Woody Allen Sues Ex-Producer

Woody Allen has sued longtime friend and producer Jean Doumanian, accusing her of cheating him out of unspecified earnings from his last eight films.

The comedic icon, who made his out-of-control neuroses a central character in many of the dozens of films he wrote and directed, contends that Doumanian and her production company have refused to give him regular and accurate revenue information.

As a result, Allen is unsure how much he is owed, according to the lawsuit filed Wednesday in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan.

The only written contract between Allen and Doumanian, who financed the eight films in question, was signed in August 1993 and covers the pair’s first three movies. Agreements for the final five films were oral and based on their initial contract, court papers say.

“The allegations are false,” said Dan Klores, Doumanian’s publicist. “She is superbly confident that she will prevail, and she looks forward to demonstrating to the court that Woody Allen has been paid everything he is entitled to.”

The movies involved in the dispute are: “Bullets Over Broadway,” 1994; “Mighty Aphrodite,” 1995; “Everyone Says I Love You,” 1996; “Deconstructing Harry,” 1997; “Wild Man Blues,” 1997; “Celebrity,” 1998; “Sweet and Lowdown,” 1999; and “Small Time Crooks,” 2000.

The agreements, court papers say, call for Allen’s company, Moses Productions Inc., to receive half the “adjusted gross proceeds” that Doumanian’s company collected.

Allen, 65, ended his seven-year business relationship with Doumanian last year, signing a three-picture deal with DreamWorks SKG. DreamWorks executives declined to comment.

In the lawsuit, Allen alleges that Doumanian’s company, Sweetland Films, provided “nothing more than a single, incomplete, cursory, wholly insufficient statement” on the films’ finances.

And that wisp of information “contained numerous inaccuracies and was in material respects false and misleading.”

Doumanian’s Los Angeles attorney, Bert Fields, said, “It’s disappointing but not surprising that Woody Allen filed this kind of claim--even naming his friends individually.” Allen included Doumanian and her longtime companion Jacqui Safra as defendants in addition to Doumanian’s company.

“What a piece of work this guy is. I can’t wait to get him in court,” said Fields, noting that the producer plans to file a counter-suit against Allen.

Allen’s attorney in New York, Michael P. Zweig of Loeb & Loeb, declined to comment.

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Times wire services were used in compiling this report.