--- name: "Buddy Ebsen" canonical: "https://film.one/person/buddy-ebsen" roles: ["Actor"] born: "2 April 1908" died: "6 July 2003" reviewed_on_fi1m: 3 average_fi1m_score: 78 average_as: "actor" average_over: 2 updated: "2026-09-19T22:51:34.065882+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Buddy Ebsen Actor. Born 2 April 1908 in Belleville, Illinois, USA. Died 6 July 2003. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 2 April 1908, Belleville, Illinois, USA - **Died:** 6 July 2003 - **Active:** 1935–1959 - **Also known as:** Christian Ludolf Ebsen, Jr. - **Titles on Fi1m:** 3: 2 acting, 1 other - **Average Fi1m score:** 78, as actor, over 2 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 82 (2), 1950s 84 (1) - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Ebsen, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1001214, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001171/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1935 ## Biography Buddy Ebsen (born Christian Ludolf Ebsen Jr.) was an American actor and dancer. He began his career as a dancer in Broadway chorus lines and vaudeville in the late 1920s, later forming a dance act with his sister Vilma that appeared in musicals including *Whoopee* (1928), *Flying Colors* (1932) and *Ziegfeld Follies of 1934*. Ebsen made his screen debut in the MGM musical *Broadway Melody of 1936* (1935) as Ted. He went on to appear in further films such as *Captain January* (1936) and *Born to Dance* (1936). He was originally cast as the Tin Man in *The Wizard of Oz* (1939) but left the production after falling ill from the aluminium dust in his makeup. His later career included the role of Jed Clampett in the CBS sitcom *The Beverly Hillbillies* (1962–1971) and the title character in the detective series *Barnaby Jones* (1973–1980). *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, encyclopedia.com.* ## On Fi1m (3) ### Performed in (2) — the average rests on these - *The Twilight Zone* (1959), Fi1m 84, as Jimbo Cobb — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-twilight-zone.md) - *Broadway Melody of 1936* (1935), Fi1m 72, as Ted — [page](https://film.one/film/broadway-melody-of-1936.md) ### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited - *The Wizard of Oz* (1939), Fi1m 91, as Tin Man (singing voice) (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/the-wizard-of-oz.md) ## Complete filmography (103) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Pioneers of Primetime* (2005), Actor - *Television: The First Fifty Years* (1999), as Jed Clampett (archive footage) - *King of the Hill* (1997), series, as Chet Elderson (voice) — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/king-of-the-hill-1997.md) - *That's Entertainment! III* (1994), as (archive footage) (uncredited) - *Burke's Law* (1994), series, as Louie Pike - *The Beverly Hillbillies* (1993), as Barnaby Jones - *The Legend of the Beverly Hillbillies* (1993), Actor - *Working Tra$h* (1990), as Vandevere Lodge - *CBS Summer Playhouse* (1987), series, as Buddy Tucker - *Stone Fox* (1987), as Grandpa - *That's Dancing!* (1985), as From 'Born to Dance' (archive footage) - *Finder of Lost Loves* (1984), series, as Walter Lewis - *Disney Family Album* (1984), series, as Narrator - *The Yellow Rose* (1983), series, as Toat Gilmore - *Hardcastle and McCormick* (1983), series, Actor - *Matt Houston* (1982), series, as Roy Houston - *Fire on the Mountain* (1981), as John Vogelin - *The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies* (1981), as Jed Clampett - *The Paradise Connection* (1979), as Stuart Douglas · Producer - *The Critical List* (1978), series, as Charles Sprague - *The Bastard* (1978), series, as Benjamin Edes - *Leave Yesterday Behind* (1978), as Doc - *Tom Sawyer* (1976), as Muff Potter - *Smash-Up on Interstate 5* (1976), as Al Pearson - *The Tiny Tree* (1975), as Squire Badger (Narrator) (voice) - *That's Entertainment!