This is the second of two features about Beverly Washburn. You can read Part One here.
THE INTERVIEW:
1. Your first part in a film was for the 1950 film noir classic The Killer that Stalked New York starring Evelyn Keyes. You were supposed to be the first victim, a little girl who gets smallpox from Keyes who is on the run spreading the plague. And it was a speaking part. The script said, "˜'There sits little Walda Kowalski with her great big brown eyes and brown hair'' but you had blonde hair and blue eyes. You immediately thought that you wouldn't get the part. But Western star Jock Mahoney lied to the producers of the film at Columbia Studios after he saw you in the lobby while auditioning for the part of Walda. Mahoney met you 3 months earlier at one of your sister Audrey's shows. He was very taken with you, so he raved to the producer that you had done all this work even though you had no credits. And you got the part!
Essentially it was Mahoney's misdirection that helped your career! "¨"¨Does it ever make you laugh that it took a harmless lie, a few speaking lines, and tragically dying from smallpox in a Columbia Studios production to give you the leverage you needed to move forward in your acting career? Can you tell us about that experience?
Getting my first big break was perhaps a little unusual particularly since it was based on a little lie!
I had met Jock Mahoney a few months prior to the audition for the role in “The Killer That Stalked New York” which was to be filmed at Columbia Studios. At 6 years old, I had an agent who had sent me on countless auditions, none of which I ever got due to the fact that I had no experience other than having worked as a model of children’s clothes.
The role of little Walda Kowalski was listed in the script as a little girl with big brown eyes and brown hair. Now that description wasn’t pertinent to the actual role, however when a writer writes in a character, he or she typically envisions what they might look like. Well, right off the bat, it seemed apparent that I wasn’t what they were looking for because I had blue eyes and blonde hair. As I was sitting in the lobby among many little brown-eyed and brown-haired other hopefuls and my not having any experience, it seemed that this would just be another letdown and another rejection for me. As I waited to go in, something marvelous happened. Jock Mahoney happened to walk through the lobby! He remembered me as we had met at the Veteran’s Hospital in Long Beach California where he had been the guest of honor and where my sister was performing her act for the Veterans. He asked my mother what I was doing there and when she told him I was reading for the part of Walda, he said “I’ll be right back.” What we found out later was that he went into the office of the Casting director and told them that I was perfect for the role, that I had done this and I had done that, when the reality was, I hadn’t done a thing other than model! He was under contract at the time and had some clout, so they took his word for it. So as the story goes, he lied, they believed him and I got the part!
I do laugh sometimes thinking about how that all came about. I think about him from time to time and realize how blessed I was to have it unfold the way it did because after I had that one speaking role, it was then that I was able to continue on."¨ It’s such a “catch-22 ” situation because they don’t want to hire you if you don’t have experience, but how do you get the experience if they don’t hire you? I of course will forever be grateful to him for allowing me that one break, albeit he had to tell a little white lie in order for them to give me the role!
2. You also developed an extraordinary bond with Loretta Young after working so often on her wonderful anthology shows.
How did you get started on The Loretta Young Show? And how was the shift from working with her as a young child on the first show in the 1950s to later on, when you had become a young adult on The New Loretta Young Show in the early 1960s?
In the 1954 episode “Big Little Lie,” where you portray Loretta Young’s daughter, Ellen Hartmann, there is an obvious strong connection between the two of you. Jeanette Nolan (who you later worked with on Thriller's “Parasite Mansion") plays your snippety Aunt Lily who is just itching to put ‘pepper on your tongue’. I love your inner monologues and skillful facial expressions that seamlessly line up with audible thoughts. Your acting was truly wonderful. Most powerful of all is the tender scene between you and Loretta Young when you confess your innocent subterfuge. I know you had a wonderful relationship with your mom. She wasn't a typical stage mother, she kept you very grounded, but Loretta Young was a mentor. Was she like a second mother to you? Did you maintain a relationship with her throughout the years?
I actually could fill up a whole page reminiscing about Loretta Young. As I look back over my childhood and into becoming an adult, I feel so incredibly blessed to have known and worked with her. I first met her way back in the 50s when I went on an audition to read for a role on her anthology TV show. At the time, it was called “Letter to Loretta.” Each week there was a different episode that was based on fan letters that were written to her. The writers would then transform each letter into an actual segment. After a while they changed the name to The Loretta Young Show, then years later, she did another series called “The New Loretta Young Show.”. That particular series is now available on DVD but the name has now been changed to “Christine’s Children.''
