In the original series, she portrays Fred's stereotypically antagonistic mother-in-law, acting as a nagging irritant. Her appearance was similar to Wilma's, although Pearl was noticeably larger-figured, similar in build to the men of Bedrock rather than the more shapely Wilma and Betty. In the original series, she has red hair like her daughter's; in later specials and films, it's transitioned to gray. In the original series, she was voiced by Verna Felton, who at the time was known for doing voice-overs for Disney animated films. Felton died shortly after the original series ended. In The Flintstones, her first name is never actually revealed. She does not appear in the 1971 spinoffThe Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show. Pearl also appeared in the mid-80s spinoff series The Flintstone Kids, which portrays her husband Ricky for the first time. Ricky also appears in the live-action 2000 filmViva Rock Vegas. Presumably, Ricky died by the time Wilma reached adulthood, as Pearl is stated to be a widow in the original series. Pearl's last animated appearance to date is in the 1993 animated film , in which she is voiced by Janet Waldo.
In other media
Pearl Slaghoople appears in both live-action adaptations of the series:
In The Flintstones, she is portrayed by Elizabeth Taylor as a minorsupporting character. As in the series, she still disapproves of Fred, chastising him for giving their life savings to Barney so that he can adopt a child and even suggesting more than once that Wilma divorce Fred. When Fred briefly becomes a rich executive for Slate and Company, Pearl changes her attitude towards him, which bewilders him to the point that he even asks her if they have met before. Taylor's casting as Pearl was heavily criticized by fans and critics alike, as she did not resemble the animated Pearl in any way, and she was nominated for the 1994Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress for her role.
In The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, the prequel to the aforementioned film, she is played by Joan Collins and is one of the film's primary antagonists. In the prequel, Pearl repeatedly attempts to push Wilma into a relationship with rich playboy Chip Rockefeller, and does her best to sabotage Wilma's budding romance with Fred because of her believing that Wilma should not engage with "commoners" like Fred, Barney and Betty. Despite realizing later on that Chip was merely scheming to get his hands on the Slaghoople fortune in order to pay off a debt to gangsters, Pearl still disapproves of Wilma's relationship with Fred, and even faints when Wilma says "I do" at their wedding. Nevertheless, she is seen later on dancing in the wedding party as Fred and Wilma leave for their honeymoon.
