Elly May (or the actress who played the role) has died. I always thought her critter-loving character was cute (and funny). RIP, Donna.
From NBC12:
PRIDE, LA (WAFB) - Family members say Donna Douglas passed away this morning at the age of 81.
Douglas was an actress, best known for her role as Elly May Clampett, the only daughter of Jed Clampett, in the CBS television series The Beverly Hillbillies.
She was born in 1933, in Pride, LA and lived in Zachary, LA.
She was a "Miss Baton Rouge" and was named "Miss New Orleans" in 1957.
From
The Examiner:
Donna was born Doris Smith, married at 16, had a son at 21, and was divorced at that same age. She was Miss New Orleans in 1957. Beginning as a modeling career, Donna found work on television’s “Perry Como Show” and “Steve Allen Show,” but it was an appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” that caused movie producer Hal Wallis to take notice. She was cast in the role of Marjorie Burke in the feature film “Career” (1959), which starred Dean Martin and Shirley MacLaine. After a bit part in the movie “Li’l Abner” (1959), Donna returned to modeling before landing a role in the movie “Lover Come Back” (1961) which featured Rock Hudson and Doris Day.
During 1961 Donna continued to make appearances on many TV shows, including “Bachelor Father” and “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” as well as four episodes of the series “Checkmate.” She was also featured on Boris Karloff’s anthology series “Thriller” in an episode also starring William Shatner and Russell Johnson. Perhaps even more famously, Donna appeared in the 1960 “Twilight Zone” episode “Eye of the Beholder.”
“The Beverly Hillbillies” premiered in 1962 with Donna in the role of the critter-loving tomboy Elly May Clampett. The show’s bucolic cornball comedy became an immediate smash hit, and the number one show in the nation during its first two seasons, despite being dismissed as lowbrow by most critics. One episode during the second season, “The Giant Jackrabbit,” was the most watched TV episode up to its airing, and remains the most watched half-hour episode of a sitcom. “The Beverly Hillbillies” continued to be successful, always in the top dozen shows for its year, until its ninth season, after which it was cancelled.