TLS signed “Ray,” one page, 8.5 x 11, personal letterhead, January 9, 1948. Lengthy letter to “Swanie,” his literary agent H. N. Swanson, in full: “Herewith the assignments of Playback.
Referring to Paragraph 11 of the contract, I quote: ‘Should the purchaser desire the owner to make changes, revisions, and/or additions in and to said final screenplay, the purchaser shall notify the owner thereof within one (1) week after delivery by the owner of said final screenplay, and the owner agrees to make such changes, revisions and/or additions in and to said final screenplay as the purchaser may require, and to complete and deliver said final screenplay to the purchaser, incorporating said changes, revisions and additions therein, as promptly as reasonably possible after service of the purchaser's notice of such required changes, revisions and/or additions.’
What is your opinion of the effect of this language? It seems to me that the word 'thereof refers to changes, revisions, etc., and not merely to a notification by Universal that they desire changes and revisions. That is to say Universal is required to state what changes and revisions they want made within the required period of one week. Obviously it is next door to impossible for them to do this in any final manner; nevertheless they wrote the contract. If they are not required to make any definite statement of the changes required within the period, but may demand revisions from time to time for an indefinite period, this could be very unfair to me, since until the picture was shot I would never be sure that I had finished the job. I think this provision requires more exact definition at this time. I am now ready to start working on something else and when I do start working on something else I don't want to do it with a feeling that I may be interrupted to do further work for Universal on the screenplay.
What I think would be fair is that Universal should have one week after Joe Sistrom gets back to work in which to specify with reasonable detail what changes they want made. I will then make those changes to the best of my ability, turn them in through you, and the final payment will be due. For such further changes and revisions as they need they should rely on my good will in the first place and in the second place on my interest in having the picture as good as it can be made. The amount of work I would be willing to do will depend on the quality of the casting and the director assigned. And I will not make any changes beyond those specified in their notice, except with the agreement of the assigned director. In my opinion a director should have been assigned before now.
You and I both know they will keep me tinkering with scenes just as long as I will let them. And we know that however well satisfied the individual producer may be with the script there will always be someone in the front office or the director or one of the stars who will suggest or demand further changes.” In fine condition. Of all Chandler's novels, Playback is the only one never to have been adapted into a film.
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