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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 31 augusT 2017
Steinbeck film remakes stuck

in dust bowl, stepdaughter says

By BRIAN MELLEY not name a price in court, not one of his heirs.
Associated Press but Gail Steinbeck said He said Thomas Steinbeck
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sour they previously asked the was a co-owner of his fa-
grapes have left some of judge for $6.5 million plus ther’s copyright and re-
the classic works of John punitive damages. ceived royalties.
Steinbeck in a dust bowl. Gail Steinbeck’s lawyer Gail Steinbeck estimated
The writer’s stepdaughter said she never intentionally conservatively that her hus-
told jurors in federal court interfered in deals she and band received $120,000 a
Tuesday that film remakes her husband would have year in publishing royalties
of “The Grapes of Wrath” benefited from and that from the author’s work —
and “East of Eden” fell would have served their in- and as much as $200,000
apart because Steinbeck’s terest promoting the Nobel in some years.
son and daughter-in-law Prize winner’s legacy. Berger said Kaffaga’s
impeded the projects. An attorney for Kaffaga claim had no merit and
Waverly Scott Kaffaga al- said Gail Steinbeck caught she wasn’t entitled to any
leges that long-running wind of projects and then damages because most
litigation over the author’s threatened movie makers movies optioned are never
estate has prevented her that she and her husband made and that estimated
from making the most of had legal rights to the work revenue from unproduced
Steinbeck’s copyrights at a and also cut secret side projects was speculation.
time when marquee names deals without notifying Kaf- Berger suggested Kaffaga This undated file photo shows American author John Steinbeck,
such as Steven Spielberg faga. was using Thomas’ inheri- winner of the 1940 Pulitzer Prize for his novel “The Grapes of
Wrath.”
and Jennifer Lawrence In one instance, Thomas tance to sue his widow.q Associated Press
were interested in bring- Steinbeck secretly signed a
ing some his masterpieces $650,000 deal with Dream-
back to the screen. Works to be an executive
“The catalog has been dirt- producer on a film remake
ied by these legalities,” Kaf- of “The Grapes of Wrath,”
faga said. the Pulitzer Prize-winning
“The whole Steinbeck novel that starred Henry
canon has been put into Fonda on the silver screen
doubt.” that won two Oscars.
Kaffaga, daughter of the Producers and directors
late author’s third wife, later dropped the remakes
Elaine, is suing the estate of because they feared litiga-
stepbrother Thomas Stein- tion by the Steinbecks, Kaf-
beck, who died last year, faga’s attorney Susan Kohl-
and his widow and their mann said in her opening
company. statement.
The lawsuit follows a de- Kohlmann put Gail Stein-
cades-long dispute be- beck on the witness stand
tween Thomas Steinbeck early in the case and dis-
and Kaffaga’s mother played emails that she
over control of the author’s wrote suggesting that a
works. reported remake of “East
Thomas Steinbeck has lost of Eden” starring Lawrence
most rounds in court, in- would be “litigation city.”
cluding a lawsuit he and Another email Gail Stein-
the daughter of his late beck wrote after her hus-
brother, John Steinbeck IV, band lost a related court
brought that spurred Kaf- case in New York sug-
faga to countersue in the gested litigation wouldn’t
current case. end until “I draw my last
A judge already ruled the breath.”
couple breached a con- Steinbeck laughed off that
tract with Kaffaga. Jurors comment in testimony, say-
must decide if Thomas and ing, “Oh, that was silly.”
Gail Steinbeck interfered Defense attorney Matthew
with deals and should pay Berger noted that Kaffaga
up. was never adopted by
Attorneys for Kaffaga did John Steinbeck and was