Members & Moderator,

Isn't Nancy Kupp died? Wasn't Nancy Kupp gay? I am so sorry to bring this up -- but I thought I heard that somewhere?

Mindy Roberts,
Senior Member

------------------
M.R.

Nancy Kulp died in 1991. Yes, she "came out" and stated she was gay.

I knew she died, but I didn't know she was
gay....I also remember she ran for Congress
not too many years before her death....I
also heard she and Buddy Ebsen had such
different political views that they didn't
get along very well after that....Correct
me if I'm wrong about this....Also, I believe
the state she represented was Pennsylvania....

She didn't represent any state because she lost. But she ran for Congress in Pennsylvania.

Question for everyone: we know Nancy Kulp was a Democrat and that Buddy Ebsen is a Republican who opposed Kulp's run for Congress in 1984.
But does anyone know if the other cast members supported Kulp's campaign? Did Max Baer and Donna Douglas support Kulp, or did they stay out of the fray?

She was a Democrat and a lesbian. No wonder I loved her!

Question for everyone: we know Nancy Kulp was a Democrat and that Buddy Ebsen is a Republican who opposed Kulp's run for Congress in 1984.
But does anyone know if the other cast members supported Kulp's campaign? Did Max Baer and Donna Douglas support Kulp, or did they stay out of the fray?
In 1951 she was married for 10 years and then divorced. They had no children.

She was a Democrat and a lesbian. No wonder I loved her!
I felt the same way when I found this out! I just have to gush, sometimes, so...

I have been enjoying a good deal of classic TV lately, and one thing that it helped me to realize is that I definitely like a certain *type* of woman. Ann B. Davis and Nancy Kulp are examples of that *type*.

I am pleased to say that even Ann B. Davis understood the similarities between herself and Nancy, saying in an interview that since they both were of the same type, they were always up for the same parts, and if one of them didn't get it, the other did. They even worked together, back in the 1950s, on THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW a.k.a. LOVE THAT BOB (another favorite because of them)!

Well, I posted on the Brady board about how much I love Alice. But, now, having realized a new-found appreciation for Miss Jane Hathaway, I simply have to come here and tell you all about it and how much I now also adore Nancy Kulp! :-)

Back when I was a kid, I remember thinking that Miss Hathaway was weird. I was more of an I LOVE LUCY girl, back then, and really didn't think of TBH as anything special. But, now, I'm just crazy about it! And, it's all because of Nancy! It's funny how our tastes change as we grow up, cause now I think she's fine!! Mighty fine! [love]

And, the cool thing is that, as I understand it, Nancy Kulp was essentially playing herself in the part of Miss Hathaway. In real life, she really was an intellectual and very keen on language, speech, etc---the brainy type, like the lady she portrayed on the screen. And, as for her appearance, what's not to love about that tall, lanky body, with the elegant face and rich, intellectual-sounding voice? Not to mention her style! Never dressing cheap, not afraid to look middle-aged, as opposed to young, a very teacher-like appearance. I just love it! And, that hair-do of hers is something right out of the 1920s---perfect style for her, as it adds to her unique elegance!

I am just so in-love with her! I wish I could find me a lady like her or Ann/Alice, but it seems like they were one-of-a-kind characters and that marrying my TV may be as intimate as I'll ever get to being with women like them. Women like them just don't seem to exist anymore, short of a few senior-citizens. That style of women just seems to have become things of the past, along with class and warm sophistication. But, my, my, my---ain't they fine! Yes sir-e!

I felt the same way when I found this out! I just have to gush, sometimes, so...

I have been enjoying a good deal of classic TV lately, and one thing that it helped me to realize is that I definitely like a certain *type* of woman. Ann B. Davis and Nancy Kulp are examples of that *type*.

I am pleased to say that even Ann B. Davis understood the similarities between herself and Nancy, saying in an interview that since they both were of the same type, they were always up for the same parts, and if one of them didn't get it, the other did. They even worked together, back in the 1950s, on THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW a.k.a. LOVE THAT BOB (another favorite because of them)!

