Raymond Bailey Before the Beverly Hillbillies

The Clampetts were the bane of Raymond Bailey's existence for nine years on The Beverly Hillbillies. More accurately, the family drew the ire of Bailey's character, Mr. Milburn Drysdale, the stuffy banker who was plagued by the hillbillies' "eccentric" behavior. The new money Clampetts were constantly riling up the more conventional money man. 

Before joining the cast of The Beverly Hillbillies, Bailey was a 30-year veteran of show business. Most famously to action adventure fans, he'd appeared as Mr. West in the 1940 movie serial The Green Hornet, based on the earlier radio series. 

He'd go on to make two notable appearances on Perry Mason, first playing a banker named Mr. Hillard in "The Case of the Caretaker's Cat," and then as a doctor named Bell in "The Case of the Injured Innocent." His other television credits included one-off roles on The Rifleman, The Twilight Zone, Have Gun — Will Travel, two guest spots on Wagon Train, and three on Bonanza. 

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Raymond Bailey in Film and on Broadway

He wasn't just a TV star before Hillbillies, either. Bailey had roles in some remarkable movies as well, including No Time for Sergeants, which featured the first onscreen pairing of Andy Griffith and Don Knotts. He also starred alongside Kim Novak in Picnic and Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo.  He played a member of the board in Sabrina, which also starred Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. Monster movie enthusiasts will remember Bailey in 1955's Tarantula!

As his onscreen resume blossomed, so too list of stage credits. Before The Beverly Hillbillies, Bailey starred in four Broadway plays, titled Last Stop, The Bat, Sing Til Tomorrow, and finally The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, which also starred Henry Fonda.

Mr. Drysdale on the Beverly Hillbillies

When the Clampetts struck oil and suddenly had millions of dollars to handle, they needed some financial guidance. Enter Raymond Bailey as Milburn Drysdale, who was so concerned with keeping an eye on the family that he urged them to buy the mansion right next to his. 

Bailey's performance as Drysdale made him the toast of bankers all over the United States. He found himself in great demand for speeches and appearances.

"I've been made a member of the Southern California Independent Bankers Association," Bailey told United Press International in 1965. "And I've made trips around the country to accept plaques. It was a lot of fun."

Raymond Bailey the Hillbilly

So, where did the newly-famous star of The Beverly Hillbillies take his small fortune to hide away? Well, Bailey was a "hillbilly" in the literal sense of the word. Both of the homes he owned in '65 were perched on mountainsides.

One of them, a two-story mountain cabin, was just next to the 17th hole of the Lake Arrowhead Country Club. There, Bailey would spend his summer vacations and whatever time he had off from filming for CBS during the year.

His A-frame mountain house held three bedrooms, a den, and a gigantic sun deck that encompassed the entire house. The wraparound deck gave Bailey and his wife spectacular views of the pine-covered mountains that surrounded their home. 

Far less rustic was his workweek home, a sleek, ultra-modern bungalow overlooking the San Fernando Valley. There, Bailey was much better acquainted with the swimming pools and movie stars mentioned in the Beverly Hillbillies theme song.