On TV shows, everyone has a job to do and that’s exactly what they do. With Loretta Young, she was very particular about her show and therefore she had a hand in everything! She allowed each crew member to do their particular job, however she always had the last say. When I first went to read for a role on her show, she was also in the room with the Casting director, the producer,  and the director. Lucky me, as we seemed to have an instant connection and I got the part. One of the shows was titled “Katy” in which I played Katy. For some reason, her son Christopher who produced “Christine’s Children” and who has access to all of her shows, told me that somehow along the way, that episode got lost. The other episodes, “Big Little Lie” and “The Girl Scout Story ” are still available.
Several years later at the age of 19, while sitting at home, the phone rang and it was her! She actually called me directly and said she was now going to be doing a series called The New Loretta Young Show and she wanted me to play one of her daughters in it! She played a widow with seven children and she said I would be playing the part of Vickie, the homely intellectual one! She said she would like to darken my hair, have it pulled back, and have me wear glasses so that I would look the part. I would have shaved my head bald if she had asked me to because I was so honored and so grateful to her. It had been years since I had worked with her but she said she never forgot me. I couldn’t believe my ears, and that’s when our true friendship began. Little did I know it would last up until the time she died which was in 2000 at the age of 87. My memories of her are some of the most special ones of my life.
She and I spoke every Sunday up until she died. When my husband was dying, she would send me little gifts in the mail. I of course still have them and will treasure them forever. She sent me a little crystal Dove, a little prayer book, and a beautiful scarf just to name a few. She said it was just to put a smile on my face as I went through the journey of losing my husband to Cancer. She was like a second mother to me as well as a mentor. I will forever be grateful to her for her beautiful friendship and the lessons she taught me about life. She will live on in my heart forever.
3. Before Spider Baby "” which I see as a dark adult fairy tale"” you were already a 20-year veteran professional. You've said that you wanted the part badly and that you were quite down when they sent you away after the audition thinking you hadn't gotten it.
How did you meet Jack Hill? Did he ever express to you what about your audition impressed him to cast you as Elizabeth Merrye? For a low-budget horror movie made in 11 days and shelved for four years, did you ever imagine that it would become a cult classic?
As you know, I did most of my work as a child actress. I did a few little things here and there in my teenage years but for some reason, my career kind of stalled somewhat. One day I was shopping at the Ralphs grocery store in Hollywood California where I was living. As I went up and down the aisles, there seemed to be a man following me. I was a bit nervous at the time as it seemed that every aisle I went down, there he was!
He finally approached me and said “Excuse me, I don’t mean to follow you, but you look familiar. By any chance are you Beverly Washburn?" I said yes, and then he told me his name was Bart Patton and that he was involved in a movie that he thought I might be right for. At first, I was a little concerned as it seemed a little odd, however, he didn’t ask for my phone number or invite me to his place but rather gave me all the information and told me to call my agent and set up an audition to meet with the writer-director who turned out to be Jack Hill. I was somewhat skeptical as that wasn’t the typical way I had ever been on an audition. The next day, I figured I had nothing to lose and decided to call my agent and let him find out if it was legitimate or not. He called me back and said yes it was to be a movie called “The Cannibal Orgy” which sounded a little iffy to say to the least. The title was later changed to Spider Baby. When I heard about the plot, I thought " This sounds like so much fun. I would love to do this role.
Then he said the magic word: Lon Chaney Jr. was going to star in it! That certainly got my attention as I was a huge fan of his so he gave me the information and I went to read for the role of Elizabeth.
There were quite a few girls who were also reading for the part of Elizabeth and also for the role of Virginia. We would go in 2 at a time and then they would have us wait in the lobby until they decided who stayed and who was released. The next step is that they would then have us go back in and read with another actress and then again decide who would stay and who would go. Each time I was one of the lucky ones, because they would tell the others to go and that I should stay. This went on several times as I would read with a different actress and then luckily make the cut. I would stay and the others would leave. Then after reading with several of them, they said I could go.
I was so sad as I really wanted it badly. Of all the roles I have ever done, this one was really special. I thought that because they said I could go, it meant I didn’t get cast for the part of Elizabeth. When I got back home I told my mother that I didn’t get the part and that I guess they didn’t like me in the end.
