GONE...AND FORGOTTEN!
With the passing of Donna Douglas (a.k.a. Elly Mae Clampett from "The Beverly Hillbillies") it made me sad. Not that I was surprised that an octogenerian with cancer would kick the bucket but rather how few of todays millenials know who she was. That is sad. I grew up on "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Gilligan's Island" and all the trite comedies from the 60's and 70's which ran in both first run and later in perpetual re-runs on independent television channels back when we refered to things like UHF and VHF broadcast and the big three networks were the ONLY networks. When Donna Douglas died, I announced her death in a grouping of significantly younger people than I and the announcement was greeted with deadpan looks of "and...". Not one in the group knew Donna and worse yet had heard of "The Beverly Hillbillies". Had that show not created THE idelible statement about new money, the haves and the have nots, the culture of greed, the stereotypes of white trash, all wrapped up in good old fashion corn pone comedy. It is one of the ages. I guess just not this age.
Some years ago I was pitching a show to one of the cable networks and in conversation with the development executive to whom I was pitching, I made reference to "All In The Family". His eyes glazed over because he had never heard of the show! How do you become a television development executive and not at least know of one of the groundbreaking series in television and comedy history? I fear we are losing our historical entertainment culture, one star at a time. How long will it be before Lucille Ball is nothing more than a footnote rather than a pioneer.
We are not making stars anymore, just momentary celebrities (take for instance the passing of the torch from Paris Hilton to Kim Kardasian). Not that Donna Douglas was anymore than a celebrity in her own right but she represents the old guard who are forgotten before then even get a chance to die off.
I love the old guard Hollywood...God bless those who are still with us and rest in peace those who have gone too soon. Click the passage THOU SHALT NOT NAME NAMES and enjoy a chapter from my first book/memoir REALLY!?! where I rub elbows with the old guard. This is the party which inspired my character of Marilyn Lassiter in NOT TOO COCKSURE.
