In this delightful promotional shot for The Beverly Hillbillies, Donna Douglas (Elly May Clampett) looks gleefully ready to ride, while Irene Ryan (Granny) clutches on for dear life behind her ...

What follows are 10 facts that help provide a fuller portrait of Irene Ryan, tracing where she came from and how she was able to succeed in a career that would span about 50 years.

When The Beverly Hillbillies made its TV debut in 1962, it was dismissed by critics as little more than a hillbilly cartoon, but the viewers knew better. With its fish-out-of-water premise ...