Buddy Ebsen

Birthday: 2 April 1908, Belleville, Illinois, USA

Birth Name: Christian Rudolph Ebsen Jr.

Height: 191 cm

Buddy Ebsen began his career as a dancer in the late 1920s in a Broadway chorus. He later formed a vaudeville act with his sister Vilma Ebsen, which also appeared on Broadway. In 1935 he and his sister went to Hollywood, where they were signed for the first of MGM's Eleanor Powell movies, Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935). While Vilma retired from stage and screen shortly after this, Buddy starred in two further MGM movies with Powell. Two of 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). MGM studio chief 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 Man. Ebsen subsequently became ill from the aluminum make-up, however, and was replaced by Jack Haley. He returned to the stage, making only a few pictures before he got a role in the Disney production of Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier (1955). After this, he became a straight actor, and later won more fame in his own hit series, The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) and Barnaby Jones (1973). Show less «

[Who said as to why The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) was his favorite TV series to date]: "The one fla...Show more »

[Who said as to why The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) was his favorite TV series to date]: "The one flaw in this is that you can't hear the people laughing." Show less «

[Who said in 1964 when his first given name was: Christian Rudolph Ebsen, Jr.]: "It was a German com...Show more »

[Who said in 1964 when his first given name was: Christian Rudolph Ebsen, Jr.]: "It was a German community, and the schools taught German as well as English. Although it was my first language, I never became fluent in it. When I was filming 'Night People' in Berlin, a few years ago, I was often complimented on my accent, but never on my vocabulary or grammar." Show less «

My father was born in what used to be Denmark and later became part of Germany. After what my uncle ...Show more »

My father was born in what used to be Denmark and later became part of Germany. After what my uncle told him about his experiences in the German army, my father thought he had better get out of the country fast. That's why he came to the United States when he was 16 and went to Chicago, where his sister had married the postmaster. Show less «

[For gaining popularity as the sixty-something Barbaby Jones]: With such a glut of private-eye shows...Show more »

[For gaining popularity as the sixty-something Barbaby Jones]: With such a glut of private-eye shows, I didn't see how another one could succeed, I really thought the network was making a mistake. Show less «

[For gaining popularity for playing fifty-something Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies]: "I don...Show more »

[For gaining popularity for playing fifty-something Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies]: "I don't see how people can see themselves or their friends in our show." Show less «

'As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.' Often the values of the influences imposed on us by our mo...Show more »

'As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.' Often the values of the influences imposed on us by our mothers and fathers, our teachers and certain friends, are not realized until years later, when we, as a sailor does, look back at our wakes to determine the course we have steered that got us to where we are. Today when I look back, then look around me to see with whom I am standing, I fully realize the influence on my life that must be credited to DeMolay. Show less «

You get more negative reactions than positive reactions as you go through life, and the big lesson i...Show more »

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. Show less «

They had poise. They never felt out of place.

[When asked why he had returned to the rigors of a weekly show (Matt Houston (1982)), at the age of ...Show more »

[When asked why he had returned to the rigors of a weekly show (Matt Houston (1982)), at the age of 76. (1984)]: "I'm used to getting up at dawn and going to the studio to be with my pals on the set. It's my lifestyle and I wouldn't trade it for any other." Show less «

They got a lot of very important people to make a comment about 'Hillbillies,' its position in the g...Show more »

They got a lot of very important people to make a comment about 'Hillbillies,' its position in the general tapestry of Americana. Show less «

[Where he spent most of his time aboard a weather ship outside of Seattle, where he doesn't consider...Show more »

[Where he spent most of his time aboard a weather ship outside of Seattle, where he doesn't consider a total loss]: "I met my present wife Nancy during the war. She was in the Coast Guard, too, and stationed in Seattle as a communications officer. We were both lieutenants, j.g., but I got my extra half stripe before we got married, so I outranked her." Show less «

[In 1993]: "It's therapeutic. When I get depressed, I just rent a cassette [of it] and I feel good. ...Show more »

[In 1993]: "It's therapeutic. When I get depressed, I just rent a cassette [of it] and I feel good. I don't have to see a doctor." Show less «

[Of his Barnaby Jones character]: "Barnaby is more of a fox. He counterpunches. Let's somebody make ...Show more »

[Of his Barnaby Jones character]: "Barnaby is more of a fox. He counterpunches. Let's somebody make a mistake and he capitalizes on it." Show less «

You take a blank piece of paper and, whatever you're thinking, you write it down. I'm very satisfied...Show more »

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. Show less «

[Who said in 1963 about his career before starring in The Beverly Hillbillies (1962)]: "I'm a straig...Show more »

[Who said in 1963 about his career before starring in The Beverly Hillbillies (1962)]: "I'm a straight man in the series. Jed is essentially not a comedy character, so my job is to set up the situations and the lines. Occasionally, Jed will make a droll observation and sometimes when the show is slanted toward him, I'll play in a comedy scene. But for the most part I feed lines to the others." Show less «

[As to why he didn't want to star in The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), in the first place]: I was relu...Show more »

[As to why he didn't want to star in The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), in the first place]: I was reluctant to do it, because I didn't think I had any business in this picture because it was gonna be all new people. And then Penelope got on the phone and finally persuaded me to do it. She felt that it was a good comedy notion, and I think it turned out she was right. Show less «

I have about six plays and I want to write 'My First 50 Years in Show Business.' My mother, God bles...Show more »

