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“It’s been a long time since we heard a peep from Jethro, and I’d been wondering what he’s been up to. That’s Max Baer Jr, the actor who played Jethro Bodine on the Beverly Hillbillies. For 20 years now he’s been trying to build a Beverly Hillbillies casino somewhere in Northern Nevada. First he tried Lake Tahoe, but found out the zoning laws up there pretty much don’t allow you to build anything. Then he tried Park Lane Mall in Reno, but that deal fell apart for reasons that nobody wants to admit. Then he bought the old Wal*Mart building in Carson City, but that plan got derailed when JC Penney and the owners of the Southgate shopping mall flat out told him that he was not allowed to build a casino on the property. Several years and several court battles later, the old Wal*Mart still sits empty.” more from Scott Schrantz (AroundCarson.com)
If this post seems a bit disjointed, it’s because it is…The Beverly Hillbillies Mansion & Casino project is not easy to pin down; every source seems to have different sets of facts, for example:
Thu, Nov 19, 1998 (9:21 a.m.)
“Commissioners on Wednesday approved master plan and zoning changes and a special use permit for the $130 million project proposed by Max Baer Jr. , who played the dimwitted Jethro Bodine on the hit TV show that aired from 1962-1971″ read more from: The Las Vegas Sun…
August 16, 1999
DENVER, CO — “Beverly Hillbillies Gaming Entertainment, LLC, which announced in June an agreement to develop and finance themed hotel/casinos and other products designed around the characters, settings, events and theme of the 1960’s and 70’s television sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies, has started the process for developing a $100 Million casino and hotel in Black Hawk, Colorado’s busiest limited stakes gambling town” more from: A Staff Writer for The Timeshare Beat / The Denver Post, August 19, 1999…
August 16, 2003
“The Beverly Hillbillies Mansion & Casino, a $54 million casino complex, would replace the vacant Wal-Mart building on the south end of Carson City if Max Baer Jr. has his way” read more from: Susie Vasquez, NevadaAppeal.com – August 16, 2003…
May 4, 2007
“MINDEN – Max Baer Jr., entrepreneur, film producer and actor who once played Jethro in the 1960s sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies,” is bringing his plans to build Jethro Bodine’s Beverly Hillbillies Mansion & Casino to north Douglas County – this time, without the flaming oil derrick that was part of a 2003 Carson City proposal” read more from: Susie Vasquez – NevadaAppeal.com…
June 4, 2007
“Max Baer, Jr. was best known for his role as the loveable dope, Jethro Bodine, on “The Beverly Hillbillies” television sitcom. Baer is now bringing the Beverly Hillbillies into the 21st century, with plans to open the Beverly Hillbillies Casino and Mansion in Douglas County, Nevada. Baer has announced the acquisition of the first plot of land for the Beverly Hillbillies Casino development, with plans for additional land purchases after proper zoning has been acquired” read more from: Jerry Garner (Associated Content) June 4, 2007…
December 22, 2007
“Casino proponents back 143-foot high derrick” read more from: Susie Vasquez – NevadaAppeal.com…
January 6, 2008
“County rejects Beverly Hillbillies casino derrick” read more from: Susie Vasquez January 6, 2008 – scroll down to mid-page…
From April, 2008
“Jethro’s Casino has won approval from the Douglas County Board of Commissioners for a zoning map amendment & gaming district overlay!”
The previous quote is from Jethro Bodine’s (Max Baer Jr.) MySpace page…
Jethro Bodine’s Beverly Hillbillies Mansion & Casino is to be located (this time) in Douglas County, Nevada (The name of the city, as far as I can determine is: Minden, Nevada)…
Carson Valley, Nevada – Chamber Of Commerce Official Website…
Well, if and when (I Believe!) Jethro Bodine’s Beverly Hillbillies Mansion & Casino becomes a reality, here’s a list of some of the really cool facets of Jethro’s dream that will be in that reality – plans [click on Jethro’s website] are already drawn up:
“40,000 square foot gaming area with 800 slots and 16 tables, a showroom, cinema complex and a five story 240 room hotel. An arcade and “Granny’s White Lightnin’ Bar” [more below] are just a few of the attractions in almost 300,000 square feet.”
“Granny’s Shot Gun Weddin’ Chapel [more below,] Jethro’s All-You-Ken-Et Buffet, the Cement Pond, Granny’s White Lightnin’ Bar complete with rain & lightning, Elly May’s Buns (Bakery), gourmet meals from Drysdales’ Fancy Eatin’ Fo Da Richins, Granny’s Vittles & Hog Jowls Coffee Shop and a Flameless Oil Derrick.” How cool is that! This project sounds perfectly sound, to me and Jethro… ehmmm… Wait, there’s more: “The bathrooms will have elegant bleached-wood outhouse doors with brass beer bottle door handles.” “Don’t worry . . . your bottom won’t get splinters!!!” “The old cabin from back in the hills will become Granny’s Shotgun Weddin’ Chapel and will be placed in an area where the players and other people can watch and enjoy real weddings take place. The weddings will be presided over by “granny” who will be a real Justice of the Peace and will perform weddings for people that want to get married, people that are already married and people who want to get hitched just for the fun of it in a mock “shotgun weddin’”. The event will be taped from eight video cameras from which a wedding movie will be edited together. Take the video back home to your friends and family for a “one-of-a-kind” experience giving them incomparable laughter & entertainment.” “The Beverly Hillbillies Limousine comes complete with its own “still”, backfires, snorts & whistles. The limousine is available to take you and your guests to and from the airport as well as other casino or sites of interest in the area. “Hot Dawg! You never can tell, that might be Jethro drivin’ that limo!!!” This information is from and can be accessed at www.jethroscasino.com…
No doubt Charlene Darling (Maggie Peterson) from down the road a-piece on The Andy Griffith show will be singing in the Hog Holler Lounge…
The Boomtown Hotel and Casino had (sort of) a similar theme “Country-Kitsch” when it opened in Las Vegas around 1994. Boomtown was “instantly” a success and a very comfortable casino, in which to spend a lot of time. It was such a nice escape from the way-over-the-top-Las-Vegas/New-York-style casinos, such as Las Vegas is building now. Middle America was very much at home at Boomtown. When the John Wayne look-a-like Casino greeter shook your hand, you knew you were in the right place…
For American’s who made the decision to be FOREVER IN BLUE JEANS, places like Boomtown provided a place to go and feel comfortable, and at home…
The hotel/casino was reincarnated after it lost it’s shine, and is thriving as The Silverton Hotel and Casino…
This was pop-culture at it’s very best.
Well, I don’t know if this is the last word, I can’t get “Susie Vasquez” to respond to e-mail. If I get any updates, I’ll post them here…
Y’all take care now…
This is another article I found on May 8,2008, from AC
“Jethro Bodine could never decide what career he wanted to pursue. The character wanted to be a movie “die-rector”, a fry cook, a brain surgeon, and a “double naught” spy. Max Baer, Jr isn’t quite as odd as his character, or maybe he is. Baer is trying, for the third time, to open a casino based on the television show that made Baer a star. The Beverly Hillbillies Hotel and Casino is slated for construction in Douglas County, just south of Carson City” read more from Jesse Shannon – AC…
Jethro’s Beverly Hillbillies Mansion and Casino – Official Website…
Max Baer Jr.’s – Jethro’s Beverly Hillbillies Mansion & Casino’s MySpace pages…
LasVegasBuffetClub’s Home page…