Max Baer Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Max Baer Jr.
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As Jethro in 1962
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| Born |
Maximilian Adelbert Baer Jr.
December 4, 1937 Oakland, California, U.S.
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1960–1991 |
| Spouse(s) |
Joanne Kathleen Hill
(m. 1966; div. 1971) |
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Maximilian Adelbert Baer Jr. (born December 4, 1937) is an American actor, producer, comedian, and director. He is most famous for playing Jethro Bodine on the popular TV show The Beverly Hillbillies. Jethro was a funny, sometimes silly, relative of the main character, Jed Clampett.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Max Baer Jr. was born in Oakland, California, on December 4, 1937. His father was the famous boxing champion Max Baer Sr.. His mother was Mary Ellen Sullivan. Max Jr. also has a brother, James, and a sister, Maude. His uncle, Buddy Baer, was also a boxer and actor.
He went to Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento. There, he was very good at sports, earning awards in four different ones. He even won the junior golf title at the Sacramento Open twice. Later, he won a professional-amateur golf tournament in 1968.
Baer also served in the U.S. Air Force as a medical technician. After his military service, he earned a college degree in business administration from Santa Clara University. He also studied philosophy.
Max Baer Jr.'s Acting Career
Max Baer Jr. started his acting career in 1960 at Warner Bros.. He appeared in several TV shows, including Maverick, Surfside 6, and Hawaiian Eye.
Starring in The Beverly Hillbillies
In 1962, Max Baer Jr. got the role that made him famous: Jethro Bodine. Jethro was the kind-hearted but often clueless cousin of Jed Clampett. The show was a huge hit and ran for nine years.
He also played Jethro's twin sister, Jethrine, on the show. Another actress, Linda Kaye Henning, provided Jethrine's voice. Even while working on The Beverly Hillbillies, Baer took on other acting jobs. He appeared in Love, American Style and the Western movie A Time for Killing.
After The Beverly Hillbillies ended in 1971, Max Baer Jr. found it hard to get new acting roles. This is sometimes called "typecasting," meaning people only saw him as Jethro. So, he decided to work more behind the camera.
Working Behind the Scenes
Max Baer Jr. became a writer, producer, and director for movies. He wrote and produced the movie Macon County Line in 1974. He also acted in it as Deputy Reed Morgan. This movie was very successful, earning a lot of money compared to how much it cost to make.
He also wrote, produced, and directed another movie called The Wild McCullochs in 1975. In this film, he played the character Culver Robinson.
Baer was one of the first people to use a popular song title as the name and main idea for a movie. He got the rights to Bobbie Gentry's hit song "Ode to Billy Joe" and made a movie with the same name in 1976. He directed and produced this film as well. The movie was very popular and earned a lot of money.
After the success of Ode to Billy Joe, many other movies started using song titles. Max Baer Jr. even tried to make a movie based on Madonna's song "Like a Virgin". He directed the comedy Hometown U.S.A. in 1979 before taking a break from filmmaking.
Other Business Ideas
In 1985, Max Baer Jr. started looking into the entertainment business, especially hotels and casinos. He noticed how popular the "Ponderosa Ranch" was, which was used for filming the TV show Bonanza. People loved visiting it because of the show.
Baer thought that people would also enjoy something related to The Beverly Hillbillies. He got the rights from CBS in 1991 to use the show's characters and ideas for businesses. He wanted to create Beverly Hillbillies-themed hotels and casinos.
He tried to develop a Beverly Hillbillies-themed hotel and casino in Carson City, Nevada. His plans included a large gambling area, restaurants like "Jethro's All You Ken Et Buffet," a showroom, a movie theater, and a hotel. He even planned a tall mock oil derrick that would have a flame on top, just like in the show's opening. However, these plans faced some challenges and delays.
Later Years
Max Baer Jr. remained good friends with his Beverly Hillbillies co-star, Buddy Ebsen, until Ebsen passed away in 2003.
After the death of his co-star Donna Douglas in 2015, Max Baer Jr. became the last surviving regular cast member from The Beverly Hillbillies.
Filmography
List of Credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Maverick | Ticket Taker / Chuck / Brazos | 3 episodes — "Bundle from Britain" — "A Bullet for the Teacher" — "Kiz" |
| 1960–1961 | Surfside 6 | Joe Wilk / Party Guest | 2 episodes — "High Tide" (1960) — "Facts on the Fire" (1961) |
| 1960–1961 | Cheyenne | Callow / Bert McGuire / Pete | 4 episodes — "Two Trails to Santa Fe" (1960) — "Duel at Judas Basin" (1961) — "The Beholden" (1961) — "The Frightened Town" (1961) |
| 1960–1961 | Hawaiian Eye | Ali / Bill Gorham | 2 episodes — "Vanessa Vanishes" (1960) — "The Big Dealer" (1961) |
| 1960–1961 | 77 Sunset Strip | Government Man / Luther Martell / Billy Blackston | 3 episodes — "Double Trouble" (1960) — "The Corsican Caper" (1961) — "The Chrome Coffin" (1961) |
| 1961 | Bronco | Cowboy | Episode: "The Invaders |
| 1961 | Sugarfoot | Frank | Episode: "Angel" |
| 1962 | Follow the Sun | Tom Baylor | Episode: "A Choice of Weapons" |
| 1962 | It's a Man's World | 1st GI | Episode: "Drive Over to Exeter" |
| 1962–1971 | The Beverly Hillbillies | Jethro Bodine | main role (273 episodes) TV Land Award for Favorite "Fish Out of Water" (2004) |
| 1962–1971 | Jethrine Bodine | 11 episodes Jethro's twin sister |
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| 1967 | A Time for Killing | Sergeant Luther Liskell | |
| 1967 | Dream Girl of '67 | Himself (Bachelor Judge) | series regular (10 episodes) |
| 1968 | Hollywood Squares | Himself (Panelist) | recurring role (5 episodes) |
| 1971 | The Birdmen | Tanker | Television Movie |
| 1972 | Two for the Money | N/A | Producer |
| 1972–1973 | Love, American Style | Rocky / Jackie Lee Rhodes | 2 episodes — "Love and the Fullback" (1972) — "Love and the Games People Play" (1973) |
| 1974 | Macon County Line | Deputy Reed Morgan | also Producer/Writer |
| 1975 | The Wild McCullochs | Culver Robinson | also Director/Producer/Writer |
| 1976 | Ode to Billy Joe | N/A | Director/Producer |
| 1979 | Fantasy Island | Big Jake Farley | Episode: "Nobody's There/The Dancer" |
| 1979 | Hometown U.S.A. | N/A | Director |
| 1980 | The Asphalt Cowboy | Max Caulpepper | Television Movie |
| 1982 | The Circle Family | Hearst Circle | Television Movie |
| 1984 | Matt Houston | Andy MacKay | 2 episodes — "Return to Nam: Part 1" — "Escape from Nam: Part 2" |
| 1989 | Murder, She Wrote | Johnny Wheeler | Episode: "Jack and Bill" |
| 1991 | State Trooper Boone Willoughby | Episode: "Who Killed J.B. Fletcher?" | |
| 2005 | Biography | Himself (Interviewee) | Episode: "Buddy Ebsen" |
See also
In Spanish: Max Baer, Jr. para niños
