Ebsen (left) as Barnaby Jones, with Lee Meriwether (1973)
Born
Christian Ludolf Ebsen Jr.[1]
(1908-04-02)April 2, 1908
Belleville, Illinois, U.S.
Died
July 6, 2003(2003-07-06) (aged 95)
Torrance, California, U.S.
Alma mater
Rollins College, University of Florida
Occupations
Actor
singer
dancer
comedian
Years active
1928–1999
Political party
Republican
Spouses
Ruth Cambridge
(m. 1936; div. 1942)
Nancy Wolcott
(m. 1945; div. 1985)
Dorothy Knott
(m. 1985)
Children
7, including Kiki Ebsen.
Relatives
Vilma Ebsen (sister)
Buddy Ebsen (born Christian Ludolf Ebsen Jr.;[1] April 2, 1908 – July 6, 2003), also known as Frank "Buddy" Ebsen,[2] was an American actor and dancer, whose career spanned seven decades. One of his most famous roles was as Jed Clampett in the CBS television sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971); afterwards he starred as the title character in the television detective drama Barnaby Jones (1973–1980).[3]
Originally a dancer, Ebsen began his film career in Broadway Melody of 1936. He also appeared as a dancer with child star Shirley Temple in Captain January (1936). He was cast to appear in The Wizard of Oz (1939), originally as the Scarecrow, and before filming began, his role was changed to the Tin Man. He fell seriously ill during filming due to the aluminum dust in his makeup and was forced to drop out. He appeared with Maureen O'Hara in They Met in Argentina (1941) and June Havoc in Sing Your Worries Away (1942). In Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), he portrayed Doc Golightly, the much older husband of Audrey Hepburn's character. Before his starring role in The Beverly Hillbillies, Ebsen had a successful television career, the highlight of which was his role as Davy Crockett's sidekick, George Russell, in Walt Disney's Davy Crockett miniseries (1953–54).
^ ab"Ebsen Viewed Fame As A Long Shot". Orlando Sentinel. November 9, 2005. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
^Ebsen apparently joined the Screen Actors Guild using this name on February 13, 1937.Yaros, Valerie. "Early Members, 1933 – 1937: Frank "Buddy" Ebsen". SAG History. Archived from the original on March 7, 2005. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
^Cite error: The named reference la was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
BuddyEbsen (born Christian Ludolf Ebsen Jr.; April 2, 1908 – July 6, 2003), also known as Frank "Buddy" Ebsen, was an American actor and dancer, whose...
Ranch. Kiki Ebsen was born Nancy Kiersten Ebsen at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Her father is actor BuddyEbsen and her mother...
shows and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musicals in the 1930s with her brother BuddyEbsen. Ebsen was born in Belleville, Illinois. During her childhood, her family...
contractual issues. Ray Bolger was originally cast as the Tin Man and BuddyEbsen was to play the Scarecrow. Bolger, however, longed to play the Scarecrow...
Barnaby Jones is an American detective television series starring BuddyEbsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law...
Max Baer Jr.'s refusal to participate, Douglas joined Nancy Kulp and BuddyEbsen in 1981 as the only original cast members to appear in the reunion movie...
and daughter-in-law in the 1970s crime drama Barnaby Jones starring BuddyEbsen. The role earned her two Golden Globe Award nominations in 1975 and 1976...
broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring BuddyEbsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor...
Ebsen is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: BuddyEbsen (1908–2003), American actor and dancer John Ebsen (born 1988), Danish cyclist...
known for her portrayal of Daisy May "Granny" Moses, mother-in-law of BuddyEbsen's character Jed Clampett on the long-running TV series The Beverly Hillbillies...
with some of the most famous and accomplished entertainers of her era: BuddyEbsen, Jack Haley, Alice Faye, George Murphy, Jimmy Durante, Charlotte Greenwood...
tradition. The film stars Eleanor Powell and Robert Taylor and features BuddyEbsen, George Murphy, Judy Garland, Sophie Tucker, Raymond Walburn, Robert...
sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies which reunited original cast members BuddyEbsen, Donna Douglas and Nancy Kulp reprising their characters of Jed Clampett...
Sid Silvers, BuddyEbsen, Una Merkel, Frances Langford and The Foursome Sung by Marjorie Lane, James Stewart, Sid Silvers, BuddyEbsen, Una Merkel, Frances...
as his daughters. The film was originally written for Walter Brennan. BuddyEbsen wound up playing the role of Joshua Cabe instead. The show drew "solid...
the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz. He replaced song-and-dance comedian BuddyEbsen, who had suffered a severe allergic reaction after inhaling aluminum...
three million copies and was turned into a television movie starring BuddyEbsen, Joey Cramer, and Gordon Tootoosis and directed by Harvey Hart in 1987...
take a short trip - through The Twilight Zone. Dane Clark as Ace Larsen BuddyEbsen as Jimbo Cobb Christine White as Kitty Cavanaugh William Keene as Desk...
Dreyfuss Don Dubbins Andrew Duggan John Dullaghan Liam Dunn Robert Easton BuddyEbsen Barbara Eden Jack Elam Dana Elcar Robert Ellenstein Sam Elliott Jena...
co-star BuddyEbsen contacted the Shuster campaign and volunteered to make a radio campaign ad in which he called Kulp "too liberal". Kulp said of Ebsen, "He's...
Global Information