Mr. Drysdale Imprisoned

[forn]

It's come to my attention that in the 1993 special, Legend of the Beverly Hillbillies, it is revealed that Jed Clampett is broke and living in the hills. And that Mr. Drysdale is in prison for stealing all his money.

We all know Mr. Drysdale was greedy and liked money. But I wouldn't have suspected such a heinous act from him, especially earlier in the series, where he seems to hold a sincere fondness for the Clampetts. Is that really the kind of end fans of the series would have wanted for Mr. Drysdale? This viewer at least, says no.

[TheLittleFaerie]

Originally Posted by forn

It's come to my attention that in the 1993 special, Legend of the Beverly Hillbillies, it is revealed that Jed Clampett is broke and living in the hills. And that Mr. Drysdale is in prison for stealing all his money.

We all know Mr. Drysdale was greedy and liked money. But I wouldn't have suspected such a heinous act from him, especially earlier in the series, where he seems to hold a sincere fondness for the Clampetts. Is that really the kind of end fans of the series would have wanted for Mr. Drysdale? This viewer at least, says no.

In the early episodes Mr Drysdale was greedy, but was still SOMEWHAT decent and seemed to genuinely care about the Clampetts.... Toward the end though, he became like a cartoon villain with his greed. I mean some of the things that he put Miss Jane through would have been downright ILLEGAL, sometimes even forcing her to do illegal things. Like the time he locked them all in the office, that would have been totally illegal... So if his character kept progressing in the direction it was going BEYOND the end of the series, I could see him doing illegal stuff if it meant getting more money.

Like I said, in the early episodes Mr. Drysdale loved the Clampett's money first and foremost, but I think he also did somewhat care about the Clampetts; like if Jed went broke, I think Mr. Drysdale would have still treated the Clampetts decently, although not sucked up to them... HOWEVER in the later seasons if Jed went broke I think Mr. Drysdale would have, in a SECOND, told them to GET LOST! He did even speak disrespectfully to Granny, Elly and Jethro in the later episodes, something he would have not done early on.


Also I tend to think Mrs. Drysdale left him in the later episodes... I know the actress was no longer there for the final seasons, but if you notice there is never even any mention of her, Granny doesn't complain about her anymore, and Mr. Drysdale never mentioned her to my knowledge, so it wouldn't surprise me if they split up.

[forn]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

Like I said, in the early episodes Mr. Drysdale loved the Clampett's money first and foremost, but I think he also did somewhat care about the Clampetts; like if Jed went broke, I think Mr. Drysdale would have still treated the Clampetts decently, although not sucked up to them... HOWEVER in the later seasons if Jed went broke I think Mr. Drysdale would have, in a SECOND, told them to GET LOST!

Interesting thoughts, especially the part about his character continuing to regress after the series went off the air. Not having the stabilizing effect of a marriage too, if he lost his wife.

I'm not sure I'd consider Legend of the Beverly Hillbillies canon though.

There is a scene in that special where Jed sticks his whittling knife in the ground, and (unseen by him) oil starts bubbling up. Maybe he got his fortune back. Or maybe he wouldn't care about the money and just hide the oil.

[TheLittleFaerie]

Originally Posted by forn

Interesting thoughts, especially the part about his character continuing to regress after the series went off the air. Not having the stabilizing effect of a marriage too, if he lost his wife.

I'm not sure I'd consider Legend of the Beverly Hillbillies canon though.

There is a scene in that special where Jed sticks his whittling knife in the ground, and (unseen by him) oil starts bubbling up. Maybe he got his fortune back. Or maybe he wouldn't care about the money and just hide the oil.

In the final few episodes, I saw Mr. Drysdale as a desperate, dangerous man spiraling more and more downward, his life seemed to be falling apart. If I'm not mistaken when Miss Jane left him during the Women's Lib saga, she never did come back before the series ended so I always took that as her FINALLY leaving him FOR GOOD after years of abuse.... I know at least Elly Mae didn't like him at the end for exploiting Betsy the monkey as she was threatening to tell Jed. He was going to get Bonazi~sp~ the Japanese karate expert to put a beat down on Granny, of course she turned the tables on him and kicked his arse lol but apparently Mr. Drysdale had no qualms seeing a HUGE Karate expert beat down an elderly woman, that was his plan

So yeah I think Mr. Drysdale was well on the way to a dark place by that time lol

[forn]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

In the final few episodes, I saw Mr. Drysdale as a desperate, dangerous man spiraling more and more downward, his life seemed to be falling apart.

I'll keep an eye out for that when I get to season nine. I'm sure I saw all of them when I was younger but it's been many years, and I don't think I paid attention back then to things like episode order.

Another reason I find it hard to believe "Legend of" is canon is because Jethro had become a doctor. I just can't see Jethro having the smarts to pass the necessary tests. He did have the occasional insight, but overall he's probably one of the dumbest characters in TV history.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

Also I tend to think Mrs. Drysdale left him in the later episodes... I know the actress was no longer there for the final seasons, but if you notice there is never even any mention of her, Granny doesn't complain about her anymore, and Mr. Drysdale never mentioned her to my knowledge, so it wouldn't surprise me if they split up.

I looked it up on IMDb, and Harriet MacGibbon's last appearance was midway thru season 8--in season 8 she was in only three episodes.

This is interesting -- I never noticed she left the show. She probably took Claude with her!

[TheLittleFaerie]

Originally Posted by forn

I'll keep an eye out for that when I get to season nine. I'm sure I saw all of them when I was younger but it's been many years, and I don't think I paid attention back then to things like episode order.

Another reason I find it hard to believe "Legend of" is canon is because Jethro had become a doctor. I just can't see Jethro having the smarts to pass the necessary tests. He did have the occasional insight, but overall he's probably one of the dumbest characters in TV history.

If I remember that special right, I think Mr Drysdale only stole some of Jed's money, not all of it... I seem to remember Jed saying he still had enough to buy the little plot of land and live pretty comfortably in the Hills

I couldn't help feel sorry for poor Jed, all those years thinking Mr. Drysdale was a trusted friend only to find out, 20 years later, he was nothing but a fraud and a crook... Even then Jed said he didn't hold a grudge when he was being interviewed

[TheLittleFaerie]

Originally Posted by stevea

I looked it up on IMDb, and Harriet MacGibbon's last appearance was midway thru season 8--in season 8 she was in only three episodes.

This is interesting -- I never noticed she left the show. She probably took Claude with her!

If Mrs Drysdale DID leave Mr. Drysdale, maybe she managed to take a huge chunk of their money in settlement, maybe that was a contributing factor to Mr Drysdale's increasing rage toward the end of the series

[forn]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

I couldn't help feel sorry for poor Jed, all those years thinking Mr. Drysdale was a trusted friend only to find out, 20 years later, he was nothing but a fraud and a crook.

Ever since I heard about this, I can't help but feel a tinge of sadness when I watch the show. Like you say, he considered Mr. Drysdale a trusted friend, and he betrayed him.

Then you add on how Elly and Jethro can't seem to find love, and Granny doesn't ever seem really happy in Beverly Hills. It's not quite a tragedy, but there is some sadness there. Although according to Legends, Jethro and Elly both ended up getting married and having kids.

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

If Mrs Drysdale DID leave Mr. Drysdale, maybe she managed to take a huge chunk of their money in settlement, maybe that was a contributing factor to Mr Drysdale's increasing rage toward the end of the series

Good thinking, that would certainly make sense.

[Duster76]

Originally Posted by stevea

I looked it up on IMDb, and Harriet MacGibbon's last appearance was midway thru season 8--in season 8 she was in only three episodes.

This is interesting -- I never noticed she left the show. She probably took Claude with her!

The character of Mrs. Drysdale was squeezed out primarily due to the reduction in the number of episodes produced after season 6 and longer story arcs. In the first two seasons 72 episodes were produced, a total of 76 episodes (only 4 more) were produced in the final three seasons! The character of Mrs. Drysdale appears in episodes 13-14 in season 8 for her final appearances after that comes a couple of Hooterville crossovers, a long string of Shorty episodes and then a run with Honest John that carries over to season 9. The frogman run begins after that and show now winding down morphs from The Beverly Hillbillies to Hathaway's Hillbillies as Miss Jane becomes a major character as important as any of the Hillbillies. .

