The Beverly Hillbillies/The Clampetts Strike Oil

The Clampetts Strike Oil
Season 1, Episode 1
Airdate	September 26, 1962
Written by	Paul Henning
Directed by	Ralph Levy
Produced by	Paul Henning
— N/A	1x02 → Getting Settled
The Beverly Hillbillies — Season One

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The Clampetts Strike Oil is the first episode of the first season of The Beverly Hillbillies.

Starring: Buddy Ebsen (Jed Clampett)

with Irene Ryan (Daisy May "Granny" Moses), Donna Douglas (Elly May Clampett), Max Baer (Jethro Bodine)

Featuring: Bea Benaderet (Cousin Pearl),

Cast: Raymond Bailey (Milburn Drysdale), Nancy Culp (Secretary), Frank Wilcox (Mr. Brewster), Ron Hagerthy (Geologist), Bob Osborne (Jeff Taylor)

Plot Overview

This is the story of dirt poor Jed Clampett and his family. Jed was out hunting when he was shooting at some food, but struck some oil. He would later be visited by a representative from an oil company who offers to buy the rights to his oil. Not understanding the business of oil and drilling, Jed's cousin Pearl, who is somewhat more educated about this, pays a visit to Jed. After telling her about the oilman's visit, and the amount of money that Jed will be making, Pearl informs Jed that he is a millionaire, and that he can go any place he desires. Pearl encourages him to move to California, and in particular the rich and swanky Beverly Hills. Jed thinks it over, and seeing how his daughter Elly May is in need of schooling as well as a mother, Jed agrees. Jethro, Pearl's son and Jed's nephew, will drive the family truck all the way to Beverly Hills. Elly May is reluctant to go, since it would mean leaving her animal friends. Jed talks her into it though. The last obstacle preventing them from leaving is Granny. She stubbornly refuses to budge from her rocking chair. So, she is put on top of the truck while still sitting in her rocking chair. So, the Clampetts are on their way to California. Getting there would take days, but they finally arrive. Problems arise however. When they get to their estate they think that it is a large jail house. They find men with tools, and assume them to be convicts. They see no guards and assume that the men (actually laborers employed to take care of the estate) had killed all the guards. The Clampetts all hold them at bey with shotguns until the police arrive. The police soon arrive, but instead of being thanked for preventing a prison breakout, the Clampetts are arrested. They would soon be bailed out by the bank president Milburn Drysdale who will also be their new neighbor. He first mistakes the Clampetts for criminals until they tell him who they are. After the misunderstanding is cleared up, Drysdale escorts the Clampetts back to their new home. However once they arrive back, they all make a run for it. They thought Drysdale had tricked them into going from a small jail back to the prison. Drysdale calls out to the Clampetts that it is not a prison, but it is their new Home. The Clampetts continue running. They will however return in the next episode.