April 2, 1908 saw the birth of Buddy Ebsen, actor, song and dance man, and long-time Republican enthusiast and activist. Ebsen began campaigning for Republican candidates as early as the 1940s, and participated in virtually every presidential campaign from 1952 on, making public appearances for Eisenhower, Nixon, and Reagan.

In October 1984, Ebsen made national news by appearing in radio and TV ads opposing his former co-star on The Beverly Hillbillies, Nancy Kulp (Miss Jane Hathaway), a liberal Democrat, in her bid for a Pennsylvaniacongressional seat.

Ebsen recorded a radio spot for incumbent Republican Bud Shuster. The spot, which aired throughout central Pennsylvania, said:

"Hi, this is Buddy Ebsen. When I heard that one of our 'Beverly Hillbillies' was running for Congress, I recalled the many discussions we had on the set out here in California. I was pretty conservative and she was real liberal. So I dropped her a note to say, 'Hey, Nancy. I love ya dearly but you're too liberal for me. I gotta go with Bud Shuster."

The two did not speak for years after the incident, but eventually settled their differences.

18 years earlier, Ebsen had gotten the goat of California's Democrat Governor Pat Brown who had been denigrating his Republican challenger, Ronald Reagan as "merely an actor." At a Ronald Reagan rally in 1966, Ebsen joked:

"Better an actor than a clown in Sacramento."

Brown then overreacted and miscalculated by responding: "You know I'm running against an actor. Remember this, you know who shot Abraham Lincoln, don't you? An actor shot Lincoln."

The malicious—and illogical—slur outraged Reagan's Hollywood supporters, and much of the public at large, as Reagan buried Brown by almost one million votes.

In 1952, Ebsen campaigned for Eisenhower and Nixon, breaking into a soft-shoe routine, and singing: "'Ike and Dick are the pair I pick.''

CHRISTIAN LUDOLF "BUDDY" EBSEN, JR.

was born April 2, 1908, in Belleville, Illinois, the middle child with four sisters, to Christian Ludolf Ebsen Sr., a Danish choreographer, and Frances (née Wendt), a Latvian, who was a painter.

Buddy's father once owned a dance studio and was also a physical fitness advocate, before he operated a natatorium for the local school district. Ebsen was raised in Belleville until the age of 10, when his family moved to Palm Beach County, Florida. In 1920, Ebsen and his family relocated to Orlando, Florida. Ebsen and his sisters learned to dance at a dance studio his father operated in Orlando.

During his high school years Buddy became a member of John M. Cheney Chapter of DeMolay International in Orlando. His involvement as a teenager led to his being recognized by DeMolay in adult life with the award of the Legion of Honor Degree, and later by induction into the DeMolay Alumni Hall of Fame.

Ebsen graduated from Orlando High School in 1926. Initially interested in a medical career, Ebsen attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, from 1926 to 1927, and then Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, from 1927 to 1928. Family financial problems caused by the collapse of the Florida land boom forced Ebsen to leave college at age 20.

PROFESSIONAL CAREER

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 (equal to $380 in 2012) and worked at a soda fountain shop. His sister Vilma Ebsen and he performed as a dance act in supper clubs and in vaudeville — they were known as "The Baby Astaires." On Broadway, the Ebsens appeared as members of the chorus in the musicals Whoopee, Flying Colors, and 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 in New York City, the pinnacle of the vaudeville world.

MGM SIGNING

In 1935, Ebsen and his sister were approached by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for a screen test. They then signed a two-year contract, with a two-year option, for $1,500 per week each (equal to $26,774 today). After relocating to Hollywood, the siblings made their film debuts in "Broadway Melody of 1936" with Jack Benny. This was to be Vilma's only film — a contract problem prevented her making other films and she soon retired from show business.

Ebsen went on to appear in numerous films, both musicals and non-musicals, including the 1936 "Born to Dance," the 1936 "Captain January" (in which he danced with Shirley Temple), the 1938 "Broadway Melody of 1938" (with Judy Garland as his dance partner), and the 1938 "The Girl of the Golden West. Ebsen" partnered with actresses Eleanor Powell and Frances Langford, among others. He 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 Symphonies" animated short films.

THE WIZARD OF OZ

When Ebsen turned down studio head Louis B. Mayer's offer of an exclusive contract with MGM, Mayer warned him that he would never get a job in Hollywood again. Nonetheless, MGM did cast Ebsen 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 swap. Ebsen recorded all his songs as Tin Man, went through all the rehearsals, and started filming. However, he soon began experiencing cramps and shortness of breath, eventually leading to hospitalization. Doctors determined that Ebsen was suffering a reaction to the aluminum dust used in the Tin Man makeup; he was forced to leave the production for health reasons.

