ENGLAND / USA: BRITISH ACTRESS JOAN COLLINS APPEARS IN NEW YORK COURTROOM BATTLING PUBLISHER RANDOM HOUSE

Record ID: 434809

  • Title: ENGLAND / USA: BRITISH ACTRESS JOAN COLLINS APPEARS IN NEW YORK COURTROOM BATTLING PUBLISHER RANDOM HOUSE
  • Date: 6th February 1996
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES/LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (FEBRUARY 6, 1996/FILE) NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 6, 1996) BRITISH ACTRESS JOAN COLLINS ARRIVING AT COURT COLLINS INSIDE COURTROOM LOOKING AT PAPERS COLLINS LOOKING THROUGH NOTES IN A BRIEFCASE JONI EVANS TAKING OATH CUTAWAY OF COLLINS LISTENING JONI EVANS SAYING ABOUT JOAN COLLINS' BOOK: "IT WAS NO G
  • Embargoed: 21st February 1996 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES / LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA8FQ3E7HAZQL5EUD8PWPL964LV
  • Story Text: British actress Joan Collins made her debut on Tuesday (February 6) in a New York courtroom, battling publishing giant Random House over a multi-million-dollar book contract.

    Random House is suing Collins, demanding the return of a 1.2 million U.S. dollar advance paid to her for manuscripts it claims were unfinished and unpublishable.

    Collins, best known for playing the scheming Alexis Carrington in the television series "Dynasty", has counter-sued for 3.6 million U.S. dollars she claims the publishing house still owes her.

    "If justice prevails, I'll win," said Collins, 62, said outside the Manhattan courthouse.

    Collins accused Random House of not providing her with editing.

    She also accused Random House of stringing her along, because her contract required she be paid within a year of a decision not to publish her book.

    Former Random House editor Joni Evans testified that in 1991 when she first read Collins' manuscript, a story about two sisters fighting with one another, she felt "alarmed." "It just wasn't working in any shape or form," said Evans, now a literary agent. "It was no good. It was not something people on the street would read." Collins' attorney, Kenneth David Burrows, said that the actress had submitted two complete manuscripts, "A Ruling Passion", written in 1991 at her home in France, and a second manuscript with the working title "Hell Hath No Fury".

    He said Random House had acted in bad faith because they realised the deal gave Collins more money than they could possibly get back in book sales.

    Wearing a black wool suit, white silk blouse and gold earrings, the actress sat next to her attorney, frequently nodding at points in his argument and sipping from a small bottle of water. She is expected to take the witness stand on Thursday.

    Collins's latest novel, "Too Damn Famous", was published in London by Orion last June, and her autobiography is coming out in October. Her sister is best-selling novelist Jackie Collins.
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