Editing Buddy Ebsen (section)

==Career==
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2022}} 
Ebsen left Orlando in the summer of 1928 to try his luck as a dancer in [[New York City]], arriving with only $26.75 in his pocket, and worked at a [[soda fountain]] shop. He and his sister [[Vilma Ebsen]] performed as a dance act in [[supper clubs]] and in [[vaudeville]] — they were known as "The Baby Astaires". On [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], the Ebsens appeared in the [[musical theatre|musical]]s ''[[Whoopee!|Whoopee]]'', ''[[Flying Colors (musical)|Flying Colors]]'', and ''[[Ziegfeld Follies|Ziegfeld Follies of 1934]]''. A rave review from New York columnist [[Walter Winchell]], who saw them perform in [[Atlantic City, New Jersey]], led to a booking at the [[Palace Theatre (New York City)|Palace Theatre]] in New York City, the pinnacle of the vaudeville world.

===MGM signing===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[image:Buddy Ebsen1.jpg|right|thumb|Buddy Ebsen c. 1936]] -->
Ebsen went on to appear in numerous films, both musicals and nonmusicals, including the 1936 ''[[Born to Dance]]'', the 1936 ''[[Captain January (1936 film)|Captain January]]'' (in which he danced with [[Shirley Temple]]),  the 1937 ''[[Broadway Melody of 1938]]'' (with [[Judy Garland]] as his dance partner), and the 1938 ''[[The Girl of the Golden West (1938 film)|The Girl of the Golden West]]''. Ebsen partnered with actresses [[Eleanor Powell]] and [[Frances Langford]], among others, and also danced solo.

Ebsen was noted for his unusual, surreal dancing and singing style (for example, his contribution to the "Swingin' the Jinx Away" finale of ''[[Born to Dance]]''). His abilities might have been a reason filmmaker [[Walt Disney]] chose Ebsen to be filmed dancing in front of a grid as an aid to animating [[Mickey Mouse]]'s dancing in Disney's 1929 to 1939 [[Silly Symphony|Silly Symphonies]] animated short films.

===''The Wizard of Oz''===
[[File:Buddy Ebsen Tin Man.jpg|right|thumb|Ebsen as the Tin Man before being replaced by Jack Haley]]
Ebsen turned down [[Louis B. Mayer]]'s offer of an exclusive MGM contract, and Mayer warned him that he would never work in Hollywood again. Nonetheless, MGM cast him as the Scarecrow in its 1939 film ''[[The Wizard of Oz]]''. Ebsen then swapped roles with actor [[Ray Bolger]], who was originally cast as the Tin Man. Bolger wanted to play the Scarecrow, and Ebsen did not object to the change. Ebsen had recorded all of his songs as the Tin Man, attended all the rehearsals, and had begun filming. However, he soon began experiencing body aches, muscle cramps, and shortness of breath, eventually leading to a lengthy  hospitalization. Doctors determined that the aluminum dust used in the Tin Man makeup was coating his lungs and keeping his blood from being oxygenated,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nolasco |first1=Stephanie |title='Beverly Hillbillies' Star Buddy Ebsen Lost 'The Wizard of Oz' Role for This Horrifying Reason, Daughter Says |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/beverly-hillbillies-star-buddy-ebsen-lost-wizard-oz-role-horrifying-reason-daughter |access-date=2 April 2023 |work=[[Fox News]] |date=31 March 2023}}</ref> and he was forced to leave the production.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snopes.com/movies/films/ozebsen.asp |title=Wizard of Oz and Buddy Ebsen |date=July 26, 1997 |publisher=snopes.com |access-date=September 9, 2012}}</ref><ref>[[SAG-AFTRA]] ''Early Members: 1937'' {{Cite web |url=http://www.sagaftra.org/early-members-1937 |title=Early Members: 1937 &#124; SAG-AFTRA |access-date=February 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303061728/http://www.sagaftra.org/early-members-1937 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |url-status=deviated }} ''Frank 'Buddy' Ebsen'': "When I was cast as the original Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz (1939), I almost disappeared over the rainbow because of the poisonous aluminum dust in my silvery make-up. It cost me a big medical bill. If that happened today, the Guild would have taken care of it. SAG, long may they wave."</ref> Ebsen recalled in an interview included on the 2005 DVD release of ''The Wizard of Oz'' that the MGM  studio heads did not believe that he was ill until he was ordered back to the set and was intercepted by an angry nurse.