My mother could see how disappointed I was so she said “Let’s go to San Francisco this weekend and see Jack Jones who was playing there. I was a big fan of his and she thought that would cheer me up. Back then we didn’t have cell phones, but my older sister Dorothy would always know where we were in case of any emergency and she called us at the hotel to tell us that my agent called her (she was always our emergency backup person with my agent in case he ever needed to reach me and couldn’t). She said that I had gotten the part! I was so thrilled, not to mention shocked as the thought of working with Lon Chaney Jr. just seemed like a dream come true. I told Jack Hill several years later that I had always thought I hadn’t gotten the part because they said I could go home. He told me I was sent home because I had been there so long and they had already decided on me for the role of Elizabeth and that they then needed to concentrate on finding the right girl to play Virginia. That girl turned out to be Jill Banner who was wonderful in the role. The sad thing is that she was killed in an automobile accident so she never got to see the popularity of the film. I loved her and we got along famously during the filming. Losing her was a tragic loss for sure.
Jack never really told me why exactly he cast me in it but I can say for sure how grateful I am that he did. He and I and his lovely wife are still in touch today after all of these years.
4. What was it about the film and the character of Elizabeth itself that was initially so special to you? How did you approach your role? Did Jack Hill have a specific vision in mind for Elizabeth and for your relationship with Jill Banner as Virginia? Did he give you a lot of direction or were you encouraged to improvise? Was it a trip playing a childlike psychopathic teenager, which was such a departure from any of your other roles?
Getting the role of Elizabeth was a dream come true for me, especially since it was such a departure from anything I had ever done before. Working with Jack Hill as the director was also a wonderful experience for me. I have always liked being “directed” by the director because they always have a “vision” of what they want. Having said that, he was wonderful because we talked about the character and of course, he gave us all direction, but he also let us, as well as encouraged us, to basically put our own “spin” on what we felt the character would be like. In some ways we all tended to somewhat “overact”, because this film was meant to be campy as well as a bit “tongue in cheek”. The entire cast got along so well but sadly it was filmed so quickly (13 days in fact) whereas back then typically it would take three months or so to film such a movie. This of course was due to the ultra-low budget of 65,000. None of us knew at the time that all these years later it would become such a cult classic. I only wish that Lon Chaney Jr. and Jill Banner could have lived long enough to see the popularity of it because it basically just sat there for many years. Quentin Tarantino who is a friend of Jack Hill’s saw the movie and loved it and it was he who was instrumental in finding a way to get it re-released after having it sit in litigation for so many years. The film was re-mastered and re-digitized and now is actually global. I am amazed and so very grateful that to this day, I get fan mail from all over the world. I am so happy that people embrace this film still today and so happy to have been a part of it because Spider Baby has always had a very special place in my heart.
5. Was the production of Spider Baby as fun off the set as it came across on screen? "¨In particular, with Sid Haig who plays your brother Ralph (a giant bald cannibalistic baby), and your other co-star Jill Banner? Carol Ohmart was also not a stranger to working within the horror genre (I loved her performance in House on Haunted Hill with Vincent Price).
Did you all have a blast camping it up? Do you have any memorable stories?
Working on Spider Baby was so much fun. We all got along famously and yes it was such a quirky little film and so different from any other role I had done so it was a blast really. I have to admit it was hard to not laugh when we were doing the dinner scene with Sid where I put his bib on! Just looking at him with his funny expression, his outfit and his drooling all at the same time was hilarious. He was a joy to work with. Losing him in 2019 was devastating and a huge loss."¨For those of you who were lucky enough to meet him, I know you will all attest to the fact that he LOVED his fans and always took the time to make each one feel special … I adored him and will never forget him.
I was lucky enough to work with him again on another Jack Hill film called Pit Stop in 1969. It starred Brian Donlevy and Ellen MacRae who afterwards changed her name to Ellen Burstyn who later became a very well-known and highly respected actress."¨My brother George Washburn was also in it and played Ellen’s husband. Pit Stop has now also been called a cult classic and has been considered one of Jack Hill’s best movies. It was wonderful to do a movie with my brother as he and I were very close and I loved him dearly. Sadly he passed away at the age of 59. How I wish he was still alive to see how people love this movie. I miss him every day.
