PITTSBURGH (AP) — A federal judge has denied a request for a temporary restraining order that would have halted further distribution of Jeff Goldblum's "Pittsburgh" mockumentary.

"Pittsburgh" centres on the actor's appearance in a 2004 Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera production of "The Music Man" at the Benedum Center, where Debbie Sue Croyle worked as a stagehand.

Croyle sued producers, directors and a cable channel now airing the film, saying she didn't sign a release to appear in "Pittsburgh" and was humiliated by a sexual double entendre Goldblum used in her brief scene.

Goldblum, 55, wasn't sued.

US District Judge David Cercone denied Croyle's request for a restraining order because he believes her lawsuit, which he refused to dismiss, is unlikely to succeed.

Among the $4 million in damages being sought by Croyle is $1 million for the wrongful commercial use of her likeness.

Croyle said she told producers she wouldn't sign a release to appear in the movie unless they made a monetary donation to a charity.

One of the defendants, Prosperity Pictures of Los Angeles, donated $100 to the charity on Monday, the same day Croyle's lawsuit was filed in US District Court.

Her attorneys argued on Wednesday that the donation was too late, but defence attorneys said Croyle never gave producers a deadline for making the donation.

Croyle also argued that her reputation will be hurt if "Pittsburgh" continued to air and be sold on DVD.

The judge wasn't swayed by the scene, several seconds long, which was played in court Wednesday.

Because the judge refused Croyle's request for a restraining order, producers don't have to delete the scene, stop selling DVDs or prevent it from airing on Starz, the Englewood, Colo.-based cable channel now showing "Pittsburgh".