who remembers this AWFUL reunion movie from 1980?:confused:

I do and while it wasn't the best, the cool thing about it was the tribute to Granny by Jed showing a wooden statue of her.

The only thing worse than "The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies" TV-movie was
the big-screen bomb that arrived decades later. The big mistake was to even
try to do The Beverly Hillbillies without Irene Ryan (and Max Baer). To
attempt to do it without any of the original cast (with the exception of Buddy
Ebsen in a brief cameo as Barnaby Jones) was totally futile. The moral: you
can't go home again--when nobody is still there.

I think Linda Henning was cast in the 1980 reunion as a secretary, which is nice since she never got to appear on the original series (excepting her voice was heard, as that of Jethrine). So I'd like to see it again, just for something like that, as I can't recall the film hardly at all. And it had to be better than the later egg-laid theatrical release -- phew!

you're forgetting; she was in the "BEVERLY HILLBILLIES"/"PETTICOAT JUNCTION" crossover episodes.

I do and while it wasn't the best, the cool thing about it was the tribute to Granny by Jed showing a wooden statue of her.
yea, that was the best part of it.

The only thing worse than "The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies" TV-movie was
the big-screen bomb that arrived decades later. The big mistake was to even
try to do The Beverly Hillbillies without Irene Ryan (and Max Baer). To
attempt to do it without any of the original cast (with the exception of Buddy
Ebsen in a brief cameo as Barnaby Jones) was totally futile. The moral: you
can't go home again--when nobody is still there.
No, The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies, was much worse than the '90's feature film. It was the worst tv-show reunion of all time!

I agree!
Paul Henning; who wrote it; said that when he did he was on medication that would make him depressed. When the cast started going over the script and relized how bad it was though, they had to go with it because there was a writers strike at the time so they couldn't get a rewrite on it.
And Nancy Kulp said that part of the fault lies with the director; he insisted on using a lot of over the shoulder shots wich aren't good at all for comedy.
And Donna Douglas says it just wasn't the same without the truck, mansion, half the cast missing, etc.

If that was the case he should have done another one to make up for his mistake.

Buddy Ebsen was actively trying to sell the idea of a sequel reunion done as a Beverly Hillbillies/Barnaby Jones crossover in the early 80s, strongly suggesting in at least one TV appearance around new years 1982 that such a film was in production. I think Paul Henning was embarrassed into retirement by the whole mess and probably never wanted anything to do with a second movie.

you're forgetting; she was in the "BEVERLY HILLBILLIES"/"PETTICOAT JUNCTION" crossover episodes.

OOF! How could I forget that, as many times as I've seen Linda on the Buzz Bodine and Kathy Jo related episodes especially! Thanks for the correction.

Now, The Legend of The Beverly Hillbillies, broadcast in 1993, was a much better tribute. Done spoof-documentary style, it updated the whereabouts of Jed, Elly and Jethro, plus many supporting/guest stars appeared. It's an extra on TBH Official Third Season.

This was probably the worst of all the sitcom reunion movies/specials. It's pretty hard to do a reunion movie with just three cast members but that script was really, really bad and I can't imagine it would have been much better with Granny, the Drysdales and the real Jethro around either. It kind of made me mad too to see Donna Douglas reduced to basically a guest part in the TV movie, there wasn't much of Elly May in it. If anything, her role should have been expanded since Irene and Raymond were gone.

The only thing worse than "The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies" TV-movie was
the big-screen bomb that arrived decades later. The big mistake was to even
try to do The Beverly Hillbillies without Irene Ryan (and Max Baer). To
attempt to do it without any of the original cast (with the exception of Buddy
Ebsen in a brief cameo as Barnaby Jones) was totally futile. The moral: you
can't go home again--when nobody is still there.
oh I agree that big-screen movie was HORRIBLE!!! The cast, the script-even the direction!!! (well, now that I think of it, Jim Varney was OK as Jed. You know-not good but not bad either)
I rented it once from Netflix, and watched the first 10 minutes, and was about to turn it off and decided to at least keep watching it (what can I say, I'm a glutten for punishment) to see Buddy Ebsens cameo, but after another 5 minutes, it got so bad I couldn't stand it and just HAD to tutn it off!!!

