Brock Posted May 19, 2011 Report Share Posted May 19, 2011 It's interesting that in the wake of the lawsuit against ABC brought forward by Marion Ross, Anson Williams, Don Most, Erin Moran, and Tom Bosley's estate, Mike Connors now says CBS ripped him out of Mannix profits. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter: Mike Connors, star of the classic 1960’s detective series Mannix, has sued Paramount and CBS Television Studios claiming he has never been paid royalties on the show despite being owed millions of dollars. Connors, 85, filed the suit Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court. According to the complaint, a copy of which was obtained by THR, a 1966 contract grants him 10% of “net profits” from the show and 10% of “gross proceeds” from the use of Connors’ name and likeness (subject to a 50% fee). Subsequent amendments increased his share of “net profits” to 20% for the fifth through eighth seasons of the hit drama, according to the suit. Mannix, originally produced by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s Desilu Prods, ran from 1967-75 on CBS and has been syndicated worldwide. Connors starred as tough-as-nails private eye Joe Mannix, a role that earned him four Emmy nominations. Connors now claims Paramount/CBS has sent him only sporadic accounting statements saying that no money is owed. Instead, the lawsuit says the studio claims losses associated with the show have increased as it has aged, growing from $5.1 million in 1975 to more than $9 million today. “Thus, over the course of 35 years, the show has nearly doubled its net loss even though the show was no longer in production and has continuously brought in significant revenue from syndication and other revenue-generating sources,” according to the suit. “During the same period of time, the cumulative interest charged by Defendants ballooned from nearly $2,000,000 to over $14,000,000.” Connors is seeking unspecified damages, but, given the long life of the show, the total allegedly owed would run well into the millions. The suit is seeking a full accounting from CBS/Paramount. “Notwithstanding all of the hard work, time and effort put into the series, Mr. Connors has never received any profits on Mannix in the ordinary course of participation accounting,” the complaint states. “Indeed, even as the series continues to generate revenue to this day from exploitation and DVD sales, it sinks deeper and deeper into debt.” The lawsuit also accuses Paramount of fraud when it drafted the contract. “Paramount’s net profits definition and accounting methods were intentionally constructed in a manner such that a net profits participant, such as Mr. Connors, would never receive any contingent compensation,” the lawsuit alleges. We've reached out to CBS/Paramount for comment and will update with a response. The suit, filed by Neville Johnson, Douglas Johnson and James Ryan of Beverly Hills’ Johnson and Johnson firm, alleges causes of action for breach of contract, decalartory relief, accounting, unjust enrichment, money due on an open book account, conversion, fraud, negligent misrepresentation and unfair business practices. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/mannix-star-mike-connors-sues-190312 From reading this it sounds like Connors has a stronger case than the Happy Days gang. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 It's interesting that in the wake of the lawsuit against ABC brought forward by Marion Ross, Anson Williams, Don Most, Erin Moran, and Tom Bosley's estate, Mike Connors now says CBS ripped him out of Mannix profits. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter: From reading this it sounds like Connors has a stronger case than the Happy Days gang. Thoughts? Good God, Hollywood and it's constant CREATIVE bookkeeping, this has been going on for decades and decades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert13 Posted May 20, 2011 Report Share Posted May 20, 2011 Jesus! Future dvds are going to be held up forever if this keeps up. I'm still waiting for more "Laverne & Shirley". I wonder if Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams or Eddie Mekka will sue CBS next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted May 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2011 Jesus! Future dvds are going to be held up forever if this keeps up. I'm still waiting for more "Laverne & Shirley". I wonder if Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams or Eddie Mekka will sue CBS next. Lenny & The Squigtone should sue for music royalties! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeySanJoaquin Posted May 21, 2011 Report Share Posted May 21, 2011 Good God, Hollywood and it's constant CREATIVE bookkeeping, this has been going on for decades and decades. Yeah, and it's also one of those "I wonder what Big Red would have to say about this!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted May 22, 2011 Report Share Posted May 22, 2011 Yeah, and it's also one of those "I wonder what Big Red would have to say about this!" Yeah, especially since it was LUCY who kept the show on the air by phoning the powers that be when they were thiking of cancelling it after one season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyImHome Posted June 1, 2011 Report Share Posted June 1, 2011 Jesus! Future dvds are going to be held up forever if this keeps up. I'm still waiting for more "Laverne & Shirley". I wonder if Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams or Eddie Mekka will sue CBS next. Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. Especially since so many tv show seasons are already stalled, for other reasons, that SHOULD be complete, many of them CBS/Paramount!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeySanJoaquin Posted June 1, 2011 Report Share Posted June 1, 2011 Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. Especially since so many tv show seasons are already stalled, for other reasons, that SHOULD be complete, many of them CBS/Paramount!!!! You mean for the DVDs of Laverne & Shirley, Happy Days and Mork & Mindy, to name a few?? Yup, they suck almost as much as Sony! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted June 1, 2011 Report Share Posted June 1, 2011 You mean for the DVDs of Laverne & Shirley, Happy Days and Mork & Mindy, to name a few?? Yup, they suck almost as much as Sony! I just dun't get it, all number one shows when they aired and now getting no respect whatsoever on dvd, same as what happened with the other number ones, Hillbillies, Andy Griffith and Lucy of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeySanJoaquin Posted June 1, 2011 Report Share Posted June 1, 2011 I just dun't get it, all number one shows when they aired and now getting no respect whatsoever on dvd, same as what happened with the other number ones, Hillbillies, Andy Griffith and Lucy of course. I think part of the problem is they were syndicated and repeated for years, wore out their welcome -- so to speak -- and in the last few years, the once-great venues where we could see them again, at least before the explosion in popularity of TV shows released on DVD -- such as Nick at Nite and TVLand haven't shown them in years and can no longer be bothered, so I feel there's a whole generation that's come along that doesn't know a thing about these shows and has no interest in seeing them or investing in them, as I would. This is another example of why I feel long-gone shows such as L&S, Happy Days and others should only be released in reasonably priced COMPLETE SERIES boxes rather than single season by season sets as at this point, unless a Shout! company comes along and "rescues" a release, we'll never see every season of these series come out to completion. Another contributing factor sadly to the current regimes of TVLand, etc. as well as younguns weaned only on color programming is that anything old enough to be originally shot and broadcast in black & white -- classic though it may be -- is considered as saleable as dog do on the bottom of your shoe. Mind you I don't feel that way but apparently lots of folks do. Pity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted June 1, 2011 Report Share Posted June 1, 2011 I think part of the problem is they were syndicated and repeated for years, wore out their welcome -- so to speak -- and in the last few years, the once-great venues where we could see them again, at least before the explosion in popularity of TV shows released on DVD -- such as Nick at Nite and TVLand haven't shown them in years and can no longer be bothered, so I feel there's a whole generation that's come along that doesn't know a thing about these shows and has no interest in seeing them or investing in them, as I would. This is another example of why I feel long-gone shows such as L&S, Happy Days and others should only be released in reasonably priced COMPLETE SERIES boxes rather than single season by season sets as at this point, unless a Shout! company comes along and "rescues" a release, we'll never see every season of these series come out to completion. Another contributing factor sadly to the current regimes of TVLand, etc. as well as younguns weaned only on color programming is that anything old enough to be originally shot and broadcast in black & white -- classic though it may be -- is considered as saleable as dog do on the bottom of your shoe. Mind you I don't feel that way but apparently lots of folks do. Pity. I agree there, i think the whole series BOXED set is the latest rage and cannot wait to see how they box up The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy to go with the other one in my Lucy trifecta, I Love Lucy, of course the Life with Lucy one will be quite small, LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyImHome Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 I agree there, i think the whole series BOXED set is the latest rage and cannot wait to see how they box up The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy to go with the other one in my Lucy trifecta, I Love Lucy, of course the Life with Lucy one will be quite small, LOL! It always gets back to LUCY!!! At least all her shows and specials are getting done RIGHT!!!! Its taken a long time and a lot of pleading for The Lucy Show, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 It always gets back to LUCY!!! At least all her shows and specials are getting done RIGHT!!!! Its taken a long time and a lot of pleading for The Lucy Show, though! But i've been telling you guys for years that it eventually would happen and it did, finally! We're not talking about little inconsequential shows here, we're talking QUEEN OF COMEDY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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