Do you remember Milby Drysdale?

Milby Drysdale a blast from the past

Have you ever watched on old television show and seen a child actor and wondered where are they now? That was my recent experience as I was watching an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies. This episode featured Ted Eccles as Milby Drysdale. He was the nephew of bank president Milburn Drysdale ( Rayburn Bailey) who appeared in the April 1967 episode The Little Monster.

As an 11-year-old boy, little Milby had an intense love for money. He tried to swindle Jethro Clampet (Max Baer) out of expensive paintings and vases and his uncle gave him a spanking. He was screaming and crying not because of the whipping but because Mr. Drysdale had taken his money belt. I could not recall seeing Eccles on other shows and wondered what had happened to him after The Beverly Hillbillies

Teddy Eccles child actor

As a child actor, he was known as Teddy Eccles and performed many of his best-known roles while he was young. Eccles appeared in several television series and feature films in the 1960s and 1970s including starring in the 1969 film My Side of the Mountain. He was also the voice of Aaron in the Ranken-Bass television holiday special The Little Drummer Boy. That voice sticks with me to this day and I used to cry every year when this Christmas holiday special came on television. I never even checked the credits to see who the voice actors were.

In his twenties, Eccles was one of the shrunken protagonists in the fantasy adventure series Dr. Shrinker. This was a segment that appeared on the children's television series The Krofft Supershow which was broadcast on Saturday mornings on NBC. Ah, the days of Saturday morning cartoons-just thinking about it puts a smile on my face.

Ted Eccles today

I'm sorry to say that I never recognized Eccles in his later roles even though I have watched any of the TV shows and movies he appeared in. The actor obviously possessed the same business acumen for success as his character little Milby. He later became executive producer of the TV show Flip My Food. He also began working behind the camera in the feature film marketing departments of Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Studios.

Eccless is behind the movie advertising for a number of hit films including "Witness," "Beverly Hills Cop," "Ruthless People," "Pretty Woman," "Three Men and a Baby," "Honey I Shrunk the Kids," "Dick Tracy," "Sister Act" and "The Lion King." Who knew, who would ever believe little Milty would grow up to be so successful?

Ted Eccles additional credits

The first television appearance of Teddy Eccles was playing Christopher Robin in a puppet version of Winnie the Pooh. He also appeared on an episode of M.A.S.H. and also was in The Munsters and The Lucy Show. Eccles is responsible for creating marketing campaigns for the successful television shows "Seinfeld", "Everybody Loves Raymond", "How I Met Your Mother", "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader ?" "Deal or No Deal" and "Modern Family". He has directed more than 200 episodes of various television programs and continues to work as a producer and film editor so his career has been pretty impressive.

Little Milby Drysdale had his eyes on becoming successful and rich by taking advantage of the Clampett family. Ted Eccles has made a name for himself by starring in and producing memorable films and television series. He also appears to have survived the child actor curse that led to others who began entertaining at early ages into alcohol, drugs, mental health issues, and suicidal tendencies.