Gloria Buckles (Lola Albright) is the main antagonist in the 1963 episode "Granny's Spring Tonic" for the TV series "The Beverly Hillbillies".
Gloria Buckles was a frumpy secretary in the bank office of Milburn Drysdale (Raymond Bailey), and protege of Jane Hathaway (Nancy Kulp). She volunteers to take some important papers out to Jed Clampett (Buddy Ebsen) to have him sign.
On the way out, she stopped the car and changed her hairstyle and clothes, and suddenly she was a sultry siren. In her sights was Jed's money, in particular, his $34,783,127.34, which she had memorized going over his portfolio.
Arriving at the house, she pretended to be surprised that Jed was not an older man. She then faked being tripped, and fell into his arms. Jed introduced her to Cousin Pearl Bodine (Bea Benaderet) and Granny Daisy Moses (Irene Ryan), who immediately took a dislike to Gloria. They resented her for her good looks and commented that she was younger than Elly May.
Gloria invited Jed on a drive, which ended up parking at inspiration point overlooking the city. She then began to tell Jed that she wanted to meet a nice country man. When Jed reminded Gloria that he was a country man, she turned on the charms.
Back at the house, Gloria taught Jed, Elly May, and Jethro how to do the Twist dance. When Mr. Drysdale and Miss Hathaway showed up, they were surprised to find the sultry Gloria. Jane called Gloria a jezebel and gold digger. Gloria didn't mind, saying that once she was married it wouldn't matter, and she cozied up to Jed. When Drysdale asked if Jed had discussed marriage with Gloria, he responded that he had. However, it would be another 3 or 4 years, when Jethro would be twenty-one. Gloria was shocked, and after looking at Jethro, she was scooped up in Jethro's arms. Jethro was happy that he had himself a girl, and walked out the front door with Gloria kicking and screaming.
Trivia[]
- Lola Albright appeared as tragic villainess Lisa in the 1962 episode "The Woman Who Wanted to Live" for the TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
- Lola Albright appeared as villainess Claire Daley in the 1976 episode "Fade in to Murder" for the TV series Columbo.
- Six years later in 1969, a second bank secretary named Gloria Buckles appeared in "The Beverly Hillbillies". This time she was played by Betinna Brenna, who appeared as Gloria in six episodes from 1969-1970. The two Gloria Buckles characters were not the same, as when introduced to Jed and the Clampetts, did not know her.
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