De Montijo v. 20th Century Fox Film

• Decision Date: 23 July 1941
• Docket Number: No. 1025.,1025.
• Citation: 40 F. Supp. 133
• Court: U.S. District Court — Southern District of California
• Parties: DE MONTIJO v. 20TH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION et al.

40 F. Supp. 133

DE MONTIJO v. 20TH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION et al.

No. 1025.

District Court, S. D. California, Central Division.

July 23, 1941.

Willedd Andrews and P. Talbot Hannigan, both of Los Angeles, Cal., for plaintiff.

Alfred Wright and Gordon Hall, Jr., both of Los Angeles, Cal., for 20th Century Fox Film Corporation and another.

David C. Marcus of Los Angeles, Cal., for Azteca Film Distributing Co.

Homer I. Mitchell (of O'Melveny & Myers), of Los Angeles, Cal., for Sue Carol.

J. F. T. O'CONNOR, District Judge.

This is an action for copyright infringement commenced by filing a complaint in the Superior Court, County of Los Angeles, State of California, and the action was thereafter removed to this court. On March 31, 1941, a third amended complaint was filed.

Plaintiff alleges that on or prior to February 16, 1939, he invented, originated, composed and wrote certain original literary composition and moving picture scenario and dramatic composition entitled "The Rebel or the Birth of a Revolution" as a stage play, and also rewrote said play in scenario form for motion picture production under the title, "Viva Madero"; that he is the owner of the copyrights to the same; and alleging delivery of said copyrighted material to the defendants and, in addition thereto, plaintiff prepared a synopsis of the material contained in the literary composition and moving picture scenario and delivered same to the defendants.

Plaintiff further alleges that the defendants copied and appropriated his literary composition and moving picture scenario without his consent, and exhibited same in sound and talking picture photoplays designated as "The Cisco Kid and the Lady" and "Viva Cisco Kid" and "En Tiempos De Don Porfirio". Plaintiff further alleges that defendants claim that motion pictures mentioned were wholly original with defendants and were their sole and exclusive property. Plaintiff alleges general and exemplary damages in the sum of $400,000. All of the allegations are put in issue by the answers.

Plaintiff introduced in evidence a copy of "The Rebel or the Birth of a Revolution", being an unproduced stage play, and also copy of "Viva Madero", a screen play based on the stage play, and a synopsis of the screen play prepared by plaintiff. The synopsis shows that the story follows the historians of the period during the Madero-Diaz controversy. The scenes are all laid in old Mexico. A summary of plaintiff's stage play, "The Rebel or the Birth of a Revolution" and plaintiff's screen scenario, "Viva Madero", which is based upon the stage play, both unpublished manuscripts, is necessary in order to compare plaintiff's work with the three photoplays which plaintiff claims are infringements.

In "Viva Madero" two young Mexican lovers, Carmen and Julian, become engaged and Julian's employer, one Del Real, offers them a wedding fiesta. Unknown to Julian is the fact that Del Real is the leader of a gang scheming to get possession of the gold mines of the peons, with the aid of an unscrupulous judge, Alvarez, and under the protection of Dictator Diaz. Believing Carmen's father, Don Pancho, to be the owner of a rich mine, Del Real sends for him and, during their interview, Don Pancho denies owning any mine but exposes his knowledge of the crooked pursuits of the gang. Del Real instructs his henchman, Gutierrez, to kidnap Don Pancho's beautiful daughter, whom he has heard described but has not seen, placing the old man in their power. Neither Del Real nor Gutierrez is aware that Julian's betrothed is Don Pancho's daughter. Carmen arrives, marries Julian, and they make their home on the plantation. Del Real falls in love with her and makes advances which she repulses. Meanwhile Gutierrez goes with federal soldiers to her parents' home, fails to find her and kills both her parents. A peddler, who had previously learned from Don Pancho the true character of Del Real, reports the slaying of her parents to Julian and Carmen. Julian has received word from his friend, Don Jorge, that General Madero is going to head a revolution to rid the country of Diaz, and Julian agrees to lead a small army of peons, who have become devoted to him, against the federals, upon Don Jorge's promise to send him ammunition. Del Real and Gutierrez make an attempt on Julian's life and Julian kills both and leads the peons into the mountains, taking Carmen and other women. She becomes ill and he sends her with the peddler to Mexico City for medical care. Julian's band is victorious in several encounters with federal soldiers and finally succeeds in taking the city of El Rosario, and General Madero makes Julian "General" Teran. Julian then goes to join Carmen, who has borne him a son.

