As the last Disney animated film approved by Walt himself, The Aristocats dates its development to as early as 1961 when Disney suggested that Harry Tytle and Tom McGowan find some animal stories to adapt as a 2-part live action episode for the Wonderful World of Color TV show. By New Year’s 1962, McGowan found several stories including a children’s book about a mother cat and her kittens set in New York City. Yet, Tytle suggested setting the cats in Paris. Later that year, McGowan brought Tytle a version of the story written by Tom Rowe, an American writer living in Paris. Although Disney originally rejected the idea, Tytle and McGowan heard that Disney was at the Connaught in London where they slipped the treatment for Disney to read at the hotel desk. Disney contacted McGowan, stating that he liked the treatment and would meet with Tytle in Lisbon, Portugal. During a flight back to London, Disney told Tytle to buy the story for a live action theatrical film as well as recommended further revisions. After the project was temporarily shelved, Tytle suggested that The Aristocats should be reworked into an animated feature and Disney agreed and recommended that he approach Wolfgang Reiterman. Reiterman agreed but only after he finished directing The Jungle Book. Of course, Walt only got to see the preliminary work developed by Ken Anderson and it would be the last animated film project he approved before he succumbed to lung cancer that December 1966. So it would be up to his ever-underrated older brother Roy who wanted to keep Walt’s legacy alive even though he’d prefer to retire. As the first post-Walt Disney movie, The Aristocats opened to positive reviews and good box office numbers, with $10.1 million in the United States and Canada. Yet, it currently holds a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with most critics saying that it’s sufficiently enjoyable but not good enough to be truly memorable. As critic Leonard Maltin noted, “[t]he worst that one could say of The Aristocats is that it is unmemorable. It’s smoothly executed, of course, and enjoyable, but neither its superficial story nor its characters have any resonance.” In this post, you’ll meet voice actors Patt Buttram, George Lindsey, and Paul Winchell, as well as the voices behind Duchess, Scat Cat, Peppo, Frou-Frou, Madame Adelaide Bonfamille, Georges Hautecourt, and one of the Gabble sisters.

91. Eva Gabor

Dates: 1919-1995

Early Life and Career: Born in Budapest, Hungary to a Jewish family. Father was a soldier. Mother was jeweler and socialite Jolie Gabor. Was the first of her sisters to move to the United States shortly after her first marriage when she was just 18. Made her first movie for Paramount Pictures in 1941.

Movies and Cartoons: The Aristocats (1970), The Rescuers (1977), and The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

Characters: Duchess and Miss Bianca

Also Known For: Hungarian American actress and socialite. Appeared on film, Broadway, and on television as well as a businesswoman who marketed wigs, clothing, and beauty products. Best known role was as Lisa Douglas in Green Acres. Film appearances include The Last Time I Saw Paris, Artists and Models, Gigi, It Started with a Kiss, A New Kind of Love, Nutcracker Fantasy, and The Princess Academy. Had her own talk show during the 1950s called The Eva Gabor Show. TV appearances include Tales of Tomorrow, What’s My Line?, Five Fingers, Harrigan and Son, Wake Me When the War Is Over, Match Game, Ellery Queen, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart, The Edge of Night, Petticoat Junction, The Beverly Hillbillies, and This Is Your Life.

Personal Life: Younger sister of Zsa Zsa and Magda Gabor and aunt of Francesca Hilton. Married 5 times. First husband was Swedish psychologist and osteopath Dr. Eric Valdemar Drimmer whom she wed in London in 1937. They divorced in 1942 with her claiming cruelty, saying, “I wanted to have babies and lead a simple family life but my husband objected to me having children.” Second husband was American investment broker named Charles Isaacs from 1943 to their divorce in 1949. Third husband was a plastic surgeon named Dr. John Elbert Williams from 1956 to their divorce in 1957. Fourth husband was a textile manufacturer turned writer and director Richard Brown whom she wed at the Las Vegas Flamingo Hotel in 1959. They divorced in 1973. Fifth husband was aerospace executive and former vice president of Rockwell International, Fred Gard Jameson Sr. They wed at the Vivian Webb Chapel of the Webb Schools in Claremont, California in 1973. She became stepmother of Jameson’s four children. They divorced in 1983. Also had an on-again and off-again affair with actor Glen Ford while in between marriages from 1957 to the 1970s. After her last marriage, Gabor was involved in a relationship with TV producer Merv Griffin until her death. Reuters reported this was a platonic relationship to hide Griffin’s suspected homosexuality.

Later Life: In 1972, Gabor launched her eponymous fashion collection with Cuban-born American fashion designer Luis Estevez. Retired in 1994. Died in Los Angeles in 1995 from respiratory failure and pneumonia, following a fall in a bathtub during her vacation in Mexico. Funeral was held at Good Shepherd Catholic Church. Buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park and Cemetery. She was 76. Survived by her mother and sisters.

Trivia: Toured post-communist Hungary after a 40-year absence on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous in 1990.

