Skippy pilot loses profits battle

One of the stars of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo has lost a court battle over profits from the Australian TV show.

Tony Bonner, who played helicopter pilot Jerry King in the 1960s show, had been seeking a pay-out of 750,000 Australian dollars (£367,950).

But a judge in Sydney dismissed the case, saying Bonner had no rights to money from DVD and merchandise sales.

Skippy followed the exploits of a brave kangaroo, her young owner and the rangers of the Waratah National Park.

The children's show aired in Australia from 1965 to 1968 and was shown in more than 100 countries.

Bonner decided to sue Fauna Productions last year, claiming he had missed out on a reasonable share of the profits.

Salary

"When I signed the agreement with them for production in 1967, VHS was not even heard of, let alone DVDs or the internet," he said at the time.

However, Supreme Court Justice Ian Gzell said the actor, now 65, had been paid for his services with the A$140 weekly salary he earned in 1968.

"Under the agreement, Mr Bonner assigned to Fauna the sole and absolute rights throughout the world to all results and proceeds of the services rendered by him," the judge said.

British actress Liza Goddard appeared in 18 episodes of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo - two less than Bonner.