Pat Woodell | 'Petticoat Junction' star, 71
Actress Pat Woodell, who starred as one of a trio of sisters in the wholesome 1960s sitcom Petticoat Junction before she went on to be featured in a series of not-so-wholesome exploitation films, died Sept. 29 at her home in Fallbrook, Calif. She was 71.
Actress Pat Woodell, who starred as one of a trio of sisters in the wholesome 1960s sitcom
Petticoat Junction
before she went on to be featured in a series of not-so-wholesome exploitation films, died Sept. 29 at her home in Fallbrook, Calif. She was 71.
Known as Patricia McDade off screen, she had battled cancer for more than 20 years, said her husband, Vern McDade.
Ms. Woodell, a statuesque brunette, was signed to a contract by Warner Bros., and her first network TV credit was on a 1962 episode of the Western series Cheyenne. She followed that up with appearances on Hawaiian Eye and 77 Sunset Strip, and had a role in a government-sponsored anti-communism drama, "Red Nightmare," narrated by Jack Webb.
Her best-known role came in the hit series Petticoat Junction, set near the bucolic town of Hooterville. Many of the plots revolved around the misadventures of the three teenage daughters of widow Kate Bradley, played by veteran TV actress Bea Benaderet, as they tried to keep the slightly run-down Shady Rest Hotel afloat. The show made its debut in 1963 on CBS, with Ms. Woodell playing Bobbie Jo, the smart, studious daughter. - Los Angeles Times