92. Scatman Crothers

Dates: 1910-1986

Early Life and Career: Born Benjamin Sherman Crothers in Terre Haute, Indiana. Began his music career as a teenager where he educated himself on guitar and drums. Was in a band that played in Terre Haute speakeasies. During the 1930s, he formed a band, spending 8 years living in Akron, Ohio, and performing 5 days a week on a Dayton, Ohio radio show. When the station manager thought Crothers needed a catchier name, he suggested “Scat Man” for his scat singing. Moved to California in the 1940s.   bPerformed in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and at the Apollo in Harlem, New York City. Went on USO tours with Bob Hope and performed with bandleader Sam Gaillard. Began recording music in 1947. Made his first film in 1953.

Movies and Cartoons: The Aristocats (1970)

Characters: Scat Cat

Also Known For: Actor, singer, composer, songwriter, and musician best known as Lou the Garbage Man from Chico and the Man and Dick Hallorann from The Shining. Film appearances include Porgy and Bess, The King of Marvin Gardens, The Fortune, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Coonskin, Silver Streak, The Shootist, Hello Dolly!, The Great White Hope, The Cheap Detective, Bronco Billy, and Two of a Kind. TV appearances include Roots, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Bonanza, The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo, Dragnet, Harlem Globetrotters, Bewitched, The New Scooby-Doo Movies, Kojak, Hong Kong Phooey, Mannix, The Odd Couple, McMillan & Wife, Sanford and Son, Kolchack: The Night Stalker, Ironside, The Transformers, Starsky and Hutch, Charlie’s Angels, The Love Boat, Laverne & Shirley, Benson, Taxi, and The Paper Chase. Hit singles include “I’d Rather Be a Hummingbird”, “Blue-Eyed Sally”, “Television Blues,” “The Gal Looks Good”, “Nobody Knows Why”, “I Was There”, “A Man’s Gotta Eat”, and “When, Oh When.”

Personal Life: Married Helen Sullivan in 1937. Marriage produced a daughter named Donna and lasted until his death.

Later Life: Joined ASCAP in 1959. In 1985, Crothers was diagnosed with an inoperable malignant tumor in his lung that metastasized to his esophagus. Was bedridden for weeks and slipped into a coma. Died at his Van Nuys home in 1986 at 76 after struggling with lung cancer. Buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.

Trivia: Has a Best Supporting Actor Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and an NAACP Image Award. Was inducted in the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1987. Was a regular guest on The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show.

93. Paul Winchell

Dates: 1922-2005

Early Life and Career: Born Paul Wilchinsky in New York City. Father was a tailor. Grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Congress Poland and Austria-Hungary. At 6, his legs atrophied after contracting polio. At 12 or 13, Winchell came across a magazine offering a ten-cent ventriloquism kit. At school, he asked his art teacher Jero Magon if he could receive class credit for creating a ventriloquist’s dummy. Magon agreed. Winchell thanked him for naming his creation Jerry Mahoney. He then returned to the magazines to gather jokes and put together a comedy routine, which he then took to The Major Bowes Amateur Hour, winning first prize. Part of that prize was a touring offer to play in various theaters with the Major Bowes Review. Bandleader Ted Weems saw the young Winchell while on tour, visited the boy, and offered him a job. Winchell accepted and became a professional at the age of 14. First show was on the radio with Jerry Mahoney in 1943 but the program was short-lived due to being overshadowed by Edgar Bergen. In 1948, Winchell was featured on Floor Show on NBC. Recorded on kinescope and replayed on WNBQ-TV in Chicago, the 8:30-9:00pm Central Time show was the station’s first midweekly program.

Movies and Cartoons: The Aristocats (1970), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), The Fox and the Hound (1981), and Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore (1983) as well as other projects such direct-to-video Winnie the Pooh cartoons, My Interactive Pooh video game, The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh TV series, as well as The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction at Walt Disney World. He’d go on to host children and adult programs with his figures for NBC Television and for syndication.

Characters: Shun Gon, Tigger, and Boomer the Woodpecker as well as Zummi Gummi from Disney’s Adventures of the Gummy Bears.

