‘Elly May Clampett' connects with youthful audience, speaks of faith in God
When Donna Douglas was wowing television audiences in the 1960s and 1970s on the iconic series "The Beverly Hillbillies," many of the people she speaks to today weren't born yet, but those who saw television's Elly May Clampett last weekend said her message of self-respect and self-worth was as relevant today as ever.
"Her message is still timely and appropriate today," said Kim Braden, who came from Branson to see Douglas speak in Carthage. "It's almost like she relates to young people more than those her own age. What she said today in there was what kids today need to hear."
As long as reruns of the No. 1 television series stick to the airways, Donna Douglas will remain Elly May, the bubbly, beautiful young blond from the hill country of middle America who, along with her Uncle Jed, Granny and Cousin Jethro, "Loaded up the truck and they moved to Beverly ... Hills, that is."
On Friday, Douglas, in a voice that can still be recognized by any fan of the show, spoke to people in the Fairview Christian Church in Carthage about how faith kept her on the straight and narrow despite the temptations of New York City and Hollywood.
"The scripture I always lean on is Proverbs 3: 5 and 6; 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths,'" Douglas said. "That's the amazing thing, because I never planned to be an actress, I never planned to play, I never had training in singing or dancing, everything I ever knew I had to pickup along the way.
"I always try to run and catch up with God's plan in my life."
Her message was one of self-worth, encouraging people to live by Christian values and realizing that everyone is valuable in the eyes of God and everyone has a part to play in the world.
"That message was fantastic," said Cheryl Chambers of Webb City. "We host a young women's retreat in Branson every year, and her message is exactly what young women need to hear."
Douglas said that though "The Beverly Hillbillies" was a comedy, it also had a message that resonates through the decades.
"It was the American Dream," Douglas said. "But I think it had a lot of good things in it, too. We were all so grateful to be working, Buddy Ebsen he had started out in Vaudeville, and he had done many things, but his career wasn't on an upswing or anything. Granny, (Irene Ryan) she wasn't really doing anything. Max Baer and I, we were babies just starting out, so everybody was so grateful to be working."
Douglas said the show contained a message of respect for self and respect for others.
"Our show, after being on for nine years, we went into reruns almost immediately, and we've been in reruns ever since," Douglas said. "So we get kids after kids after kids, we've got generations of people who grew up with the show. We've got grandmas, moms, young people and their kids. People will come up to me on planes and tell me how much they appreciate our show. When we put our kids down to watch you show, we knew what the content would be, we knew what they would be seeing and we didn't have to worry, they will tell me."
Douglas said the show displayed values that the producer, the late Paul Henning, picked up while growing up in Missouri.
"Paul Henning was brought up outside Independence, Missouri, so a lot of his background came from his memories of the Ozarks, and stories he heard from people who lived in the Ozarks," Douglas said. "In fact in Branson, he and his wife donated the land for a big state park, and also the old truck is down there at the School of the Ozarks in a museum there. I was just there last night and I sat in the old truck, it was so much fun after all these years."
Douglas said she spends her time nowadays mowing her lawn at her home outside Baton Route, La., and traveling the world speaking about her life and the show.
She said the character of Elly May has opened doors for her that wouldn't otherwise be open.
"I'm very grateful and amazed, too," Douglas said. "As far as people are concerned, I think the true desire in my heart is to make me a blessing, help me be the best me I can be. Whoever comes my way or whatever is, I just want to be a blessing to them, I never want to leave them worse off than I found them."
Carthage Press