The Independent-News, Volume 93, Number 49, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 2 May 1968 — Page 18

VOLI ME 93. M'MBKR 49

■ SLLY MAY CLAMPETT OF THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES by Irving Wallace To you she’s Elly May Clampett of the Beverly Hillbillies ... to her Hollywood friends she’s Donna Douglas, but back home in Baywood, Louisiana she’s still Doris Smith. As you know, the program remains up front among the most popular television shows. It is being exhibited in many foreign countries, and wherever necessary the native language is dubbed in. It’s a scream to hear Japanese coming from Granny—in perfect sync with her lips. Donna Douglas is a deeply religious young woman wanting no part of being a sex symbol. Her religion is allimportant in her life . . . it’s why she has not accepted sexy roles in motion pictures. iln high school Donna became a cheerleader and started collecting beauty crowns—carnival queen, football queen and many others. After winning Miss Baton Rouge and Miss New Orleans crowns she headed for New York City where she occasionally found small parts on television shows. Producer Hal Wallis saw one, invited her to Hollywood, changed her name, and she appeared in several motion pictures. Nothing startling happened. She had spent much time trying to erase her cornpone drawl. When producer-writer Paul Henning asked her if she could handle the Elly May role, she answered, “I sure can ! It’s just like my own life.” She had to recover her southern accent for the series. In the face of sneers from critics, the program became the number one show in audience rating. It meant instant fame for Donna. The columnists referred to her as a I new Harlow, Monroe and Bardot built all in one. All in the industry agreed she was the most valuable piece of property in show business. One column referred to her as having more curves than a goat path.

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The series debuted in the fall of 1962. Now, six years later, Donna Douglas, of the big blue eyes and blonde hair, is still a lot more like Elly May than a Hollywood sex symbol. It turned out that she was wanting no part of sexpot roles. To many, it was difficult to understand. But not to Donna. Here she was, a small-town girl, with a teen-age marriage and a divorce behind her, a young son to support, and no special training to augment her ambition. Thrust suddenly into the limelight after bit parts, many thought she would be eager for the fame and money that go along with a sex symbol role. Many predicted the Elly May role and the Beverly Hillbillies program would soon fade away. But Donna Douglas prayed to be guided, and with steadfast faith, she continued on in the Elly May part, turning down flattering financial offers, and lived quietly, almost austerely, with few headlines, no romantic entanglements, none of the excitement with which the other type of characterization is inevitably surrounded. Her life is centered in her son, her religion, and her work. There is no room for a flamboyant life. She lives in a small apartment and drives an inexpensive car. “Show' business does not have to be the rat race many people make of it,” she explained. Donna is ambitious, certainly, but for dramatic roles, rather than Harlow type parts. “Once you open the door to self-improvement, you find self-discipline develops easily,” Donna explained. “You also find that there is a small, still voice inside of you that leads you toward doing w r hat is right. That voice is called a conscience. And the more you become associated with it, the more harmonious your life becomes. It’s so simple, too! If you listen to the voice it becomes stronger and guides you always. If you ignore it, it becomes weaker and weaker until you eventually can’t hear it.” The director on the set barks, “One more take,” and * Donna smooths out her costume of blue jeans and a faded flannel shirt. She tightens her rope belt. Again in character, it is Elly May rushing back before the cameras to help complete another Beverly Hillbillies film episode that would soon be seen by some 35,000,000 Americans and eventually by that many more in foreign countries.

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