Donna Douglas will always be best remembered for her portrayal of Ellie Mae Clampett on one of the most popular and funny television series of the 60s, The Beverly Hillbillies. She was born Doris Lone Smith on September 26, 1932, in the small town of Pride in Louisiana to Emmett Ratcliff Smith, Sr. and Elma Ratcliff Smith.
00:00 - Intro 2:10 - She made four movies but only had a starring role in one 2:54 - She record four Christian albums during her career 3:50 - She did a lot of tv before landing the Beverly Hillbillies 4:33 - She once sued Disney, Whoopi Goldberg and Bette Midler 5:31 - In 2011, she sued Mattel and CBS 6:16 - She married twice 6:48 - She has three books to her credit 7:24 - She was very close to Buddy Ebsen
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Donna grew up on her grandparents' farm in Baton Rouge and attended St. Gerard Catholic High School. A natural beauty, Donna ran first for the Miss Baton Rouge, a competition she easily won. Thereafter, she also won the Miss New Orleans contest in 1957.
By this time, Donna had become convinced that she wanted to pursue a career in acting, and she, therefore, made a move to New York. Around this time, she participated in a newspaper-sponsored beauty contest, which provided her with a chance to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show. Movie producer Hal B. Wallis was one of the many million people who saw the Ed Sullivan episode featuring Donna. Her beauty had him enraptured and he immediately signed for the movie drama Career. Though the film was in no way the big launch Donna had hoped for, it got her parts in several hit shows of the time, including Dragnet and The Twilight Zone.
Though by the early 1960s, Donna had done a considerable amount of work, most of the parts she had played were small roles and she was a relatively unknown face. Thus, when casting for The Beverly Hillbillies was underway, Donna found herself competing with at least 500 other actresses. Luckily, she bagged the role of Elly May Clampett, a role she would portray for the next nine years and which would also make her a massive star. Donna also reprised her role for the 1981 film The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies.
During the mid-60s, Donna got the chance to work with Elvis Presley on the film Frankie and Johnny. It is believed that Donna and Elvis came quite close during the shooting of the film -- the two would discuss Christianity for hours while on the sets, and it was Elvis who inspired Donna to explore a career as a gospel singer. During the early 70s, Donna after experiencing little success outside of The Beverly Hillbillies decided to focus on being a Gospel Singer and recorded two albums. She also did some work as a country singer. After The Beverly Hillbillies came to an end in 1971, Donna got her license and sold real estate, though only for a short while. She spent most of her time speaking at churches and to youth groups in schools and colleges. In the early 2000s, Donna began writing religious children's books and also published a cookbook. Donna Douglas passed away from pancreatic cancer on January 1, 2015. Hers was a life well-lived.
By: Facts Verse Title: Donna Douglas Stunned Everyone As She Left the Beverly Hillbillies Sourced From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snvuw8jHuy8