The evidence showed that the film, "Viva Cisco Kid" and the film, "The Cisco Kid and the Lady" were produced and exhibited by defendant, 20th Century Fox Film Corporation. A summary is necessary to determine the rights of the parties.

In "Viva Cisco Kid" the scenes are laid in a typical western town and surrounding country. Cisco and his companion, Gordito, rescue a young woman, Joan and others being held up in a stagecoach and Cisco becomes interested in the girl, who has come to visit her father, Allen, a member of a holdup gang headed by Gunther, and bossed by a desperado posing as a miner with headquarters near an abandoned mine. Joan is innocent of knowledge of her father's activities, but he confesses to her, upon returning from robbing the Express office of the gold which his gang failed to discover in their holdup of the stagecoach, and she persuades him to flee and to mail back the money to the Express Company and promises to join him at a designated place when she gets a horse. Cisco and Gordito later encounter Joan, who has lost her horse; the crooked sheriff's posse arrives and arrests Cisco for the robbery but Joan confesses that her father is guilty but intends to return the money to the Express Company. The bandits take Joan with them to the hideout and lock her in a cellar. Cisco meets Allen; tells him of Joan's plight. Cisco and Gordito get information from Allen, take the money and go to the rescue of Joan while Allen waits for them. Cisco ingratiates himself with the boss, who invites him to remain overnight and join the gang. In an attempt to rescue Joan at night, the gang arrives with Allen and the boss prepares to destroy all four, but instead the falling beam intended to crush them, falls on him and his gang, trapping them, and Cisco, Gordito, Allen and Joan escape.

In "The Cisco Kid and the Lady" the locale is typical western country, early days. Riding through the country Cisco and Gordito collect posters showing various outlaw faces all bearing the same name, "Cisco", and wanted for numerous crimes. They hear shots, rescue an infant in a wagon, the driver of which is shot from ambush. The dying man, father of the infant, tears in three pieces his map of a gold mine, giving one each to Cisco, Gordito and Harbison, (hold-up leader) upon their promising to care for the child and share the gold with it. A newly arrived school teacher takes the child into her home to care for it and Cisco provides money. A dance-hall girl, Billie, in whom Harbison is interested, falls in love with Cisco, recognizing him as the real Cisco. She steals Harbison's piece of the map and hides it in her locket. Cisco sees the theft from the window, enters the room, makes love to her and takes her locket. Discovering its absence she reports him to Harbison and he is thrown in jail with Gordito and Tommy, the fiance of the school teacher. Before his incarceration, Cisco has placed the locket with map inside on the doorsill of the dancer, who finds it there and, believing Cisco innocent, regrets her action and decides to free him. She passes a gun through the jail window and advises him to make his escape after midnight when the guard will be changed and she will provide saddled horses. Harbison enters the jail and Cisco makes a deal with him: Harbison is to rob the stage dressed in clothing which Cisco has left in his room. With Cisco in jail, it will be obvious that he did not commit the crime, Harbison will have the money, and Cisco will go free. At midnight Cisco, Gordito and Tommy make good their escape, take a justice of the peace to the school teacher's home to marry her to Tommy, and the newlyweds promise to take care of the baby. Cisco gives his share of the mine to them. Harbison, still wearing Cisco's clothes, is recognized and shot. Billie appears again and the picture ends with Cisco, Gordito and Billie riding off to new adventures.

The evidence showed that "En Tiempos De Don Porfirio" was produced and exhibited by the defendants, Grovas Oro Films, a Mexican company, and Azteca Film Distributing Co.

In "En Tiempos De Don Porfirio" the locale is old Mexico. Don Francisco de la Torre, who has inherited money, and Don Ridrigo Rodriguez Eje, proprietor of a gambling casino, engage in gambling and the latter wins all of Don Francisco's money. Don Francisco forgets his wedding plans and loses his intended bride, whose mother sends her to Paris where she marries her rich uncle and eventually gives birth to the child of Don Francisco; both of them are well provided for by the foster-father. A faithful maid keeps Don Francisco informed of the activities of Carlota and her daughter, Carmen, and, upon their return home arranges for him to see the girl, now eight, for the first time. The maid arranges for the girl and her father to meet from time to time. To the girl these brief encounters seem accidental, but the father has taken a great interest in her happiness. After the death of her foster-father, her mother attempts to force her into a marriage with the elderly casino-proprietor, now wealthy. Don Francisco learns of this and also that Carmen cares for another, his godson. He carries through successfully several schemes to bring together the two young...