The estate of Jack Harley Jr., late son of the actor whoplayed the tin man in the Wizard of OZ, sued Warner Brothers (WB) justbefore their 75th anniversary. The legal action centers on the alleged breachof fiduciary duties. Jack Jr. is alleging that WB is “choking off” adocumentary unless it is given full rights to it. Plaintiff’s are moving for asummary judgment claiming they are the 50% owners of The Wonderful Wizard ofOz: The Making Of A Movie Classic. Additionally, the estate is seeking unspecifieddamages, attorney fees, and an accounting of profits. The suit also claims thatWB has wanted all the rights to the docu for $150,000. The entire list ofdefendants on the complaint is Warner Brother Pictures, Warner Home Video, andWarner Brothers Entertainment Inc.
See Dominic Patten Warner Bros Sued By Estate of ‘Wizard Of Oz’ Star’s Heir Over Docu, Deadline.com, Oct. 31, 2013.
Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.
