Pioneers of Primetime
2005 · Movie
Buddy Ebsen
1908-04-02
•
Belleville, Illinois, USA
Christian Ludolf "Buddy" Ebsen Jr. (April 2, 1908 – July 6, 2003) was an American actor and dancer, whose career spanned seven decades, including the role of Jed Clampett in the CBS television sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971) and the title character in the television detective drama Barnaby Jones (1973–1980), also on CBS. The SAG-AFTRA records also show him as Frank "Buddy" Ebsen. A performer for seven decades, he had starring roles as Jed Clampett in the long-running television series "The Beverly Hillbillies" and as the title character in the 1970s detective series "Barnaby Jones". Ebsen was cast as the original Tin Man in 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz", but fell ill, reacting to the aluminum dust in his makeup, and was forced to drop out of the film. Ebsen made his television debut on an episode of The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre in 1949. This led to television appearances in: Stars Over Hollywood, Gruen Guild Playhouse, four episodes of Broadway Television Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Corky and White Shadow, the H.J. Heinz Company's Studio 57, Screen Directors Playhouse, two episodes of Climax!, Tales of Wells Fargo, The Martha Raye Show, Playhouse 90, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Johnny Ringo, two episodes of Bonanza, three episodes of Maverick (in which he portrayed assorted homicidal villains), and 77 Sunset Strip. Ebsen received wide television exposure when he played Georgie Russel, a role based on a historical person and companion to frontiersman Davy Crockett, in the Disneyland television miniseries Davy Crockett (1954–1955). In the 1958–1959 season, Ebsen co-starred in the 26-episode half-hour NBC television adventure series Northwest Passage. This series was a fictionalized account of Major Robert Rogers, a colonial American fighter for the British in the French and Indian War. Ebsen played the role of Sergeant Hunk Marriner; Keith Larsen played Rogers. In 1960, Ebsen appeared in episodes of the television series Rawhide, in the episodes "The Pitchwagon" and Tales of Wells Fargo, which he reprised in episodes of both series during 1962 in the roles of different characters. Also in 1960, Ebsen played in season 4 episode 30 of Have Gun, Will Travel called "El Paso Stage", as a corrupt marshal. From 1961 to 1962, Ebsen had a recurring role as Virge Blessing in the ABC drama series Bus Stop, the story of travelers passing through the bus station and diner in the fictitious town of Sunrise, Colorado. Robert Altman directed several episodes. Arthur O'Connell had played Virge Blessing in the earlier film version on which the series was loosely based. Ebsen also appeared as "Mr. Dave" Browne, a homeless hobo, on The Andy Griffith Show opposite Ron Howard, and as Jimbo Cobb in The Twilight Zone episode "The Prime Mover" (season 2, episode 21) in 1961.
Filmography
Judy Garland: By Myself
2004 · Movie
as Self - Actor (voice)
No image
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999 · Movie
as Jed Clampett (archive footage)
King of the Hill
1997 · TV Show
as Chet Elderson (voice)
That's Entertainment! III
1994 · Movie
as (archive footage)
Burke's Law
1994 · TV Show
as Louie Pike
No image
The Legend of the Beverly Hillbillies
1993 · Movie
Audrey Hepburn: Remembered
1993 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
The Beverly Hillbillies
1993 · Movie
as Barnaby Jones
Working Tra$h
1990 · Movie
as Vandevere Lodge
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic
1990 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Stone Fox
1987 · Movie
as Grandpa
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1987 · Movie
as Self (archive footage)
CBS Summer Playhouse
1987 · TV Show
as Buddy Tucker
That's Dancing!
1985 · Movie
as From 'Born to Dance' (archive footage)
Finder of Lost Loves
1984 · TV Show
as Walter Lewis
Disney Family Album
1984 · TV Show
as Narrator
Hardcastle and McCormick
1983 · TV Show
Reading Rainbow
1983 · TV Show
as Self - Narrator (voice)
The Yellow Rose
1983 · TV Show
as Toat Gilmore
Matt Houston
1982 · TV Show
as Roy Houston
The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies
1981 · Movie
as Jed Clampett
Fire on the Mountain
1981 · Movie
as John Vogelin
Kraft Salutes Disneyland's 25th Anniversary
1980 · Movie
as Self
The Paradise Connection
1979 · Movie
as Stuart Douglas
Leave Yesterday Behind
1978 · Movie
as Doc
NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney
1978 · Movie
as Self
The Critical List
1978 · TV Show
as Charles Sprague
The Bastard
1978 · TV Show
as Benjamin Edes
Smash-Up on Interstate 5
1976 · Movie
as Al Pearson
Tom Sawyer
1976 · Movie
as Muff Potter
The Tiny Tree
1975 · Movie
as Squire Badger (Narrator) (voice)
That's Entertainment!
1974 · Movie
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tony Orlando and Dawn
1974 · TV Show
as Self
Dinah!
