EBSEN, Christian (Rudolf, Jr.) 1908-2003 (Buddy Ebsen)

OBITUARY NOTICE—

See index for CA sketch: Born April 2, 1908, in Belleville, IL; died July 6, 2003, in Torrance, CA. Actor and author. Ebsen is best remembered for his leading roles in the television series The Beverly Hillbillies and Barnaby Jones. Ebsen, who was given the nickname Buddy by one of his aunts, started off in show business as a dancer in New York City. He first learned to dance from his father, who taught ballet at a dance studio, although Ebsen considered the skill an unmasculine pursuit when he was a child. Instead, he first aspired to be a doctor after seeing one of his sisters suffer from epilepsy. Toward that end, he attended pre-med courses at the University of Florida, but with insufficient funds to complete his education decided to try show business. He moved to New York City, appearing in the chorus of the successful musical comedy Whoopee during the late 1920s. He also formed a vaudeville dance act with his sister Vilma, with Ebsen playing the comical figure. His tall, lanky form was ideal for goofy dance moves, and when the two young dancers were spotted by columnist Walter Winchell as they were performing a dance to the tune "Ain't Misbehavin'," Winchell's glowing review became Ebsen's ticket to success. Vaudeville reviews such as Broadway Stars of Tomorrow followed, and in the 1930s Buddy and Vilma appeared as feature dancers in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer productions of Flying Colors, Ziegfeld Follies of 1934, and Broadway Melody of 1936. The pair were eventually separated by the studio, and Ebsen next performed in a number of musical movies, such as 1936's Captain January, in which he danced with Shirley Temple. He was also offered the role of the tin woodsman in The Wizard of Oz, but during the early stages of shooting the film had a reaction to the aluminum in his makeup; hospitalized for several weeks, he lost the part to Jack Haley. Still, Ebsen was in demand, but when the studio offered him a seven-year contract he turned it down because of the condition that the studio control his career. For this reason, he found himself blackballed. Finding it hard to get acting roles in Hollywood, Ebsen returned to Broadway until World War II interrupted career worries. Ebsen served in the U.S. Coast Guard as a lieutenant junior grade, working on a patrol frigate that searched for German U-boats. Returning to civilian life, he won a role in the 1946 stage production of Show Boat, but this was followed by a period of struggle during which he appeared in several B-movie Westerns. Ebsen's luck turned around when he was given the role of Davy Crockett's friend Georgie Russel in a series of television programs and movies produced by Walt Disney in the 1950s. This was followed by a regular role as Sergeant Hunk Marriner in the NBC television series Northwest Passage from 1958-59. His film career picked up somewhat, too, and he had a supporting role in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). The next year he was hired to star as Jed Clampett in the comedy series The Beverly Hillbillies, which ran from 1962-71. Then followed Ebson's title role in Barnaby Jones (1973-80), a television series about a private investigator. With the exception of a supporting part in the short-lived series Matt Houston (1984-85), and a cameo appearance as Barnaby Jones in the 1993 spinoff movie The Beverly Hillbillies, Ebsen eased out of acting after Barnaby Jones. In retirement, he engaged in many activities to occupy his time, including skippering his catamaran to several boat-race wins; he also owned a company that built catamarans. Ebsen was also a writer, and authored a number of plays—including Honest John (1948) and Champagne General (1964)—songs—including tunes that appeared on a Beverly Hillbillies album in 1965—and books—including his autobiography The Other Side of Oz (1993) and the novel Kelly's Quest (2001).

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

BOOKS

Contemporary Theater, Film, and Television, Volume 3, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1986.

PERIODICALS

Chicago Tribune, July 8, 2003, section 1, p. 4.

Los Angeles Times, July 8, 2003, p. B12.

New York Times, July 8, 2003, p. A25.

Times (London, England), July 18, 2003.

Washington Post, July 8, 2003, p. B7.