Prior to shooting the pilot, Benaderet enlisted a dialect coach to help her learn a hillbilly accent. She . Casting for the Bradley trio wasnt easy, and show creator Paul Henning auditioned no less than 1,500 women. At the time of her follow-up visit, the spot was no longer apparent, Newspapers.com reported. 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. Pearl played the piano for the silent movies and she saw such high fashion and ridiculous hairdos. Her best friend is her next-door neighbor Wilma Flintstone . ANSWER: Actress Bea Benaderet (Kate) died of lung cancer in 1968 while Petticoat Junction.. . [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?' She was born in New York City but raised in San Francisco. Lung cancer The show had been created with her in mind as the lead, by longtime friend Paul Henning. She made her radio debut when she was 12 years young. March 28, 2021, 6:21 am, by [84] Diagnosed with lung cancer, Benaderet underwent six weeks of laser radiation treatment via a linear particle accelerator at Stanford University Medical Center. 1950)Eugene Twombly(m. 1957; her death 1968) One of the busiest voice actors of the post-war era, radio star Bea Benaderet then became a fixture of CBS TV comedy with roles in "The Burns and Allen Show . She was one of the few female voice artists associated with Warner Bros studio in its early days. When she left Petticoat Junction the first time, she underwent treatment for the condition, and a recurrence of the illness in February 1968 sent her back to the hospital. [56] The same year, she was then cast as the voice of Betty Rubble in the Hanna-Barbera primetime animated series The Flintstones. At the time of her death, the Indianapolis Star reported Benaderet had completed filming for. She also became known as the voice of Betty Rubble in The Flinstones. 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. And is. She is the voice of Betty Rubble on The Flintstones that's handily the first place I ever encountered her. 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. January 27, 2023, 6:25 pm, Trending Her final 4 episodes aired in 1968. [45] She was the only secondary cast member who appeared in every episode[16] and the first six shows were shot live in New York, resulting in Benaderet commuting to Los Angeles, where she was working several radio assignments at the time. January 27, 2023, 7:28 pm, by Benaderet first specialized in voiceover work in the golden age . So, if you feel like you missed the finale, youre not alone. click the Leave a Flower button. She had been a longtime smoker and it was discovered that she had lung cancer. When she was cast in "Petticoat Junction" as Kate Bradley in 1963, Bea was recognized as having "finally" become a star. [78], Benaderet and her first husband, actor Jim Bannon, met while employed at KHJ in Los Angeles. Bea Benaderet By the mid-1950s, she also began looking for on-screen work. Bea Benaderet was born on the fourth of April, 1906, in New York City. Facts Verse If the character of Sam Drucker looks familiar, thats because he and his actor Frank Cady have been in ALL 3 Paul Henning creations. '"[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 one of the actresses to lend her voice to Betty Rubble on The Flintstones. Roughly a quarter million of these unlucky souls sustain injuries so severe that they end up dying. 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 Benaderet is a late radio and TV actress and voice actress. [60] She became one of his regular players in the first two seasons of Burns & Allen, a two-episode guest appearance on The Bob Cummings Show in 195657, and her involvement in three of the most successful sitcoms of the 1960s. 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. He wrote several episodes for the radio show and impressed by Beas talent. 'Whos the Boss? Throughout most of her television career, she continued to voice roles in animated shows and short films. Beverly Hillbillies was such an immediate hit, it spawned the creation of Petticoat Junction. Bea Benaderet passed away due to complications of lung cancer and pneumonia on October 13, 1968, in Los Angeles. Beatrice BenaderetApril 4, 1906New York City, New York, U.S. [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. [13] She studied voice and the piano;[14] her first acting performance came at 11 when she portrayed a bearded old man in a school play. So, lets dive into Petticoat Junction: How did a dog become the most famous cast member? The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and as the original voice of Betty Rubble during the first four seasons of The Flintstones, and in The Beverly Hillbillies as Pearl Bodine. Benaderet missed a total of 10 episodes during season five (159, 160, 162-169) and only managed a few episodes of season six before illness struck again. Theres a popular myth going around that the wedding between Betty Jo and Steve ended up coinciding perfectly with the marriage between their actors, Linda Henning and Mike Minor. Its because of this that Bea Benaderets last episode of Petticoat Junction is hard to watch. Alison Pearce from Bewitched had an impressive career until her life got cut short, but not before she met the love of her life. 