Ebsen was replaced by [[Jack Haley]], with the makeup quickly changed to a safer aluminum paste. MGM did not publicize the true reason for Ebsen's departure; even Haley was not told until much later. Haley re-recorded most of Ebsen's vocals, although Ebsen's Midwestern accent can still be heard on the soundtrack during several reprises of "We're Off to See the Wizard", with the enunciated "r" in the word "wizard", as opposed to Haley's [[Boston accent]]. Ebsen's recording of the Tin Man's solo "[[If I Only Had a Brain|If I Only Had a Heart]]" is included on the deluxe edition of the film's soundtrack, while a still photo recreation of the sequence featuring shots of Ebsen as the Tin Man was included as an extra with all VHS and DVD releases of the film since 1989. For the rest of his life, Ebsen complained of breathing problems from his involvement in "that damned movie". Nonetheless, he outlived all the major cast members in the film, with only some [[Munchkin]] actors, extras such as [[Shep Houghton]] and stand-ins such as [[Caren Marsh Doll]] outliving him.<ref>Cox, Stephen (1988, rev. 2003). ''The Beverly Hillbillies: A Fortieth Anniversary Wing Ding''. Cumberland House Publishing; Rev Exp edition. {{ISBN|1-58182-302-9}}.</ref>

===World War II===
After recovering from the illness, Ebsen became embroiled in a contract dispute with MGM that left him idle for long periods. He took up sailing and became so proficient in seamanship that he taught the subject to naval officer candidates. He applied several times for a commission in the Navy in 1941, but was repeatedly turned down. The [[United States Coast Guard]] accepted his application for a commission, and he was promptly given the rank of lieutenant, junior grade. This wartime rank was one step up from the rank of ensign, the usual rank given newly appointed naval officers in peacetime. Ebsen served as damage control officer and later as executive officer on the Coast Guard-crewed Navy frigate {{USS|Pocatello|PF-9|6}}, which recorded weather at its "weather station" 1,500 miles west of [[Seattle]]. These patrols consisted of 30 days at sea, followed by 10 days in port at Seattle. Ebsen was honorably discharged from the Coast Guard as a lieutenant in 1946.<ref>''Stars in Blue'', James E. Wise Jr. and Anne Collier Rehill, Naval Institute Press, 1997, p. 159, {{ISBN|1-55750-937-9}}</ref>

===Return to acting===
[[File:Prime Mover Twilight Zone 1961.jpg|thumb|{{center|L-R: Christine Moore, Dane Clark, Buddy Ebsen and Jane Burgess in "[[The Prime Mover]]", a 1961 episode of ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'' }}]]
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]]'', ''[[Playhouse 90]]'', ''[[Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse]]'', ''[[Johnny Ringo (TV series)|Johnny Ringo]]'', two episodes of ''[[Bonanza]]'', three episodes of ''[[Maverick (TV series)|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 <ref>{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Janelle|title=Re: George Russell|url=http://genforum.genealogy.com/russell/messages/12763.html|publisher=genealogy.com|access-date=August 12, 2008}}</ref><ref name="National Archives and Records Administration. Index to the Compiled Military Service Records for the Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M602, 234 rolls.">{{cite book|title=National Archives and Records Administration. Index to the Compiled Military Service Records for the Volunteer Soldiers Who Served During the War of 1812|publisher=Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration|location=Washington, D.C.|pages=M602, 234 rolls}}</ref> and companion to [[frontiersman]] [[Davy Crockett]], in the ''[[Walt Disney anthology television series#Walt Disney's Disneyland (1954–1958)|Disneyland]]'' television miniseries ''[[Davy Crockett (TV 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 (TV series)|Northwest Passage]]''. This series, the first half-hour Western filmed and broadcast in color on NBC, was a fictionalized account of [[Robert Rogers (soldier)|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. From 1960 to 1962, Ebsen appeared in episodes of the television series ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]'' and ''[[Tales of Wells Fargo]]''. Ebsen also portrayed a corrupt, bloodthirsty marshal in "El Paso Stage", an episode of ''[[Have Gun, Will Travel]]'' broadcast in April 1961.

