Sexy hillbilly, 82, laid to rest

Donna Douglas in a 2009 file photo. Photo / AP

Donna Douglas, who played the buxom tomboy Elly May Clampett on the hit 1960s sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies, has died of pancreatic cancer, aged 82.

She was best known for her role in the CBS comedy about a backwoods Ozark family who moved to Beverly Hills after striking it rich from oil discovered on their land.

The series, which ran from 1962 to 1971, also starred Buddy Ebsen and Irene Ryan, as well as Max Baer jnr, who turns 77 today, as Jethro.

As Elly May, she usually wore a snug flannel shirt and tight jeans cinched with a rope belt, and she seemed to prefer her critters to any beau.

Chosen from more than 500 other actresses, Douglas said she felt at ease playing the role because, like her character, she grew up a poor Southern tomboy.

The show was assailed by critics but the public felt quite the opposite: It ran for nine seasons, often in the Top 10.

Douglas' career began with beauty pageants - she was Miss Baton Rouge and Miss New Orleans - followed by film roles, including starring opposite Elvis Presley in Frankie and Johnny in 1966.

After her role in The Beverly Hillbillies, Douglas worked in real estate, recorded country and gospel albums and wrote a children's book.

- AAP