The former beauty queen who played Frankie to Elvis Presley's Johnny passed away on New Year's Day at the age of 82.
- January 4, 2015
AceShowbiz -
Actress Donna Douglas famous for her role as Elly May Clampett on the hit 1960s sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies" has passed away. Her family announced she died of pancreatic cancer on January 1 in her home in Louisiana. She was 82.
She was a former beauty queen, winning Miss Baton Rouge and Miss New Orleans. She moved to New York to start a career in showbiz. While acting appealed to her, modeling did not. "I didn't want to be that skinny," she once said.
Donna was chosen among 500 hopefuls to star on "Beverly Hillbillies" about a family who discovered oil deposits on their land and moved to the privileged area in Beverly Hills. On the big screen, she starred opposite Elvis Presley in the 1966 film "Frankie and Johnny".
She later became a gospel singer and wrote a book for children's book. In 2011, she settled a suit against toymaker Mattel over a Barbie doll based on her "Hillbillies" character.
Donna was first married to Roland John Bourgeois, Jr. They parted ways in 1954. She later tied the knot with "The Beverly Hillbillies" director Robert M. Leeds, but it ended in divorce after nine years of marriage. Survivors include her son, Danny P. Bourgeois.