I have about six plays and I want to write 'My First 50 Years in Show Business.' My mother, God bless her, saved every letter from 1928 on. Every clipping pictures. She squirreled it all away. Show less «

[on being a best-selling author]: "Writing fiction, there are no limits to what you write as long as...Show more »

[on being a best-selling author]: "Writing fiction, there are no limits to what you write as long as it increases the value of the paper you are writing on." Show less «

[About Cass Daley]: "Anyway, Cass Daley is with me in the cast of 10 and it's a happy group we have....Show more »

[About Cass Daley]: "Anyway, Cass Daley is with me in the cast of 10 and it's a happy group we have. I don't want to sound like a Don Quixote-type character, but I'm sort of on a one-man rampage to find out if there isn't a place on stage for good, clean fun, the kind of wholesome entertainment people used to enjoy some years back. And so far, the attendance on this tour has backed me up." Show less «

[Who said in 1965 about his stage performances]: "I probably enjoyed show business most when I was d...Show more »

[Who said in 1965 about his stage performances]: "I probably enjoyed show business most when I was doing plays like 'The Male Animal' and 'Good Night, Ladies,' when people would lay down their money and laugh and you'd see them walk out happy. By God, I'd feel honest. I could go home with a good taste in my mouth. You'd feel better, you'd feel more alive and like you were justifying your existence." Show less «

[When he had a lot of time writing, Mark Shera, joined the cast of Barnaby Jones (1973), as J.R.]: "...Show more »

[When he had a lot of time writing, Mark Shera, joined the cast of Barnaby Jones (1973), as J.R.]: "I said we have two clever people on the show. Lee Meriwether and Mark Shera. I said why don't you do a number of shows in which they carry the load. They agreed to that and it gives me more time to do the things I want to do." Show less «

[on the effects of aluminum poisoning that forced his relinquishing the 'Tin Man' role] Production h...Show more »

[on the effects of aluminum poisoning that forced his relinquishing the 'Tin Man' role] Production had been underway for ten days when, one night after dinner,I took a deep breath - and nothing happened! I felt like no air had reached my lungs... as though someone had coated them with glue. And my breathing was excruciatingly labored. I wondered if I was dying. Show less «

I can walk on any stage in the English-speaking world and say, 'Well, doggies!' and I'm home free.

[Who said in 1993 about an admirer Jim Varney playing his predecessor's role that made him famous, 3...Show more »

[Who said in 1993 about an admirer Jim Varney playing his predecessor's role that made him famous, 3 decades ago]: I want to welcome Jim Varney into a very exclusive club. That's the Uncle Jed Club. There are hundreds of actors that have played Hamlet, but only two have played Jed Clampett. Show less «

[Who was still going on strong with his Barnaby Jones character]: "After this, I'll just get into so...Show more »

[Who was still going on strong with his Barnaby Jones character]: "After this, I'll just get into something else. Some other job. I can't do nothing." Show less «

[Who said in 1971 as to why he'd done things on tour rather than staying at home sailing one of his ...Show more »

[Who said in 1971 as to why he'd done things on tour rather than staying at home sailing one of his boats]: "Well, I've always loved the stage, and naturally it's been a long time since I played to a live audience. So I got this hankering, or itch, maybe it's almost like a disease" Show less «

[Who believed in 1962 about The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) making it a surefire hit]: "It has severa...Show more »

[Who believed in 1962 about The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) making it a surefire hit]: "It has several things going for it - including the scripts. First, there's the contrast between a historically primitive culture and an extremely modern one. And the simple one doesn't come off second best because the people are kind and direct. Then, there's the business about the country jakes with 25 million dollars who appear to be ripe for the slickers - but never get taken because of their basic honesty and goodness. People always like that - the story of the wise fools, a classic." Show less «

[Who said in 1977 about his tune, The September Song, taken from Knickerbocker Holiday]: "I don't co...Show more »

[Who said in 1977 about his tune, The September Song, taken from Knickerbocker Holiday]: "I don't consider 'September Song' a survivor song, but there is one line which expresses why I'll never retire. That's these few golden days I'll spend with you." Show less «

[Who thought in 1973 for a while about the Barnaby Jones character he portrayed]: "Besides being old...Show more »

[Who thought in 1973 for a while about the Barnaby Jones character he portrayed]: "Besides being older, he approaches problems more calmly. Not that he's incapable of being worked up. He has compassion for the victim, compassion for the bereaved and compassion really for the convicted. Not that he's soft. He's a embodiment of what someone once said about a tough skipper-he's hard, but he's fair." Show less «

[Commenting on having written a romance novel at age 93]: "There are a lot of mes."

I've been typecast as various things in my career. As a cute little-well, not-so-little, brother-sis...Show more »

I've been typecast as various things in my career. As a cute little-well, not-so-little, brother-sister dance team. I got by that and that was deliberate. I played heavies for about eight or nine years. It was my agent's idea. He said we'd have to break this mold. Show less «

[When he was playing the saxophone, the same instrument that inspired future president Bill Clinton,...Show more »

[When he was playing the saxophone, the same instrument that inspired future president Bill Clinton, to play it long after him]: "Sixty-seven years ago, I owned a saxophone and played in the high school band. I said, 'Shucks, if he can do it, I can.'" Show less «

Buddy Ebsen

Buddy Ebsen's FILMOGRAPHY

Buddy Ebsen'S roles

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