Also Known For: Was a ventriloquist, actor, comedian, humanitarian, author, and inventor whose career flourished during the 1950s and 1960s. Hosted The Paul Winchell Show from 1950 to 1961 and the children’s programs Circus Time from 1956-1957 and Winchell-Mahoney Time from 1965-1968. Best known dummy characters were Jerry Mahoney, Knucklehead Smiff, and Ozwald. Outside Disney, he was the original voice of Dick Dastardly, Gargamel, Scrubbing Bubbles, Sam-I-Am, Clyde, Softy, Fleegle, Bubi Bear, Goober the Dog, Burger Chef, Mr. Owl, and Fearless Freddy the Shark Hunter. TV appearances include Your First Impression, Perry Mason, The Dick Van Dyke Show, McMillan & Wife, The Brady Bunch, The Beverly Hillbillies, What’s My Line?, 77 Sunset Strip, Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles, The Lucy Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Virginian, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, Storybook Squares, Wacky Races, The Banana Splits, The Flying Nun, The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, Here’s Lucy, Nanny and the Professor, The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show, Curiosity Shop, Help!…It’s the Hair Bear Bunch!, The ABC Saturday Superstar Movies, The New Scooby-Doo Movies, Runaround, Dr. Seuss on the Loose, Yogi’s Gang, Hong Kong Phooey, These Are the Days, Wheelie and Chopper Bunch, Adams of Eagle Lake, The Pink Panther Show, CB Bears, Casper and the Angels, Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo, Heathcliff, Trollkins, Spider-Man, Meatballs & Spaghetti, The Jetsons, Yogi’s Treasure Hunt, and Droopy, Master Detective. With the assistance of Dr. Henry Heimlich, he became one of the first people to patent a mechanical artificial heart, implantable in the chest cavity which he later donated to the University of Utah School of Medicine who developed a similar apparatus. While there is some debate on how much of Winchell’s design Robert Jarvik used in creating the Jarvik-7. Heimlich has stated, “I saw the heart, I saw the patent, and I saw the letters. The basic principle used in Winchell’s heart and Jarvik’s heart is exactly the same.” Jarvik has vehemently denied that he used any of Winchell’s design elements into his device. Owned more than 30 patents in his lifetime that included a disposable razor, a blood plasma defroster, a flameless cigarette lighter, a garter belt with no outwardly visible lines, the freezer interrupt indicator (which allowed people to see if their food had gone bad when their electricity was interrupted), a fountain pen with a retractable tip, a battery lighted key case, a sectional garment for hypothermia, a piezo-electric diaphragm, an aluminum electrical generator, novelty phonograph records, novelty upside down mask and mirror, a reversible alphabet that could be seen normally when shown in a mirror, rubber sand that allowed for the sturdy attachment of pictures to frames, illuminated pen- ballpoint (behind cartridge), and battery-heated gloves.

Personal Life: Married three times. First wife was Dorothy “Dottie” Movitz in 1944 with whom he had a son named Stacy Paul and a daughter named Stephanie. They divorced in 1960. Second wife was actress and Winchell-Mahoney writer Nina Russel with whom he had a daughter named April who became an actress, writer, and radio host as well as serves as the current voice for Clarabelle the Cow. They divorced in 1972. Third wife was a Brit named Jean Freeman from 1974 until his death. They adopted two sons named Larry and Keith. She was credited with the catchphrase, “Ta-Ta For Now.” He also had 3 grandchildren around the time of his death as well. Anyway, Winchell’s autobiography Winch (2004) revealed many dark details about Winchell’s life that he previously kept private, including early stories of an abusive childhood, a long history of depression, and at least one mental breakdown which resulted in a short stint at a mental institution. The book revealed the bad treatment Winchell received from his mother for a considerable period, and the mental impact that continued to negatively affect him for decades after his mother’s death in 1953 at just 58. The autobiography caused a major estrangement between Winchell and his children because he portrayed their moms negatively in the book. In fact, April publicly defended her mother. He also wrote a couple books on religion and let’s just say he was a deist who didn’t have a lot of nice things to say about it.

Later Life: In 1970, Winchell and Metromedia were in negotiations to syndicate 305 segments of the show but nothing came of it. Winchell offered to purchase the tapes outright for $100,000. Metromedia responded with an ultimatum: “Agree on a syndication plan or the tapes will be destroyed.” Winchell didn’t agree. So Metromedia carried out with its threat and the tapes were erased and destroyed. Winchell sued Metromedia and in 1986, a jury awarded him $3.8 million for the tapes’ value and $14 million in punitive damages Metromedia. Metromedia appealed the award all the way to the US Supreme Court but they ultimately lost. In the 1980s, Winchell’s concern about starvation in Africa led him to develop a method to cultivate tilapia in tribal villages and small communities. Since the fish thrives in brackish waters, it was particularly well-suited for sub-Saharan Africa. With several other celebrities including Ed Asner and Richard Dreyfuss, Winchell appeared before a congressional committee. Unfortunately, the committee declined to finance the pilot program for the tilapia project because it required digging wells into non-potable water. Retired in 1999. Died in 2005 of natural causes in his sleep at his home in Moorpark, California at 82. His remains were cremated and his ashes scattered over his home property. Since Winchell was estranged from his kids, they weren’t immediately informed of his death. Upon learning about it, April posted an entry on her website: “I got a phone call a few minutes ago, telling me that my father passed away yesterday. A source close to my dad, or at least, closer than I was, decided to tell me himself, instead of letting me find out on the news, which I appreciate. Apparently a decision had been made not to tell me, or my father’s other children. My father was a very troubled and unhappy man. If there is another place after this one, it is my hope that he now has the peace that eluded him on earth.”