I know this is going to sound bad, but I'm 17, I like to see things for myself. Does anyone know where I can find this online? Like I don't want it on DVD, I want to watch it online because I'm kind of between jobs right now. So does anyone have a link? If you don't want to post it, then pm it to me, anything works.

Any of these reunion "movies" are big mistakes. These are shows that we became accustomed to as half hour comedies with laugh tracks. Trying to stretch them into movies is the second mistake. The first mistake is to attempt them at all. The closest anything came to being like the original was "Return to Mayberry" and that was still way off kilter.

I always felt Granny & Jethro were the stars of the show anyway. They had the best lines. I liked Miss Jane, but without Mr. Drysdale, it was hard. I wish they had Mrs. Drysdale in the reunion movie. Harriet MacGibbon was still alive, but perhaps she was unable to work. But, I would have never replaced Jethro with another actor, nor would I have had "Granny's Ma". That "Granny's Ma" thing was so over-the-top it defied any possible belief.

The Return Of The Beverly Hillbillies, is being released on DVD by M.P.I. Home Video, coming in March.

I wish we they would release The Beverly Hillbillies Season 4!:(

not just season 4; seasons 4 to 9. But with the release of this movie (even though it's horrible) maybe this is a sign that we'll soon see the remaining seasons.

After 1973, my mom used to say "They should bring back The Beverly Hillbillies, but it wouldn't be as good without Granny !" . When my parents and I watched The Return Of The Beverly Hillbillies, they thought it was boring up until Granny's Ma appeared, then they didn't want it to end . I thought The Legend of The Beverly Hillbillies was really lame . The inclusion of Oliver and Lisa Douglas, Hoyt Axton, Reba McEntire, and Ray Charles was cool, but the idea of Mr . Drysdale stealing all of Jed's money showed a tremendous lack of respect for the Mr . Drysdale character, the idea of Jethro with a bunch of children was out of character, and Elly Mae's talking bear was a stupid idea . I liked the Beverly Hillbillies movie, especially with Buddy Ebsen playing Barnaby Jones, but I claimed they had a hard act to follow . I decided the flavor of The Beverly Hillbillies was too hard to capture, especially with the missing talent and disrespect for the characters .

After 1873, my mom used to say "They should bring back The Beverly Hillbillies, but it wouldn't be as good without Granny !" . When my parents and I watched The Return Of The Beverly Hillbillies, they thought it was boring up until Granny's Ma appeared, then they didn't want it to end . I thought The Legend of The Beverly Hillbillies was really lame . The inclusion of Oliver and Lisa Douglas, Hoyt Axton, Reba McEntire, and Ray Charles was cool, but the idea of Mr . Drysdale stealing all of Jed's money showed a tremendous lack of respect for the Mr . Drysdale character, the idea of Jethro with a bunch of children was out of character, and Elly Mae's talking bear was a stupid idea . I liked the Beverly Hillbillies movie, especially with Buddy Ebsen playing Barnaby Jones, but I claimed they had a hard act to follow . I decided the flavor of The Beverly Hillbillies was too hard to capture, especially with the missing talent and disrespect for the characters .
1873? Dude I think you mean 1973!:lol:

Also, were Oliver & Lisa Douglas in THE LEGEND OF THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES? I don't remember.

I remember watching Imogene Coca playing "Granny's Ma" was so ridiculous it was painful to watch. She could have maybe been Grtanny's "sister" but "Ma"? How silly. :crazy:

I remember watching Imogene Coca playing "Granny's Ma" was so ridiculous it was painful to watch.

You have a point . Does anybody think The Return Of The Beverly Hillbillies would have been better if the character had been Granny's sister or cousin ?

1873? Dude I think you mean 1973!:lol:

Also, were Oliver and Lisa Douglas in THE LEGEND OF THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES? I don't remember.