I wish the filming of Spider Baby took longer because we all had so much fun. Jill and I got along like real sisters and I truly believe that had she lived longer, she would have gone on to do great things as she was, and still is, loved by so many people."¨Lon Chaney Jr. was everything and more that I had hoped for. He was like a big Teddy Bear, gentle and sweet and he so loved playing “Bruno”. It saddens me that he didn’t live long enough to see the popularity of it.
I recently had the honor of meeting his grandson Ron Chaney when we were both asked to do a cameo in Dustin Ferguson’s remake of Spider Baby! He was a delight and now we have a new friendship!. Jack Hill also produced the remake so that made it all the more special to be a part of it.
6. According to Jack Hill, Spider Baby was Lon Chaney's last sober film. Chaney loved the script so much that he wanted to do a good job with it. He also fell in love with the cast in particular both you and Jill. Lon Chaney was horror royalty and he gave such a poignant performance as Bruno.
What was it like working with him? He seemed like a very nice but sort of melancholy man. What was your experience with Lon Chaney?
The story that I was told is that when the role of Bruno was offered to Lon Chaney Jr. is that he loved the role and wanted to do it, however, they didn’t have it in the budget to pay him his normal salary, so his agent said he couldn’t do it. Then I was told, that they offered it to John Carradine and that when Lon got wind of that, he told his agent that he would take less money since he really wanted this role. He was passionate about it. John Carradine I’m sure would also have been good in the role, but I for one can’t even imagine anyone else but Lon Chaney Jr. in that role.
In the movie business, as I’m sure you already know, there are plenty of “tricks” they can do to make it look like something is happening. Case in point: When I was filming “Old Yeller”, there was a scene in the movie where they wanted it to look like the puppy was giving me kisses so they patted a little bit of Gerbers chicken flavored Baby Food on my cheek. You couldn’t really see it because it was “flesh” colored and just lightly patted on my cheek so that of course the puppy would lick it which then made it look like he was giving me kisses.
So too are there tricks to get someone to look like they’re crying if they can’t actually bring on the tears. If they wanted it to look like the actors’ eyes were welling up with tears, the makeup person would blow something into the actor’s eyes which made them start watering which looked like tears. If they wanted tears rolling down the actor’s faces, they would then take an eye dropper that had some kind of a thick glycerine in it and put it in the corner of the actors’ eyes so that it would drip down and look like tears. The reason I’m telling you this is because there is a scene in Spider Baby where “Bruno ” is sitting on the porch and he has to cry because he knows what has to be done. Standing on the sidelines was the makeup man ready to help.
Lon Chaney brought on the tears because it was an emotional scene. Well, the camera started to roll and then when it came time to cry, let me tell you, those were his REAL tears! No makeup man needed whatsoever! He was so into his character and loved each of us, so when the scene was filmed, he brought on those tears with no problem, and afterward, the entire cast and crew applauded. I’ll never forget that day of filming. It was so touching.
By that time in his career, it was a known fact that he was an alcoholic and he had it in his contract that each day he would have to go to his trailer and have a little “nip “Â of something because if he didn’t, he would start shaking. It never interfered with his acting and was never a problem as he just needed that little drink. He would do that each day and then come back to the set, knew his lines and it never interfered with anything.
He was always pleasant and kind and we all loved him very much. He also had nicknames for Jill and for me as well. Not sure how they came about but he called Jill “Cracker Ass” and me “Bubble Butt. ” It was all in fun and would always make us laugh even tho we had no idea how he came up with those 2 names! It was a fun, loving set and a memory that will stay in my heart forever.
7. In Jack Hill's next feature, the exploitation action film Pit Stop (1969), he cast you as Jolene. I love your really short hair (you wore it that way in the Star Trek episode The Deadly Years too). It's almost pixie-like in style"”it looked fabulous, emphasizing your beautiful eyes and kittenish smile.
Was it your idea to wear it that way or was there a hairstylist that chose that look for the picture? Were you happy with the part of Jolene who was both a hip chic and femme fatale? So many of Sid Haig's acting roles were wild and quirky. Was he as "˜dingy' as he referred to himself in Pit Stop? And did you stay friends with him throughout the years?
Growing up as a child, I had blonde hair and blue eyes, so the look both in Pit Stop and Star Trek was completely different because, in those shows, I had very short dark hair.