Trivia: Won a Grammy Award for his Performance in Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1974). Received a Winsor McCay Award in 1997. Has been honored at the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in television. Doll copies of Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff are housed in the Smithsonian Institution. Once auditioned to play the Pillsbury Doughboy but lost out to Paul Frees. Was a pre-med student at Columbia University. Graduated from the Acupuncture School of Los Angeles in 1974 and became an acupuncturist. Also worked as a medical hypnotist at the Gibbs Institute in Hollywood. Worked on projects for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the American Red Cross. Honored by The National Christian University with an honorary doctorate in science. Featured in the documentary I’m No Dummy. Wrote several books on a variety of subjects as well as painted. Died one day before his co-star John Fielder. Created and maintained a personal website until 2004.

94. Vito Scotti

Dates: 1918-1996

Early Life and Career: Born Vito Giusto Scozzari in San Francisco. Father was an impresario. Mother was an opera diva. Family spent the early 1920s in Naples and returned to the United States in 1924 where they briefly lived in Philadelphia before moving to New York City. Worked the night club circuit as a stand-up magician and mime artist following the Commedia dell’arte style. Debuted on Broadway in small role on Pinocchio. After serving in World War II, Scotti entered movies and television during the late 1940s. Made film debut in 1949. In 1955, Scotti was reportedly injured with an elephant named Emma who was reportedly spooked by the faux floral decorations on the set. Emma shook Scotti and fellow actor Nino Marcel from her back. Scotti suffered a concussion and a broken arm.

Movies and Cartoons: The Aristocats (1970) as well as some episodes of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color during the late 1970s and the early 1980s.

Characters: Peppo

Also Known For: Character actor who was known as a man of a thousand faces for his ability to assume so many divergent roles in more than 200 screen appearances and in a career spanning 50 years for his resourceful portrayals of various ethnic types. Played both dramatic and comedic roles on Broadway, films, and later on television from the late 1930s to the mid-1990s. Of Italian heritages, he played everything from a Mexican bandit, a Russian doctor, a Japanese sailor, and an Indian travel guide. Basically he could play anyone who wasn’t a woman or black (for reasons that have more to do his looks and mid-twentieth century sensibilities than his talent). And if he was alive today, he probably would’ve been able to play a Russian doctor out of those 4 examples. Big at playing unsympathetic types such as snobs, loudmouths, and bullies. Film appearances include East Side, West Side, The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima, The Capture, Deported, The Light Touch, Shield for Murder, The Fabulous Senorita, Sabaka, The Broken Star, The Black Orchid, The Facts of Life, Gold of the Seven Saints, Pocketful of Miracles, The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, Captain Newman M.D., Honeymoon Hotel, Rio Conchos, Von Ryan’s Express, Made in Paris, The Pleasure Seekers, The Caper of the Golden Bulls, The Perils of Pauline (1967), The Secret War of Harry Figg, Head, Cactus Flower, The Godfather, Napoleon and Samantha, When the Legends Die, How to Seduce a Woman, Herbie Rides Again, One Man Jury, The Big Bus, Herbie Goes Bananas, Stewardess School, and Get Shorty. TV appearances include Andy’s Gang, How to Marry a Millionaire, The Lucy – Desi Comedy Hour, Rescue 8, Perry Mason, State Trooper, Playhouse 90, Peter Gunn, Wagon Train, Tales of Wells Fargo, Cheyenne, Zorro, The Real McCoys, The Investigators, Rawhide, The Twilight Zone, Lassie, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Rifleman, My Favorite Martian, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Donna Reed Show, Dr. Kildare, The Jack Benny Program, Bewitched, Laredo, The Virginian, The Addams Family, The Andy Griffith Show, The Lucy Show, The Munsters, Gilligan’s Island, Batman, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., The Monkees, The Wild Wild West, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Daniel Boone, The Flying Nun, Hogan’s Heroes, Ironside, Get Smart, Gunsmoke, The Odd Couple, The Brady Bunch, The Six Million Dollar Man, McMillan & Wife, Adam-12, The Bionic Woman, Monster Squad, Baretta, Happy Days, Charlie’s Angels, Hawaii Five-O, Hart to Hart, Madame’s Place, Fantasy Island, CHiPs, Trapper John M.D., Charles in Charge, The Golden Girls, Columbo, Northern Exposure, and Mad About You.

Personal Life: Married twice. First wife was former Flamenco dancer Irene Aida Lopez from 1949 to her death in 1979 at 54. Had 2 children with her including a daughter named Carmen Antoinette born in 1953 and a son named Ricardo Antonio born in 1956. Second wife was a woman named Beverly Cohen whom he married sometime during the 1980s and remained with her until his death.

Later Life: Retired from acting in 1995. Died in 1996 of lung cancer at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. Interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery with his first wife Irene in the Abbey of the Psalms Mausoleum.

Trivia: Was also a highly regarded cook who loved Italian cuisine, especially his mother and grandmother’s recipes. It’s said that 2 generations of Hollywood’s top names always left his dinner parties raving about the food and wine. In addition, he enjoyed painting in his spare time. Was a dedicated fundraiser for the “Carmen Fund” set up by the Joaquin Miller High School Parents’ Guild, to assist the school’s special-needs students. Fund was named  after the Scottis’ daughter, one of the first patients to undergo pioneer spinal implant surgery.

