Wednesday, April 2, 2008

BUDDY EBSEN: 100 YEARS

We're very late in mentioning this, and if it weren't for just now checking Andy Edelstein at the New York Newsday TV blog, this would be a belated message....

Today marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Buddy Ebsen. As Jed Clampett of 'The Beverly Hillbillies', Ebsen is a member of the TV Crossover Hall of Fame from 2002 when he was inducted along with Daisy Moses, aka Granny (played by the late great Irene Ryan).

In Toobworld he's also well known as Barnaby Jones, private eye, and for many one-shot appearances like villainous sheriff Scratch Madden in a 'Maverick' episode, and as 'Heroes'-like mutant Jimbo Cobb on 'The Twilight Zone'.

And he was the original Tin Man for the movie "The Wizard Of Oz", but had to drop out because he was nearly poisoned to death by the silver make-up. (That incident became a test case on an episode of 'House'.

Toobworld Central salutes the memory of Buddy Ebsen. And as Red Skelton would say, "May God Bless".....

BCnU!
Toby OB

"Any TV schedule without Buddy Ebsen sucks eggs."
George Utley
'Newhart'

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Further trivia:

Ebsen was actually the first Scarecrow, and Ray Bolger was cast as the Tin Man. Bolger convinced everyone that his "rubber-leg" style of dancing was more appropriate for the scarecrow, so they switched the two, and then the allergy was discovered for the makeup.

Hugh

Terence Towles Canote said...

Hard to believe he's now 100 years old. What is so funny is that as Jed Clampett, Ebsen was Granny's son in law, but he was only six years younger than Irene Ryan!