I had been asked to darken my hair when I played in a film opposite Dick Davalos because he and I had the exact same hair color and it was thought that it would look better if I had a different hair color. I was then sent to a salon in Beverly Hills where they darkened my hair, but back then the chemicals used weren’t as good as in today’s world, so my hair started falling out in clumps! There was nothing they could do except cut it very short, so in answer to your question, no it wasn’t planned to look that way. It was one of those hairstyles that people seemed to either love or hate, but in this case, there was no other choice!
As far as working in Pit Stop which was another Jack Hill film, I loved playing the part of Jolene. The added cherries on top for me was that my brother George was also cast, plus I loved Jack Hill, and knowing that I would be working once again with Sid Haig made it extra special for me. You asked if he was really “dingy” like he proclaims himself in the film. If I recall, he actually “ad-libbed” that line because his character seemed to be just that. In real life, he was anything but “dingy.” He was a brilliant actor who was loved by so many people and who had (and still has) fans all over the world.  He was a joy to work with, not to mention how fun he was also, and I feel blessed to have known him and called him a friend. He will forever be in my heart.
8. You were very busy as a child actor during the Golden Age of live television, appearing in some of the most prominent dramatic productions, variety shows, and TV series appearing with some of the biggest stars. You also starred in your series Professional Father. You made several appearances with one of your favorite people Jack Benny in The Jack Benny Show. You also did work on Ford Television Theatre, Telephone Time, The Red Skelton Show, Four Star Playhouse, Studio 57, Science Fiction Theatre, Matinee Theatre, Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre, Playhouse 90, Lux Video Theatre, Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, The 20th Century-Fox Hour, and General Electric Theatre. How did you segue into television?
Well to start from the beginning, my very first “job” at the age of 4 was as a model of children’s clothes. My mother got me an agent, and although I went on countless auditions for various roles in movies, I didn’t get my next “job” until the age of 6 when I was cast in The Killer That Stalked New York. I then went on to do a few other movie roles, but by then television started coming into its own. I can’t actually remember what my first acting role on TV was, ( gee, it was only 74 years ago!) although I’m pretty sure it was a show called “Hired Girl .” I had an agent, so it was easy to segue into TV because she got the breakdowns for all of the shows both movies and TV so she would send me on all the various casting calls.
I do remember that one of the first jobs I got on TV was on the Jack Benny Show. This was back in the days of “live ” TV. Nowadays they still of course do live shows, however with today’s technology, if something needs to be “bleeped’ out, or there is a mistake, they have the capability of deleting it. Not so in the days of live TV. There was no room for mistakes because whatever happened went on the air, good or bad, with no way to do anything over. When I read for the role of the little girl who comes up from the audience to ask for his autograph, I was of course, too young to know who Jack Benny was!  I also didn’t “GET” all the jokes.
It was a fun bit and I was fortunate enough to get the part. That was the beginning of a lifelong friendship with him. Looking back, it’s quite comical to see him portray that of a “tightwad” for he was truly one of the most generous human beings I’ve ever known. How blessed I am to have had his friendship up until the time he passed away. One thing is for sure: There will never be another Jack Benny.
I was quite fortunate as a child because I had the “gift” of being able to memorize dialogue without any problem so that was helpful to get other roles. I continued on from there being blessed with pretty much going from one show to the other. I have to laugh as I look back because for some reason it seems that almost all of the shows I was cast in, I had to bring on the tears!
9. One of the few early television shows I could get a hold of is the Four Star Playhouse episode "The Man in the Cellar". You were fantastic in the role of Janet who had a truly fervid imagination that troubled her mother, Fay Baker. The "˜man in the cellar' Mr. Braun (Frank Gerstle) escapes from the hospital and hides in the basement. Your psychiatrist father Charles Boyer works miracles with other people's troubled children, yet doesn't believe that you have a new friend in the cellar. Did you enjoy performing live on television? I imagine it was very demanding to get things perfectly on cue as it's being shot in real-time.
First, let me start by thanking you for your kind words regarding my role in “The Man in the Cellar”. I was quite young when I did that role, and even though I haven’t seen it myself in many years, I must say that I only have fond memories of doing that particular role."¨At the risk of sounding redundant, I must say that for the most part when I was working as a child, I had no idea who these famous people actually were!  This show starred Charles Boyer and it was on “Four Star Playhouse”. Each week they alternated with the four stars: Dick Powell, Charles Boyer, David Niven, and Ida Lupino."¨As I said, I had no idea who Charles Boyer was, other than just a very nice man with whom I was working with.