1974 · TV Show
as Self
The Horror at 37,000 Feet
1973 · Movie
as Glenn Farlee
The President's Plane Is Missing
1973 · Movie
as Vice President Kermit Madigan
Barnaby Jones
1973 · TV Show
as Barnaby Jones
The Daughters of Joshua Cabe
1972 · Movie
as Joshua Cabe
Alias Smith and Jones
1971 · TV Show
Cannon
1971 · TV Show
as Barnaby Jones
The Andersonville Trial
1970 · Movie
as Dr. John Bates
Night Gallery
1970 · TV Show
The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band
1968 · Movie
as Calvin Bower
Hawaii Five-O
1968 · TV Show
as Professor Ambrose Pierce
The Carol Burnett Show
1967 · TV Show
as Self
The Dean Martin Show
1965 · TV Show
Mail Order Bride
1964 · Movie
as Will Lane
No image
Vacation Playhouse
1963 · TV Show
The Danny Kaye Show
1963 · TV Show
as Self
The Interns
1962 · Movie
as Dr. Sidney Wohl
The Beverly Hillbillies
1962 · TV Show
as Jed "JD" Clampett
Breakfast at Tiffany's
1961 · Movie
as Doc Golightly
Fury River
1961 · Movie
as Sergeant Hunk Marriner
Bus Stop
1961 · TV Show
as Virge Blessing
The Mike Douglas Show
1961 · TV Show
as Self
Gunslinger
1961 · TV Show
as Jed Spangler
Mission of Danger
1960 · Movie
as Hunk Marriner
The Andy Griffith Show
1960 · TV Show
as David Browne
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
1960 · TV Show
as Dr. Mark Carroll
Checkmate
1960 · TV Show
as Pete O'Mara
Frontier Rangers
1959 · Movie
as Sergeant Hunk Marriner
The Twilight Zone
1959 · TV Show
as Jimbo Cobb
Rawhide
1959 · TV Show
as George Stimson, Will Kinch
Adventures in Paradise
1959 · TV Show
as Ben Curtis
Black Saddle
1959 · TV Show
as Gurney Rhodes
Lock-Up
1959 · TV Show
Riverboat
1959 · TV Show
as Niles Cox
Johnny Ringo
1959 · TV Show
as Sample
Bonanza
1959 · TV Show
as Cactus Murphy, Sheriff Jesse Sanders
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958 · TV Show
Northwest Passage
1958 · TV Show
as Sergeant Hunk Marriner
Bronco
1958 · TV Show
77 Sunset Strip
1958 · TV Show
as Baxter Kellogg
Maverick
1957 · TV Show
as Nero Lyme, Sheriff Scratch Madden
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957 · TV Show
as Marshal Elmo Crane, Bram Holden
Attack
1956 · Movie
as Tolliver
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates
1956 · Movie
as George Russel
Between Heaven and Hell
1956 · Movie
as Pvt. Willie Crawford
Disneyland: U.S.A.
1956 · Movie
as Self - George Russel
The Steve Allen Show
1956 · TV Show
as Self - Northwest Passage
Corky and White Shadow
1956 · TV Show
as Sheriff Matthew Brady
Tony Awards
1956 · TV Show
as Self - Host, Self - Presenter, Self - Host / Presenter / Performer
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
1955 · Movie
as George Russel
Davy Crockett Goes to Congress
1955 · Movie
as George Russel
Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race
1955 · Movie
as George Russel
Davy Crockett at the Alamo
1955 · Movie
as George Russel
Gunsmoke
1955 · TV Show
as Hannibal, Quimby, Drago
Night People
1954 · Movie
as M/Sgt. Eddie McColloch
Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter
1954 · Movie
as George Russel
Red Garters
1954 · Movie
as Ginger Pete
Walt Disney Treasures - Davy Crockett
1954 · Movie
as George Russell (archive footage)
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954 · TV Show
as George Russel
Climax!
1954 · TV Show
as Ben, Gaffney
Davy Crockett
1954 · TV Show
as George Russel
Studio 57
1954 · TV Show
General Electric Theater
1953 · TV Show
as Pa Jericho
Omnibus
1952 · TV Show
No image
Chevron Theatre
1952 · TV Show
Silver City Bonanza
1951 · Movie
as Gabe Horne
Thunder in God's Country
1951 · Movie
as Happy Hooper
Utah Wagon Train
1951 · Movie
as 'Snooper' Trent
Rodeo King and the Senorita
1951 · Movie
as Muscles Benton
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951 · TV Show
as Rainspout Jones
Under Mexicali Stars
1950 · Movie
as Homer Oglethorpe
The Bob Hope Show
1950 · TV Show
as Self
No image
The Ed Wynn Show
1949 · TV Show
as Self
Sing Your Worries Away
1942 · Movie
as Tommy Jones
Parachute Battalion
1941 · Movie
as Jeff Hollis
They Met in Argentina
1941 · Movie
as Duke Ferrel
Four Girls in White
1939 · Movie
as Express, an Orderly
The Kid From Texas
1939 · Movie
as 'Snifty'
Hollywood Hobbies
1939 · Movie
as Self (uncredited)
The Wizard of Oz
1939 · Movie
as Tin Man (singing voice) (uncredited)
The Girl of the Golden West
1938 · Movie
as Alabama
Yellow Jack
1938 · Movie
as Jellybeans
My Lucky Star
1938 · Movie
as Buddy
Broadway Melody of 1938
1937 · Movie
as Peter Trot
Born to Dance
1936 · Movie
as 'Mush' Tracy
Captain January
1936 · Movie
as Paul Roberts
Banjo on My Knee
1936 · Movie
as Buddy
Broadway Melody of 1936
1935 · Movie
as Ted
