Elly May Clampett Barbie Doll Suit Settled

Donna Douglas, the actress who portrayed Elly May Clampett on “The Beverly Hillbillies” settled her lawsuit with Mattel recently.

The suit claimed that CBS Consumer Products Inc. and toymaker Mattel had no right to use her likeness for the Elly May Clampett Barbie doll released last year without getting her approval. Douglas was seeking at least $75,000. CBS and Mattel maintained that they did not need her approval since the network owns exclusive rights to the character.

A settlement was reach which remains confidential. One of Douglas’ attorneys indicated that she is satisfied with the end result, and an attorney for the defendants said “The matter was settled to mutual satisfaction.”

The Elly May doll sports the signature curly blonde pigtails associated with the character, as well as a checkered blue shirt and jeans with a rope belt. She also has a handy slingshot that Elly Mae was as famous for as for ‘wrastlin’ and her critters. When Miss Hathaway (Nancy Kulp) bought Elly Mae her first bra, she turned it into a double barreled slingshot!

Elly May was one of the four main characters of The Beverly Hillbillies, and the daughter of Jed Clampett (Buddy Ebsen). Granny (Irene Ryan) and Cousin Jethro Bodine (Max Baer, Jr.) made up the rest of the hillbilly family that took up residence in a Beverly Hills mansion after striking oil.

Irene Ryan passed away in 1973. Buddy Ebsen passed away in 2003. Ms. Douglas is now 78 years old and lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where she makes occasional appearances to sign autographs and talk about her days as Elly May.

At 74, Max Baer, Jr. has been planning for some time to open a Beverly Hillbillies casino and when his original plans fell through, he bought land in Douglas County, Nevada in 2007 to continue the project. Baer has a website that’s all about it: Jethro’s Casino.com. There will be a bakery called “Elly May’s Buns.” He doesn’t have to worry though because he’s not using Douglas’ likeness.