How Much is Donna Douglas Worth? The Beverly Hillbillies Star’s Net Worth Revealed
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What is Donna Douglas Net Worth?
Donna Douglas net worth is US$ 500 Thousand as of 2022.
| Net Worth | US$ 500 Thousand |
| Born: | September 26, 1933 |
| Died: | January 01, 2015 |
| Cause of Death: | Pancreatic Cancer |
| Also known as | Doris Ione Smith |
| Profession | Actress and Singer |
| Gender | Female |
| Height | 5′ 7″ |
| Horoscope | Libra |
| Country of Origin | United States of America |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Spouse/Ex | Roland John Bourgeois, Jr. (1951–1954) Robert M. Leeds (1971–1980) |
| Famous For | Elly May Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies (1962–1971) |
| Last Updated | Using shortcode fetch post updated year – Vinayak will do this. |
Table of Contents
Biography
Donna Douglas an American actress and singer is best remembered for playing Elly May Clampett in the enduring sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies” (1962–1971). She won multiple beauty pageants when she first started her modeling career. Before being cast as “Elly,” Donna made appearances on several shows. Other than the “Hillbillies,”
Donna did not work on any other noteworthy projects. She played the lead in the Elvis Presley movie “Frankie and Johnny,” but it went unnoticed. After spending a long time with the “Hillbillies,” Donna worked as a real estate agent before becoming a gospel singer. She published a few books for adults and kids and was a well-known inspirational speaker.
Early Life
Donna Ione Smith was born on September 26, 1932, in East Baton Rouge Parish to Emmett Ratcliff Smith Sr. and Elma Ratcliff Smith Sr. She had an elder brother named Emmett Ratcliff Jr.
Donna was a high school softball and basketball player and was part of the first graduating class at ‘St. Gerard Catholic High School. After that, she attended the ‘Redemptorist High School’ in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and graduated in 1951. She graduated in 1984 with a major in children’s ministry. In 1982, she entered the ‘Rhema Biblical Training Center’ in Broken Arrow.
Donna was 16 years old when she married and gave birth to a son by 21. In 1957, Donna was named Miss Baton Rouge and Miss New Orleans.
Donna moved to New York, where she began appearing in television series. Donna also worked as a model in print for toothpaste ads.
Career
Donna made her debut on television as the “Letters Girl” on “The Perry Como Show” in 1957 and as the billboard girl on “The Steve Allen Show” in 1959. Her appearances on the program drew the attention of New York-based journalists and photographers. She was crowned as ‘Miss By-line’ on the well-known show called “The Ed Sullivan Show” on CBS.
On the Ed Sullivan Show, a movie producer named Hal B. Wallis saw Donna, and for the drama series “Career,” he gave her the role of Marjorie Burke. Later, she portrayed Deborah in Eastmancolor’s romantic comedy “Lover Come Back.”
Donna was a guest star in her first TV series in 1959, as she played the role of ‘Alice’ in the CBS sitcom titled ‘Bachelor Father.’ In the syndicated Western-themed crime drama “Sheriff of Cochise,” she also played the role of ‘Joyce Markham’. The show was renamed ‘United States Marshal’ in its third and fourth seasons.
Donna’s first recurring character (four episodes) was Barbara Simmons, a detective in the CBS drama ‘Checkmate.’ She appeared in two episodes of the ABC series Surfside 6 and the CBS sitcom Pete and Gladys.
Donna competed against 500 other young actors for a part in the sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies” on CBS. In nine seasons (1962-1971), she played the role of Elly May Clampett (the beautiful tomboy girl of Jed)
Donna played the role of Frankie in the musical Frankie and Johnny during the summer of 1966. The film’s success did not help Donna’s movie career.
After filming “The Beverly Hillbillies,” Donna received her real estate license. She decided to stay in the entertainment business and not work in real estate for too long.
Donna realized she was being typecast for her role as a ‘Hillbillies” singer. She decided to quit her job and sing gospel music. After that, she began performing at churches, youth groups, colleges, and universities across the country.
Donna was reunited with acting in the 1981 reunion film ‘Return of the Beverly Hillbillies.’ While the show was a success, Elly’s character was revived using paper dolls, coloring books, and other toys. In several TV series, she also appeared as a guest actor.
Other than ‘The Beverly Hillbillies soundtrack, Donna also recorded four Christian albums, namely ‘Donna Douglas Sings Gospel,’ ‘Donna Douglas Sings Gospel II,’ ‘Here Come the Critters, and ‘Back on the Mountain.’
Donna was a guest on Jerry Springer’s syndicated tabloid talk program, ‘The Jerry Springer Show,’ and in a special titled ‘The Legend of the Beverly Hillbillies’ on CBS TV. She was last seen on TV in a 1999 episode of The CBS sitcom ‘The Nanny.’ Her final film role was that of Marjorie in “Chronicles of Life Trials” (2013).
Multinational toy manufacturer Mattel Inc. released three Barbie variants in December 2010. One was modeled after ‘Elly May Clampett.’ They are part of the Classic TV Collection.
Donna published Donna’s Critters & Kids for Children: Stories for Children with a Bible Touch. In November 2011, Donna released Miss Donna’s Mulberry Acres Farm, a children’s book.
She published a cookbook titled “Southern Favorites with A Taste of Hollywood” in 2013. It included a ” Hollywood Social Graces ” section about good manners.”
Donna Douglas Net Worth Growth
Donna Douglas was an American actress who had a net worth of $500 thousand dollars at the time of her death. The Beverly Hillbillies episode in which she portrayed Elly May Clampett is her most well-known role.
Highlights
- Career (1959)
- Li’l Abner (1959)
- Bells Are Ringing (1960)
- Strangers When We Meet (1960)
- Lover Come Back (1961)
- Frankie and Johnny (1966)
- Chronicles of Life Trials (2013)
Favorite Quotes from Donna Douglas
“Whatever God would want me to do… love each other and help others. I want to add, not take away.”
– Donna Douglas
“I really love pets. They’re like children. They know if you really love them or not. You can’t fool them.”
– Donna Douglas
Frequently Asked Questions
Donna Douglas’s parent’s names are Elma Robinson and Emmett Ratcliff Smith Sr.
She has one son named Danny P. Bourgeois.
On January 1, 2015, Douglas, who was 82 years old, passed away from pancreatic cancer in Baton Rouge General Hospital.
Summary
Donna Douglas was an American actress who had a net worth of $500 thousand dollars at the time of her death. She is best known for playing Elly May Clampett on ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’. Her final film role was that of Marjorie in “Chronicles of Life Trials.”
Donna Douglas is best known for her role as Elly May Clampett in ‘The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971). She also played the lead role in Elvis Presley-starter, ‘Frankie and Johnny’. Apart from the ‘Hillbillies’, Donna hadn’t had any other notable projects in her career. Donna played the role of ‘Alice,’ in the CBS sitcom titled ‘Bachelor Father’. She competed against 500 other young actors for a part in “The Beverly Hillbillies” Donna realized she was being typecast for her role as a ‘Hillbillies’ singer.
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