Book on Disney Stirs Heated War of Words : Lawsuit: Company claims book was behind schedule. Author says publisher dropped the work because of negative portrayals.

A war of words has erupted over a high-profile book on Walt Disney Co.

Author Robert Sam Anson, who has spent two years compiling an “inside” account of Disney’s corporate success, on Thursday accused publisher Simon & Schuster of dropping the project because of “outside pressure” from its parent, Paramount Communications.

Anson, who has filed suit against Simon & Schuster, says the decision came soon after he revealed that the book would include negative references to Paramount Chairman Martin S. Davis, the former boss of Disney Chairman Michael D. Eisner and studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Paramount says the project was dropped because it was hopelessly behind schedule, and because Anson failed to gain cooperation from several key figures connected to the book. Privately, some publishing executives at Paramount called Anson’s suit a publicity stunt.

“It was a business decision in the consumer group to cancel it,” said Benita Somerfield, senior vice president of communications for Paramount Publishing in New York. “Basically, we’re letting the author take the project elsewhere while it’s unwritten.”

Somerfield declined comment on other allegations contained in the lawsuit. A hearing on the New York federal court case is scheduled for next week.

Anson is calling on Simon & Schuster to formally release him from his contract so he can peddle the book elsewhere. His attorney, Martin Garbus, said a written agreement is required before Anson can proceed. The well-known author is also seeking the remaining $240,000 of his $400,000 advance and other monetary damages.

Anson says he has so far conducted about 350 interviews for the book, which is intended to be a detailed exploration of Disney’s business practices. The working title is “The Rules of the Magic,” a phrase said to have been coined by executives at Disney’s animation department.

Anson’s project has already caused a stir in Hollywood, where several ambitious and potentially revealing entertainment tomes are in the works.

Simon & Schuster plans to publish books on Sony Pictures and the late Time Warner Chairman Steven J. Ross next year. Nikki Finke’s long-planned book on talent agents, “Pay or Play,” is also expected from one of Random House’s divisions.

Disney had no comment on the book flap on Thursday. A spokesperson said the company had not been contacted by Anson or Paramount.

Anson began working on his account of “the phenomenal growth and success of Disney” in April, 1991, at Simon & Schuster’s behest.

The original deadline was May of this year, but Anson maintains that it was extended to June, 1994, because of the exhaustive research he undertook.

On the basis of his early findings, Anson says Simon & Schuster assured him that the book would be “a sure best-seller” and “the ‘Barbarians at the Gate’ of the ‘90s,” a reference to the popular book about the RJR Nabisco buyout.

A Paramount spokesman on Thursday denied that any role in the book’s cancellation was played by Davis, whom Anson describes as “a thug” and “a professional tough guy.”

Anson also challenges Paramount’s contention that he was unable to gain access to key executives. He says he was merely waiting until he had marshalled all of his facts. “I’ve been getting fabulous stuff,” Anson said. “I plan to do 700 or 800 interviews in all. This is the best reporting I’ve ever done. I love it.”