95. Nancy Kulp

Dates: 1921-1991

Early Life and Career: Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Father was a traveling salesman. Mother was a school teacher and later principal. Family later moved from Mifflintown to Miami, Florida sometime before 1935. Graduated with a journalism degree from what is now Florida Sate University in 1943. Continued her studies for a master’s degree in English and French at the University of Miami where she was a member of the sorority Pi Beta Phi. Also worked as a feature writer for the Miami Beach Tropics, writing profiles of celebrities such as Clark Gable as well as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. In 1944 during World War II, Kulp left the University of Miami to join the US Naval Reserve where she attained the rank of lieutenant, junior grade and received several decorations while in service including the American Campaign Medal. Was honorably discharge in 1946. In 1951, Kulp moved to Hollywood to work in MGM’s publicity department. But once at the studio, director George Cukor convinced her that she should be an actress. So the same year she began her MGM publicity job, Kulp made her film debut.

Movies and Cartoons: The Aristocats (1970)

Characters: Frou-Frou

Also Known For: Character actor, writer, and comedian best known as Miss Jane Hathaway on The Beverly Hillbillies. Films include The Model and the Marriage Broker, Shane, Sabrina (1954), A Star Is Born (1954), Not as a Stranger, Steel Town, The Marrying Kind, The Caddy, The Strike, Anything Goes, The Three Faces of Eve, The Parent Trap (1961), The Last Time I Saw Archie, Who’s Minding the Store?, The Patsy, Strange Bedfellows, and The Night of the Grizzly. TV appearances include Lux Radio Theatre, Topper, December Bride, The Bob Cummings Show, It’s a Great Life, The Life of Riley, Schlitz Playhouse, TV Reader’s Digest, General Electric Theater, I Love Lucy, Cheyenne, Our Miss Brooks, The 20^th Century Fox Hour, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Perry Mason, Colgate Theater, The Real McCoys, 77 Sunset Strip, Playhouse 90, Maverick, Sunday Showcase, Mister Ed, Pete and Gladys, The Jack Benny Program, Outlaws, The Twilight Zone, My Three Sons, The Lucy Show, Password, Petticoat Junction, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, Stanford and Son, The Love Boat, CHiPs, Fantasy Island, Simon & Simon, Quantum Leap, and ABC Afterschool Special.

Personal Life: Married Charles Malcom Dacus in 1951 in Dade County, Florida. They divorced in 1961. Despite being referred to as the “homeliest girl on television,” it’s said that Kulp was quite popular in the show-biz dating scene and never lacked any amorous companionship. Kulp later gave an interview to author and LGBTQ activist Boze Hadleigh for his book Hollywood Lesbians in which she said: “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.” By the way, she was 67 when she admitted to being a lesbian.

Later Life: Served on the board of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). In 1984, after working with the Democratic State Committee in her own state of Pennsylvania “on a variety of projects” over period of years, Kulp ran as the Democratic nominee for the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania’s 9^th congressional district. To her dismay, her Beverly Hillbillies co-star and staunch Republican Buddy Ebsen contacted her Republican opponent Bud Schuster’s campaign and volunteered to make a radio campaign ad in which he called Kulp “too liberal.” Later, Kulp said of Ebsen, “He’s not the kindly old Jed Clampett that you saw on the show … It’s none of his business and he should have stayed out of it.” She said Ebsen and she “didn’t get along because I found him difficult to work with. But I never would have done something like this to him.” In the end, she lost by a landslide, garnering only 33.6% of the vote. After this, according to close friends and family, Kulp regarded Ebsen as a persona non grata and she made clear to people not to bring him up in conversation around her except in interviews related to her time in The Beverly Hillbillies. In later years, Ebsen privately expressed remorse for doing the ad and they only reconciled shortly before Kulp’s death. After her defeat, Kulp worked at Juniata College, first as an artist in residence. Later as an acting teacher. Retired from acting and teaching in 1989. After briefly living at a Connecticut farm, she moved to Palm Springs, California, where she became involved in several charity organizations including the Humane Society of the Desert, the Desert Theatre League, and United Cerebral Palsy. A lifelong smoker, Kulp was diagnosed with cancer in 1990 and received chemotherapy. By 1991, the cancer had spread and she died in Palm Desert, California at 69. Her remains were interred at Westminster Presbyterian Cemetery in Mifflintown, Pennsyvania.

Trivia: Received an Emmy Award for her role as Miss Jane Hathaway from The Beverly Hillbillies. Was Arsenio Hall’s first guest on his talk show. She sat in with the house band.

