I read the news that Donna Douglas has passed away (Ellie Mae from the Beverly Hillbillies). I was unaware of whether or not she was still alive, but in her passing, I appreciate how TBH truly entertained me. I admit, as an unimaginative and impressionable young girl, I thought Ellie Mae  was so beautiful.. like in an Ann Margaret, Betty Grable, Jane Mansfield, Dolly Parton, and Hee Haw extra ...all rolled into one.... Her hairstyle was intriguing: platinum curls piled up high.. on top like a cloud.... sort of like Martha Washington or Marie Antoinette, but then.. with two unexpected little pigtails on the sides..this effect probably took hours in the studio lot's hair and makeup trailer... and seemed very unlike a more realistic hillbilly aesthetic .. such as in.. let's say.. Deliverance... .
But about Ellie Mae,  sometimes I wanted to be her, I'll  admit to that.
Now, as a wiser adult, looking back, with hopefully a more thoughtful perspective, I much more relate to and appreciate the more interesting characters of Ms. Hathaway and Granny. I envy Granny's freedom to be herself. Granny's endless energy, her unwillingness to please everyone, her tendency to become justifiably angry without hesitation, and her obvious lack of vanity, make her an impressive character.. And of course there are Ms. Hathaway's unapologetic eccentricities, her awkward forwardness, and unsurprising love of birdwatching... who could not admire these characters?  Too bad that I came to this realization too late. The 3 female lead characters of TBH do live on- by presenting to us never ending fodder and material for post feminist thought. This is way better than any Texas tea or black gold!