TV legend Patty gets OK to go to war!
A federal judge in Manhattan OK’d Patty Duke’s claim that the producer of a play about Israeli PM Golda Meir breached an oral contract by canning the Oscar winner thesp.
The Miracle Worker star Patty was set to topline a national tour of the one person show Golda’s Balcony which previously starred Tovah Feldshuh on B’way when Patty claims her agent, a producer of the show, reached an arrangement over a conference call. Allegedly, salary terms were met and that her agent ended the call by saying "Gentleman, we have a deal. We have an agreement."
But in his deposition the manager denied ever making such a statement.
Patty said she began rehearsal preps, discussed wardrobe fittings and photo shoots with producer David Fishelson.
An exert witness called on Patty’s behalf said it was "general practice" in the theater industry to reach a verbal agreement before entering into a written one based on Actor’s Equity’s guidelines.
The defendant’s expert witness then disputed the claim.
But US District Judge Kimba M. Wood finally allowed Patty’s right to pursue a breach of contract case. And so she shall.
POP FYI: During the 1960s Patty starred in a classic sitcom The Patty Duke Show as both Patty and her identical cousin Cathy. Patty first admitted she suffered from bipolar disorder in her autobiography Call Me Anna and has won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, 3 Emmys and a Golden Globe to date. She is also the mother of LOTR hobbit Sean (Rudy) Astin.
