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The Two Selma Plouts: Elvia Allman and Virginia Sale

posted 13 years ago by HarlowMGM
6 replies | jump to latest

Everyone talks about the show having multiple Billie Jos and Bobbie Jos, but there were also two Selma Plouts! Virginia Sale originated the role which first appeared in the second season in five episodes, curiously Selma was not around Petticoat Junction in season three but that year made an appearance on GREEN ACRES (again played by Ms. Sale). When Selma reappeared on PETTICOAT in season four the part was now played by Elvia Allman who was in five episodes that year, four episodes in season five, six episodes in season six, and finally two more appearances late in the seventh and last season.

It's curious why Ms. Sale was replaced in the role given she had played it six times for Paul Henning. I suspected that she was unavailable the week of Ms. Allman's first appearance, perhaps working on another show, and since Selma would make two more appearances fairly quickly thereafter, he kept Elvia in the role however looking at Ms. Sale's other two appearances on PETTICOAT JUNCTION it turns out she made her first appearance as another character just one week before Elvia Allman's debut as Selma Plout!! . Three years later, Ms. Sale was again on PJ, this time as a third character. Very strange. Perhaps she was replaced because Selma's teenaged daughter Henrietta Plout would soon start appearing on the show as well and Ms. Sale was almost 70 at the time (though not much older than either Bea Benaderet or Elvia Allman!) I've never seen Ms. Sale as Selma but she was apparently good enough to keep the part for six various Henning episodes; Elvia Allman of course is a sensational character actress and probably the better of the two but still would Henning drop an actress because he found someone better?

Virginia Sale as Selma Plout
"Green Acres" (1 episode)
Culture (25 May 1966)

"Petticoat Junction" (5 episodes)
As Hooterville Goes (27 October 1964)
Mother of the Bride (15 December 1964)
Billie Jo's First Job (26 January 1965)
Visit from the Governor (9 March 1965)
There's No Stove Like an Old Stove (25 May 1965)

also on:
Cannonball, Inc. (18 October 1966) as Maude Blake
The Three Queens (25 October 1969) as Myra King

Elvia Allman as Selma Plout

"Petticoat Junction" (17 episodes)
Kate Grounds Selma Plout (25 October 1966)
The Almost Annual Charity Show (1 November 1966)
My Daughter the Secretary (27 December 1966)
Kate's Big Deal (21 March 1967)
A House Divided (2 May 1967)
Mind If We Join Your Wedding (21 October 1967)
Kate's Birthday (18 November 1967)
The Barber Shop Quartet (20 January 1968)
Kate's Homecoming (30 March 1968)
Birthplace of a Future President (28 September 1968)
The Valley Has a Baby (26 October 1968)
Wings (9 November 1968)
The Feminine Mistake (28 December 1968)
Billie Jo and the Big Big Star (18 January 1969)
A Man Called Cyrus Plout (8 February 1969)
Selma Plout's Plot (10 January 1970)
Whiplash, Whiplash (28 February 1970)

[–] FlyboyLA 11 years ago

It's funny that Selma was also Mother to Dan Plout, played by Mike Minor in season 2. It seems like the show had no problem changing actors around to play different characters in the show. I've seen Virginia's performances as Selma after only knowing Elvia's Selma. There was something missing in the rivalry between Kate and Selma when Virginia played the role. Elvia and Bea just had a much stronger chemistry in my opinion.

[–] sjbradford 11 years ago

Virginia Sale's Selma is more of a busybody little old lady who can be a troublemaker. Elvia Allman's Selma is more of a blowhard, and a force of nature.

I like them both.

[–] shopguyperry 11 years ago

Allman had actually appeared on Petticoat before Sale as Gladys Stroud in season one's A Night at the Hooterville Hilton.

During season three Allman played Cora Watson who was essentially Selma but with a different name. Interestedly while she was playing Cora, Sale appeared as Selma (for the final time) in the second to last episode of the first season of Green Acres. Strange.

Both Allman and Sale passed away the same year as each other. Sale, 6 months after Allman.

[–] joe_538 11 years ago

I never understood the name change. Allman's "Cora Watson" was already established as a character before they retconned her into "Selma Plout."

[–] caligirlbr323 9 years ago

That ep was on this morning with Mike Minor as Dan Plout. How cute and young he looked! The heck with that other girl, if I were Billie Jo I would have eloped with him myself! I loved that ep. but I do prefer the other lady, Elvia Allman as Selma Plout. Her and Kate really do seem like they have more of a bitter rivalry between them than Kate and Virginia's Selma Plout!

[–] HarlowMGM 9 years ago

Definitely there was more of "rivalry" between Elvia's Selma and Kate. So much so that after Bea passed away, Paul Henning brought Elvia on to The Beverly Hillbilles as Elverna Bradshaw and feuded in much the same way (if more over the top) with Granny. Elvia still played Selma on occasion even while working on the Hillbillies and there's not an iota of difference between her characterizations of Selma Plout and Elverna Bradshaw!