96. Pat Buttram

Dates: 1915-1994

Early Life and Career: Born Maxwell Emmett Buttram in Addison, Alabama. Was the youngest of six children to a Methodist minister father. Had been called “Pat” since infancy. When Buttram was a year old, his father was transferred to Nauvoo Alabama where Buttram graduated from Mortimer Jordan High School before entering Birmingham – Southern College to study for the Methodist ministry. While there, Buttram performed in college plays and on a local radio station. He then became a regular on the National Barn Dance broadcast on WLS in Chicago. Also had his own program on CBS. Went to Hollywood during the 1940s and became sidekick to Roy Rogers. But since Rogers already had 2 regulars, Buttram was dropped. He was then picked up by Gene Autry, recently returned from his service in the US Army Air Corps. Made their first film The Strawberry Roan in 1948. Also joined Autry on his Melody Ranch radio show and later on television with The Gene Autry Show.

Movies and Cartoons: The Aristocats (1970), Robin Hood (1973), The Rescuers (1977), The Fox and the Hound (1981), and A Goofy Movie (1995) as well as the Susie and the Little Blue Coupe (1951) short

Characters: Napoleon, Sheriff of Nottingham, Luke the Muskrat, Chief, and Possum Park Emcee

Also Known For: Character actor best known for playing Gene Autry’s sidekick and as Mr. Haney in Green Acres. Also had a distinctive voice that, in his own words, “never quite made it through puberty.” Co-starred with Autry in more than 40 films and over 100 episodes of television. Aside from Disney cartoons, he was a toon bullet in Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Cactus Jake in Garfield and Friends. Film appearances include Riders in the Sky, Mule Train, Beyond the Purple Hills, The Blazing Sun, Valley of Fire, The Old West, Night Stage in Galveston, Barbed Wire, Wagon Team, Wild in the Country, Twilight of Honor, Roustabout, Sergeant Deadhead, The Gatling Gun, Angels Brigade, and Back to the Future: Part III. TV appearances include The Real McCoys, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tycoon, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Munsters, Petticoats ‘n’ Pistols, Petticoat Junction, The Hollywood Squares, The Merv Griffin Show, Alias Smith and Jones, Adam-12, Emergency!, Chico and the Man, The Dukes of Hazzard, Simon and Simon, The Love Boat, Family Feud, Knight Rider, Gravedale High, Who’s the Boss, Tiny Toon Adventures, and Rugrats.

Personal Life: Married twice. First wife was Dorothy McFadden whom he married in 1936 and with whom he’d adopt a daughter named Gayle. They divorced in 1946. Second wife was actress Shelia Ryan whom he married in 1952. They had a daughter named Kathrine (nicknamed “Kerry”) who was born in 1954. The couple would remain together until Ryan’s death in 1975.

Later Life: Semi-retired from acting in 1980. In 1987, Buttram returned to television with Gene Autry on Melody Ranch Theater on The Nashville Network. It featured Gene Autry’s classic western movies, cut down for television, with original opening and closing segments of America’s first singing cowboy and his comedic sidekick, reminiscing about the making of the movies and the events in the industry at the time. Died of kidney failure in 1994 at 78 at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Was interred at the Maxwell Chapel United Methodist Church in the Pebble Community near Haleyville, Alabama.

Trivia: Was a writer on Hee Haw. Was a staunch Republican who helped Ronald Reagan spice up his speeches. Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and one on the “Alabama Stars Hall of Fame” in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1982, he founded the Golden Boot Awards to honor actors, directors, stunt people and other industry professionals who’ve made significant contributions to the western film genre. Proceeds from the annual event are donated to the Motion Picture Health and Welfare Fund.

97. George Lindsey

Dates: 1928-2012

Early Life and Career: Born in Fairfield, Alabama. Father was a butcher. Raised by his grandparents in the small town of Jasper, where he graduated from Walker County High School in 1946. Attended Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri and what is now the University of North Alabama where he majored in physical education and biology. Was also a quarterback on the football team and acted in college plays. Received a Bachelor of Science in 1952. After graduating from college, Lindsey enlisted in the US Air Force and was stationed at Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico. After his discharge, Lindsey taught for a year at Hazel Green High School in Hazel Green, Alabama while waiting to be accepted by the American Theater Wing in New York City in 1956. In 1960, Lindsey appeared in To Tell the Truth, posing as a Florida fisherman and ultimately revealing himself as a “nightclub comic.” After graduating from the Wing and performing in 2 Broadway plays, Lindsey moved to Los Angeles.

Movies and Cartoons: The Aristocats (1970), Robin Hood (1973), and The Rescuers (1977)

Characters: Lafayette, Trigger the Vulture, and Deadeye the Rabbit

Also Known For: Actor and stand-up comedian best known for his role as Goober Pyle in The Andy Griffith Show, Mayberry R.F.D., Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., Hee Haw, and Return to Mayberry. Film appearances include Ensign Pulver, Snowball Express, Charley and the Angel, Treasure of Metecumbe, and Take This Job and Shove It. TV appearances include The Rifleman, Gunsmoke, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Death Valley Days, M*A*S*H, Daniel Boone, The Twilight Zone, CHiPs, and NewsRadio.

