Pearl Bodine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pearl Bodine is a fictional character on the 1960s situation comedy The Beverly Hillbillies. In the series, she was played by actress Bea Benaderet.

[edit] Jed's cousin

Pearl Bodine is the cousin of Jed "JD" Clampett (Buddy Ebsen) and the mother of Jethro Bodine (Max Baer). She also has a daughter named Jethrene Bodine (played by Max Baer in drag).

Although she and Granny (Irene Ryan) get along somewhat well, they do often spat about the matriarchal roles of both—especially the kitchen.

Before Jed got his millions, Pearl was the richer one. Her home was furnished fancily, much like a Victorian style home, and she was very prim and proper. From December of 1962 to March of 1963, she resided at the Clampett mansion. Pearl also owned the truck (a 1921 flatbed Oldsmobile four-cylinder truck, with roped-down hood and glass-less headlights) that the Clampetts drove, and loaned it to them for their trip (and they wound up keeping it).

She resided within walking distance of the Clampett home, according to the fact that Elly May walked to her house in the first episode to tell her about Jed selling his property. After the rest of the family moved to Beverly Hills, she and Jethrine spent most of their time trying to catch husbands; Pearl was after Mr. Brewster, the oil company representative in charge of Jed's place, and Jethrine was after Jasper DePew, a smooth-talking traveling salesman. After Christmas of 1962, the two closed up their house and moved to Jed's mansion in California. However, Jethrine soon returned to the hills and married Jasper DePew, and Pearl returned at the end of the 1962-1963 season. She was mentioned many times after she went back home, but was only seen once more in 1967, and had still not married again.