SHORT TAKES : Manager Says Eddie Murphy Never Liked Buchwald’s Story

Eddie Murphy’s manager testified today the comedian never liked a story sold to Paramount Pictures by humorist Art Buchwald, who is suing the studio for allegedly stealing his idea to make Murphy’s “Coming to America” hit.

Robert Wachs, testifying at the Los Angeles Superior Court trial of Buchwald’s $5-million breach-of-contract lawsuit, said he thought Buchwald’s story, entitled “King for a Day,” was “terrible.”

“Did he (Murphy) ever say, ‘Gee Bob, where’s that script? Let’s get to work on it?’ Paramount lawyer Robert Draper asked Wachs. “No,” Wachs replied. “We never liked it from the beginning. I told Paramount innumerable times that we didn’t like it. It became a joke.”

Wachs said that when Murphy liked a project, he became very obviously excited about it. In the case of “King for a Day,” that didn’t happen, Wachs said.

In his lawsuit, Buchwald claims that “Coming To America” was based on “King for a Day,” a story concept he sold to the studio in 1983. Buchwald claims Paramount stole the idea to produce “Coming to America,” which became the third-biggest box office hit of 1988, grossing $300 million.