Post-World War II voice actor and television actress Bea Benaderet is most known for her roles in the CBS comedy series Petticoat Junction, The Beverly Hillbillies, and The Burns and Allen Show. In the beginning, she was one of the few female voice actors connected to Warner Bros. studio. Benaderet has provided voice acting for a number of animated characters in the television series Merrie Melodies, The Flintstones, and Looney Tunes. Benaderet barely experienced celebrity till her late 50s. She worked in a radio station in the early years of her career. Later on, she had brief appearances in a number of television series. She was a voice actor for Warner Bros. productions from the 1940s to the 1950s. She had spent nearly 20 years before she began to be offered prominent roles in TV shows and motion pictures. She received two Emmy Award nominations.
Early Life & Childhood of Bea Benaderet
On April 4, 1906, Benaderet was born in New York City. Margaret O’Keefe Benaderet was her mother, while her father, Samuel Benaderet, was an immigrant from Turkey. San Francisco was Bea’s upbringing.
She started taking acting classes at the Reginald Travis School of Acting in San Francisco after graduating from St. Rose Academy High School. During this time, she also took piano lessons and worked on her voice acting.
Benaderet acquired fluency in several languages, including Yiddish, French, Spanish, and English, as well as vocal modulation.
She performed in theaters and found work as an actress, singer, writer, and producer while enrolled in the Reginald Travis School of Acting in San Francisco. She also started working as a radio announcer. When she was twelve years old, the KGO manager saw her and asked her to perform on his radio show.
Career of Bea Benaderet
Benaderet became a well-known radio performer after landing her big break in 1939 as a regular on the television program “The Jack Benny Program.” She went on to portray intriguing roles, such the intimidating landlady Clara Anderson in “A Day in the Life of Dennis Day,” the inquisitive maid Gloria in “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” and the high society matron Mrs. Carstairs in “Fibber McGee and Molly.”
In the radio drama “My Favorite Husband” from the 1940s, she portrayed Iris Atterbury. Benaderet was first selected to play Ethel Mertz when the producers decided to develop a comparable television series called “I Love Lucy,” but she was unable to accept the role since she had already committed to the television adaptation of Burns and Allen’s radio show. In the end, the part went to an unidentified character actress and singer named Vivian Vance.
Benaderet made her cinematic debut as a clerk in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1946 spy thriller “Notorious,” her first role being that of Mama Bear in the iconic Looney Tunes short “The Bear’s Tale.”
After landing the part of Blanche Morton in the 1950 television series “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show,” Benaderet moved seamlessly from radio to television.
Benaderet appeared on “I Love Lucy” as a guest on January 21, 1952. She had an extremely funny cameo as the neighbor’s love-starved spinster, Miss Lewis.
Mel Blanc was the only voice actor employed by Warner Bros. during this time to provide voices for both male and female characters. As a freelancer, Benaderet became their first female voice actor. She then collaborated with Blanc on “Tweetie Pie,” one of the most well-known cartoons from 1947. June Foray took her position a few years later.
When Benaderet provided the voice of “Flintstones,” Warner Bros. and she were reunited in the 1960s. On radio and television, she portrayed Blanche Morton, George Burns and Gracie Allen’s next-door neighbor. She was also a regular on the television show “A Day in the Life of Dennis.”
Benaderet costarred with Eddie Albert in “Petticoat Junction” in the 1960s. She met renowned screenwriter Paul Henning during this period, and the two have since worked together on other series.
Henning wanted to cast Benaderet when the program “The Beverly Hillbillies” was being developed in 1962, but they both thought that her physical attributes wouldn’t work for the part.
Benaderet was always involved in the show, offering Henning comments even after Irene Ryan won the role. However, he really wanted her to be in the cast. Thus, he made a character just for her.
Benaderet performed in the role of Pearl Bodine, Cousin. As a result of its immense popularity, “The Beverly Hillbillies” garnered up to 60 million viewers per week.
Large-scale Works of Bea Benaderet
My Favorite Husband: This 1942 film, “Are Husbands Necessary?” was adapted for radio and television. Benaderet provided the voice of Mrs. Iris Atterbury. CBS first broadcast the program on July 5, 1948.
George Burns and Gracie Allen had a successful television program called Burns and Allen. Later, the program was transformed into a radio program, which debuted in 1929. 1950 saw Benaderet enter the cast as Blanche Morton.
Benaderet portrayed telephone operator Gertrude Gearshift in the comic television/radio program The Jack Benny Program. The program aired from May 2, 1932, to May 22, 1955, with a total of 931 episodes.
The Flintstones: Benaderet became extremely well-known as a voice actor thanks to this animated situational comedy series. Barney Rubble, the second main character, was voiced by her. The ABC Network broadcast the program from September 30, 1960, to April 1, 1966.
Petticoat Junction: This sitcom is regarded as the most important creation of Benaderet. She portrayed the widowed hotel owner Kate Bradley. She and Henning collaborated on this show as well. The program ran for seven seasons, from September 24, 1963, to April 4, 1970. However, Benaderet had to leave the program during the fifth season due to sickness.
Individual Life of Bea Benaderet
In August 1938, Benaderet tied the knot for the first time with actor Jim Bannon, whom she had met while employed at KHJ radio. Jack, born in 1940, and Maggie, born on March 4, 1947, were the couple’s two children.
The demanding shooting schedule of Benaderet caused disruptions in their married lives. In 1950, she finally filed for divorce.
In 1957, she then wed Eugene Twombly, a film technician.
Demise of Bea Benaderet
Benaderet’s first lung cancer sign was identified in 1963. She had successful treatment with promptness. However, a tumor that the physicians were unable to remove was discovered at the final stage of the treatment.
She stopped smoking after the radiation treatment sessions made her weaker. She left the industry due to her failing health.
October 13, 1968 was Benaderet’s death date. In North Hollywood’s Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery, her body remains were burned.
On October 17, four days later, Twombly passed away from a severe heart attack. In the same location, next to her, he was also cremated.
Net worth of Bea Benaderet
The estimated net worth of Bea Benaderet is about $1 million.