Ebsen recalled that the studio heads did not believe he was sick until someone tried to order him 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. Although Haley re-recorded most of Ebsen's vocals, Ebsen's Midwestern voice (as opposed to Haley's Bostonian accent), with the enunciated "r" in the word "wizard," can still be heard on the soundtrack during several reprises of the song "We're Off to See the Wizard." Ebsen's recording of the Tin Man's only solo song, "If I Only Had a Heart," still exists and is included on the two-CD 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.

Until his dying day, Ebsen complained of lung problems from involvement in "that damned movie." Ebsen outlived all of the major cast members of The Wizard of Oz, living into the 21st century; only the Munchkins (e.g. Jerry Maren, who has outlived Ebsen by 14 years) and extras are still alive.

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, eventually becoming so proficient in seamanship that he taught the subject to U.S. Navy officer candidates. In 1941, with the start of U.S. involvement in World War II, Ebsen applied several times for an officer's commission in the Navy, but was repeatedly turned down. His application for a U.S. Coast Guard commission was accepted, 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-manned Navy frigate USS Pocatello, which recorded weather at its "weather station" 1,500 miles west of Seattle, Washington. 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.

RETURN TO ACTING

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" in 1954 and 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 the 1960s, Ebsen appeared in episodes of the television series "Rawhide," "Tales of Wells Fargo, and "Have Gun, Will Travel."

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. Ebsen also appeared as "Mr. Dave" Browne, a homeless hobo, on The Andy Griffith Show opposite Ron Howard, and on an episode of "The Twilight Zone."

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (1961)

Throughout the 1950s, Ebsen also performed in films, mainly Westerns. One notable exception 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."

THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES

Paul Henning recalls his reason for choosing Ebsen to play 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."

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, fish-out-of-water CBS sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies." Aside from the top-billed Ebsen, principal cast members included Irene Ryan as Jed's mother-in-law, Daisy Moses, also known as Granny; Max Baer Jr. as Jed's dimwitted nephew Jethro Bodine; Donna Douglas as Jed's only child, the curvaceous, critter-loving Elly May Clampett; Raymond Bailey as Milburn Drysdale, a bank president who oversees the Clampett fortune; and Nancy Kulp as Jane Hathaway, Drysdale's secretary.

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 cancelled by CBS (because programmers began shunning shows that attracted a rural audience).

BARNABY JONES

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. Critics and CBS executives ridiculed the age of the show's audience, but it lasted 8 seasons and 178 episodes. When Barnaby Jones was cancelled, it was one of the last surviving 1970s detective dramas. 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 and the 1993 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," she said of Ebsen. "You had to keep up with him. I adored him. I think he had feelings for me, too." She also said (once again) of the man, who truly adored her, "I loved that man! I was so lucky. He was a dream," she enthuses. "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."

OTHER TV 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.

Ebsen narrated the documentary series Disney Family Album during the 1980s on the Disney Channel and Steven Kellogg's "Paul Bunyan" on the 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.

LATER YEARS

Although generally retired from acting as he entered his 80s, Ebsen filmed a cameo in the 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.

Throughout his life, Ebsen had many interests. He became a folk artist and an avid coin collector, co-founding the Beverly Hills Coin Club in 1987 with actor Chris Aable. Ebsen's collection included many rarities such as a four-dollar gold piece worth $200,000. The coin was sold in several auctions both before and after his death. As Ebsen entered his nineties, he continued to keep active, and two years before his death, his bestselling novel "Kelly's Quest" was published. Ebsen wrote several other books including "Polynesian Concept" (about sailing), "The Other Side of Oz" (autobiography) and "Sizzling Cold Case," a mystery based on his Barnaby Jones character.

DEATH

Ebsen died of respiratory failure at Torrance Memorial Medical Center (Torrance Memorial Health System) in Torrance, California, on July 6, 2003, at the age of 95. Upon his death, his body was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea.

PERSONAL LIFE

Ebsen was first married to Ruth Cambridge and they had two daughters. The marriage ended in divorce. In 1945, Ebsen married fellow lieutenant Nancy Wolcott. They had four daughters, including Kiki Ebsen, and a son. This marriage, after 39 years, also ended in divorce. In 1985, Ebsen married his third wife, Dorothy "Dotti" Knott. They had no children.

LEGACY

Ebsen has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1765 Vine Street, and a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.

QUOTES

"'As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.' Often the values of the influences imposed on us by our mothers and fathers, our teachers and certain friends, are not realized until years later, when we, as a sailor does, look back at our wakes to determine the course we have steered that got us to where we are. Today when I look back, then look around me to see with whom I am standing, I fully realize the influence on my life that must be credited to DeMolay."

"Writing fiction, there are no limits to what you write as long as it increases the value of the paper you are writing on."

"I probably enjoyed show business most when I was doing plays like 'The Male Animal' and 'Good Night, Ladies,' when people would lay down their money and laugh and you'd see them walk out happy. By God, I'd feel honest. I could go home with a good taste in my mouth. You'd feel better, you'd feel more alive and like you were justifying your existence."

Of The Beverly Hillbillies: "The one flaw in this is that you can't hear the people laughing."