* (1974), as (archive footage) (uncredited) - *The President's Plane Is Missing* (1973), as Vice President Kermit Madigan - *The Horror at 37,000 Feet* (1973), as Glenn Farlee - *Barnaby Jones* (1973), series, as Barnaby Jones - *The Daughters of Joshua Cabe* (1972), as Joshua Cabe - *Cannon* (1971), series, as Barnaby Jones - *Alias Smith and Jones* (1971), series, Actor - *Night Gallery* (1970), series, Actor - *The Andersonville Trial* (1970), as Dr. John Bates - *Hawaii Five-O* (1969), series, as Professor Ambrose Pierce - *The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band* (1968), as Calvin Bower - *The Dean Martin Show* (1965), series, Actor - *Mail Order Bride* (1964), as Will Lane - *Vacation Playhouse* (1963), series, Actor - *The Beverly Hillbillies* (1962), series, as Jed "JD" Clampett - *The Interns* (1962), as Dr. Sidney Wohl - *Breakfast at Tiffany's* (1961), as Doc Golightly - *Bus Stop* (1961), series, as Virge Blessing - *Fury River* (1961), as Sergeant Hunk Marriner - *Gunslinger* (1961), series, as Jed Spangler - *The Andy Griffith Show* (1960), series, as David Browne - *The Barbara Stanwyck Show* (1960), series, as Dr. Mark Carroll - *Checkmate* (1960), series, as Pete O'Mara - *Mission of Danger* (1960), as Hunk Marriner - *Adventures in Paradise* (1959), series, as Ben Curtis - *The Twilight Zone* (1959), series, as Jimbo Cobb — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-twilight-zone.md) - *Johnny Ringo* (1959), series, as Sample - *Lock-Up* (1959), series, Actor - *Riverboat* (1959), series, as Niles Cox - *Bonanza* (1959), series, as Cactus Murphy, Sheriff Jesse Sanders - *Black Saddle* (1959), series, as Gurney Rhodes - *Rawhide* (1959), series, as George Stimson, Will Kinch - *Frontier Rangers* (1959), as Sergeant Hunk Marriner - *77 Sunset Strip* (1958), series, as Baxter Kellogg - *Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse* (1958), series, Actor - *Bronco* (1958), series, Actor - *Northwest Passage* (1958), series, as Sergeant Hunk Marriner - *Maverick* (1957), series, as Nero Lyme, Sheriff Scratch Madden - *Have Gun, Will Travel* (1957), series, as Marshal Elmo Crane, Bram Holden - *Between Heaven and Hell* (1956), as Pvt. Willie Crawford - *Attack* (1956), as Tolliver - *Davy Crockett and the River Pirates* (1956), as George Russel - *Corky and White Shadow* (1956), series, as Sheriff Matthew Brady - *Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race* (1955), as George Russel - *Gunsmoke* (1955), series, as Hannibal, Quimby, Drago - *Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier* (1955), as George Russel - *Davy Crockett at the Alamo* (1955), as George Russel - *Davy Crockett Goes to Congress* (1955), as George Russel - *Davy Crockett* (1954), series, as George Russel - *Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter* (1954), as George Russel - *Walt Disney Treasures - Davy Crockett* (1954), as George Russell (archive footage) - *The Wonderful World of Disney* (1954), series, as George Russel - *Climax!* (1954), series, as Ben, Gaffney - *Studio 57* (1954), series, Actor - *Night People* (1954), as M/Sgt. Eddie McColloch - *Red Garters* (1954), as Ginger Pete - *General Electric Theater* (1953), series, as Pa Jericho - *Chevron Theatre* (1952), series, Actor - *Utah Wagon Train* (1951), as 'Snooper' Trent - *Schlitz Playhouse of Stars* (1951), series, as Rainspout Jones - *Rodeo King and the Senorita* (1951), as Muscles Benton - *Thunder in God's Country* (1951), as Happy Hooper - *Silver City Bonanza* (1951), as Gabe Horne - *Under Mexicali Stars* (1950), as Homer Oglethorpe - *Sing Your Worries Away* (1942), as Tommy Jones - *Parachute Battalion* (1941), as Jeff Hollis - *They Met in Argentina* (1941), as Duke Ferrel - *The Wizard of Oz* (1939), as Tin Man (singing voice) (uncredited) — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/the-wizard-of-oz.md) - *The Kid From Texas* (1939), as 'Snifty' - *Four Girls in White* (1939), as Express, an Orderly - *My Lucky Star* (1938), as Buddy - *Yellow Jack* (1938), as Jellybeans - *The Girl of the Golden West* (1938), as Alabama - *Broadway Melody of 1938* (1937), as Peter Trot - *Banjo on My Knee* (1936), as Buddy - *Born to Dance* (1936), as 'Mush' Tracy - *Captain January* (1936), as Paul Roberts - *Broadway Melody of 1936* (1935), as Ted — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/broadway-melody-of-1936.md) ## Gallery - ![Buddy Ebsen](https://film.one/media/person/308265/gallery-dfe1fb1c267b.jpg) Buddy Ebsen — Image via TMDB - ![Buddy Ebsen](https://film.one/media/person/308265/gallery-8529ea27b3db.jpg) Buddy Ebsen — Image via TMDB - ![Buddy Ebsen](https://film.one/media/person/308265/gallery-dc916f5d2c71.jpg) Buddy Ebsen — Image via TMDB - ![Buddy Ebsen](https://film.one/media/person/308265/gallery-236e9c57d73d.jpg) Buddy Ebsen — Image via TMDB ## Awards ### Other awards — 1 won - Disney Legends 1993: Disney Legends (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/buddy-ebsen