--- JIM DOHERTY <
jimdohertyjr@yahoo.com> wrote:
> But nowhere in 77 SUNSET STRIP was there a
credit
> along the lines of "based on the character
created
> by
> Roy Huggins," even though he wrote the
novel
> introducing Bailey, the short stories
featuring
> Bailey
> (including the one adapted into the CLIMAX
episode),
> and, finally, provided the storyline for the
debut
> episode.
******************************************************* I
don't know for a fact, but I'd be willing to bet that Huggins
sold the rights to the names and characters to Warner
Brothers outright for one fee. In that case they're not
obligated to associate his name with the programs losely
based on his ideas. Both Spillane & Gardner were hugely
successful authors, both millionaires from their characters
and well represented by counsel. The addition of their names
to a show enhances the show's credibility and these writers
receive royalties every time the show is aired. They were
part owners or co-producers of the shows.
So why do writers take lousey deals? You work on a story and
then you offer it around. Nobody picks it up. Suddenly Warner
Brothers wants it but they don't want you. They'll give you
say $10,000 for the ideas lock-stock-and-barrell. If you
don't sell it, you get to keep the idea, but no one else may
ever offer you anything for it. Tony Hillerman ran into this
very problem when he sold Joe Leaphorn to TV producers who
did nothing with him, but Hillerman couldn't use him either.
That's how Hillerman created Jim Che! Hillerman had to BUY
Joe Leaphorn back from these people so he could use him again
in a book! This is a very common scenario. Ten grand is a
hell of a lot of money for something you whipped up on your
computer. But you feel awful if the franchise makes
$100,000,000 and you get none of it. Ken Keasey sold COOCOO'S
NEST to Kirk Douglas for $500, the movie made millions and
Keasey had to sue Douglas to get any more out of it. I
believe they settled for $100,000, but Keasey would have made
a lot more if he owned the rights to his own work. Still,
it's hard to know what to do. $500 is
$500.
Patrick King
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