Between October 1961 and March 1962, Ebsen had a recurring role as Virge Blessing in the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] drama series ''[[Bus Stop (TV 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 [[Bus Stop (1956 film)|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. Throughout the show's run, he played several characters on ''[[Gunsmoke]]'' including as the episode title character in Season 17, Episode 11 (''[[List of Gunsmoke television episodes#Season 17 (1971–72)|Drago]]''). A notable exception to Ebsen's continual work in Westerns and rural television shows was an acclaimed role as Doc Golightly, an older, rural veterinarian deserted by his young wife (played by [[Audrey Hepburn]]) in 1961's ''[[Breakfast at Tiffany's (film)|Breakfast at Tiffany's]]''.

===''The Beverly Hillbillies'' (1962–1971)===
{{Quote box
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 |quote= [[Paul Henning]] recalls his reason for choosing Ebsen to play [[Jed Clampett]]: "I had seen him on TV and I couldn't imagine anyone else doing the role," he says. "I was fortunate to have him, because he became the cornerstone of the show."
 |source=<ref>{{cite web|last=Murphy|first=Tom|title=Come Listen To A Story 'bout A Man Named... Buddy, Barnaby & Jed|date=12 February 1995|newspaper=[[Sun-Sentinel]]|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-02-12/features/9502080292_1_ebsen-hillbillies-barnaby-jones/3|access-date=17 June 2015|archive-date=June 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617234343/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-02-12/features/9502080292_1_ebsen-hillbillies-barnaby-jones/3|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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[[File:Buddy Ebsen and Irene Ryan from The Beverly Hillbillies - 1970.jpg|thumb|{{center|[[Irene Ryan]] and Ebsen, 1970}}]]
Ebsen became famous as [[Jed Clampett]], an easygoing backwoods mountaineer who strikes oil and moves with his family to [[Beverly Hills, California]], in the long-running, [[wikt:fish out of water|fish-out-of-water]] CBS sitcom ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies]]''.

Although scorned by critics, ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' attracted as many as 60 million viewers between 1962 and 1971 and was several times the highest-rated series on television. The show also spawned similar Paul Henning-produced rural sitcoms such as ''[[Green Acres]]'' and ''[[Petticoat Junction]]'', which were eventually linked in crossover episode arcs. ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' was still earning good ratings when it was canceled by CBS (because programmers [[Rural purge|began shunning shows that attracted a rural audience]]). One episode, "The Giant Jack Rabbit", broadcast January 8, 1964 (season 2, episode 16) was the highest-rated half-hour on television to that time and remains{{when|date=July 2013}} the most-watched half-hour sitcom episode.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Giant Jackrabbit: What is a Beverly Hillbillies Episode Doing on the TV All Time Most Watched List?|publisher=The Retroist|url=http://www.retroist.com/2012/06/11/the-giant-jackrabbit-what-is-a-beverly-hillbillies-episode-doing-on-the-tv-all-time-most-watched-list/|access-date=17 June 2015|archive-date=June 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617220230/http://www.retroist.com/2012/06/11/the-giant-jackrabbit-what-is-a-beverly-hillbillies-episode-doing-on-the-tv-all-time-most-watched-list/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Not all was harmonious among cast members on ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' set, especially between the politically conservative Ebsen and the more liberal [[Nancy Kulp]]. Donna Douglas (Elly May) said, "They had a different view, so they had some heated discussions about that. They would go at it for weeks." In 1984, Kulp unsuccessfully ran for the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] as a Democrat from [[Pennsylvania]]. To her dismay, Ebsen supported her Republican opponent, incumbent Representative [[Bud Shuster]], going so far as to tape an ad for Shuster that labeled Kulp as "too liberal". Ebsen claimed she was exploiting her celebrity status and did not know the issues.<ref>{{cite web|last=Folkart|first=Burt A.|title=Nancy Kulp; Foil in 'Beverly Hillbillies'|date=5 February 1991|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-02-05-mn-889-story.html|access-date=17 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Feudin' Hillbillies: Jed Clampett Opposes Miss Hathaway's House Bid|date=2 November 1984|newspaper=[[The Palm Beach Post]]|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19841102&id=jqdUAAAAIBAJ&pg=6266,1161853&hl=en|access-date=17 June 2015}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===''Barnaby Jones'' (1973–1980)===
Ebsen returned to television in 1973 as the title character of ''[[Barnaby Jones]]'', which proved to be his second long-running television series. Barnaby Jones was a milk-drinking detective who came out of retirement to investigate the death of his son.  The program lasted eight seasons and 178 episodes.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YUFfn59FaBwC&q=barnaby+jones+178+episodes&pg=PA156|last3=Dowell|first3=Gary|last2=Mangus|first2=Don|last1=Halperin|first1=James L.|title=HMM Dallas Music and Entertainment Memorabilia Auction Catalog #688|year=2008|publisher=Heritage Capital Corporation|isbn=9781599672298}}</ref> [[Lee Meriwether]], 1955 [[Miss America]], played Barnaby's widowed daughter-in-law, Betty Jones. Ebsen appeared briefly as Barnaby Jones on two other productions: a 1975 episode of ''[[Cannon (TV series)|Cannon]]'' and the 1993 film ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies (film)|The Beverly Hillbillies]]''.

