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From Times Staff and Wire Reports

Ex-”Beverly Hillbillies” Star Wins Court Round: Actor-turned-producer Max Baer Jr., who played Jethro Bodine on “The Beverly Hillbillies,” won $2 million from Capital Cities/ABC over movie rights to the song “Like a Virgin,” his lawyer said. Baer claimed ABC-TV executives interfered with his negotiations for the movie rights to the song “Like a Virgin.” In a 1991 Los Angeles Superior Court trial, Baer testified that just as he was about to cut a deal with songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, ABC-TV stepped in and claimed the network already owned the movie rights to the song. The retired judge who heard the trial agreed with Baer, awarding him $2 million. ABC challenged that award in the 2nd District Court of Appeal. The panel affirmed the award, sending the case back to the trial court for a hearing on punitive damages. ABC has 60 days to appeal to the California Supreme Court.

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