Bea Benaderet: From Betty Rubble to Kate Bradley

Bea Benaderet was an unsung hero and legend in her own time. Her experience in characterization and dialect led the actress to become the leading female voice of animated characters for WARNER BROTHERS during the early 1940s through the mid 1950s. In1943, Benaderet became the primary voice of adult female supporting characters for WARNER BROTHER'S cartoon shorts for LOONEY TUNES and MERRIE MELODIES.

Benaderet's voice characterizations will be familiar to long time LOONEY TUNES fans as they are easily recognizable. Unlike some actors whose voiceovers are similar to how they actually speak Bea Benaderet's characters do not resemble her natural voice as it was used on THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES or PETTICOAT JUNCTION.

In 1944's "Little Red Riding Rabbit" Bea was an over the top Little Red Riding Hood. In 1954 she was the voice of Witch Hazel in "Bewitched Bunny." Benaderet did the original voice of Granny who cared for Tweety Bird and she was also the skinny spinster hen Miss Prissy in several cartoons featuring Foghorn Leghorn. Prissy's distinctive way of saying "Yessss" was hilarious.

The actress was Mama Bear in a series of The Three Bears animated shorts, but Benaderet never received onscreen credit for her work. Unlike Mel Blanc who was under contract to WARNER BROTHERS, Benedaret was a freelance actor for the studio. She did receive credit for all of the characters she voiced in TOP CAT. They are Mother, Mrs. Ball, Julie, Receptionist, Mrs. Frumley, and Fifi the maid. On THE MR. MAGOO SHOW Bea did the voices of Mother Magoo and the Leading lady.

In 1955, the actress was replaced by June Foray as the premier female voice artist for WARNER BROTHERS. During the same year, she was cast as Betty Rubble in THE FLINTSTONES wich was a primetime animated series by HANNA-BARBERA and Foray became the voice of Wilma Flinstone. Bea became frineds wit Paul Henning who created the supporting character of Cousin Pearl Bodine, on THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES just for her.

Pearl was the widowed mother of Jethro Bodine (Max Baer Jr.) and cousin of millionaire mountain man Jed Clampett (Buddy Ebsen). Although she did her animated voiceovers with great ease, Benedaret hired a dialect coach to help her learn the hillbilly accent she used as Pearl. Paul Henning was so impessed by the actress that he gave her the starring role as Kate Bradley in ETTICOAT JUNCTION in 1963. For a time Benaderet could be seen on both shows but eventually was written out of THE BEVERLY HILLBILIES.

Betty Rubble's name was Elizabeth Jean Rubble (née McBricker/O'Shale). Betty was based on women who were the best friend of television leading ladies such as Ethel Mertz on I LOVE LUCY and Trixie Norton on THE HONEYMOONERS. Those whho watch THE FLINTSTONES love Bea Benaderet's version of Betty, especially her infectious laugh.

The actress also voiced other female characters on the animated series. To her fans she will be most fondly remembered as Kate Bradley and Betty Rubble. Bea Benaderet died from pneumonia and lung cancer on October 13, 1968. Four days later just one day after her funeral, her husband Eugene Twombly died from a massive heart attack and was burried beside her.