Okay, Treky, I meant "1973", and I edited my comment to say "1973" . Yes, Oliver and Lisa Douglas were in The Legend of The Beverly Hillbillies . The IMDB website has a page devoted to The Legend of The Beverly Hillbillies including a list of stars and characters who appeared in it, including Oliver and Lisa Douglas .

I personally have never seen "The Return" or "The Legend" and I'm going to keep it that way. TBH is one is my favorite sitcoms and I don't want to tarnish it with horrible remakes or reunions.

Any of these reunion "movies" are big mistakes. These are shows that we became accustomed to as half hour comedies with laugh tracks. Trying to stretch them into movies is the second mistake. The first mistake is to attempt them at all. The closest anything came to being like the original was "Return to Mayberry" and that was still way off kilter.
I think "RETURN TO MAYBERRY" and "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW REVISITED" were both pretty good.

This Return of the Beverly Hillbillies has its problems, but it is not as bad as many of you cite.

1.We get a clue of Granny's Moses line from a season one feuding episode, where her family eliminated the Bodkins from "Napoleon," TN. A question, then, how did Jed meet and marry Rose Ellen Moses, and then get a home in/near "Bugtussle," NoState?

2.Jed was the "Cassanova of Cass County." Presumably, Cass county enclosed the Moses clan and the Clampett clann. Granny told others how she got the old horse to stop under that tree, so Jed proposed to Rose Ellen, and she accepted.

3.Jed must have inherited the mountain cabin from his Pa or Granpa. After all, it took a while for Granny to get to the cabin after Rose Ellen passed away. How and why? A good story there, but not likely a comic.

4.I think this supply a background for a "Granny's Ma" and as suggested by one of us, sisters and cousins.

5.Granny's Ma would be near 100, and nobody in Bugtussle talked about that. She was a regular partaker of her moonshine medicine, so with its prowess, why is it so hard to believe someone could get to the dollar mark and still have some vitality for even that style of life?

6.Max Baer could have been aware of the typecase-curse. George Reeves, known only as the first live action Superman, could not buy a new part, so thus did himself in. At the time of RBhB, Baer was just reunion shy.

7.Donna Douglas did get short-sheeted, but with the storyline, I would like to read a fanfic of a better line. Surely some of our authors could put it to pen.

8.The Legend of the BHb brought up elements that should have been alluded in this Return of... That the Legend went over the top from what may have been established, Jane in a witness protection program as a government agent in the Return, does not fit.

9.The Jim Varney as Jed could have been a good reboot for the contemporary then, as was the original. The Jethro and Granny re-cast were good to character. The girl who played Elly May was no Elly May. Donna Douglas was a tough act to follow. A different actress for Elly in that movie could have been a good pilot for a reboot of the series.

Does this help?

Granny's Ma would be near 100, and nobody in Bugtussle talked about that. She was a regular partaker of her moonshine medicine, so with its prowess, why is it so hard to believe someone could get to the dollar mark and still have some vitality for even that style of life ?



How old did they say Granny's Maw was ? Miss Jane said "At that age, she'd require round -- the -- clock care !" . I met the world's oldest man on several occasions . His name was Walter Breuning, and he lived from September twenty -- first, 1896 until April fourteenth, 2011 . He lived at the Rainbow Assisted Living Center in Great Falls, Montana, but he handled his own affairs and he was very active until he died . The folks at the Rainbow Assisted Living Center were like a family, and he was like their beloved old grandpa . The respect they had for this old man was incredible . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Breuning

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6.Max Baer could have been aware of the typecase-curse. George Reeves, known only as the first live action Superman, could not buy a new part, so thus did himself in. At the time of RBhB, Baer was just reunion shy.

Just for the record, Kirk Alyn was the first actor to portray Superman in "live action;" he appeared in theatrical serials. Reeves did the first TV version.

I saw an interview with Max Baer once and he said the reason he didn't do it was "I didn't think a 40 year old Jethro would be funny."