actress Donna Douglas was born in Pride, Louisiana in 1933. a self described 'tom boy' and animal lover, Donna related to the character she would become most associated with - that of Elly May Clampett on TV's The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971).
Douglas was married shortly after highschool to Roland Bourgeois Jr. and had a son, Danny. within a few short years, the two were divorced and after winning a couple of beauty contests, Donna moved to New York to begin her career in television.
in 1965, during a Beverly Hillbillies summer hiatus, Donna began working with Elvis on
Frankie and Johnny (1966), a script modeled from the lyrics of a folk tune. Elvis played Johnny, an 1890's river boat entertainer with a suspiciously modern hairdo and a gambling problem.
[note: as
this series progresses, given that we're moving chronologically through Elvis' film career, you may notice an undeniable funk beginning to eminate from some of the movies made after 1965. though i myself would liken such funk to that of a well aged and delicious cheese,
Frankie & Johnny is particularly stinky even to
my nose.]
when Beverly Hillbillies was over, Donna got her real estate licence as a security measure, but spent most of her later career as a gospel singer, recording several albums, and public speaker, often making appearances in her trademark Elly May costume.
Donna has also written a children's book titled
Donna's Critters & Kids: Children's Stories with a Bible Touch.