As I reflect on my life and career, it actually wasn’t until I became a young adult that I realized just how fortunate I was to have worked with so many wonderful and famous people. Each and every person with whom I worked with just seemed like ordinary, nice people to me. I had no understanding of what the word “famous” even meant.
Looking back, I can’t help but feel somewhat melancholy having not been aware or even knowing just how blessed I was at the time. One thing’s for sure now… I count my blessings every day just to think what a lucky little girl I was and didn’t even know it until years later.
10. You were cast in one of the best episodes of Boris Karloff's anthology series Thriller, "Parasite Mansion," starring Pippa Scott and Jeanette Nolan. Like Spider Baby, that episode as many of Thriller's stories was also a very offbeat macabre tale. You play young Lollie Harrod who is tormented by a belligerent poltergeist. The women in your family have been plagued by this evil ghost that has held a nasty grudge.
In that Thriller episode, Jeanette Nolan who plays Granny, was in one of her most substantial incarnations as a frightening cackling crone (a role she played quite often and quite well). Yet she was a very lovely and serious actress in film and on the theatrical stage. What scared you more"¦ the idea of a malevolent poltergeist or Jeannette Nolan's hag makeup? Did you enjoy working with her on the set?
Did Hershel Daugherty, who also directed you in The Tobias Jones Story, give you a lot of direction for the part of Lollie? How did you manifest such a truly authentic tone of being terrorized by an unseen boogeyman? Boris Karloff is known to have been a gentle and gracious man. His daughter Sara told me that he so enjoyed working on the show. Did you have the opportunity to talk with him on the set?
It seems I’m always saying every show I did was my favorite, but honestly, you have been asking about shows that truly have been a favorite!
Working on Thriller was truly one of them and really fun. I loved playing the role of Lollie, and by this time I had worked several times for the director Herschel Daugherty so that made it all the more fun for me. He was such a wonderful man and an amazing director."¨The set was pretty amazing and looked pretty spooky! Boris Karloff was the host and introduced all of us at the beginning of the episode which was called “Parasite Mansion.” They had Jeanette Nolan, Pippa Scott, James Griffith, Tommy Nolan, and me all sitting in the cobweb-filled living room of our old haunted mansion. As the camera panned around on each of us individually, Mr. Karloff would introduce us one by one before the episode started. He wasn’t actually in the episode but rather just on the set as the host and to introduce the cast. I was thrilled to meet him. He had this very menacing look about him which was perfect for a show called “Thriller”. He of course wasn’t menacing at all, but rather a very soft-spoken kind man. He was only on the set for a very short time, so we never really got the opportunity to have a real conversation with him, but just being able to meet him was a thrill in itself. I was fortunate to recently meet his daughter Sara Karloff. She was as lovely as could be and it was fun telling her how happy I was to have met her father and be a part of Thriller.
Tommy Nolan and I played brother and sister and also played brother and sister on an episode of Wagon Train.
Jeanette Nolan who was marvelous as our wicked, evil Grandmother and I had worked together way back in 1954 on an episode of The Loretta Young Show. I was in awe of her incredible portrayal of our mean Granny. Her makeup alone was unbelievable, right down to the wart on her nose and long gray hair on her chin. It was actually a little frightening to tell you the truth. The funny thing is that beneath all that amazing make-up was a really beautiful woman, both inside and out.
There is a scene at the dining room table where ol’ mean Granny causes claw marks to appear on my face.! To achieve that effect, they glued a little sponge in the palm of my hand, then cut a few slits down the middle, and then put Hershey’s chocolate syrup down the middle of the slits.
I had my hand under the table face down and on cue from the director, I screamed and put my hand over my cheek and as I pulled my hand away, the chocolate syrup transferred onto my face giving the illusion of claw marks. Because it was filmed in black and white, they would often use chocolate syrup because of the consistency plus it could pass as red blood. Ah, the magic of television! Of course, in today’s world, and because things are done in color, they no longer use that technique to look like blood.
The entire collection of the series is now in a boxed set, and I was delighted when I was asked to do the commentary for this episode which is on the DVD.