Meriwether said of her on and off screen chemistry with Ebsen, "He really worked at being at the top of his game." "You had to keep up with him. I adored him. I think he had feelings for me, too."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-lee-meriwether-classic-hollywood-20130819-story.html |title=There she is .... Lee Meriwether; Classic Hollywood: Former Miss America Lee Meriwether has graced stage and screen for nearly six decades |access-date=2017-07-06 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305211025/http://articles.latimes.com/2013/aug/19/entertainment/la-et-st-lee-meriwether-classic-hollywood-20130819 |archive-date=2016-03-05 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=August 19, 2013 }}</ref> She also said  of the man, "I loved that man! I was so lucky. He was a dream." "He loved the idea of being a detective. We had CSI-type equipment in the office on the set and he liked doing his own tests. It was a show the whole family could watch."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.boomermagazine.com/lee-meriwether-catwoman/ |title=Where Are They Now? Lee Meriwether, Who Played "Catwoman" |work=boomermagazine.com |last=Hingley |first=Audrey T. |date=June 9, 2014 |access-date=July 6, 2017}}</ref>

===Other television credits===
Ebsen's last regular television series was ''[[Matt Houston]]'' on ABC, starring [[Lee Horsley]]. Ebsen played Matt's uncle, Roy Houston, during the show's third season from 1984 to 1985. He also appeared in "The Waiting Room",  a'' [[Night Gallery]] ''segment that originally aired January 26, 1972.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JGqA6vA7OjYC&q=buddy+ebsen+night+gallery&pg=PA264|last2=Skelton|first2=Scott|last1=Benson|first1=Jim|title=Rod Serling's Night Gallery: An After-hours Tour|year=1999|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=9780815627821}}</ref>

Ebsen narrated the documentary series ''[[Disney Family Album]]'' during the 1980s on the [[Disney Channel]] and [[Steven Kellogg]]'s "Paul Bunyan" on the [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] series ''[[Reading Rainbow]]'' in 1985. He made his final guest-starring appearance in 1994 on an episode of the short-lived television series revival ''[[Burke's Law (1994 TV series)|Burke's Law]]''.

===Later years===
Although generally retired from acting as he entered his 80s, Ebsen filmed a cameo in the [[The Beverly Hillbillies (film)|1993 film version]] of ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' as Barnaby Jones. This was Ebsen's final motion picture role. In 1999, Ebsen provided the voice of Chet Elderson for an episode of the Fox Entertainment program ''[[King of the Hill]]''. This was his last TV appearance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001171/|title=Buddy Ebsen|website=IMDb|access-date=2018-04-30}}</ref>

Ebsen has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 1765 Vine Street, and a star on the [[St. Louis Walk of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stlouiswalkoffame.org/inductees/?view=achievement|title=St. Louis Walk of Fame Inductees|last=St. Louis Walk of Fame|publisher=stlouiswalkoffame.org|access-date=25 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031162946/http://www.stlouiswalkoffame.org/inductees/?view=achievement|archive-date=31 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1993, Ebsen was inducted as a [[Disney Legends]] award winner.<ref>{{cite web |title=Buddy Ebsen - D23 |url=https://d23.com/walt-disney-legend/Buddy-Ebsen/ |website=The Official Disney Fan Club}}</ref>