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.

See More

Green AcresClassic TV1960s1970s

In 1966, Eddie Albert explained how he stayed young during his time on Green Acres

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."

Watch Green Acres on MeTV!

Weeknights at 8:30 PM

*available in most MeTV markets

 Add to Favorites  Remind Me