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 | 1949–1991 |
| Spouse(s) |
Joanne Kathleen Hill
(m. 1966; div. 1971) |
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Maximilian Adelbert Baer Jr. (born December 4, 1937) is an American former actor, producer, and director. He is best known for playing Jethro Bodine on the popular TV show The Beverly Hillbillies. Jethro was a kind but not-so-smart relative of Jed Clampett. Max Baer Jr. also worked behind the scenes, creating and directing movies.
Contents
Early Life: Growing Up and Education
Max Baer Jr. was born in Oakland, California, on December 4, 1937. His father was Max Baer, a famous boxing champion. His mother was Mary Ellen Sullivan. Max Baer Jr. also had a brother and a sister. His uncle, Buddy Baer, was also a boxer and actor.
He went to Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento. There, he was great at four different sports. He even won junior golf tournaments twice. Later, he earned a degree in business from Santa Clara University. He also studied philosophy.
Starting His Acting Career
Max Baer Jr.'s first acting job was in England in 1949. He started acting professionally in 1960 at Warner Bros.. He appeared on many TV shows like Maverick and Hawaiian Eye. His big break came two years later when he joined The Beverly Hillbillies.
Playing Jethro Bodine in The Beverly Hillbillies
In 1962, Max Baer Jr. got the role of Jethro Bodine. Jethro was a friendly but simple character. He was Jed Clampett's cousin. Max Baer Jr. also played Jethro's twin sister, Jethrine. Another actress, Linda Kaye Henning, provided Jethrine's voice.
While The Beverly Hillbillies was on TV for nine years, Max Baer Jr. took other acting jobs. He appeared on Love, American Style and in the movie A Time for Killing. He chose not to be in the 1981 TV movie Return of the Beverly Hillbillies.
Working Behind the Camera
After The Beverly Hillbillies ended in 1971, Max Baer Jr. found it hard to get new acting roles. People mostly saw him as Jethro. So, he started focusing on making movies. He became a writer, producer, and director.
He wrote and produced the movie Macon County Line in 1974. He also acted in it. This movie was very successful. It cost less than US$200,000 to make but earned over US$30 million! This was a record for a long time. Max Baer Jr. also wrote, produced, and directed The Wild McCullochs (1975).
He was one of the first to use a popular song title for a movie. He got the rights to Bobbie Gentry's song "Ode to Billy Joe". He then produced and directed the 1976 film Ode to Billy Joe. This movie also made a lot of money. After this success, many other movies used song titles.
Max Baer Jr. also directed the comedy Hometown U.S.A. in 1979. After that, he mostly retired to his home in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. He still makes occasional TV appearances.
Business Ventures
In 1985, Max Baer Jr. started looking into the gambling business. He noticed that people liked to visit places related to famous TV shows. He thought people would enjoy something related to The Beverly Hillbillies.
In 1991, he got the rights from CBS to use The Beverly Hillbillies for businesses. This included restaurants and hotels. In 1999, 65 Beverly Hillbillies slot machines were made. They were placed in 10 casinos.
Later, he tried to build a Beverly Hillbillies-themed hotel and casino. He wanted to turn an old Walmart store into this project. This plan did not work out because of building rules. He then bought land in another area. His plans included a large gambling area, restaurants, a showroom, and a hotel. He even planned a tall mock oil derrick with a flame! However, this project has been delayed due to legal issues.
In 2014, he sued CBS. He claimed a deal with a BBQ restaurant was stopping him from using his character for business. He said he had a deal with CBS from 1991 to use the character and show themes for hotels and casinos.
Recent Years
Max Baer Jr. remained good friends with Buddy Ebsen, who played Jed Clampett. They stayed close until Buddy Ebsen passed away in 2003. Max Baer Jr. and Donna Douglas, another co-star, visited Ebsen in the hospital before he died. After Donna Douglas passed away in 2015, Max Baer Jr. became the last surviving regular cast member of 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
