Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor once clashed over her wardrobe while filming Green Acres

Albert had an issue with Gabor's dress and wasn't shy about letting her know.

Though Oliver Wendell Douglas might have seemed out of place to the citizens of Green Acres, it turned out that Eddie Albert was actually quite at home in rural America. In addition to his accomplishments as an actor, Albert was also a passionate environmentalist with titles that included chairman of the Boy Scouts of America and Chairman of the Eddie Albert World Trees Foundation of America. 

Most notably, Albert spoke out against the use of DDT, a pesticide commonly used in agriculture that eventually became infamous for its harm to the environment. In an interview with The Orlando Sentinel, Albert recalled that he was able to combine two of his passions by explaining DDT's harm during television programs.

"I began going on television to explain the harm that DDT was doing," Albert said, adding that he was able to join forces with notable people like broadcaster and entertainer Arthur Godfrey as well as Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson, who would later found the official holiday Earth Day. Albert's efforts eventually paid off, and DDT was banned in the United States in 1972, and would eventually be banned worldwide in 2004.

With these efforts, it's obvious that Albert wasn't shy about arguing to save the planet, even on the Green Acres set. During an appearance at Epcot's SuperStar Television attraction, he recounted a specific interaction with costar Eva Gabor. Gabor's character, Lisa, was known for her adventurous and metropolitan fashion sense, and Albert explained that Gabor came onto set wearing a dress made of feathers.

"I asked her not to wear it on camera, because people would see it and want to go out and buy one just like it," Albert said. Gabor, the show's fashionista, countered that was the point.

Albert then said he explained to Gabor that many birds would have to die to provide the feathers for the dress. "She just looked at me a moment and said, 'Eddie, feathers don't come from birds.'" When pressed by Albert on where they came from, Gabor responded, "'Pillows, dahling, pillows."

Years later, after recounting the story, Albert spoke with The Orlando Sentinel and concluded, "To this day I don't know whether Eva was kidding or not."

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32 Comments

Michaeljscheibn 12 months ago
She made the best hot water soup in the valley !
raddad Michaeljscheibn 11 months ago
And did great zsa zsa gabor impersonations!
dougloch 12 months ago
BWAHAHAHAHA Too funny!! I think she was joking “in character”!
Rita6868 12 months ago
Haaa! Eva was funny!
Still watching this show every wk day.Love Eddie but Mr. Kimball and Lisa are my favorites.These writters were nuts! Well not nuts but crazy well not crazy but funny.Lol! Love You and Miss You
Alvy Moore and the rest of the cast.
JHP 12 months ago
well some of her attire would inflate a tire:)
Snickers 12 months ago
You would hope Gabor was kidding, if not kind of stupid.
Andybandit 12 months ago
I always laugh at the clothes Lisa and Oliver wear on the farm. They are too formal.
MrsPhilHarris 12 months ago
Slightly off topic I could never understand why Oliver, who dreamed of being a farmer, would wear dress pants, a white shirt, vest and tie to work the fields.
MrsPhilHarris 12 months ago
This comment has been removed.
MrsPhilHarris harlow1313 12 months ago
That is very true.
LoveMETV22 12 months ago

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Eva may have had a point with the pillows? Depending on the type of feather and when the feathers were gathered?
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Snickers justjeff 12 months ago
Good point.
justjeff LoveMETV22 12 months ago
...and is horseradish made out of horses? Is a wood chipper constructed from wood? If you have light bulbs, are there heavy bulbs? Can you get sick from wheat germ? Are rug rats made from carpet? If there are push pins, are there pull pins? Does hot asphalt on the road break out in road rash? Are canapes really just a can of peas?
LoveMETV22 justjeff 12 months ago
Are canapes really just a can of peas?
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LOL! I think there was a TV series episode/short that made canapes from canned peas,
(probably The Three Stooges ?), however Curly likes to stuff his turkey with " a can of peas."
JeffPaul76 justjeff 12 months ago
You mean George Carlin?? Yes he was a genius.
Anne31 12 months ago
Love love love Green Acres
Snickers Anne31 12 months ago
As do I. Sad that up here we don't have the shows but I still have my DVD's to look at.
JHP Anne31 12 months ago
I know some people who are real-life Hank Kimballs
cinamac Anne31 12 months ago
My husband looks like Eddie Albert!
Wiseguy70005 Snickers 12 months ago
No apostrophes in DVDs...plural not possessive.
Snickers Wiseguy70005 12 months ago
Well EXCUSE ME. Sorry I ruined your day.
Coldnorth Snickers 11 months ago
But you get the entire show from dvds not chopped up. That’s a plus
Moverfan cinamac 11 months ago
He does? Lucky girl!
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