Well, I posted on the Brady board about how much I love Alice. But, now, having realized a new-found appreciation for Miss Jane Hathaway, I simply have to come here and tell you all about it and how much I now also adore Nancy Kulp! :-)

Back when I was a kid, I remember thinking that Miss Hathaway was weird. I was more of an I LOVE LUCY girl, back then, and really didn't think of TBH as anything special. But, now, I'm just crazy about it! And, it's all because of Nancy! It's funny how our tastes change as we grow up, cause now I think she's fine!! Mighty fine! [love]

And, the cool thing is that, as I understand it, Nancy Kulp was essentially playing herself in the part of Miss Hathaway. In real life, she really was an intellectual and very keen on language, speech, etc---the brainy type, like the lady she portrayed on the screen. And, as for her appearance, what's not to love about that tall, lanky body, with the elegant face and rich, intellectual-sounding voice? Not to mention her style! Never dressing cheap, not afraid to look middle-aged, as opposed to young, a very teacher-like appearance. I just love it! And, that hair-do of hers is something right out of the 1920s---perfect style for her, as it adds to her unique elegance!

I am just so in-love with her! I wish I could find me a lady like her or Ann/Alice, but it seems like they were one-of-a-kind characters and that marrying my TV may be as intimate as I'll ever get to being with women like them. Women like them just don't seem to exist anymore, short of a few senior-citizens. That style of women just seems to have become things of the past, along with class and warm sophistication. But, my, my, my---ain't they fine! Yes sir-e!
I just saw Nancy on an old episode od Perry Mason.

Nancy Kupp had a part in Jack Webb's comedy movie: "The Last Time I Saw Archie 1961".

Robert Mitchum was just excellent in this movie. Funny and lots of laughes! A must see for Robert Mitchum fans. Too bad the movie cost $2 million to make but brought in only $1.2 million. Jack Webb went back to work on a TV series called "Dragnet" 1967 again. And produced "Adam 12" and "Emergency!" to make back the money he lost on this one movie! LOL!

In a book called "Hollywood Lesbians" written by Boze Hadleigh, he interviewed Kulp sometime during the 1980s and when she was asked the question, her response was not a direct yes or no, but she said something along the lines of "birds of a feather flock together." However, here is a quote from Max Baer Jr. from the book "The Beverly Hillbillies" written by Stephen Cox (written in 1988 and re-published as a 40th anniversary of the show edition in 2003):

"we knew she was [a lesbian] on the show. It didn't bother any of us at all. In fact, sometimes we would joke her about it. It was obvious I think, be she didn't shout it out to the world because she didn't think it was necessary. She wasn't ashamed of it at all, but she had a private side to her and we all respected that."

In a book called "Hollywood Lesbians" written by Boze Hadleigh, he interviewed Kulp sometime during the 1980s and when she was asked the question, her response was not a direct yes or no, but she said something along the lines of "birds of a feather flock together." However, here is a quote from Max Baer Jr. from the book "The Beverly Hillbillies" written by Stephen Cox (written in 1988 and re-published as a 40th anniversary of the show edition in 2003):

"we knew she was [a lesbian] on the show. It didn't bother any of us at all. In fact, sometimes we would joke her about it. It was obvious I think, be she didn't shout it out to the world because she didn't think it was necessary. She wasn't ashamed of it at all, but she had a private side to her and we all respected that."

I found this on Wikipedia:

"Late in life Kulp indicated to author Boze Hadleigh in a 1989 interview that she was a lesbian. "As long as you reproduce my reply word for word, and the question, you may use it.... I'd appreciate it if you'd let me phrase the question. There is more than one way. Here's how I would ask it: 'Do you think that opposites attract?' My own reply would be that I'm the other sort – I find that birds of a feather flock together. That answers your question."[8]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Kulp


Thanks for the info on Nancy Kulp! It interesting that Jed Clampett - Buddy Ebsen went out of his way (a good maybe ten years after The Beverly Hillbillies was over(1962-1971) and done with), to oppose Nancy Kulp on her run for Congress. He must of really hated her is what I got from his actions. They were on the TV series for about the same amount of time!

I never knew she was gay.

She was actually bisexual and was married at one point. I read somewhere that supposedly that she did have several boyfriends and had no trouble getting dates, although most people would arguably state that she was no beauty.

I am interested in her accent. I remember when she did a couple of episodes of Sanford and Son and she had the same accent, sort of a Northeastern accent. Strangely, many actors/actresses in 1930's/1940's films spoke the same way.

She ran for Congress in Pennsylvania in the 1980's and for some reason Buddy Ebsen was against her and did radio ads for her competitor, a guy named Bud Shuster. Thought that was sort of a jerk move on Ebsen's part, and probably partly because of that, Kulp lost.

