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Raymond Bailey (May 6, 1904 – April 15, 1980) was an American actor on the Broadway stage, movies, and television. He is best-known for his role as wealthy banker, Milburn Drysdale, in the long-running TV series The Beverly Hillbillies.
He was born in San Francisco, California. When he was a teenager he went to Hollywood to become a movie star. He found it was harder than he had thought, however, and took a variety of short-term jobs. He worked for a time as a laborer at a movie studio, but was fired for sneaking into a mob scene that was being filmed. He also worked for a while in a bank.
Having no success getting any kind of movie roles, Bailey then went to New York where he had no better success getting roles in theatre. Eventually he became a crewman on a freighter and began sailing to various parts of the world, including China, Japan, the Philippines and the Mediterranean. While docked in Hawaii, he worked on a pineapple plantation, acted at a community theatre and sang on a local radio program.
In 1938, he decided to try Hollywood again. His luck changed for the better when he actually began getting some bit parts in movies, but after the United States entered World War II he joined the Merchant Marine and went back to sea. When the war was over he returned to Hollywood and eventually began getting bigger character roles.
In the early 1950s, he began being cast in a lot of character roles in TV programs. His numerous appearances include episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Playhouse 90, The Rifleman, The Jack Benny Program, Perry Mason, 77 Sunset Strip, The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, The Untouchables, Have Gun-Will Travel, and Mister Ed.
He appeared in three plays on Broadway, playing An Unknown Man in The Bat (1953), A.J. Alexander in Sing Till Tomorrow (1953), and Captain Randolph Southard in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (1954-1955) starring Henry Fonda.
Bailey's movie roles include playing a member of the board in the comedy/romance Sabrina (1954) starring Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn and William Holden; Mr. Benson in the drama Picnic (1955) starring William Holden and Kim Novak; a doctor in Hitchcock's drama/thriller Vertigo (1958) starring James Stewart and Novak; a Colonel in the comedy No Time for Sergeants (1958) starring Andy Griffith; the warden of San Quentin in the crime/drama I Want to Live! (1958) starring Susan Hayward; Lawyer Brancato in the crime drama Al Capone (1959) starring Rod Steiger; and Major General Alexander "Archie" Vandegrift in World War Two drama The Gallant Hours (1960). He also played a plantation owner in the 1957 movie Band of Angels starring Clark Gable, Sidney Poitier and Yvonne De Carlo.
In 1962, he was cast in his most famous role as the greedy bank president, Milburn Drysdale, on the hit TV sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies and at last achieved international fame. Nancy Kulp portrayed his ever loyal and "by the book" secretary, Miss Jane Hathaway.
In that role, he portrayed the banker who managed the millions of dollars (in oil money royalties) in the bank account of country gentleman J. D. Clampett (portrayed by Buddy Ebsen). Often, Mr. Drysdale would be required to talk with Clampett about how strange "city life" and "city folk" are (when compared to Mr. Clampett's view of "normal" country folk). On occasions when Mr. Clampett was considering withdrawing all his funds and returning to the country (his home near Bugtussle), Mr. Drysdale would often panic and work to try and convince him (and his unusual family) to remain in Beverly Hills (to great comedic effect).
After the show went off the air in 1971, Bailey acted in a few less-noteworthy movie roles. He then retired and became somewhat of a recluse in Laguna Niguel, California, where he and his wife, Gaby Aida George, lived.
Raymond Bailey died of a heart attack at seventy-five years of age in Irvine, California. His body was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea.
