“Forgotten Hollywood”- A Monster of a Lawsuit…

Posted on June 10, 2013 by raideoman1 | No Comments

Manny P. here… chaney

   Universal Studios may owe over $1 million in back royalties for Lon Chaney Jr. merchandizing, according to Chaney Entertainment, the owner of the rights to such monster classics as The Wolf Man, The Mummy, and Frankenstein. As representatives of Lon Chaney Jr.’s estate, the company says it signed in 2003 a licensing agreement with Universal, but the studio has not renewed the agreement since it ended in 2008. Universal is currently marketing and merchandising the actor’s likeness without permission, according to previous Monday’s complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court. Further, the agreement gave Universal exclusive rights to use Lon Chaney Jr.’s image (right) and voice.

   When it ended, Chaney Entertainment says the decision to continue using the rights was approved by one or more un-named senior managers at Universal. Meanwhile, the studio has made an undisclosed amount through the marketing of such brands as Universal Monsters, Universal Movie Monsters, and Official Universal Studios Movie Monsters. Chaney also claims Universal used the Lon Chaney Jr. rights to bait-and-switch other license holders into signing with them, before dropping the Chaney rights at the last minute. And, Universal Home Video, the successor to Universal City Studios, should inherit the debt from an agreement their predecessor signed in 1994 over film clips of the actor.

   Joseph F. Hart of Beverly Hills, Calif. is representing Chaney Entertainment in its lawsuit against Universal Studios Licensing and Universal Studios Home Video for a breach of contract, and fraudulent concealment money had and received. The legal teamdemands a full accounting of Universal’s profits from the rights, as well as $1 million in punitive damages and fees. Universal Studios is not commenting about the lawsuit, ignoring all calls from the media.

   Lon Chaney Jr. is one of the most iconic actors of Hollywood’s Golden Age. He starred in dozens of movies in the 1930s, 1940s, and beyond, including Of Mice and Men, The Wolf Man, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, High Noon, The Defiant Ones, and countless others. The actor is a featured subject in Son of Forgotten Hollywood Forgotten History.

   Bulletins as they break!

Until next time>                               “never forget”

This entry was posted on Monday, June 10th, 2013 at 12:45 pm and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.


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