The sitcoms of the 1960s were in a class all by themselves. Those shows and their cast members were cherished by loyal audiences, who watched them avidly. Even today, in endless reruns, people still really adore them. Remember Bewitched, F Troop, Gilligan's Island, That Girl, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Petticoat Junction, and My Three Sons?
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The premises of those comedies were usually ridiculous and completely improbable, but that is exactly what made us loudly guffaw at them so much. I mean, a talking horse (Mister Ed)? And somebody's mother who comes back with four wheels (My Mother the Car)? No matter how outlandish these and other comedies were, we loved them and howled our heads off at them every week.
The Actors On 'The Beverly Hillbillies' Enjoyed Great Popularity
One of the most popular and enduring was The Beverly Hillbillies. It aired on CBS from 1962 to 1971. The cast included Buddy Ebsen (Jed), Donna Douglas (Elly May), Nancy Kulp (Jane Hathaway), Irene Ryan (Granny), Max Baer Jr. (Jethro Bodine) and Raymond Bailey (Milburn Drysdale).
Sadly, just one actor from the show is still living.
Max Baer Jr. Is The Sole Actor Still Living From 'The Beverly Hillbillies' Cast
Every one of the beloved stars of The Beverly Hillbillies has left us except one. That person is Max Baer Jr. Now 87, he played a not-too-sharp relative of patriarch Jed Clampett on the show. Per People, He also made "several appearances in drag as his character's twin sister, Jethrine."
The son of boxing legend Max Baer, Baer Jr. began acting not long before his stint on Hillbillies. He appeared on popular shows like Hawaiian Eye and Maverick. When Hillbillies was axed after nine seasons, Baer Jr. got involved in producing and writing. He acted on TV shows such as Fantasy Island and Love, American Style and also did some directing. Baer Jr.'s last acting role was on a 1991 episode of Murder, She Wrote, the amateur sleuth drama which starred Angela Lansbury.
He Was Married And Divorced Years Ago
He was married to Joanne Hill from 1966 to 1971, when they divorced. Baer Jr. was also reportedly involved with "a former Penthouse model," Chere Rhodes. Per the outlet via the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Rhodes "died by suicide at the couple's Lake Tahoe home."