[TheLittleFaerie]

Originally Posted by Duster76

The character of Mrs. Drysdale was squeezed out primarily due to the reduction in the number of episodes produced after season 6 and longer story arcs. In the first two seasons 72 episodes were produced, a total of 76 episodes (only 4 more) were produced in the final three seasons! The character of Mrs. Drysdale appears in episodes 13-14 in season 8 for her final appearances after that comes a couple of Hooterville crossovers, a long string of Shorty episodes and then a run with Honest John that carries over to season 9. The frogman run begins after that and show now winding down morphs from The Beverly Hillbillies to Hathaway's Hillbillies as Miss Jane becomes a major character as important as any of the Hillbillies. .

I may be wrong but doesn't the series end with Miss Jane still not working for Mr. Drysdale? It seems like it ended with the conflict between them unresolved.... I mean obviously they didn't know that was gonna be the end of the series likely

[TheLittleFaerie]

If the show had had a finale, what would you like to have seen?

I thought of 2:

Jed and Granny move back to the Hills... Elly finds a husband, Jethro fines a wife and one of his ambitions finally comes true. Jed leaves the mansion to Elly and Jethro and they live there with their respective families. Miss Jane finds the love of her life. I'm not sure about Mr. Drysdale.... should he stay corrupt till the end or have a change? lol

The other ending I thought of was basically the same only Jed and Granny take a HUGE portion of their money with them to keep in the local bank back home... Drysdale, not happy about this, relocates to the bank in the Hills and works there... Basically same idea, only Drysdale coming over to the cabin and sucking up to Jed and his family lol

[forn]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

The other ending I thought of was basically the same only Jed and Granny take a HUGE portion of their money with them to keep in the local bank back home... Drysdale, not happy about this, relocates to the bank in the Hills and works there... Basically same idea, only Drysdale coming over to the cabin and sucking up to Jed and his family lol

Lol, I like that MUCH better than Mr. Drysdale stealing Jed's money.

[Duster76]

Originally Posted by TheLittleFaerie

I may be wrong but doesn't the series end with Miss Jane still not working for Mr. Drysdale? It seems like it ended with the conflict between them unresolved.... I mean obviously they didn't know that was gonna be the end of the series likely

You have two interesting posts let's take a look at them at the same time, here's the second one:

"If the show had had a finale, what would you like to have seen?

I thought of 2:

Jed and Granny move back to the Hills... Elly finds a husband, Jethro fines a wife and one of his ambitions finally comes true. Jed leaves the mansion to Elly and Jethro and they live there with their respective families. Miss Jane finds the love of her life. I'm not sure about Mr. Drysdale.... should he stay corrupt till the end or have a change?"

The other ending I thought of was basically the same only Jed and Granny take a HUGE portion of their money with them to keep in the local bank back home... Drysdale, not happy about this, relocates to the bank in the Hills and works there... Basically same idea, only Drysdale coming over to the cabin and sucking up to Jed and his family"

To answer the question you opened with, I don't think the issues between Miss Jane and Drysdale were resolved, which suggests the producers may have been thinking about carrying that story arc into the tenth season. But with Bailey's declining health you have to wonder if they would have replaced Bailey and have Miss Jane working for Drysdale's replacement. But on the other hand...

The final season has the feel of a store going out of business, empty out the storage rooms and get everything on the sales floor and watch as things slowly fall into disarray. It starts pretty normal with the Honest John story arc, no new ground there, then pivots to what appears to be the start of something big. The Elly and Mark Templeton situation, this has the feel of something going somewhere maybe marriage and a baby announcement at season's end, and then just like that it ends. Over the next few episodes the show morphs into Hathaway's Hillbillies, with the Miss Jane character becoming a lead character. To add to all this Henning throws some work the way of Mike Minor and Lori Saunders, two performers who were regulars on Petticoat Junction and had made numerous appearances on The Beverly Hillbillies as those characters. Irene Ryan and Buddy Ebsen don't seem to have a great deal to do as the show winds down and Max Baer misses two out of the last three episodes appearing briefly in the final episode.

What I took from all this was a sense that somewhere early in the 9th season they received informal word that the show was not going to be picked up. With that there was decision to not pursue the Templeton/Elly angle and give Nancy who was so great in the series her day by making her the featured player. Give some work to Petticoat Junction actors who needed work and give the great Charles Lane who had contributed so much as bad guy Homer Bedloe something to do.