Hot ‘Pizza’
Add Amy Jones to the list of film makers taking shots at Samuel Goldwyn Jr. Jones, who wrote/directed “Love Letters” in 1984 and the recent “Maid to Order,” tells us she was ousted oh-so-unceremoniously from Goldwyn’s “Mystic Pizza,” now shooting under replacement director Donald Petrie.
Jones, who penned the coming-of-age story set in Mystic, Conn., said that Goldwyn initially green-lighted her script “and said that all it needed was a polish. We then had a meeting on the ‘polish’ and he outlined massive changes which covered all acts of the script.”
For the record:
12:00 a.m. Nov. 22, 1987 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Sunday November 22, 1987 Home Edition Calendar Page 35 Calendar Desk 2 inches; 67 words Type of Material: Correction
A Nov. 1 Calendar “Outtakes” item inaccurately said that a disagreement between producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and writer Amy Jones over a “Pay or Play” deal for the film script, “Mystic Pizza,” was resolved through a Writers Guild arbitration. In fact, the dispute over payments and who would direct the film was settled separately by Jones and Goldwyn without any admissions of wrongdoing. Writing credits for the film eventually will be determined by a Writers Guild arbitration.
Other writers started coming and going, she claims, and Goldwyn reneged on her “play or pay” deal. Goldwyn ultimately paid, she said, when Writers Guild arbitration ruled in her favor. (Randy and Perry Howze, who shared credit with Jones on “Maid to Order,” are presently credited with the “Mystic Pizza” shooting script.)
Attorneys for Goldwyn confirmed that they settled with Jones but would not discuss details. Goldwyn didn’t return our calls.
Only good movies
Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
