Donna Douglas: Miss New Orleans Became America's Sweetheart

Miss New Orleans Became America's Sweetheart

Doris Ione Smith was born on September 26, 1932, in Pride, Louisiana — a tiny community north of Baton Rouge. She was a Louisiana girl through and through, crowned Miss Baton Rouge and Miss New Orleans in 1957 before heading to New York City to pursue entertainment. She changed her name to Donna Douglas, and in 1962, she beat out five hundred other actresses for the role that would make her famous.

Elly May Clampett

The Beverly Hillbillies premiered on CBS in 1962 and became one of the most-watched television shows in American history. Donna Douglas played Elly May Clampett — the beautiful, animal-loving tomboy daughter of Jed Clampett — for nine seasons, from 1962 to 1971. Elly May was sweet, strong, could wrestle any man on the show to the ground, and loved her "critters" more than anything. Douglas brought a genuine warmth to the role that made Elly May one of the most beloved characters in television history.

The show was a phenomenon. At its peak, it drew over sixty million viewers — numbers that modern television can barely comprehend. Douglas appeared in films alongside Elvis Presley in Frankie and Johnny in 1966, adding movie star to her resume.

After the Hills

After The Beverly Hillbillies ended, Douglas reinvented herself multiple times — as a gospel singer, a real estate agent, an inspirational speaker, and a children's book author. She published a cookbook called Southern Favorites with a Taste of Hollywood in 2013, combining her Louisiana roots with her Hollywood memories.

Donna Douglas died of pancreatic cancer on January 1, 2015, at eighty-two, in Zachary, Louisiana — not far from where she was born. She had left Pride, Louisiana, become Miss New Orleans, conquered Hollywood, and come home. The Louisiana girl who played the most lovable character on television never lost the accent or the charm that got her the role in the first place.