This is about her on IMDB.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474685/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

She was actually bisexual and was married at one point. I read somewhere that supposedly that she did have several boyfriends and had no trouble getting dates, although most people would arguably state that she was no beauty.

I am interested in her accent. I remember when she did a couple of episodes of Sanford and Son and she had the same accent, sort of a Northeastern accent. Strangely, many actors/actresses in 1930's/1940's films spoke the same way.

She ran for Congress in Pennsylvania in the 1980's and for some reason Buddy Ebsen was against her and did radio ads for her competitor, a guy named Bud Shuster. Thought that was sort of a jerk move on Ebsen's part, and probably partly because of that, Kulp lost.

This is about her on IMDB.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474685/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

Gay people enter into heterosexual marriages. It happens, especially in Hollywood. We are going slightly off topic here, so that is all I will say about that.

Nancy was a liberal; Buddy a conservative. What upset Ebsen was that Kulp was saying publicly everyone on "Hillbillies" supported her run. He supported Kulp, but not her politics, and since Ebsen was a well-known conservative, he wanted to set the record straight.

When Kulp was on TV, her voice was different than in person or when she was not acting I noticed. She would do funny inflections of words, etc. I think it was because her characters were often book-smart and scholarly so that was her way of portraying the character. Also, Kulp, in real-life was very intelligent as well.

Donna Douglas also sounded quite different when not in her Elly character.

She ran for Congress in Pennsylvania in the 1980's and for some reason Buddy Ebsen was against her and did radio ads for her competitor, a guy named Bud Shuster. Thought that was sort of a jerk move on Ebsen's part, and probably partly because of that, Kulp lost.

I have a feeling that if the roles were reversed and a conservative was running for office and a liberal cast member campaigned against them they would be hailed as a hero.

I was compared to Nancy Kulp several years ago, I didn't consider it an insult then, and I still don't. She was the best!

Thanks for the info on Nancy Kulp! It interesting that Jed Clampett -- Buddy Ebsen went out of his way (a good maybe ten years after The Beverly Hillbillies was over(1962-1971) and done with), to oppose Nancy Kulp on her run for Congress. He must of really hated her is what I got from his actions. They were on the TV series for about the same amount of time!

Nancy was a liberal; Buddy a conservative. What upset Ebsen was that Kulp was saying publicly everyone on "Hillbillies" supported her run. He supported Kulp, but not her politics, and since Ebsen was a well-known conservative, he wanted to set the record straight.

The way I heard it, Nancy Kulp asked Buddy Ebsen to endorse her . An endorsement from Buddy Ebsen would have carried a great deal of weight with the voters . Buddy refused and said "I love you, but I don't believe in your politics !", and she realized that was the best she was going to get from him . I don't know how true it is, and you never know how much of these storiers to believe, so I wouldn't bet forty dollars on it .

The way I heard it, Nancy Kulp asked Buddy Ebsen to endorse her . An endorsement from Buddy Ebsen would have carried a great deal of weight with the voters . Buddy refused and said "I love you, but I don't believe in your politics !", and she realized that was the best she was going to get from him . I don't know how true it is, and you never know how much of these storiers to believe, so I wouldn't bet forty dollars on it .

I'd read the same thing. Ebsen didn't hate Kulp (not "Culp" due to "Robert Culp" BTW), only the huge political differences - which go well beyond a person's personal private life. Imagine if they were both alive nowadays.

Until anything else comes out, I'm inclined to believe it. It sounds like it has the ring of truth to it. But it's all for historical academia, anyway.

LOL - the episode where she dresses in a Playboy Bunny outfit, and where her breasts should have been (had there been any) was just the outfit material folded down flat and empty - she was a good sport about it

I'd read the same thing. Ebsen didn't hate Kulp (not "Culp" due to "Robert Culp" BTW), only the huge political differences - which go well beyond a person's personal private life. Imagine if they were both alive nowadays.

Until anything else comes out, I'm inclined to believe it. It sounds like it has the ring of truth to it. But it's all for historical academia, anyway.

I also read that. Buddy was clear that it was not personal but if I recall he did do an ad for her opponent because people thought he was backing her politically rather than that he liked her personally. There was no animosity about it as I know of.

I also read that. Buddy was clear that it was not personal but if I recall he did do an ad for her opponent because people thought he was backing her politically rather than that he liked her personally. There was no animosity about it as I know of.
Yea he said something like "I love you Nancy but you're too liberal for me."