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. According to IMDB, It was because of her role as Blanche that she couldn't accept the part of Ethel Mertz in "I Love Lucy" (1951), which was offered to her by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Benaderet voiced various one-time parts before joining the main cast as Iris, neighbor and friend of Ball's character Liz Cooper. And thats exactly how we got the plot for Petticoat Junction. Why did Bea Benaderet leave the bachelorette? After she graduated from St. Rose Academy in San Francisco, Bea attended the Reginald Travis School of Acting. 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. Benaderet auditioned with past radio coworker Jean Vander Pyl for Betty and Wilma Flintstone by exchanging dialogue before the show's co-creator Joseph Barbera, who asked afterward what part they preferred. 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. After-all, Benaderet was a capable actor in her own right and also knew how to make a script work in her favor. Popular, by Before going into acting, hed actually been a very successful dentist! Probably the most harrowing was Bea Benaderets. Born 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. The voice actors for the US animated sitcom 'The Flintstones', circa 1962. '"[64] He additionally took Benaderet's suggestion of casting Harriet MacGibbon as Granny's rival Margaret Drysdale. Who was 'Pearl Pearl Pearl' used as a love song for? [citation needed], Henning was again given free rein for a new show with no pilot needed, which he bestowed to colleague Jay Sommers due to his busy schedule. But if you look closely, you can see the toll the treatment took, as shes noticeably thinner and weaker. Even next to the beautiful girls. Ironically I only came to Bea Benaderet's (1906-1968) biggest, best and best-known role only recently. The character of Kate Bradley and Beas performance were so great, that it was decided not to cast another actress to play the role. [53], Benaderet became a fixture on television in the 1960s, which included working on two shows simultaneously from 1960 to 1964. During a routine medical checkup in the early 1960s, it was discovered that Bea had a spot on one of her lungs. . Bea Benaderet (1906-1968) was originally considered for the role of Granny. Do you think that Petticoat Junction still holds up today? Goldmark & Granata (2002), pg. Bea would make a huge impact on pop culture as the voice of Betty Rubble in The Flintstones. As for just Petticoat Junction, with all its cast changes, only three actors were in all 7 seasons. She also occasionally voiced characters on Top Cat and The Yogi Bear Show. Bea Benaderet's first major starring role on television was sadly her last. [It] just never occurred to me that it mightgolly, my own show! Died October 13, 1968 Biography Read More One of the busiest voice actors of the post-war era, radio star Bea Benaderet then became a fixture of CBS TV comedy with roles in "The Burns and Allen Show" (CBS 1950-1958), "The Beverly Hillbillies" (CBS 1962-1971) and "Petticoat Junction" (CBS 1963-1970). Then, in 1968, it was announced her treatment was finished and a complete success, just in time for her to come back for the season finale! The wedding episode between Betty Jo and Steve aired in November 1967. [29] On February 5, 1964, she was named an honorary sheriff of Calabasas, California, with her daughter Maggie accepting a badge on her behalf that was presented by her Petticoat Junction co-star Edgar Buchanan in a public ceremony. This made her one of the most popular actresses on TV. Sadly, we didnt see Kate after the fifth season as Bea Benaderet passed away from lung cancer. One of the most popular characters from the show was Kate Bradley played by Bea Benaderet. She initiated her acting journey after performing in Bay Area theatre and various radio shows before she embarked on the Hollywood. "[122] Early in the first season of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, her full name appeared as "Bee Benadaret" in the closing credits.[11]. 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. Sometimes, it really was a family! January 28, 2023, 4:29 pm, by January 19, 2022, 6:17 pm, by Only . [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. 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. She especially showed aptitude in performing a variety of characters and speaking with different dialects and accents. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Margaret Benaderet (105540832)? "Bea Benaderet she was more than just a good actress," The Beverly Hillbillies creator shared. But her best work was arguably in a show created by Paul Henning. She had a powerful voice and had the ability to bring characters to life solely through audio performances. She headlined the sitcom Petticoat Junction, which ran for seven seasons from 1963-69, though she passed away three episodes into the sixth season. And so [] More, Sex, Drugs, and Rock n Roll. June Lockhart joined Petticoat Junction after Benaderet's departure. Previous Next. Her most famous roles included Granny in the film Tweetie Pie and Mama Bear in several of the Three Bears short films.