Women Directors

Michael Cieply’s article on the body count of women directors implied that Martha Coolidge’s separation from “Some Kind of Wonderful” might be a part of some overall industry bias against women directors (“A Fired Film Director--New Questions, Issue Continues,” March 11).

As her agent, the man in the middle on that particular crunch, I can assure you that this was a unique instance in which the term “creative differences” meant exactly that.

John Hughes (the writer-producer who had hired Martha after terminating a previous director . . . male) and Martha simply and specifically disagreed on certain aspects of the script. It was Hughes’ shot to call, and he called it.

Paramount subsequently evidenced its belief in Martha (and, if inferences need to be made, in women directors) by hiring her to direct “Plainclothes,” which will be released this April.

While I don’t wish to imply that the Equal Rights Amendment reigns supreme in Hollywood, it is equally misleading to put this matter in a context in which it does not belong.

FRED MILSTEIN

William Morris Agency

Beverly Hills