I always liked Buddy Ebsen. I think most people did. And this, despite the fact that his greatest claim to fame was the awful TV sitcom, "The Beverly Hillbillies." I never liked "The Beverly Hillbillies," and I still think it's shit. But I believe that since Ebsen was the straight man, and the only character who wasn't completely retarded, he came off best, he was like a life-preserver of feces among a boiling cauldron of diarrhea.

Ebsen was born Christian Rudolph Ebsen Jr. on April 2, 1908, in Belleville, Illinois. He died on July 6, 2003, in Torrance, California, from complications from pneumonia. He was, for anyone who can't do math, 95 (although he appeared to have been in his 90s for almost 20 years, we know now that this was not possible).

The tall, lanky Buddy began as dancer in the late 20s performing in theater and vaudeville (with his sister, Vilma, as dancing partner) before entering motion pictures. In 1935 he and his sister came to Hollywood, where they were signed for the first of MGM's Eleanor Powell movies, Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935). His sister retired from stage and screen shortly after this, while Buddy Ebsen starred in two further MGM movies with Eleanor Powell. His dancing partners were Frances Langford in Born to Dance (1936) and Judy Garland in Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937) -- they were a little bit taller than Shirley Temple, with whom he danced in Captain January (1936).

He showed off his loose-limbed hoofing style in Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935), Captain January (1936), and Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937); and was, in fact the inspiration for Mickey Mouse's movements, as Disney animators filmed him dancing in front of a grid to "choreograph" Mickey's dance steps in the "Silly Symphony" cartoons.

In 1938, MGM offered him a seven-year contract, starting at $2,000 a week but requiring him to give the studio absolute control over his career. Ebsen rejected it. MGM blackballed him and his film career went into eclipse for nearly 20 years, until Walt Disney hired him to play Georgie Russel, Davy Crockett's sidekick in the TV series "Davy Crockett."

MGM head Louis B. Mayer offered him an exclusive contract in 1938, but Ebsen turned it down. In spite of Mayer's warning that he would never get a job in Hollywood again, he was offered the role of the scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Ebsen agreed to change roles with Ray Bolger, who was cast as the Tin Woodman. Ebsen then became ill from the make-up, however, so the role went to Jack Haley. Ebsen returned to stage, making only a few pictures before he got a role in the Disney production of Davy Crockett. After this, he became a straight actor, who later won more fame in the TV series "The Beverly Hillibillies" and "Barnaby Jones."

After seeing Ebsen in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," the creator of "The Beverly Hillbillies" wanted him to play family patriarch Jed Clampett. At the time, Ebsen was thinking of retiring, but the producers sent Ebsen a copy of the script, and he changed his mind. I don't personally see the sense in this, and wonder about the truth of the story, as the script must have been shit.

Between 1935 and 1942 Ebsen appeared in a dozen films, mostly (if not all) musicals, including Born to Dance (1936). Who knows what would have happened if he hadn't nearly died from inhaling aluminum in the make-up for the Tin Man after being cast in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Because of Ebsen's prolonged hospitalization, he was replaced by Jack Haley (whose make-up used pre-mixed aluminum dust), and his scenes were re-shot using Haley. Footage of Ebsen as the Tin Man still exists, and was included as an extra with the U.S. 50th anniversary video release of The Wizard of Oz (1939).

Between 1942 and 1950, Ebsen made no film appearances, but he did act, sing, and dance the role of Frank Schultz in the 1946 Broadway stage revival of "Show Boat."

In the 50s, Ebsen gave several decent dramatic performances in films, including Night People (1954), Between Heaven and Hell (1956), and most importantly, in Robert Aldrich's Attack (1956). There were also several throwaway B-Westerns; but Ebsen was also Fess Parker's sidekick, George Russel, on the "Disneyland" series "Davy Crockett" shows in the 1950s (including two feature films compiled from the various TV episodes: Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier [1954], and Davy Crockett and the River Pirates [1956]).

In the 60s, besides the outrageously long-running and successful "Beverly Hillbillies" (1962 - 1971), Ebsen gave nice performances in the films Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), as Holly's abandoned, but understanding husband, Doc Golightly; and in Mail Order Bride (1964), opposite Warren Oates.

Just two years after the "Hillbillies" were put to rest, the apparently elderly Ebsen began his role as private detective, "Barnaby Jones" -- a surprise hit which lasted seven seasons (1973 - 1980).

In 1981, Ebsen was Jed Clampett, once again, in the TV-Movie, The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies. He then played Roy Houston for a season (1984-1985), father of "Matt Houston" on the 80s crime drama.

He had a cameo in the film version of The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) -- as Barnaby Jones, P.I. The late Jim Varney played Jed.

In 1998, Buddy had surgery to repair an aortic valve in his heart. In, 2001, Ebsen became a best-selling author, writing a novel, "Kelly's Quest." "There are a lot of mes," Ebsen said, commenting on having written the romance novel at age 93. "You take a blank piece of paper and, whatever you're thinking, you write it down. I'm very satisfied if, in my mind, it increased the value of the paper. That's what writing should do. It should increase the value of the paper."

For 50 years, Ebsen made dozens of guests appearances on TV programs between 1949 and 1999, including: "The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre" (1949), "Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" (1952), "Studio 57" (1956), "Climax!" (1957), "Playhouse 90" (1958-9), "Maverick" (1959-61), "Bonanza" (1959-72), "Rawhide" (1960-62), "Gunsmoke" (1960-71), "77 Sunset Strip" (1961), "The Twilight Zone" (1961) as "Jimbo Cobb" in: "The Prime Mover," "Have Gun - Will Travel" (1961), "The Andy Griffith Show" (1961) as the transient "Dave Browne" in: "Opie's Hobo Friend," "The Andy Williams Show" (1963), "Hawaii Five-O" (1971), "Night Gallery" (1972), "Alias Smith and Jones" (1972), "Cannon" (1975) as "Barnaby Jones" in episode: "The Deadly Conspiracy," "Hardcastle and McCormick" (1983), "Reading Rainbow" (1985), "Burke's Law" (1994), and "King of the Hill" (1999).

Ebsen's IMDb reported height was 6' 3 1û2". The actor also attended Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida shortly before starting his film career.

Ebsen married three times: the first, Ruth Cambridge (1936 - 194?) was Walter Winchell's original Girl Friday. Cambridge and Ebsen divorced, but not before having 2 daughters. Ebsen was married to Nancy Wolcott (1944 - 1985) for over 40 years; they had five children together before divorcing. In 1985 Ebsen married Dorothy Knott, they had one child and the marriage ended upon his death.

An outspoken Republican, Ebsen helped defeat his "Beverly Hillbillies" co-star Nancy Kulp in her race to become a democratic congresswoman, saying in a radio advertisement that she was far too liberal and not good for the district. Kulp was reportedly (and understandably) enraged when Ebsen helped her opponent when she ran for congress in the Pennsylvania's Ninth Congressional District, but Kulp later made peace with Ebsen. Long divorced, she came out of the closet at the age of 67 and stated she was a lesbian. She died in 1991, at 69, of cancer.

Ebsen quote: "You get more negative reactions than positive reactions as you go through life, and the big lesson is nobody counts you out but yourself...I never have, I never will."