A look at some of the numerous meetings that we undertook in order to issue 8mm films to our customers, or obtain 16mm for our library.
Contracts & Rights Chapter 3
At some-point in late 1968 Derek Simmonds for Derann and Tony Powell of Powell Films were both able to clinch deals with MCA (Universal)! Derann picked up the rights to ‘The Evil of Frankenstein’, 1964; ‘Psycho’ 1960; ‘Magnificent Obsession’, 1954; ‘Flower Drum Song’, 1961; ‘The Invisible Man’, 1933; ‘To Hell and Back’, 1955 and ‘Blue Skies’, 1946, while Powell secured the rights for ‘The Phantom of the Opera’, 1962; ‘A Touch of Evil, 1958; ‘Winchester 73, 1950; ‘The Benny Goodman Story’, 1956; ‘A Gathering of Eagles’, 1963 and ‘Munsters, Go Home!’ 1966. (there could be others, but I can’t confirm how many and what they may have been). You can find evidence of these titles in rental catalogues and adverts in both “Movie Maker” and “Film Making” of that era and I’m not even sure that they were all released, I can find no evidence that ‘Flower Drum Song’ was released or that a neg was ever produced. However I was told by Derek that both Derann’s and Powell’s contracts abruptly ended following a phone call from MCA and it became apparent that the MCA employee they had dealt with, didn’t occupy a position to do so and presumably had somehow managed to pocket any monies and royalties involved. It was quite obvious that this MCA contact was no longer an employee and was possibly facing criminal charges. They sent a van to the labs which housed the standard 8 negs, while a similar van arrived at the shop on the Stourbridge Road to retrieve the sound masters and all unsold prints. I was told we’d just taken delivery of 12 prints of ‘Psycho’ which were still waiting to be sounded… these were also quickly stacked away in the van along with the soundmasters, Derek said he felt betrayed and frustrated, but his hands were tied. MCA must have felt more than a little embarrassed regarding the whole affair and there was never any comebacks for either Derann or Powell, they just wanted the matter concluded as quickly and quietly as possible and wanted the entire matter swept under the carpet. If a box label was printed for any of them, I never came across one, however Derann had issued a 200′ from Psycho and this is still to be seen.
….. to be continued
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