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Bea Benaderet on the transition from radio to television
The actor had seen success in both mediums. Here's why she left radio to appear on television.
There was no reason for Bea Benaderet to have anything but a positive reception to television. Though she found success on the radio, Benaderet transitioned to television easily, appearing in shows like The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction. These live-action roles were in addition to her incredibly lucrative voice work in popular shows like The Flintstones.
When asked if she'd do another television series during an interview with The Van Nuys News and Valley Green Sheet, Benaderet responded, "Why not?"
"They've been the story of my life," said the actor.
As far as Benaderet was concerned, she was in television's debt. "I know nothing I'd be doing if television hadn't come along," said Benaderet during an interview with The Roanoke Times. "I'd probably be in the Midwest in some theater project."
She was a talented actor, but many a talented actor was lost during the transition from radio to television. Benaderet considered her change in profession to be a strategic move. The actor was very matter-of-fact when she explained her motivations. Life on the radio was fun, but as the medium decreased in popularity, many actors ran the risk of going extinct.
"Anyone with intelligence realized radio was going out and television was moving in," Benaderet said during an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I was real lucky. I went from Jack Benny on radio to Jack Benny on TV. Some weren't so lucky, that's true, but what people forget is that most of us on radio were experienced actors with a lot of theatrical know-how. When TV came along, you either made it or didn't."
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She also transitioned from radio to TV with the George Burns and Gracie Allen show, playing their Burns' neighbor Blanche Morton. During the course of the TV show's run, FOUR actors played her husband, Harry Morton!
Although she only played supporting roles, Benaderet was a Golden Age of Radio Hall of Famer.