Personal Life: Married to Joyanne Herbert from 1955 to their divorce in 1991. Had 2 children together include a son named George Jr. and a daughter named Camden Jo. Had 2 grandsons at the time of his death. Had a long-term relationship with Nashville businesswoman Anne Wilson that lasted from the late 1990s until his death.

Later Life: Retired in 2006. Died in 2012 of heart failure at 83. Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in his hometown of Jasper, Alabama.

Trivia: Was said to be Gene Roddenberry’s first choice to play Spock in the original Star Trek. But based on how Leonard Nimoy commented about it during a TV Land interview for the show’s 40^th Anniversary Marathon in 2006, it’s been suggested that he was joking. Raised over $1 million for the Alabama Special Olympics through 17 years of the George Lindsey Celebrity Weekend and Golf Tournament and another $50,000 for the Alabama Associated of Retarded Citizens (it was a different time), and participated as a Head Coach-Winter Games in the Minneapolis Special Olympics National Competition. Inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1983 for Youth Benefactor. Established and perpetuated the George Lindsey Academic Scholarships at University of North Alabama. Also established the George Lindsey/UNA Film Festival that takes place at the University of North Alabama, usually in the spring. Received an honorary doctorate from the university in 1992. Was a 1995 recipient of the Governor’s Achievement Award – Alabama Music Hall of Fame. The State of Alabama named “The George Lindsey Highway” in Jasper after him. Was a 1997 recipient of the Minnie Pearl Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2007 recipient of the first ICON Award by the Nashville Associations of Talent Directors. Was close friends with Ernest Borgnine and Andy Griffith.

98. Hermione Baddeley

Dates: 1906-1986

Early Life and Career: Born Hermione Youlanda Ruby Clinton-Baddeley in Broseley, Shropshire, England. Mother was French. Appeared on the West End as early as 1923. Made first film in 1927. Had numerous stage credits with her milleu in revue in which she played from the 1930s to the 1950s, often co-starring with Hermione Gingold. Had a long professional relationship with playwright Noel Coward and appeared in many of his plays in 1940s and 1950s.

Movies and Cartoons: Mary Poppins (1964) and The Aristocats (1970)

Characters: Ellen the Maid and Madame Adelaide Bonfamille

Also Known For: British actress in theatre, film, and television who typically played brash, vulgar characters, often referred to as “brassy” and “blowsy.” Film appearances include The Guns of Loos, Caste, Royal Cavalcade, It Always Rains on Sunday, Brighton Rock, No Room at the Inn, Quartet (1948), Passport to Pimlico, The Woman in Question, Scrooge, The Pickwick Papers (1952), Song of Paris, The Belles of St. Trinian’s, Room at the Top, Midnight Lace, Rag Doll, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Harlow, The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin, The Happiest Millionaire, The Black Windmill, South Riding, and The Secret of NIMH. TV appearances include Bewitched, Camp Runamuck, Batman, Wonder Woman, Little House on the Prairie, and Maude.

Personal Life: Younger sister of actress Angela Baddeley. Half-brother William was an Anglican clergyman who was Dean of Brisbane and Rural Dean of Westminster. Married twice. First husband was David Pax Tennant, third son of Edward Tennant, 1^st Baron Glencomer. Arrived an hour late for their wedding in 1928, having misremembered the time they booked the ceremony. They rented Teffont Evias Manor, which became known for their boisterous parties (including mixed skinny dipping in the goldfish pond). Had a son named David Wyndam and a daughter named Pauline Laetitia who became an actress and poet. They divorced in 1937. Second husband was Major John Henry “Dozey” Willis of the 12^th Lancers, son of Major General Edward Willis, Lieutenant Governor of Jersey. They wed in 1940 and divorced in 1946. Later had a relatively brief relationship with Laurence Harvey. Although he proposed marriage to her. But she declined due to him being 22 years her junior.

Later Life: Continued acting in both film and television until shortly before her death. Died in 1986 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles following a series of strokes at 79.

Trivia: Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1959 for her role in Room at the Top and a Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play in 1963 for The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore. Won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series in 1975 for Maude. Descendant of British General Sir Henry Clinton from the American Revolutionary War. Was devoted to animals and dedicated her autobiography The Unsinkable Hermione Baddeley to her dog. Despite her frequent collaborations with Hermione Gingold, it’s widely reported that the two actresses were clearly not friends and often delivered disparaging remarks about each other.

99. Charles Lane

Dates: 1905-2007

Early Life and Career: Born Charles Gerstle Levison in San Francisco, California to Jewish parents. Father was an executive at the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company that was instrumental in rebuilding the city after the 1906 earthquake. Spent a short time as an insurance salesman before joining the Pasadena Playhouse. Was said to have gotten into acting in as early as 1929. Made his film debut in 1930.

