Hardy v. Hal Roach Studios Inc.
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 10:45 pm
Attached is the June 26, 1975 ruling in the case of Lucille Hardy PRICE et al., Plaintiffs, v. HAL ROACH STUDIOS INC., et al., Defendants.
Oliver Hardy's widow, Lucille Hardy Price, along with Stan Laurel's widow, Ida K. Laurel, succesfully sued the Hal Roach Studios in a dispute over the ownership of the commercial rights to the names and likenesses of Laurel and Hardy. The suit was initially filed against Hal Roach Studios, at that point a mere shadow of its former self, by the Larry Harmon pictures Corporation to whom Stan laurel had entrusted said rights in 1961. (Harmon secured the rights to Oliver Hardy's name and likeness, posthumously, from Hardy's widow Lucille.) Harmon later moved for an order granting leave to file an amended and supplemental complaint and for an order granting Lucille and Ida leave to intervene as parties plantiff in the action. From that point, the battle was on.
While the document is loaded with legalese, the opinion (starting on page 3) is a fascinating read.
-- Paul E. Gierucki
Oliver Hardy's widow, Lucille Hardy Price, along with Stan Laurel's widow, Ida K. Laurel, succesfully sued the Hal Roach Studios in a dispute over the ownership of the commercial rights to the names and likenesses of Laurel and Hardy. The suit was initially filed against Hal Roach Studios, at that point a mere shadow of its former self, by the Larry Harmon pictures Corporation to whom Stan laurel had entrusted said rights in 1961. (Harmon secured the rights to Oliver Hardy's name and likeness, posthumously, from Hardy's widow Lucille.) Harmon later moved for an order granting leave to file an amended and supplemental complaint and for an order granting Lucille and Ida leave to intervene as parties plantiff in the action. From that point, the battle was on.
While the document is loaded with legalese, the opinion (starting on page 3) is a fascinating read.
-- Paul E. Gierucki