Bea Benaderet

April 4,1906-Oct.13,1968,California,while shooting "Petticoat Junction"(1963-1970/CBS-TV)

Bea,orig.from New York City,became second banana on radio's and television's versions of George Burns and Gracie Allen's show,on radio's version of "A Date with Judy" (like a the "Clueless" of its time without the Jane Austen and Emma overtones that Amy Heckerling put into "Clueless"),"The Flintstones",and "Beverly Hillbilles",then starred in "Pettiocoat Junction (Name also given as Bea Benadaret among others.).

Bea could do all kinds of WB voices,before June Foray took over (Bea used to do Granny and Witch Hazel,for one). She started around 1943. Also did the housewifes heard in many toons at WB with a straight voice.She may have done all of the females between 1945 and 1954 but it is possible others (not counting Foray or a falsetto Blanc or male falsetto) were heard too,but Bea was the main one.Her October 1968 death left a void.
Credits include:
Granny thru 1955
Prissy in "Lovelorn Leghorn"(Sept.8,1951),"Of Rice and Hen"(November 28,1953),"Little Boy Boo"(1954),and "Feather Bluster"(1955)(following and replaced respectively by Mel Blanc and June Foray;Julie Bennett and Nancy Wible in "Daffy Duck's Easter Special,produced in 1980 by DePatie-Freleng-see also Jon Cooke's Other TV Appearances of the Looney Tunes )
and housewife/pet mistresses as far back at what must an early role,in the last WB black and white,at least civillianl;y as opposed for wartime soldiers,"Puss N Booty"(1943/Frank Tashlin),plus
similiar Donna Reed and Harriet Nelson types (similiar to her Blanche Morton character on radio's and television's version of the 1920s-1950s,George Burns (1896-1997?) and Gracie Allen (1902-1964)--) in the following WB shorts.

"Tweety Pie" (1947,Oscar winner/Friz Freleng)
"I Taw a Puddy Tat"(1949/Freleng)
"Terrier Stricken"(1949/Chuck Jones)
"Canned Fued"(1951/Freleng)
"Chow Hound"(19512/Jones)
"Feed the Kitty"(1952/Jones)
"Kiddin'the Kitten"(1952/Robert McKimson)
"Punch Trunk"(1953/Jones)
"Wild Wife"(1954/McKimson)
"From A to ZZZ"(Oscar nominee/1954/Jones)

June Foray took over the roles afterward,with Lucille Bliss,Julie Bennett and others occasionally doing other types.The above were the housewife types.
Bea Benaderet also did the mistreses in "Hiss and Make Up"(1943,possibly her first/Freleng),"Doggone cats"(1947/Davis),"All A birrd"(1950/Freleng),and the early Witch Hazel and others thru 1954-55.




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