Writer’s Tales of Rental House Plot Twists Could Fill a Novel

A literary muse is dampened . . . Harlan Ellison got the money but he’s looking for a little credit . . . Larry Flynt is cleared of bauble abuse . . . and two musicians fight over the seventh letter of the alphabet.

DAMPENING THE MUSE: Author Gwen Davis, who has written more than a dozen steamy, historically based novels, is suing her landlord, real estate businessman Jon Douglas, over a leaky roof that she contends dumped a deluge on her home computer, obliterating a novel in progress.

The half-completed manuscript, called “The Conspirators,” focused on right-wing militia groups and is “too painful” to rewrite, said Davis, who is perhaps best known for her Hollywood roman a clef “The Pretenders.”

Davis is vacating Douglas’ former Beverly Glen abode after four years, saying she’d rather move to Paris than spend an El Nino winter in a house that has been nothing but trouble.

“When I moved in, they’d already had an exorcism here. It didn’t work,” Davis said. “I did feng shui here, but it didn’t help too much.”

Since she rented the house in 1994, Davis has complained of rats, bad wiring and a roof that leaked during the winter rains of 1995 and 1996, said her lawyer Robert Scholnick.

The suit, filed in Santa Monica Superior Court, alleges negligence and breach of warranty of habitability and seeks unspecified damages for personal injury and loss of the manuscript.

Douglas’ attorney had no comment.

THE WRITER AS TERMINATOR: A federal bankruptcy court in Woodland

Hills has awarded author Harlan Ellison $72,000 as it settles the affairs of what once was the production company behind the popular cyborg film “The Terminator.”

The ruling should write the final chapter in the Edgar Award-winning author’s long-running legal feud with what once was the Hemdale Production Co.

Ellison years ago had won a settlement with Hemdale under which all future copies of “The Terminator” would carry this credit line: “Acknowledgment to the works of Harlan Ellison.” But, when the televised version of the film failed to carry the credit, Ellison filed suit in Los Angles Superior Court, alleging breach of contract.

When the production company went into bankruptcy, Ellison took a number and stood in line with the other creditors, seeking $1 million, said his lawyer, Steven D. Kramar, of Encino.

Said Ellison, who is seldom at a loss for words, especially on the subject of the film industry:

“Every week there’s an entirely new cadre of jumped-up amateurs, thieves without a shred of ethic, ignorant plagiarists and Pecksniffian attorneys. They steal as easily as they breathe.”

LARRY FLYNT VS. THE PEOPLE AT VAN CLEEF & ARPELS: A Superior Court jury in Santa Monica has awarded publisher Larry Flynt $220,000--the amount he paid exclusive jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels for a platinum and ruby bracelet that proved defective.

The unique “signature” bauble, studded with 400 rubies and 100 diamonds, drew curious lawyers and spectators to Judge Robert Altman’s courtroom during the three-day trial.

But, according to testimony by a former store clerk, it was “a lemon,” and the jury took just 90 minutes to agree unanimously.

Flynt, who testified during the trial, said stones repeatedly popped out of their settings. In fact, during the trial, two stones did just that, said Flynt’s attorney, Alan Isaacman.

According to testimony, Flynt had returned the bracelet for repairs four times before finally demanding his money back in May 1994. Although he was a longtime customer, the store refused to offer Flynt anything but a return credit.

“When you pay $220,000 for jewelry, you don’t think it’s going to fall apart on you,” Flynt said.

The jeweler had contended that Flynt abused the bracelet. The rubies were mounted in delicate inconspicuous settings.

But Flynt, who has been wheelchair-bound since an assassination attempt nearly 20 years ago, argued: “I’m not a football star. I’m not rough on jewelry.”

He was represented in the case by Isaacman, the same Beverly Hills lawyer who won the Hustler publisher’s 1st Amendment case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

SPEAKING OF FLYNT’S LAWYERS . . . : It wasn’t Isaacman, but criminal defense attorney Kenneth Kahn who represented Flynt when he wore a diaper fashioned from an American flag--as Kahn’s Los Angeles Superior Court suit reminds us.

In the 1996 film “The People vs. Larry Flynt,” Isaacman--as played by actor Edward Norton--is portrayed as Flynt’s lawyer during the diaper scene. It should have been Kahn, playing himself, the lawyer contends in his suit against producer Oliver Stone and director Milos Forman.

Kahn’s suit alleges breach of contract and claims that he provided details to Forman after he was promised he’d be portrayed in the film and perhaps even get to play himself. Kahn is an actor, said his lawyer, Arthur D. Hodge.

Kahn claimed that Stone and Forman also broke a verbal promise to give him a consultant’s credit. Forman’s lawyer, Charles Scott, declined comment. A representative for Stone could not be reached.

G SPAT: The letter G is not a glamour letter, lacking the sensual sibilance of the S or the upfront macho attitude of a capital T. In some words, the G is even silent. But, apparently, a G is worth fighting over.

Take rapper Warren G. and country singer Garth Brooks, who are suing each other in U.S. District Court over rights to the seventh letter in the alphabet.

Warren G., known in real life as Warren Griffin III, contended in his suit, filed in Los Angeles, that he has dibs on his trademark, a stylized lower-case g with the words “funk music” stenciled over it.

Griffin sued after he spotted a familiar looking G during an HBO television special of Brooks’ free concert in New York’s Central Park. He is seeking unspecified damages and an injunction blocking Brooks from using the G logo.

Brooks had filed suit in federal court in Nashville, contending that his G is unique. It is contained in a circle, much like a brand, and lacks the funk music stencil. He is asking the court to declare that there is no trademark infringement, according to his lawyer, Rusty Jones.

“We’re of the opinion that Warren G.’s claim is without merit,” Jones said. “Garth’s mark is kind of a narrow G with a circle around it. There are a good many marks out there that have G on them. You’re not going to be able to claim you own the letter G.”

No word from Kenny G. yet.