Four cast members of the former CBS hit "Happy Days" have filed a complaint against the network. Anson Williams, Don Most, Marion Ross, Erin Moran and the estate of Tom Bosley are claiming that CBS has not paid them for merchandising revenues they are owed under their contracts. The merchandise includes comic books, T-shirts, lunch boxes, greeting cards and DVDs where their images appear on the box covers.
According to the complaint filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, "'Happy Days' epitomizes what is best in America with the Cunningham family exemplifying the best of what a family can be. As will be proven at trial, Defendants' actions epitomize what is worst in corporate America, exemplifying the worst business practices."
The complaint details several instances where cast members' images were used without compensation, but points out that the impetus of the suit came from images appearing on slot machines. "When these slot machines came out, it was like Barnum and Bailey came to town," Williams (who played Potsie) told CNN. "We were bombarded with, 'Oh look at these pictures,' ... they'd be all over the country."
According to the complaint, under contract, actors were supposed to be paid 5 percent from the net proceeds of merchandising if a sole image was used, and 2.5 percent if they were in a group. The studio could deduct 50 percent off the top as a "handling fee."
"It takes a lot to make me angry because so often my expectations are so low," Ross said. "But the other day someone came up to me and said, 'You must be cleaning up on those casinos.' And I said, 'Well, what are you talking about?' And he said, 'If you get five Marions, you get the jackpot.'"
The cast is asking for upwards of $40 million, plus legal fees, according to the complaint.
"We agree that funds are owed to the actors and have been working with them for quite some time to resolve the issue," a spokesperson for CBS Consumer Products said.
To view a PDF of the complaint, go here.
