I was reading (on another board) about the character of “Miss Jane,” from the Beverly Hillbillies and the posters seem to say “Miss Jane,” would’ve been a poor person. Now probably going with the miserly antics of Mr Drysdale, I’d agree but I was just wondering this…
Miss Jane is the personal secretary to the president of the number one bank in Beverly Hills. She is a Vasser graduate and speaks at least two other languages fluently (Italian and French).
If “Miss Jane” was a real person, what kind of salary would she most likely be pulling in, I mean in real life?
I would think she’d be highly paid. (Yeah I know it doesn’t fit the plot, but I was just thinking, if it was real life)
Back then, she’s probably be pulling in a fairly low wage. She was both a woman and a secretary. Secretaries were not paid all that much back then. She wouldn’t starve, but she’d probably be making as much as a store clerk of the time. If I had to give a figure, it’d certainly be less than $10,000.
Maybe she got some extra money doing work for her brother the spy.
Well either way in the 60s or now? I don’t know but I recall on Ann Sothern’s show “Private Secretary,” Susie, the character Sothern played, was well paid.
Not bad, but then it’s Beverly Hills, which isn’t the most affordable neighborhood in the world. I checked a few real estate listings and apartments and condos in the general vicinity are listing for around $2,600-3,600/month.
On the other hand, Miss Jane always seemed to live a relatively ascetic lifestyle, so maybe she could afford to spend more than 50% of her gross income on housing.
She always drove a very nice late-model convertible. Probably product placement. And her clothes were extremely conservative, but they seemed to be good quality and well tailored. The joke was that she was very plain and desperate for a man, but the education, the clothes and car spoke of style. I’m betting her apartment looked pretty nice too.
On the other hand, Mr. Drysdale was insanely greedy and tightfisted. IIRC, in one episode it was mentioned that a twenty-year senior accountant at the bank was payed minimum wage.
Miss Jane did have an apartment somewhere–and it had a murphy bed in it, IIRC. She put up Ellie May and Granny, I think, and folks were coming and going thru the window. Oh og, I forget exactly what all was involved in that plot, but the little monkey that Ellie May had, whose name I forgot, but they all called her “cousin” something, first got stuck in the sofa bed, then got stuck in the murphy bed!! :eek:
I’m sure that Mr. Drysdale paid Miss Jane the barest minimum of salary, but IMHO she should have been very well paid. And I think the convertible was the Bank’s car, unfortunately.
I think the point WOOKINPANUB was trying to make was that kunilou called her “Ms. Hathaway” in post #6. Since the title “Ms.” wasn’t popularized until 1971 (although it did exist in 1961) it’s unlikely that Jane was forward-thinking enough to use the title back in 1962 Beverly Hills. Certainly the show’s producers never foresaw women’s lib or considered the use of the title for Miss Hathaway.
Actually Jed, Jethro, Ellie and Granny pronounced MISS as MIZ, I am assuming they weren’t womens’ libbers but then again Ellie Mae definately could compete with the men.
[Miss Jane talking to Drysdale]
Miss Jane) You’re letting sweet, naive, innocent, little Ellie Mae go out with that notorious movie star “Dash” Riprock?
Drysdale) Sweet, naive, innocent, little Ellie Mae could lick FOUR of his kind with one hand tied behind her back
They did show Miss Jane’s flat but it was (and described as such) as more of a “furnished room.” It had a Murphy bed and a pull out sleeper sofa. It didn’t even have a closet. Miss Jane hung her clothes in the bathroom and she couldn’t cook in it either. She kept a little grill on the fire escape if she needed to cook.
Yes Drysdale did “repossess” the car and Miss Jane got a dune buggy, but it’s unclear if it was the bank’s car or if Miss Jane got the financing through the bank.
In the beginning before Drysdale became a characicature and was more realistic Miss Jane didn’t seem so hard up. In the later episodes “Miss Jane” says “I only stay with you because I want to be there when you greed brings you, your fianal comeuppance”
But to get back to my OP, I was just thinking that Miss Jane had a LOT of skills
I can’t imagine Ellie competing with Jethro in any way. Or most men, at least for athletic endeavors. I can imagine her pretending to compete until she got bored, like a cat playing with a mouse, and then kicking her opponent’s ass at will.
Cousin Bessie - the name of Elly May’s chimp. I think.
Oh indeed, Miss Jane Hathaway had plenty of skills. She really was Drysdale’s Executive Assistant. And today is Administrative Professionals Day - Miss Jane should have been celebrated today!
Good Og, how I love watching this show … a sinful pleasure even. But Markxxx, your knowledge of the show verges on the scary. “Those dreadful Hillbillies!!” (Mrs. Drysdale, of course :)).
