Ex-Paramount Exec Sues, Says Career Sabotaged

Former senior Paramount Pictures executive and producer David Kirkpatrick sued the studio Monday, alleging that Stanley R. Jaffe, president of parent Paramount Communications Inc., sabotaged his production career as part of a “pattern of revenge.”

In a harshly worded lawsuit, Kirkpatrick says Jaffe undermined all of his projects as a producer at Paramount in a vendetta stemming from Kirkpatrick’s efforts in 1990 to rein in costs on the Jaffe-produced “School Ties.” Kirkpatrick says in the Los Angeles County Superior Court suit that he was under orders at the time to keep a lid on the studio’s spiraling production costs.

Kirkpatrick alleges that his actions on “School Ties” resulted in Jaffe’s “irreversible hostility toward him” that ultimately led to his firing as a Paramount executive as well as a Jaffe-orchestrated boycott of his producing work. In the suit, Kirkpatrick calls Jaffe’s alleged efforts “one man’s petulant desire” to get even.

The studio declined to comment on Kirkpatrick’s allegations. “Until we have received the papers and have an opportunity to review their contents, we have no comment to make on the lawsuit,” a spokeswoman said.

Kirkpatrick was president of Paramount’s motion picture group, where he was involved with such films as “Wayne’s World” and “The Addams Family.”

Jaffe was named president and chief operating officer of the studio’s parent corporation in March, 1991, putting him second in command to Chairman Martin Davis. Before that, Jaffe was a successful producer of such hit films as “Fatal Attraction” with partner Sherry Lansing, who now heads Paramount Pictures.

Kirkpatrick alleges in his lawsuit that Jaffe caused his firing as a Paramount executive in 1991. In keeping with Hollywood tradition, Kirkpatrick was then given a lucrative production deal.

According to the lawsuit, Kirkpatrick’s deal included an annual salary of $500,000 and profit participations in his films.

Kirkpatrick says Lansing told him Oct. 6 that the company wanted to end his production deal. He alleges that after raising issues about a settlement, the studio kicked him out of his office, dumping his furniture on a lawn to humiliate him.

Kirkpatrick does not specify damages, but indications are it would be several million dollars. He says he forfeited 50,000 shares in stock options, which would be worth at least $4 million with Paramount stock soaring in a takeover battle.