He’s best known for his role as Jed Clampett in The Beverly Hillbillies, but there’s hardly anyone who doesn’t know Buddy Ebsen just because he’s Buddy Ebsen.
Ebsen, who recently turned 92, has had a distinguished career which includes stints as a dancer, singer and actor. Recently, Pop Culture Publisher Bill Miller and I went to Buddy Ebsen’s lovely home to see what he’s been up to since The Beverly Hillbillies and Barnaby Jones. Here’s what we found.
It turns out that Buddy has started a new career as a painter. Ebsen, who’s been interested in art since he was a kid, became a painter in 1920 at the encouragement of his mother. Living in West Palm Beach, Florida, Ebsen was intrigued by the region’s bright foliage and beautiful geography. His family later moved to Orlando where he continued his painting.
Buddy, whose father was a dancing teacher, soon followed suit and left the art world for a while to pursue a show business career. He left for New York and landed a job as a dancer in a show but was fired five days after he got the stint because he was taller than the other dancers.
Finding himself far away from home with just 50 cents in his pocket, he had a decision to make. And, it’s probably not the decision most people would arrive at in such a time of crisis. “It was 1928 and I believe that you live for today and worry about tomorrow when it comes,” said Buddy. So, I took my money and went down to a malt shop and bought a chocolate malt and two Hershey bars.” While in the shop, Ebsen felt someone tap him on his shoulder and when he turned around, it was his old friend Hugh McKnight. The friend asked Ebsen what he was up to and Ebsen replied, “I’m out of work.” McKnight offered Buddy a job as a soda jerk and he accepted.
Buddy with his first
“Uncle Jed” sketch.
Ebsen eventually returned to show business as a dancer and ultimately an actor, who would go on to appear in numerous movies. One role he did get, but was never able to complete, was the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz. Cast for the role, Ebsen became violently ill after the silver makeup was applied to his skin. The job was later given to Jack Haley, and, the rest, as they say, is show business history.
Fast forward 40 years, and Buddy was cast as Jed Clampett in The Beverly Hillbillies TV show which aired in the 60’s. Ebsen portrayed a poor hillbilly who discovered oil on his property and became an instant millionaire. As the well-known story goes, Jed packed up his family, Ellie May, Granny and Jethro Bodine to move to the land of swimming pools and movie stars. The clan’s adventures delighted millions of viewers for years and has been in syndication ever since, spawning new generations of fans. Following The Beverly Hillbillies, Ebsen returned to prime time TV as detective Barnaby Jones. The show was a hit and brought Ebsen back into millions of living rooms each week.
After television, Buddy had some time on his hands. “I started doodling and my wife, Dorothy said, ‘If you can draw, you can paint.’ So, I started painting, and pretty soon I had a business.” Ebsen originally painted scenery and abstracts, but soon discovered a genre which he felt more suited for: Folk art.
“I was talked into folk art,” said Ebsen, who took art lessons but preferred doing his own thing – in the style of Dadaism, a movement, which was a revolt against traditional art of the time. Dorothy, Ebsen’s wife, recalled that initially Buddy had done fine art which was featured at a show in Beverly Hills. “The response was very good,” said Dorothy. “But no one imagined how good the response would become when he featured Uncle Jed as the central character in his works.”
Ebsen’s latest series of works, all produced under the “Uncle Jed Country Line” depict Jed and his dog, Old Duke, in various settings and surrounded by different animals. Ebsen said that painting is healing for him. The paintings, according to him, make people smile. “When someone sees one of these painting on a wall, they smile. And smiling, and being happy takes away internal, mental and spiritual stress.”
Ebsen’s love of animals is evident in each piece. Besides Duke, a little red cardinal serves as the thread between each work. Named “Red,” the bird can be found somewhere in each of Ebsen’s paintings, and it’s obvious that the artist is very fond of his little friend.
Buddy’s paintings work. They’re well crafted and well thought out. Each tells its own story. His style is an endearing one and you can’t help but fall in love with Jed and his characters. And, to make sure that everyone can own a piece of his “happiness,” Ebsen has gone to great lengths to make them available at a very reasonable price. A hand-signed print, for instance, can be acquired for a mere $100! Now for those of you who collect, you’ll immediately realize that a signed print by a legend like Ebsen at that price is a bargain to be taken advantage of. Artists proofs start at $150 and deluxe lithographs on canvas, also hand-signed, start at $595. Each edition is strictly limited, so get yours while you can. You can view Buddy’s paintings on his web site at www.unclejedcountry.com. The site is pretty incredible, and Buddy himself takes you on a video tour while relating anecdotes about each painting.
“It’s a thrill for me to do something that wasn’t there before, and painting is therapeutic,” Ebsen said. “You’re in a room with a bare canvas and paint it to a point where you don’t put another dab on it. You don’t have to wait for anyone else to validate it. You know when it’s done.” He may know when his paintings are done, but based on our visit with Buddy, he’s not going to be done for a long time—he’s full of energy and surprises, and we can’t wait to see what he’ll unveil next.
Be sure to visit www.uncledjedcountry.com. You’ll be glad you did.
Courtesy of Pop Culture Collecting Magazine
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