Bea Benaderet (April 4, 1906—October 13, 1968) was an American actress, born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, California. She is best remembered for starring in the hit 1960s television series Petticoat Junction. Through the program, Benaderet reached stardom in her late fifties after over twenty years of an active career on radio and early television, as well as a career doing voices for 1940s Warner Bros. cartoons (notably originating the role of Granny, later played by June Foray).

Benaderet first received notice for her radio work in the 1940s playing Millicent Carstairs on Fibber McGee & Molly, telephone operator Gertrude Gearshift on The Jack Benny Program, school principal Eve Goodwin on the Great Gildersleeve and appeared on several Amos 'n Andy radio shows, usually as a store clerk trying to assist Andy and Kingfish in a purchase. Benaderet also played Blanche Morton, next door neighbor to George Burns and Gracie Allen, on both radio and television.

She played Lucille Ball's best friend, Iris Atterbury, on the 1940s radio series My Favorite Husband. When Ball and husband Desi Arnaz decided to create a very similar television series called I Love Lucy, Benaderet was first choice to fill the role of Ethel Mertz but was unavailable to take the role since she had already signed for Burns and Allen's television adaption of the radio program. Vivian Vance, an almost unknown character actress and singer, was eventually cast in the part. Benaderet did get to guest on I Love Lucy on 1/21/1952 in a very amusing appearance as Miss Lewis, a love-starved spinster neighbor.

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When the hell is Bea Benaderet going to get her own series?
hmargulies (hmargulies) Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:15:04 -0000
When the hell is Bea Benaderet going to get her own series?

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