Happy Birthday Bea!

Born: April 4, 1906 A wonderful lady would've turn 105 years old today. In this blogger's opinion she was one of the most talented voice actors that was ever born and she continued to share that when she began her work on television. After almost 30 years of supporting roles, some of them uncredited on screen, she finally received star billing as the star of one of the most popular sitcoms of the 1960's. Her career began on radio in 1936 when she received a job with Orson Welles on his program "Campbell Playhouse." Welles produced many productions on his program including many Shakesperean adaptations, his version of A Christmas Carol and of course "War of the Worlds" in 1938. Eventually she was able to lend her voice to such popular radio shows as "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet", "Fibber McGee and Molly", "The Great Gildersleeve" and "Amos 'N' Andy." She had a recurring role as Gertrude Gearshift, the switchboard operator on "The Jack Benny Program" and could also be heard regularly as Blanche Morton on "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show" and as Iris Atterbury on "My Favorite Husband." In the early 1950's she starred opposite Gale Gordon on the short lived radio series "Canby's Green Acres." Between 1937 and the mid-1950's she provided several females voices for characters on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. From 1960 to 1964 she was the voice of Betty Rubble on "The Flintstones." When Burns and Allen brought their show to television in 1950 she followed reprising her role as Blanche Morton. This prevented her from accepting the role of Ethel Mertz on Lucille Ball's television show "I Love Lucy." She did make a guest appearance during the show's first season. The role of Blanche Morton spanned from 1950 to 1958 and then on "The George Burns Show" from 1958 to 1959. In 1957 she particpated in television's first crossover, she brought her character Blanche Morton, to "The Bob Cummings Show." During an episode of the Burns and Allen show she also played Blanche's mother, Natalie Baker. In 1962, she was cast as Pearl Bodine on "The Beverly Hillbillies." A year later she began work on "Petticoat Junction" as Kate Bradley. She remained with the show until illness made it impossible in 1968. She also appeared as Kate on "Green Acres" during the 1965-1966 television season. Her other television guest appearances include "The Lineup", "The Jack Benny Program" (reprising the Gertrude Gearshift character), "Screen Directors Playhouse", "General Electric Theater", "77 Sunset Strip", "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show", "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis", "Peter Loves Mary", "Pete and Gladys", "The Jetsons", "Vacation Playhouse" and "The Danny Kaye Show." Lung cancer prevented her from appearing on "Petticoat Junction" during most of its 1967-1968 television season. Finally on October 13, 1968 the actress passed away at the age of 62. She died much too young, she had a lot more years left to spread her wonderful talent. On her 105th birthday... In Memoriam Remembers: Bea Benaderet

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