Bea was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent weeks of laser radiation treatment at Stanford University Medical Center. [90] However, her condition dramatically declined; on September 26, chest pains related to her illness forced her to return to the hospital for the final time. " She was one of the actresses to lend her voice to Betty Rubble on The Flintstones. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame honoring her work in television. Benaderet died on October 13, 1968, of lung cancer and pneumonia. And even though Cady was in every season, he comes in third with 168. [16] Benaderet filmed six appearances as Kate in the first season as both shows' casts intermingled on several episodes in a process dubbed "cross-pollination". Staff (September 1, 1965). The Flintstones, and her best known role . : "[We] spent so much time together in studios that I used to refer jokingly to her as the 'other woman' in my life. [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?' [112] Donna Douglas said, "Watching her timing is like watching a ballerina. [76], In 1945, Benaderet and fellow voice actresses Janet Waldo and Cathy Lewis were to appear on a televised fashion show on her former KFRC employer Don Lee's W6XAO network before the project fell through. Oddly enough, the switch might have been unnecessary, since years later their major spokes model Marilyn Chambers ended up doing a very similar shoot. She also studied acting at his school. Petticoat Junction took a lot of people by surprise with how long it lasted. ANSWER: Actress Benaderet grew ill in early 1968, and she was temporarily replaced by several actresses while Kate was "away." Benaderet returned briefly, but then succumbed to lung cancer. Joe Barbera thought about calling the show The Gladstones, then decided on The Flagstones until he realized there was a comic strip with the same name. She remained the professional shed always been, and her co-stars loved working with her. On October 13, 1968, at the age of sixty-two, Bea lost her battle with cancer at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles. When Bea Benaderet became ill with cancer and was forced to leave the series, her absence was explained by having Kate go away to visit her sister. [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. "[98] Benaderet credited George Burns with mentoring her in comedy acting,[113] but claimed that television scriptwriters focused more on her voice and delivery than her characters, which she believed stunted opportunities for her to play more dramatic roles. And all that reminiscing beautifully rounded out the Shady Rest. Click the bell icon to get notifications from FactsVerse and watch more pop culture videos and interesting stories. Sometimes life is more remarkable than fiction. This was a popular American sitcom that ran over 12 seasons and 380 episodes from 1960 to 1972. The world had been unaware that Bea got diagnosed with lung cancer in 1967. 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 . 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. ", Benaderet in 1965 on her love of acting. July 2, 2021, 6:38 am, by they ended up marrying in September 1968. Then, terribly, her illness struck again, and Bea Benaderet passed away on October 13, 1968, at the age of 62. She is best remembered for starring in the 1960s television series Petticoat Junction as Shady Rest Hotel owner Kate Bradley and The Beverly Hillbillies as Jed Clampett's cousin Pearl Bodine, and as the original voice of Granny of Warner Brothers' Looney Tunes media . After that, June Lockhart stepped in as Dr. Janet Craig, but viewers really felt the void in Kates absence and sometimes attribute that to the shows ending two seasons later. Alison Pearce from Bewitched had an impressive career until her life got cut short, but not before she met the love of her life. [30] She performed in as many as five shows daily,[33] causing her rehearsal dates to conflict with those of The Jack Benny Program and resulting in her reading live as Gertrude from a marked script she was handed upon entering the studio. Instead, I discovered her in a series of satisfying revelations over the years. Paul Henning loved writing parts for Bea Benaderet and wanted to create a great character for her to star in. Linda and Mikes wedding was supposed to line up with that date, too, but they had a falling out, Linda called it off, and Mike spent the next year winning her back. [46], Blanche Morton's long-suffering husband, Harry, was played by four actors over the show's eight-year run; the last, Larry Keating, was introduced on the October 5, 1953 fourth-season premiere when George Burns entered the set and halted a scene of an angered Blanche preparing to hit Harry with a book. Her acting job was her main source of income. It was a fun reference to Beatlemania that was in full swing, Sure, the band was fictional, but that didnt stop them from releasing singles. 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. [16] Bluegrass duo Flatt & Scruggs, who performed the show's opening theme, recorded a comedic serenade in 1963 titled "Pearl Pearl Pearl" and Benaderet was pictured on the single's cover. Elizabeth Jean "Betty" Rubble (ne McBricker/O'Shale) is a fictional character in the television animated series The Flintstones and its spin-offs and live-action motion pictures. At the time of her follow-up visit, the spot was no longer apparent, Newspapers.com reported. Date Of Death: Oct 13, 1968. For Betty Jo, Bea Benaderet stepped in and finally suggested Hennings own daughter, Linda. Beverly Hillbillies was such an immediate hit, it spawned the creation of Petticoat Junction. Vernon was pressured to leave the series after her friend, writer Danny Arnold (who, in many estimations, made the series what it was), left on acrimonious terms after year one. 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. CREATIVE. Benaderet first specialized in voiceover work in the golden age of radio . At first, this looks like a reference to the man vs dog rivalry they had going on. Alternate names [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. March 27, 2021 12:56 PM Aunt Bee had psychological issues and before she died she apologized to that execrable bastard Andy Griffith for her unkind behavior. Now, back to the video, _______________________________________________________________________. Instead, they brought in Rosemary DeCamp to play Aunt Helen. 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. . "I tell you the people who watched it really identified with it because they lived those lives," she told the LA Times in 2008. They can be enjoyed on their own of course, but fans enjoy the crossover episodes, too. While Bea focused mainly on television, a mention should made about her film career. [56] The same year, she was then cast as the voice of Betty Rubble in the Hanna-Barbera primetime animated series The Flintstones. Bea Benaderet is a late radio and TV actress and voice actress. While the show went on, it wasnt the same without Bea Benaderet. She also wanted to try her luck in cinema and was eager to see where else her voice acting talents could take her. She's so effortless. She appeared in 2 episodes of The Bob Cummings Show which written by Paul Henning. Benaderet first specialized in voice-over work in the golden age of radio, appearing on . Her treatment was effective and finished up in January 1968. At the point when she was 12, she made her professional debut in a children's production of "The Beggar's Opera" in San Francisco. She had a brief role as a File Clerk in Alfred Hitchcocks Notorious. Daws. She was born in New York City but raised in San Francisco. Beatrice "Bea" Benaderet (4 April 1906 - 12 October 1968) was an American actress who did work on 44 theatrical cartoons in twelve years. Previous Next. Barney (Mel Blanc), wife Betty (Bea Benaderet, later Gerry Johnson), and their super-strong adopted . Sometimes, it really was a family! Benaderet made one final appearance as Pearl in the October 11, 1967 fifth-season episode "Greetings From the President". . Facts Verse Did you know about Bea Benaderet and Petticoat Junction? Pearl played the piano for the silent movies and she saw such high fashion and ridiculous hairdos. Casting for the Bradley trio wasnt easy, and show creator Paul Henning auditioned no less than 1,500 women. The other women I've played were strictly for laughs. By the mid-1950s, she also began looking for on-screen work. After-all, Benaderet was a capable actor in her own right and also knew how to make a script work in her favor. She was actually the first choice to play Ethel in I Love Lucy. [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. 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. Betty Rubble VOICE. Bea Benaderet was an American actress, born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, California. "Bea Benaderet Remembered". 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. Bea was on THE FLINTSONES only thru season 4 (1963 - 1964). She appeared in several short films for Warner Bros. often voicing female supporting characters in the Looney Tunes shorts. 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. Then they reference how Bea Benaderet played Cousin Pearl and called the two look-alikes. She missed 10 episodes, but they yearned to keep Bea on, so they didn't write the character out. She had a powerful voice and had the ability to bring characters to life solely through audio performances. Died AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. [41] Benaderet did not receive onscreen credit for her work because she was employed by Warner Bros. as a freelance actor[note 2] who voiced peripheral characters, and unlike Mel Blanc, was not under contract with the studio. Even before Cheers and its own spinoffs like Frasier and The Tortellis, Petticoat Junction ignited an ambitious trend to form its own sitcom world with friendly callbacks from previously known characters. Bea Benaderet made money by Actors niche. Bea Benaderet was only 62 when she passed away. 1960s sitcom fans owe a lot to one man: Paul Henning, the man behind The Beverly Hillbillies. | Source: Wikimedia Commons. "She was, in my opinion, a fine judge of material. [55] Benaderet considered herself "lucky" to be cast in another series out of fear that she had become too closely associated with Burns & Allen. [54] She played housekeeper Wilma in the lone season of the 1960 sitcom Peter Loves Mary, a part she received because of references from Burns. 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. 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. Her final 4 episodes aired in 1968. At the time of her death, the Indianapolis Star reported Benaderet had completed filming for. If you need a good, strong role model, look no further than Dog, the precious cocker spaniel, schnauzer, poodle mix who could steal the show with those adorable eyes of his. [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. Unfortunately, the cancer continued to grow and took its toll on her. Children Goldmark & Granata (2002), pg. Born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, California, she had a remarkable career in radio and television. She wanted to focus on The Flintstones. 1947). Ironically I only came to Bea Benaderet's (1906-1968) biggest, best and best-known role only recently. Her voice had become famous on the radio, and it was now time for her to give a shot at animated films. She was one of the few female voice artists associated with Warner Bros studio in its early days. Rosemary DeCamp was brought in as a temporary replacement, to play the Bradley girls' Aunt Helen. [27], Benaderet relocated to Hollywood in 1936 and joined radio station KHJ,[28] making her network radio debut with Orson Welles for his Mercury Theatre repertory company heard on The Campbell Playhouse. She later cast as Cousin Pearl Bodine in The Beverly Hillbillies after initially being considered for the role as Granny. Facts Verse Bea Benaderet, who played matriarch Kate Bradley, passed away in 1968 at age 62 from lung cancer. And the jobs these cast members had to also have may surprise you Find out all this and more in our Nostalgia Suite, platinum bundle. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons. If the character of Sam Drucker looks familiar, thats because he and his actor Frank Cady have been in ALL 3 Paul Henning creations. March 29, 2021, 4:49 am, Way back in 1980, Dolly Parton sat down with Chet Flippo of Rolling Stone magazine for what she thought was just going to be a typical interview.