Petticoat Junction: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 03:37, 17 August 2005

Revision as of 07:06, 23 August 2005

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Set in the [[rural]] town of [[Hooterville]], the show followed the goings-on at the Shady Rest Hotel, of which Kate Bradley ([[Bea Benaderet]]) was the proprietor. Her lazy brother Joe ([[Edgar Buchanan]]) helped her in the day-to-day running of the business, while she served as a mediator in the various minor crises that befell her daughters: Betty Jo, Bobbie Jo, and Billie Jo. The actresses portraying Billie Jo and Bobbie Jo varied over the years; Betty Jo was consistently portrayed by Linda Kaye (Henning), daughter of series creator [[Paul Henning]].

The most unique "character" in the Petticoat Junction cast was the ''[[Hooterville Cannonball]]'', an abbreviated steam-driven train (serviced by the above-mentioned water tower) run more like a [[taxi]] service by its engineer, Charley Pratt ([[Smiley Burnette]]) and conductor, Floyd Smoot ([[Rufe Davis]]). It was not uncommon for the men of the Cannonball to make an unscheduled stop in order to go fishing or pick fruit for Kate Bradley's menu at the Shady Rest Hotel. Occasionally, Betty Jo Bradley could be found with her hand on the Cannonball's throttle, as driving the train home from trips into town was one of her favorite pasttimespastimes. Even the show's [[theme song]] was suggestive of a train running.

Another important nonhuman character was the unnamed canine companion of the sisters, referred to simply as "the [[dog]]". It was potrayed by "[[Higgins (dog)|Higgins]]", who later went on to even greater fame later as ''[[Benji]]''. (In the series it was implied that the dog was female as it had its own petticoat in the opening water tower scene.)