Once again, I must say that I feel so blessed to have worked with so many wonderful actors and actresses, not to mention all the wonderful crew on these shows.
11. So you were in Wagon Train in 1958 with Lou Costello in "The Tobias Jones Story." It was Lou Costello's only dramatic role, and he was trying to show that he could do something outside of comedy. You've said that you sensed he had almost a sadness about him. I could feel that even through some of his comedic work. I loved your relationship in that episode and your line that summed up the whole dynamic. "˜Poor Toby, it's a good thing you've got me to take care of you.'' One of the things that made me laugh was how Lou Costello pulled out 4-6 bottles of liquor that he was hiding in the wagon. I kept wondering how the heck he managed to schlep those huge bottles while you were traveling with very little baggage!
You seemed to have a genuine rapport with him. How was it working together? Did he make you laugh on the set? You also worked with Ernest Borgnine, "The Willy Moran Story." Do you have any funny stories about him?
I was so fortunate to have been cast three times on the TV show Wagon Train.
Luckily I had worked for the director Herschel Daughtery a few times, so I didn’t have to read for the role in The Tobias Jones Story. . My agent just called and said I had been cast. Of course that made me happy, but the icing on the cake was that he then said it would be with Lou Costello!"¨I’ve mentioned a few times that growing up as a child actress, I was too young to know that so many of the people I worked with were famous, nor did I understand what the word “famous” even meant, however by the time I was cast in this show, I was a little older and was a huge fan of Abbott and Costello, so I definitely knew who Lou Costello was!
I was thrilled to know that I would be working with him and the thought of it filled me with eager anticipation, all the while hoping he would be nice. Well let me tell you, he was everything and more I could have asked for. He was funny, warm, and kind and absolutely one of my very favorites! We got along so well and to this day I still have a little handwritten note he gave to me after we finished filming. In it, he told me how much he loved working with me and said I was such a skilled little actress.
I am still so touched by those words. He also said he hoped we could work together again and ended by saying ” Do you think I’ll be lucky enough to see you again? I treasure that note and his words, but sadly that never happened as that note was written on April 24th, 1958 and he passed away on March 3rd, 1959. There also was a book (Lou’s on First: A Biography on Lou Costello written by daughter Chris and writer Raymond Strait) where they talk about his role as Toby and how wonderful he was in playing a dramatic role. He was then quoted as saying ” In it, there was a little girl by the name of Beverly Washburn. Without her, I couldn’t have done it”. To think that he would write those words about me is something that I will cherish forever. I can’t begin to tell you how much those words meant and still do mean to me. How I wish he was still alive today and that I could thank him in person for his kind words. I must add that I do know his wonderful daughter Chris Costello and I adore her as well and feel so blessed to know her.
I also did an episode with Laraine Day ( a lovely lady)Â in the later years when Ward Bond was no longer on the show and John McIntire took his place due to the unexpected death of Ward Bond. As they say, “small world” because Mr. McIntire was married to Jeanette Nolan with whom I worked with on The Loretta Young Show and also Thriller.
The 3rd episode was actually the pilot and starred Ernest Borgnine called The Willy Moran Story."¨He also was truly one of the nicest people I have ever worked with. He absolutely LOVED his fans! In later years, I happened to be at an autograph show with him and he had a line outside the door! He was as gracious and warm as could be, he hugged his fans, he posed for photos and even though they were closing, he waited until everyone got his autograph before he left, while some of the other celebrities simply left with people waiting to get their autograph!"¨I sometimes stop and think just how lucky I am to have such a long list of people with whom I worked with and actually loved!
12. Aside from being a beloved child actor, you appeared in stories that dealt with the supernatural – Science Fiction Theatre, Thriller, One Step Beyond (where you play a young girl who has a vision of her own "˜death by chandelier'), Star Trek, Tales of the Unexpected, and of course Spider Baby.
Have you thought about your noticeable presence in horror, fantasy, cult, and sci-fi? Did you enjoy these roles that were bent toward being spooky and scary? Did you ever imagine you might be considered a classic Scream Queen?
