Tentative Trial Date Set for Buchwald Paramount Suit

The final phase of the three-year-old Art Buchwald and Alain Bernheim suit against Paramount Pictures will tentatively go to trial on March 2. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Harvey Schneider set the date during a brief hearing on Friday.

After first winning their case to receive credit for the movie’s conception, humorist Buchwald and producer Bernheim are now seeking payment for their participation in the 1988 hit Eddie Murphy film, “Coming to America,” which Paramount distributed and which has grossed $139 million to date.

In one of the most hotly contested issues, a court-appointed referee’s report, released earlier this week, suggested that profit-participation files from the William Morris Agency can be used for comparison purposes--as long as the privacy of clients is protected.

Attorneys for Paramount Pictures said Friday they will seek clarifications on some points in the referee’s report at a Nov. 21 hearing, but they said the studio is primarily pleased with it, including the point about retaining William Morris client privacy.

Attorneys for the Buchwald and Bernheim said they had no objections to the report.