Some of you old timers tell us some stories about the shooting of the episodes of the Beverly Hillbillies. How did that come about and what was it like?
I remember June from the candy shop telling me some stories from the shoot, but not to throw dirt on the late Buddy Ebson's reputation in this forum...let's just say it was "interesting"
I can tell you that June acted as Ellie Mae's stand-in.
The buggy from the show is over in the museum at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, FYI
I was a student at CofO (then SofO) in the mid 70's when Paul Henning presented the Clampett's old jalopy to the Foster Museum. They had a ceremony in the Jones Auditorium and I got to sit in it and steer it as it was pushed across the stage. Just call me Zephon Bodine, the lost sheep of the family. LOL
When did you graduate from SofO? Both my parents and my aunt and uncle graduated from there. In fact my mom and aunt were inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.
I graduated in May of 1977. Lot's of fond memories of that place, some not so fond also. I didn't participate in competitive sports while I was there, other than intramural stuff. Spent most of my time on the other end of campus in the theatre and music. When I was in the theatre department there, we really had some great times. Put on some pretty decent shows too.
Don't make me feel old now by saying something like your folks graduated after me. Wait a minute--nevermind. Come to think of it, I guess I have just about reached the crest of the hill. But I'm not over it yet.
Zephon, when you graduated college i was 1 year old!
:-)
I guess that means I've been here at SDC as long as you've been around. I was working and playing in the cave while you were still -- well, we'll let that go. But it's you young fellas that are going to keep this place going, so more power to ya!
My parents graduated around the same time.
My father played trapset for the Jazz band there and played baseball and my mother was on the cross country, swim team and track (indoor/outdoor) teams.
My father worked in the firehouse and mom worked I think at the mill.
Where did you work at while you were at Hard Work U?
I've got all but one of the SDC-related eps of BH on tape. They never seem to play the episode right before the Clampetts head to New York City.
~ "Becky" Joy ~
I've got all the episodes on DVD. Including the one right before they leave for NYC.
I actually downloaded the entire 8th season.... and then burnt the ones from SDC....
The acting, I have to say was terrible! lol
Swoosh-
I'll bet I often crossed paths with your folks. I wasn't in band, but I sang, so I spent time in the Jordan Music Building, but not much time down the road past the gym where the band people usually set up. I'm pretty sure that they would take private lessons or practice in Jordan though. I'll bet your father was well acquainted with Leon Bradley, whom I knew pretty well from working with us in musical theatre productions.
I had a couple of friends who worked at the firehouse, one of whom is Tom Johnson, who has been here at the city for 7 or 8 seasons now. He sings with the "Sons of Silver Dollar" and is also in the DCC show. Although I enjoyed athletics very much, I didn't really spend too much time on that end of campus. I participated in some intramural stuff for a couple of semesters though.
I transferred to SofO for the summer trimester of 74 after having gone to SMS (now MSU) for a couple of years. I worked in the theater department from the time I got there until the spring of 76, took the summer of 76 off to work at SDC, and went to the radio station for my last 2 semesters. I then went back to work at the City for the summer of 77 before going up to Springfield Little Theatre and working there for a couple of winter seasons. The SLT season complemented the SDC season rather nicely back then. Then I started working at SDC pretty much year round, entertaining during the operating season and at M&C during the winters.
If I don't know your parents names, I might recognize their faces. Maybe, maybe not. A lot of that is like a distant haze, if you know what I mean.
Check you PMs Zephon
My girls and I went to the Museum at the College and Got our Pic taken in the Hillbilly car. I think it is cool that it was not just junked on some back lot and forgotten.
The shows were shot the year the Float Trip was built. They used the Mill (now at the plunge) where Eli's Cake was the Millstone. I also remember Granny climbing down the Ice Cream Parlor Porch. Bruce H. was but a pup like me when the filming was taking place. He was Ill during part of the filming and the cast sent him a life sized Granny standup with a "get well" voice bubble.
I watch that show all the time but have never caught the ones filmed at SDC. I will keep watching though.
Paul Henning, the shows producer, fell in love with the area when he came to film and ended up buying a large property. the H's convinced him to leave it to the state when he died, and I'm sure you have all stoped on the way to the city to enjoy it. :D Haven't you? ???
There's a great view at the Paul Henning site, but I still need to go hiking down the hill in that area.
The 1,500+ acres of trails at the Ruth and Pual Henning Conservation Area is pretty nice. I trained there for Cross Country during summers while I was in college.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32289589@N05/3272349889/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/32289589@N05/3272349889/)
I have the original signed Beverly Hillbillies picture form the lobby of Rock Lane Lodge, where they stayed during filming. I got it from Buck Tucker the owner of Rock Lane at that time. I also have an envelope from the producers office [Paul Henning] to Shad Hellar, mayor of S. D. C. These are great memories of the way S.D.C. use to be
^^Great trading card, rubedugans! Thanks for sharing. :)
I bought the whole set hoping for some good shots from those episodes, but there was only that one, and one with Mr. Drysdale and the Gorilla back in Beverly Hills. :(
Did you all know that Raymond Bailey was...follically challenged?
Can anyone say test drive? Took this today!
Quote from: rubedugans on March 18, 2009, 10:21:47 PM
Can anyone say test drive? Took this today!
Been there. Love the museum!
I was in college (ATU) when they did the name switcheroo between College of the Ozarks and School of the Ozarks, then the Clarksville school became part of ATU.
I remember being fascinated with the tread pattern on the tires when I was a kid, and learning that using words was actually common in that period.
The museum also has an impressive display of weapons and firearms through the millenia.
Quote from: rubedugans on March 18, 2009, 10:21:47 PM
Can anyone say test drive? Took this today!
am guessing dad took this one ;)
Interesting treads. Never noticed that before.
I had a blast here. Stuffed Birds/animals, the largest gun collection of guns I had ever seen (one from pancho villa, Morgan Earps gun he was wearing when killed in Tombstone among many others) tree stumps, rocks and The Beverly Hillbillies car...overall a very eclectic group of Ozarkian items. I had never noticed the tires before either. I didn't really want to pay the $10 to sit in the car though....I was okay with standing next to it for now!
Seen the episodes.
Been to the museum. Seen the truck.
Had not heard this though (from SDC's
Mom's Blog):
QuoteTraffic was an issue for the opening of the park in 1962, so the following year the city hired "a special traffic director from the Bronx, New York" This was actually a clever ploy to bring in a couple of stars, Officer Gunther Toody and Sgt. O'Hara, from the popular television series Car 54 Where Are You? on opening day.
They had Frank McGrath (Charlie) from wagon train come and open the park sometime in the early 60's.