Did you know that Kellogg’s was one of “The Beverly Hillbillies” main sponsors? It doesn’t seem like they were trying very hard to hide this fact. After the opening credits and theme song, Jed Clampett is clearly pointing to something off-screen. The camera moves to show Kellogg’s Corn Flakes on a billboard.
As the theme song continues, it shifts into the famous slogan, “K-E-Double L-O-Double Good. Kellogg’s best to you”. The show’s beloved characters were brand spokespersons for many years, as seen clearly in this ad.
Hidden Scandal
Allegedly, there was a bit of drama on “The Beverly Hillbillies” with Sonny really being Margaret Drysdale’s son from a previous marriage. Even though there is no real issue with this, the show always mentioned him as Sonny Drysdale, which wasn’t his last name.
Experts on the show know that Sonny’s last name was Adonis, after his father and Margaret’s first husband. It is unclear why the writers would include such a progressive twist, but not use it until much later seasons.
Animals On The Set
Your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you, there really is a raccoon on her back, but she’s still smiling. Elly May Clampett was known for keeping a wide variety of animals in the hillbillies’ mansion. It’s clear from this shot, that she felt very comfortable with all sorts of critters and not just ordinary house pets. The popular show featured everything from skunks to pigeons.
But Elly May wasn’t expected to charm the beasts by herself, there was a full-time animal trainer on set named Frank Inn. He took care of the furry friends, and the cast really enjoyed having them around. Or at least the cats and dogs, not sure about the skunks and racoons.
Typecasting
You’d be surprised to learn that Max Baer Jr.’s real name is Maximilian Adalbert. That name sure sounds fancy! Baer is most famous for his role as slow but lovable Jethro Bodine on “The Beverly Hillbillies.” But after the show wrapped, the actor felt like he was having a hard time finding other roles, especially ones where the character is something other than a good-hearted hick.
This is actually quite common in Hollywood, where actors can be pigeonholed into similar types of roles. After a number of similar opportunities, Baer decided to make a change and focused on writing, producing, and directing rather than acting.
The Ballad of Jed Clampett
The show had a catchy theme song, telling the age-old tale of rags to riches. The song was suitably titled “The Ballad of Jed Clampett,” with lyrics performed by Jerry Scoggins and music by bluegrass duo Flatt and Scruggs.
Even if you don’t know every single episode of “The Beverly Hillbillies” by heart, you can probably hum along with the song about “Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.” The iconic tune even became a hit on the year the show debuted, and made it to number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.