Donna douglas was in her early 30s but how old was Ellie may supposed to be?

Probably a late teen, 18 or 19.

Probably a late teen, 18 or 19.
Yeah, she was supposed to be getting to be an old maid, after all. I'm pretty sure there are several episodes where the age 18 is specifically mentioned.

If I only had a dollar every time Jed told her to go put on a pretty dress...

I've been watching some earlier episodes recently, and I like the way they have her dressed and made up, darker clothes, maybe it's her acting too. She seems more feral lol.

Yeah, she was supposed to be getting to be an old maid, after all. I'm pretty sure there are several episodes where the age 18 is specifically mentioned.

If I only had a dollar every time Jed told her to go put on a pretty dress...

I've been watching some earlier episodes recently, and I like the way they have her dressed and made up, darker clothes, maybe it's her acting too. She seems more feral lol.


It seems like I remember that being a complaint some people had that by season 9 Elly was starting to show her age and it was looking a little unbelievable for her almost 40 still portraying a teenager lol, I mean Granny's old maid jokes almost landed at that point

It seems like I remember that being a complaint some people had that by season 9 Elly was starting to show her age and it was looking a little unbelievable for her almost 40 still portraying a teenager lol, I mean Granny's old maid jokes almost landed at that point
Well, at least by that point they had stopped saying her age out loud IIRC. And it looked like they were considering finally getting her married off. Which only seems fair since so many plots centered around that. The whole frogman thing, for example...

Having recently watched the entire series (had to go back and pick up some of the ones MeTV skipped), I'd say by the last couple of seasons, Elly wasn't the only one showing her age. The whole show was getting kind of tired, IMO.

Well, at least by that point they had stopped saying her age out loud IIRC. And it looked like they were considering finally getting her married off. Which only seems fair since so many plots centered around that. The whole frogman thing, for example...

Having recently watched the entire series (had to go back and pick up some of the ones MeTV skipped), I'd say by the last couple of seasons, Elly wasn't the only one showing her age. The whole show was getting kind of tired, IMO.

One strange thing I noticed was, in the very FINAL episodes, like with the Grunions and when Jethro is hiding from a girl from back home who was looking to marry him, it seems they really tried to return the Clampetts to their roots. Like Elly was wearing her beat-up hat again and she hadn't worn that since the early black and white episodes. Jethro was reviving an old plot that started when the Clampetts first moved to Beverly Hills. I just wonder if maybe they were hoping for a 10th season where they would have been more like they were earlier on, like Drysdale less greedy and more human, Jethro less a total idiot and more down to earth, etc...

I just wonder if maybe they were hoping for a 10th season where they would have been more like they were earlier on, like Drysdale less greedy and more human, Jethro less a total idiot and more down to earth, etc...
Interesting point, I guess we'll never know now.
I never noticed the history of Elly's beat up hat.

But yeah, I definitely preferred the less cartoonish versions of Jethro and Mr. Drysdale. Even Jed could hardly seem to be able to stand having stupid Jethro around by the end. And his feeding bill must have been astronomical. Jed has a lot of money, but poor Granny had to make food by the bucket.

I actually liked Elly as more of a wildcat.