My Thoughts - The Beverly Hillbillies: Meanwhile, Back at the Cabin (1962)
Synopsis: While Jed (Buddy Ebsen) and his family settle in Beverly Hills, Cousin Pearl (Bea Benaderet) watches over his family homestead and learns about his new home from oil man John Brewster (Frank Wilcox).
My Thoughts:
It still baffles me Milburn Drysdale (Raymond Bailey) didn't do any research on the Clampetts. I know he only really cares about the millions they put in his bank but, based on his comment about Jed's "mansion" back home, it appears he didn't even realize Jed was a new millionaire and not someone who came from money.
Even without the research, you would think he would have figured it out. I mean, just based on the truck they were driving and their clothes alone, it shouldn't have been difficult to determine they may not quite understand the concept of modern conveniences and had his secretary, Jane Hathaway (Nancy Kulp) give them the basics on things like running water.
Which brings me back to a previous question, why does Pearl seem to be so much smarter in that regard than her cousin? She only saw the mansion in photos but had no issues understanding the entire property was Jed's, what a swimming pool was and what a bathroom was. There's no indication she is any better off than her family is so it would be great to see and explanation for this.
The straw hat story was surprisingly funny. I think it was the setup, which seemed relatively serious as Jed talked about his cousin's sewing skills and the way she could make hats out of straw only to reveal the hats were mistaken for nests by the blue jays. It gave me a chuckle, along with the later callback to the joke.
Jethro's (Max Baer Jr.) story was the one that had me laughing out loud though. I won't give spoilers and will just point out his idea of a "fast" woman is completely different than what most people would think but was definitely in character for him. It's hard to believe he's Pearl's son.
Wow, this would be the last show I would expect to see make a bra joke. Between that and Jed bringing attention to Elly May (Donna Douglas) having breasts in an earlier episode, I am beginning to wonder if the censorship in the 1960s wasn't as bad as people say.
Final Opinion: It's a simple but effective episode that uses vignettes to establish some of the basics about each of the characters. It was also easy to see why Bea Benaderet eventually got her own series because she had quite a few funny moments throughout as well. Overall, it was fun to watch.
My Grade: A
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Here are some similar entries:
My Thoughts - Star Trek: Dagger of the Mind (1966)
My Thoughts - The Andy Griffith Show: Ellie Comes to Town (1960)
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