BUDDY EBSEN BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Buddy Ebsen was born on April 2nd, 1908 in Belleville, Illinois with the birth name Christian Ludolph Ebsen Jr. to parents Chrisitian Rudoolph Evsen Sr. and Frances.  At the age of ten his family relocated to Palm Beach County, Florida and then to Orlando Florida.  His father operated a dance studio where he and his four sisters took dancing lessons.

After graduating from Orlando High School in 1926 he had goals of pursuing a career in medicine and chose to attend the university of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.  Buddy then went to study at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida.  Due to his family's financial hardship, they could not afford to send him to college and therefore at the age of twenty he dropped out.

He decided to try and pursue a career in dancing in the late 20's.  He began with working on Broadway in the chorus and then formed a vaudeville act with his sister Vilma.  He and his sister decided to relocate to Hollywood where they were signed to a contract with MGM.  They began appearing on a number of films such as, "Broadway Melody of 1936" (1935) starring Jack Benny, Eleanor Powell, Robert Taylor, Una Merkel and Frances Langford.  His sister then decided to retire but he continued working in the film industry making appearances on, "Born to Dance" (1936) starring Eleanor Powell, James Stewart, Una Merkel, Virginia Bruce and Frances Langford, "Broadway Melody of 1938" (1937) and "Captain January" (1936) starring Shirley Temple, Guy Kibbee and Slim Summerville.

As his film career continued he was offered the role of the scarecrow on the famous film, "The Wizard of Oz" (1939) starring Judy Garland, Bert Lahr, Ray Bolger, Frank Morgan, Charley Grapewin, Margaret Hamilton and Billie Burke, however after agreeing to take the role of the Tin Man, the makeup made him ill and he was replaced by Jack Haley.

He then returned back to working as a stage actor, but did make occasional film and television appearances in the Walt Disney classic, "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier" (1955) starring with Fess Parker and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961) starring Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Mickey Rooney and Martin Balsam.  He won more of a fan base with his television roles on the series, "Northwest Passage" (1958-1959) co-starring with Keith Larsen, "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1962) co-starring Max Baer Jr., Donna Douglas, Nancy Kulp, Raymond Bailey and Irene Ryan and "Barnaby Jones" (1973) starring with Lee Meriwether and TV movie version of "The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies" (1981).

Buddy Ebsen appeared on numerous television shows during his illustrious career, actually too many to mention here however some were "Burke's Law", "Bonanza", "Climax!", "Checkmate", "Lock Up", "The Red Skelton Hour", and "Gunsmoke" just to name a few.

Along with working as an actor he wrote a total of six plays, five of which were produced and was also a part time song writer and author at the age of ninety three of a romantic novel. 

Ebsen was married three times throughout his lifetime, first to Ruth Cambridge in 1933 and they had two daughters, Elizabeth and Alix, before ending the marriage in divorce in 1945.  His second wife was Nancy Wolcott McKeown from 1945 through 1985 and together they had five more children, Susannah, Cathy, Bonnie, Kiersten and Dustin.  His third and final wife was Dorothy Knott in 1985 and they remained married until he passed away on July 6th, 2003 in Torrance, California.  His remains were cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea.
 

Filmography

1999   King of the Hill
1994   Burke's Law
1993   The Beverly Hillbillies 
1990   Working Tra$h
1987   CBS Summer Playhouse
1987   Stone Fox
1987   Milroy: Santa's Misfit Mutt
1984-1985  Matt Houston
1984   Finder of Lost Loves
1984   The Yellow Rose
1981   Fire on the Mountain
1981   The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies
1973-1980  Barnaby Jones 
1979   The Paradise Connection
1978   The Critical List
1978   The Bastard
1978   Leave Yesterday Behind
1976   Smash-Up on Interstate 5 
1975   The Tiny Treet
1975   Cannon
1973   The President's Plane Is Missing
1973   Tom Sawyer
1973   The Horror at 37,000 Feet
1972   Alias Smith and Jones
1972   The Daughters of Joshua Cabe
1972   Rod Serling's Night Gallery s
1959-1972  Bonanza
1960-1971  Gunsmoke
1971   Hawaii Five-O
1962-1971  The Beverly Hillbillies
1970   The Andersonville Trial
1968   The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band 
1966   The Red Skelton Hour
1964   Mail Order Bride
1962   The Interns
1962   Checkmate
1962   Westinghouse Presents: That's Where the Town Is Going
1960-1962  Tales of Wells Fargo
1960-1962  Rawhide
1962   King of Diamonds 
1961   Adventures in Paradise
1961   Bus Stop
1961   Have Gun - Will Travel 
1961   The Andy Griffith Show
1961   Breakfast at Tiffany's
1961   The Barbara Stanwyck Show
1961   Gunslinger
1961   Twilight Zone
1961   77 Sunset Strip
1959-1961  Maverick 
1961   The Best of the Post
1960   Bronco
1960   Riverboat
1960   G.E. True Theater
1960   Johnny Ringo
1960   Lock Up 
1960   Black Saddle
1959   Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958-1959  Playhouse 90
1958-1959  Northwest Passage
1957   Climax!
1956   Strange Stories
1956   Between Heaven and Hell
1956   Attack
1956   Screen Directors Playhouse
1956   Studio 57
1956   Corky and White Shadow
1954-1955  Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
1954   Night People
1954   Red Garters
1952   Schlitz Playhouse
1952   Broadway Television Theatre
1952   Gruen Guild Theater
1951   Rodeo King and the Senorita
1951   Stars Over Hollywood
1951   Thunder in God's Country
1951   Silver City Bonanza 
1950   Under Mexicali Stars
1949   The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre
1942   Sing Your Worries Away
1941   Parachute Battalion
1941   They Met in Argentina
1939   The Kid from Texas
1939   Four Girls in White
1938   My Lucky Star
1938   Yellow Jack
1938   The Girl of the Golden West
1937   Broadway Melody of 1938
1936   Banjo on My Knee
1936   Born to Dance
1936   Captain January
1935   Broadway Melody of 1936