The Beverly Hillbillies – “Elly’s Animals”

The Beverly Hillbillies Volume 1 DVD

Original Air Date: January 30, 1963
Starring: Donna Douglas, Buddy Ebsen, Bea Benaderet
Also Starring: Orangey
Directed by: Richard Whorf

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this episode!

Synopsis: Cousin Pearl Bodine (Bea Benaderet) advertises her yodeling classes in the Clampett’s home, much to Granny’s consternation.

Cinema Cat: Prolific cat actor Orangey appears in the series as Elly’s cat Rusty and this is the first episode in which he shines. After Elly adopts all of the dogs from the local pound, she brings them home. Rusty the cat and one dog have apparently been fighting and Elly May insists that the two be friends. She tells them to kiss and make up, and they start by rubbing their heads together.

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Orangey Rusty cat with dog sitting on piano with Elly May Donna Douglas

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Orangey Rusty cat and dog rubbing heads

They then kiss and the dog puts his paw around Rusty’s shoulder.

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Orangey Rusty cat with dog kissing

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Orangey Rusty cat kissing dog with Elly May Donna Douglas animated gif

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Orangey Rusty cat with dog's paw around shoulder

Jed (Buddy Ebsen) is surprised to see how Elly May has reconciled the two animals.

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Elly May Donna Douglas and Jed Buddy Ebsen looking at Orangey Rusty cat and dog as friends on piano

Later Cousin Pearl finds Rusty in her piano and carries the cat to the door to put him outside.

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Orangey Rusty cat being pulled out of piano by Cousin Pearl Bea Benaderet

Still later in the episode Rusty is sitting with Elly May by the cement pond where Elly May is encouraging Rusty to give swimming a try. Rusty seems intrigued with the concept.

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Elly May Donna Douglas Orangey Rusty cat on lawn chairs by pool

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Elly May Donna Douglas Orangey Rusty cat on lawn chairs by pool

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Orangey Rusty cat being petted

Elly May demonstrates how to swim while lying on the lawn chair and says it’s the dog paddle but Rusty can call it the cat paddle. Rusty watches attentively.

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Elly May Donna Douglas demonstrating swimming to Orangey Rusty cat on lawn chairs

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Elly May Donna Douglas Orangey Rusty cat looking interested

When a policeman (Brian Kelly) shows up to ask about the dogs and the incident at the shelter, Elly May shows him and Uncle Jed (Buddy Ebsen) how Rusty can now swim. Rusty does indeed swim in the pool, but considering that it looks as if someone threw Orangey into the water he didn’t have much choice. And he seems rather aggravated once he’s lifted out of the water in a towel by Donna Douglas . . . he even takes a swipe at co-star Buddy Ebsen!

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Orangey Rusty cat swimming in pool

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Orangey Rusty cat swimming in pool close

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Orangey Rusty cat swimming in pool

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Elly May Donna Douglas with Orangey Rusty cat wrapped in towel with Jed Buddy Ebsen and Officer Brian Kelly

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Orangey Rusty cat swimming in pool

Orangey would be a regular on the series as Rusty and he, like all of the “critters” on the show, were trained by Frank Inn.

The Beverly Hillbillies - Elly's Animals - Orangey Rusty cat looking curious

Final Mewsings: You can throw a cat in water to make him swim, but you can’t make him enjoy it.


Relevant Links:

IMDb logo  Amazon logo


Share this with your cat and movie loving friends!