'Beverly Hillbillies' actress sues Barbie maker

Yahoo News ^ | 5 May 2011 | MICHAEL KUNZELMAN

[smokingfrog]

NEW ORLEANS – The actress who played Elly May Clampett on the hit television series "The Beverly Hillbillies" is suing toy manufacturer Mattel Inc., claiming the company used her name and likeness for a Barbie doll without her authorization.

The federal suit filed Wednesday in Baton Rouge, La., says packaging for the "Elly May" Barbie doll features a photo of Donna Douglas portraying the character. Douglas says she never endorsed the doll or gave Mattel permission to use her name to promote its sale before the toy maker introduced the doll in December 2010.

From 1962 to 1971, Douglas appeared in all 274 episodes of the CBS comedy show about a poor family that moves to Beverly Hills after striking oil on their land.

A Mattel spokeswoman didn't immediately respond to a call and e-mail seeking comment.

Douglas lives in Zachary, near Baton Rouge, and continues to make public appearances and speaking engagements in connection with the show, according to one of her attorneys, Charles von Simson.

"Depending on their age, people remember the show immediately and they remember her," he said of Douglas, now 77. "It's something she gets a lot of fan interest from."

Von Simson said Mattel made other "nostalgia dolls" of iconic TV characters, including Barbara Eden's from "I Dream of Jeannie" and the late Elizabeth Montgomery's from "Bewitched."

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and a court order barring Mattel from using her "name, likeness, image and distinctive attributes."

[RummyChick]

the hat

The nose


the bottle

and let's not forget the music box

[Cyber Ninja]

[2ndDivisionVet]

Did you forget Miss Jane?

[yarddog]

I think you are right. She should have just let that role go for the rest of her life. From what I have heard, Donna Douglaw was a better person, not that she didn’t have a few skeletons in the coset. Mary Ann was slightly hotter but when you get as hot as Ellie Mae then you are good enough.

Actually I saw an interview with Max Baer and he said she actually was quite a bit more attractive in person. He said that hairdo didn’t do her any favors.

Interestingly, Mary Ann (Dawn Wells) was secretly married and Donna Doublas (Ellie Mae) had a baby back in Louisianna. She got very homesick for the baby and would have probably been better off going home to it.

[bobby.223]

Hey, what about Judy Jetson!!!

[xp38]

Oddly enough the first two seasons of the Beverly Hillbillies have many episodes in the public domain since CBS who bought the rights failed to renew the copyright for those.

[RummyChick]

[sickoflibs]

It sounds like she is correct.

[RummyChick]

Morticia, Annie Lennox, Mr Bean, Jughead, and The Wookie all together

[GonzoGOP]

Don't forget about Bailey Quarters (Jan Smithers) on WKRP in Cinci either!!!

Not someone you are likely to forget. But remember that was late 70's Early 80s. So she would be up against Daisy Duke. The original, not that other one.

[muir_redwoods]

No one was ever “kinder” to a pair of blue jeans than Jan Smithers

[AppyPappy]

Rumor was that she had a house near Blowing Rock NC. I did her that Nancy Kulp was a big liberal.

She was in the animated movie The Aristocats. But she couldn’t sing so her fill-in for singing was the previously unknown Ruth Buzzi

[Brandonmark]

And what about Mary Ann & Ginger?

[NWFLConservative]

In all honesty Catherine Bach did nothing for me. I always thought she was kind of trampy. Samey samey for Loni Anderson on WKRP.

I guess I gravitated more to the girl next door types. I loved Valerie Bertinelli too!

[2ndDivisionVet]

Not to be confused with The Aristocrats, believe me.

[kenavi]

Seems like the name Elly May, or even her photo in costume wouldn’t even be hers to sue over. All references to the show, likenesses of the actors and so on would be the exclusive property of the owners of the show’s legal rights, which ain’t Donna Douglas.

Maybe she is doing it for the publicity.

[NWFLConservative]

You get no argument from me on that one! ☺

Remember this young beautiful woman? Taken way too soon.

[Graybeard58]

I was in love.

Weren't we all? Hard to believe that she's 77 years old.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Yes, Nancy Kulp was a lefty, and attracted to women, too; but unlike her young co-stars she was a pro on the set, wasn’t difficult, showed up for work reliably and delivered without excessive retakes.
Or so they say. :)

[NWFLConservative]

I thought I remember reading somewhere that she has had a lifelong battle with clinical depression and has been in and out of hospitals for it and may have even attempted suicide more than once. Very sad.