Movies and Cartoons: The Aristocats (1970)

Characters: Georges Hautecourt

Also Known For: Character actor whose career spanned 76 years. Was a prolific actor who played hundreds of roles on film and TV, often portraying sour, scowling, and disagreeable clerks, doctors, judges, and middle-management authority figures. Best known role was the ever-scheming Homer Bedloe in Petticoat Junction. The New York Times once reported that Lane’s persona was so familiar to the public “that people would come up to him in the street and greet him, because they thought they knew him from their hometowns.” Appeared in 250 films including Smart Money, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Arsenic and Old Lace, It’s a Wonderful Life, Riding High, The Road to Singapore, Blonde Crazy, 42^nd Street, Gold Diggers of 1933, Blessed Event, Mr. Skitch, Twentieth Century, A Wicked Woman, The Band Plays On, Princess O’Hara, Ginger, The Crime of Dr. Forbes, Lady Luck, Three Men on a Horse, Born Reckless, Trapped by G-Men, In Old Chicago, Nothing Sacred, Joy of Living, Rose of Washington Square, Fifth Avenue Girl, The Cat and the Canary, Primrose Path, The Doctor Takes a Wife, Buck Benny Rides Again, Queen of the Mob, City for Conquest, Texas Rangers Ride Again, The Invisible Woman, Back Street, Barnacle Bill, Ball of Fire, Look Who’s Laughing, Ride Em’ Cowboy, The Great Man’s Lady, The Adventures of Martin Eden, The Mad Martindales, Lady in a Jam, Friendly Enemies, Mission to Moscow, Just Before Dawn, The Farmer’s Daughter, It Happened on Fifth Avenue, Louisiana, Call Northside 777, State of the Union, Smart Woman, The Gentleman from Nowhere, Moonrise, The Boy with Green Hair, Mighty Joe Young (1949), The House Across the Street, Borderline (1950), The Du Pont Story, The Affairs of Dobie Gillis, Kiss Me Deadly, The Mating Game, The Music Man, Looking for Love, Billie, The Gnome-Mobile, Sybil, Sunset Limousine, and Date with an Angel. TV appearances include I Love Lucy, Dear Phoebe, Willy, The People’s Choice, The Real McCoys, Perry Mason, Dennis the Menace, Pete and Gladys, The Lucy Show, Mister Ed, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., The Carpetbaggers, Get Smart, The Donna Reed Show, The Munsters, F Troop, The Wild Wild West, Green Acres, Nanny and Professor, The Odd Couple, Soap, Little House on the Prairie, The Winds of War, St. Elsewhere, War and Remembrance, and Dark Shadows.

Personal Life: Married Ruth Covell in 1931 and they remained together for 70 years until her death in 2002. They had 2 children: a son named Charles Jr. and a daughter named Alice. Lived in the Brentwood home he and his wife bought until his death.

Later Life: Made his last TV appearance at 90. Performed his final acting role at 101. Died in 2007 at 102. Charles Jr. said he was talking to his dad at 9 p.m. on that July 9 evening, “He was lying in bed with his eyes real wide open. Then he closed his eyes and stopped breathing.”

Trivia: Recalling his many roles in 1981, Lane said, “They were all good parts, but they were jerks. If you have a type established, though, and you’re any good, it can mean considerable work for you.” Was a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) in 1933. Was also a founding member of the television academy and was honored by the Emmy Awards on his 100^th birthday for being its oldest member. Was good friends with Lucille Ball. Was paid tribute by the TV Land Awards at his 100^th birthday and he received is award from Haley Joel Osment before saying, “If you’re interested, I’m still available [for work]!” Said he sometimes played more than one role on some of his busiest days, getting into costume and filming his two or three lines, then hurrying off to another set or studio for a different costume and a different role. Said to have appeared in 67 roles within the span of 1940 to 1942. Made 23 films in 1933 alone. Once described being typecast, “… a pain in the ass. You did something that was pretty good, and the picture was pretty good. But that pedigreed you into that type of part, which I thought was stupid and unfair, too. It didn’t give me a chance, but it made the casting easier for the studio.” Was one of the last survivors of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

100. Monica Evans

Dates: 1940-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Camberwell, London, England. Trained at the Central School of Speech & Drama in the 1950s and was a stand-in for Jo Plowright in Rhinoceros before taking over the part once Plowright’s relationship with Sir Laurence Olivier became public.  

Movies and Cartoons: The Aristocats (1970) and Robin Hood (1973)

Characters: Abigail Gabble and Maid Marian

Also Known For: Best known as Cecily Pidgeon in The Odd Couple in all its original iterations. Film appearances include Make Mine Mink and Be My Guest. TV appearances include The Escape from R.D.7, Compact, No Hiding Place, and Here Come the Brides.

Personal Life: Married twice. First husband was actor Leo McGuire from 1962 until their divorce. Second husband was BBC Radio 1 DJ Dave Cash from 1973 until their divorce in 2010. Has 2 children from Cash according to Imdb.

Later Life: Retired from acting in 1973.

Trivia: Was maid of honor at Carole Shelley’s wedding in 1967 and most recently reunited with her at the 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival.