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What did Max Baer, Jr. do after The Beverly Hillbillies?
"Starvation was my motivation," said Baer.
Fans will remember that on The Beverly Hillbillies, Jethro Bodine's career aspirations included fry cook, brain surgeon, international playboy, spy, and movie director. In real life, the actor who played Jethro, Max Baer, Jr., only achieved one of those dreams. However, he was able to succeed in his chosen career at a desperate time in his life, and used his skills to keep food on the table.
So, was Jethro Bodine a spy? Or did he later become a brain surgeon?
Believe it or not, Max Baer went on to write, direct, and produce a series of his own movies. The son of a former heavyweight boxing champion needed a last-ditch career switch because of how familiar people were with his earlier work.
By the time the 1970s rolled around, Baer was broke. He'd been typecast after Beverly Hillbillies, and couldn't find any work apart from rehashing his most famous role. That's when he turned to the world of independent drive-in features. In an interview with The Tampa Tribune, Baer shed light on this little-known part of his career, and the Hail Mary pass he made from behind the lens.
"Starvation was my motivation," said Baer. "I did it for the money, I did it for the job. I was basically unemployable because all that people knew me as was Jethro, and I realized if I'm going to work, I'm going to have to do it myself."
Three Baer productions, Macon County Line, The McCullochs, and Hometown U.S.A. were popular enough to be repackaged and released on DVD by Anchor Bay Entertainment in 2000.
"These are just three little movies, but I guess it's time to re-ignite interest in the history of Max Baer in the movies."
Anchor Bay proudly released "The Max Baer Collection" in hopes of connecting with a new, pop-culture-obsessed audience.
"We're releasing the films of John Cassavetes, we're releasing the films of Werner Herzog, and now we're releasing the films of Max Baer," said Jay Douglas, the company's senior vice president of acquisitions and product development.
Whether you've seen the flicks or not, you have to admit, those are some lofty peers!
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