As a child, it seemed that almost every show I was on, for some reason I had to cry! Hence the title of my autobiography “Reel Tears, Take Two. ” It’s kind of a little play on words because, for some reason which I can’t explain, it was always easy for me to turn on the tears. As I mentioned earlier, if an actor can’t bring on the tears, the make-up department always had a way of “helping out” so to speak to make it look like the actor was crying. For me thankfully, I never needed that, as mine were always REAL tears, and way back when I was a child actress they actually used film REELS as opposed to the way it’s done today so that’s how the title came about!  I’m not sure really why it was so easy for me to cry. My brother used to tease me about it saying “Oh you cry at Supermarket openings!
I was fortunate to work in different genres: Dramas, Westerns, Comedies, Horror, Fantasy, Cult, and Sci-fi.
I can’t really say I have a favorite, although Spider Baby was especially fun as it was a bit of a “Stretch” for me since I had never played anyone before who killed people! The reason I say “fun” is because it was such a campy off-beat quirky little film and not really a slasher film… and no blood! Just off-beat humor. It has been called “simultaneously creepy and funny.”
Mostly as a child, I played little orphans, waifs, or annoying brats. I actually enjoyed it all. Someone once asked me at an autograph show if I considered myself a classic “Scream Queen. ” I wouldn’t call myself that exactly. I think if I were to call myself anything, it would probably be simply just “one very fortunate lady” and I count my blessings every day.
13. I've spent over two decades doing rescue work, TNR, and placing/rehoming stray, feral, and abandoned cats. It's very clear from so many of your interviews that you've had an enormous love for animals since you were a little girl. I heard you say in an interview that one of the reasons you wanted the part in Old Yeller was because of the dog – Spike – who was adopted from the pound. He didn't have any stand-ins like other movies or shows that use multiple dogs depending on their particular talent.
Did Spike ever do any other parts in TV or film that you know of? And most importantly, what is it about dogs and cats that fills you with such happiness?
I guess I could say this might be my favorite question because I am passionate about animals.
I grew up in a family of animal lovers and have always had dogs and cats. I’ve always been drawn to them. They are so wonderful and they love us unconditionally. They trust us, they rely on us. They have no voice…We’re their voice.
The only “downside” of having a pet is the day we have to say goodbye to them. They’re “family” and God’s beautiful creation. I know we can’t save them all, but if everyone could just do their part and be kind to animals it would make for a better world, that’s for sure.
When I got the role of Lisbeth, I think I was more excited about working with Old Yeller whose real name was “Spike,” than I was in working for Walt Disney. Not to be disrespectful of course because believe me, it was an honor and a thrill to meet Walt
Disney and to be asked to read for the part. I was a bit nervous which typically I hadn’t been in the past when I auditioned for other roles, but the thought of working with a dog just thrilled me beyond measure! When I got the call that I had been cast, I remember actually crying…only these tears were “happy tears”!
Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran, and I were minors at the time so we had to have three hours of schooling each day in between scenes. We were of course allowed to pet “Spike”, but not really play with him or throw a ball or take him for a walk or anything like that, but that was good enough for me. For you animal lovers out there, I can promise you this: He was treated like a real “Movie Star! I like to tease that his dressing room was bigger than mine! In between scenes, he would be able to rest and there was always fresh water, food, and treats for him.
The Weatherwax family were true pioneers in training animals in the movie business. They pretty much had the market cornered as far as who the studios would call whenever an animal was needed in a film. Rudd Weatherwax was the main man who started everything. His brother Jack was the trainer of Toto in the classic film “The Wizard of Oz”. Rudd and his son Bob trained “Asta” from the original “Thin Man” series, along with “Einstein” the dog in “Back to the Future.” Rudd was also the owner and trainer of “Lassie” who most people believe was the most famous “Furry Star” he trained.
Now we all know that Lana Turner was discovered at Schwab’s Drug Store, but Spike was discovered at an animal shelter! Frank Weatherwax who was Rudd’s brother found him there, saved him from being put down,  adopted him, trained him, and turned him into one of the most beloved animals in movie history.
I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to work with Old Yeller and I can proudly say that I worked in Hollywood with a Weatherwax dog. It doesn’t get much better than that.
In 2017 I was privileged and honored to be asked to write the foreword for the book about the Weatherwax family titled “Four Feet to Fame” which is available on Amazon.
In closing, I would just like to thank my new friend and animal “angel” Jo Gabriel for asking me to be a part of The Last Drive In and to all of you who either read, watched, or listened to me while I shared my memories with you. For that, I am truly grateful and blessed.
