Buddy Ebsen
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Apr 2, 1908
- Died
- Jul 6, 2003 (aged 95)
- Place of birth
- Belleville, Illinois, USA
- Credits
- 122
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.
Known for
The Wizard of Oz
1939Movie
Tin Man (singing voice) (uncredited)
Breakfast at Tiffany's
1961Movie
Doc Golightly
The Twilight Zone
1959TV
Jimbo Cobb
King of the Hill
1997TV
Chet Elderson (voice)
The Beverly Hillbillies
1993Movie
Barnaby Jones
Bonanza
1959TV
Cactus Murphy, Sheriff Jesse Sanders
Filmography
Pioneers of Primetime
2005Movie
Judy Garland: By Myself
2004Movie
Self - Actor (voice)
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999Movie
Jed Clampett (archive footage)
King of the Hill
1997TV
Chet Elderson (voice)
That's Entertainment! III
1994Movie
(archive footage) (uncredited)
Burke's Law
1994TV
Louie Pike
The Beverly Hillbillies
1993Movie
Barnaby Jones
Audrey Hepburn: Remembered
1993Movie
Self (archive footage)
The Legend of the Beverly Hillbillies
1993Movie
Working Tra$h
1990Movie
Vandevere Lodge
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic
1990Movie
Self (archive footage)
CBS Summer Playhouse
1987TV
Buddy Tucker
Stone Fox
1987Movie
Grandpa
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1987Movie
Self (archive footage)
That's Dancing!
1985Movie
From 'Born to Dance' (archive footage)
Finder of Lost Loves
1984TV
Walter Lewis
Disney Family Album
1984TV
Narrator
The Yellow Rose
1983TV
Toat Gilmore
Hardcastle and McCormick
1983TV
Reading Rainbow
1983TV
Self - Narrator (voice)
Matt Houston
1982TV
Roy Houston
Fire on the Mountain
1981Movie
John Vogelin
The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies
1981Movie
Jed Clampett
Kraft Salutes Disneyland's 25th Anniversary
1980Movie
Self
The Paradise Connection
1979Movie
Stuart Douglas
NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney
1978Movie
Self
The Critical List
1978TV
Charles Sprague
The Bastard
1978TV
Benjamin Edes
Leave Yesterday Behind
1978Movie
Doc
Tom Sawyer
1976Movie
Muff Potter
Smash-Up on Interstate 5
1976Movie
Al Pearson
The Tiny Tree
1975Movie
Squire Badger (Narrator) (voice)
Tony Orlando and Dawn
1974TV
Self
Dinah!
1974TV
Self
That's Entertainment!
1974Movie
(archive footage) (uncredited)
The President's Plane Is Missing
1973Movie
Vice President Kermit Madigan
The Horror at 37,000 Feet
1973Movie
Glenn Farlee
Barnaby Jones
1973TV
Barnaby Jones
The Daughters of Joshua Cabe
1972Movie
Joshua Cabe
Cannon
1971TV
Barnaby Jones
Alias Smith and Jones
1971TV
Night Gallery
1970TV
The Andersonville Trial
1970Movie
Dr. John Bates
Hawaii Five-O
1969TV
Professor Ambrose Pierce
The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band
1968Movie
Calvin Bower
The Carol Burnett Show
1967TV
Self
The Dean Martin Show
1965TV
Mail Order Bride
1964Movie
Will Lane
The Danny Kaye Show
1963TV
Self
Vacation Playhouse
1963TV
The Beverly Hillbillies
1962TV
Jed "JD" Clampett
The Interns
1962Movie
Dr. Sidney Wohl
The Mike Douglas Show
1961TV
Self
Breakfast at Tiffany's
1961Movie
Doc Golightly
Bus Stop
1961TV
Virge Blessing
Fury River
1961Movie
Sergeant Hunk Marriner
Gunslinger
1961TV
Jed Spangler
The Andy Griffith Show
1960TV
David Browne
The Barbara Stanwyck Show
1960TV
Dr. Mark Carroll
Checkmate
1960TV
Pete O'Mara
Mission of Danger
1960Movie
Hunk Marriner
Adventures in Paradise
1959TV
Ben Curtis
The Twilight Zone
1959TV
Jimbo Cobb
Johnny Ringo
1959TV
Sample
Lock-Up
1959TV
Riverboat
1959TV
Niles Cox
Bonanza
1959TV
Cactus Murphy, Sheriff Jesse Sanders
Black Saddle
1959TV
Gurney Rhodes
Rawhide
1959TV
George Stimson, Will Kinch
Frontier Rangers
1959Movie
Sergeant Hunk Marriner
77 Sunset Strip
1958TV
Baxter Kellogg
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958TV
Bronco
1958TV
Northwest Passage
1958TV
Sergeant Hunk Marriner
Maverick
1957TV
Nero Lyme, Sheriff Scratch Madden
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957TV
Marshal Elmo Crane, Bram Holden
Disneyland: U.S.A.
1956Movie
Self - George Russel
Between Heaven and Hell
1956Movie
Pvt. Willie Crawford
Attack
1956Movie
Tolliver
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates
1956Movie
George Russel
The Steve Allen Show
1956TV
Self
Tony Awards
1956TV
Self - Host, Self - Presenter, Self - Host / Presenter / Performer
Corky and White Shadow
1956TV
Sheriff Matthew Brady
Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race
1955Movie
George Russel
Gunsmoke
1955TV
Hannibal, Quimby, Drago
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
1955Movie
George Russel
Davy Crockett at the Alamo
1955Movie
George Russel
Davy Crockett Goes to Congress
1955Movie
George Russel
Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter
1954Movie
George Russel
Davy Crockett
1954TV
George Russel
Walt Disney Treasures - Davy Crockett
1954Movie
George Russell (archive footage)
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954TV
George Russel
Climax!
1954TV
Ben, Gaffney
Studio 57
1954TV
Night People
1954Movie
M/Sgt. Eddie McColloch
Red Garters
1954Movie
Ginger Pete
General Electric Theater
1953TV
Pa Jericho
Omnibus
1952TV
Chevron Theatre
1952TV
Utah Wagon Train
1951Movie
'Snooper' Trent
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951TV
Rainspout Jones
Rodeo King and the Senorita
1951Movie
Muscles Benton
Thunder in God's Country
1951Movie
Happy Hooper
Silver City Bonanza
1951Movie
Gabe Horne
Under Mexicali Stars
1950Movie
Homer Oglethorpe
The Bob Hope Show
1950TV
Self
The Ed Wynn Show
1949TV
Self
Sing Your Worries Away
1942Movie
Tommy Jones
Parachute Battalion
1941Movie
Jeff Hollis
They Met in Argentina
1941Movie
Duke Ferrel
The Wizard of Oz
1939Movie
Tin Man (singing voice) (uncredited)
Hollywood Hobbies
1939Movie
Self (uncredited)
The Kid From Texas
1939Movie
'Snifty'
Four Girls in White
1939Movie
Express, an Orderly
My Lucky Star
1938Movie
Buddy
Yellow Jack
1938Movie
Jellybeans
The Girl of the Golden West
1938Movie
Alabama
Broadway Melody of 1938
1937Movie
Peter Trot
Banjo on My Knee
1936Movie
Buddy
Born to Dance
1936Movie
'Mush' Tracy
Captain January
1936Movie
Paul Roberts
Broadway Melody of 1936
1935Movie
Ted