New York City to San Francisco in 1915 after his participation in the PanamaPacific International Exposition. Birthplace: New York, New York, USA. Without further ado, lets revisit the Shady Rest Hotel. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame honoring her work in television. At the time of her follow-up visit, the spot was no longer apparent, Newspapers.com reported. When a sitcom universe spans three shows, everyone can feel like family. 1950s-1967 Gerry Johnson (April 4, 1918 - January 24, 1990) was an American radio, film and television actress best known for the second voice of Betty Rubble in the fifth and sixth seasons of the original series, The Flintstones after she took over Bea Benaderet 's role in the first through fourth seasons. [85] Initial plans were for her to record her voice to be inserted into future episodes. [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. [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. Sommers created the 1965 sitcom Green Acres, adapted from his 1950 radio program Granby's Green Acres that had starred Benaderet, thus making it a spinoff of her own television show. Bea had worked with George Burns and Gracie Allen on the radio version of the show. This was relatively rare for the time. Nevertheless, her voice had made her famous in the industry and the work offers continued to come in. Bea Benaderet has amassed a sizable fortune through her many endeavors, but her exact net worth has yet to be published. Bea Benaderet Henning once said the Shady Rest was based on a real hotel in Eldon, Missouri run by Ruths grandmother. . 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. Trending: 1,920th This Week. She got her own spinoff. While the show featured a great ensemble cast, Bea really stood out with her performances. "Bea Benaderet Remembered". Benaderet returned for the March 30 fifth-season finale "Kate's Homecoming," but five months later, after shooting the first three episodes of the sixth season, she took leave from the series due to being too ill to continue. The audience loved her and couldnt imagine the show without her! "[120], Keeping the spelling of her surname, which has been misspelled as Benederet or Benadaret,[96] was a choice she had to make. Children Why did Bea Benaderet leave the bachelorette? Family members linked to this person will appear here. But if you look closely, you can see the toll the treatment took, as shes noticeably thinner and weaker. Benaderet received her big break when she was cast as a regular on "The Jack Benny Program" (CBS 1932-1955) in 1939 and subsequently became a ubiquitous radio presence with high society matron Mrs Carstairs in "Fibber McGee and Molly" (NBC 1935-1959), nasal-voiced maid Gloria in "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" (CBS Radio 1944-1954) and Beatrice Benaderet (/bndrt/ ben--DERR-t; April 4, 1906 - October 13, 1968) was an American actress and comedienne. Fred, a big fan of golf and bowling, also enjoyed bullying neighbor Barney Rubble, while Barney's saucy wife Betty was best friends . '"[57] Benaderet voiced guest spots on the side for fellow Hanna-Barbera productions Top Cat and The Yogi Bear Show during 1961 and 1962. "She was, in my opinion, a fine judge of material. 13 of 22. Birth Place: New York, New York, USA. It was because of her role as Blanche that she could not accept the part of Ethel Mertz in I Love Lucy (1951), which was offered to her by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The character and Beas performance was so popular among audiences that the shows creators didnt wish to replace the character in the later seasons. Popular Pages Check out the New Peacemaker Community Sponsored by The Flintstones are a typical suburban family that just happens to live in the stone-age. Bea was on THE FLINTSONES only thru season 4 (1963 - 1964). ", Benaderet in 1965 on her love of acting. 1947). "I tell you the people who watched it really identified with it because they lived those lives," she told the LA Times in 2008.