I actually didn’t realize he was still alive. And now I’m correct.
I also didn’t realize that he was the creator of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (or actually Bedtime Story , the Brando/Niven/Shirley Jones movie that was remade as the movie DRS and is currently a musical on Broadway with John Lithgow.
Beverly Hillbillies- meh. Petticoat Junction- eh.
Green Acres- easily on my “Top 10 Shows of All Time” list if only for the absurdity (“Be sure and see the Eiffel Tower while you’re in DC, Mr. Douglas”) and totally unexpected humor (“The Haney School of Entomological Pickling”). Thanks Mr. Henning.
One of my favorite stories about the Henning family: his sister lived in a Victorian mansion in Branson MO where several episodes of Hillbillies were filmed. Raymond “Milburn Drysdale” Bailey was by all accounts a rather nasty and unlikeable individual with a tendency towards lush. When they were bringing him, tipsy from the plane and not happy about being out of LA, to Henning’s sister’s house (where a reception was being held for the cast) he remarked “This looks like a high class whorehouse”. When Henning’s sister opened the door to greet him in front of assembled town dignitaries [this was long before Branson was the drydocked Love Boat for once big names, he announced “Hi, I’m Raymond Bailey. And you must be the madam of this lovely establishment.”
Hillbillies trivia: one of Hennings’s first choices for the role of Granny was an actual hillbilly matriarch he met on a camping trip. One problem: when he brought her in to read for hte part he learned she was illiterate.
Sorry to learn of his death, but am amazed at the longevity of many principals of his programs (and, yes, in any group you will find a few such, I know), but he is dead at 93, Ebsen died at 95, Albert is still alive and around 96 or 97, Frank Cady is around 90, and good ol’ Charles Lane just hit triple digits in January.
Farewell to the guy who created a priceless corner of America. (MS3TK called it, “The Paul Henning Trilogy”).
I think I first realized I was heterosexual watching Pettycoat Junction – I would always feel funny watching the girls swim in the water tower during the opening theme. I think heaven would be a lot like the Shady Rest Hotel – and if I’m getting too old for the Bradley daughters, there’s always their mom Kate – hubba, hubba!
And I’m still convinced that Mr. Haney is Donald Trump (a small-time huckster who stole Mr. Douglas’ blonde, eastern European wife, renamed her ‘Ivana’, got himself a new wardrobe and plastic surgery and moved to New York, where he now operates as a big-time huckster).
In honor of Jethro, I often fill out the ‘occupation’ entry of surveys as ‘Double-Nought Spy’.
One final kudo: giving many Americans their first exposure to two of our greatest musicians (Flatt and Scruggs).
I recall a critic saying something to the effect of
Anyone who can build a sitcom around three beautiful teenage girls AND put it in a place called Hooterville AND get it through the CBS censors deserves our respect.
A long, mournful blast of the Cannonball’s whistle, please.
Mr. Henning also wrote The Ballad of Jed Clampett. Although I’m not a big Hillbillies fan, I don’t think the show would have been the same without the catchy tune introducing us to the poor mountaineer who went hunting and ended up finding crude. Oil, that is. Black gold, Texas tea.