One firm goes to court, others may follow

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) -- The owner of an equipment rental business has gone to court and others may follow as they try to get money owed them from producers of a remake of "Where the Red Fern Grows."

Thursday, February 17th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (AP) -- The owner of an equipment rental business has gone to court and others may follow as they try to get money owed them from producers of a remake of "Where the Red Fern Grows." Work on the movie being shot in the Tahlequah area ended in November when financing fell through. The remake of the 1974 movie was two-thirds complete at the time.

Bud Elder, assistant director of the Oklahoma Film Commission, said Wednesday the movie business is the most improbable business on Earth. What is fodder today is Academy Award material tomorrow," Elder said, noting that 1996's Oscar winner "The English Patient" was dropped three times before finding the right makers.

The movie's producers owe $700,000 worth of bills, the Tulsa World reported. Foix Stauss, who runs X-Press Equipment Rental and Sales, filed for relief in Cherokee County small-claims court for the approximately $3,500 that Stauss said he is owed. "I'm not trying to be vindictive," Stauss said Wednesday. "I'd just like to get my money." The case is set for trial March 1.

Stauss complained that the state spent a lot of time recruiting the filmmakers to the state but hasn't helped the local businesses that are owed money. "One of the things people in Tahlequah had a hard feeling about, if you want to put it that way, is the Oklahoma Film Commission getting behind them here," Stauss said. "I don't think we've had any help from the state side in getting the debts collected."

Elder took exception to that criticism. "All I can say is we try to find out every day what is going on," he said.

The film is being produced by Legacy Entertainment in St. George, Utah. Legacy comptroller Michael Bull had no comment. Other Tahlequah businessmen who are owed money by "Red Fern" say they are reaching a point where the courts may be their only avenue. "We're not going to let it go away without trying to make some sort of effort through our court system," said Hugh Dotson of Dotson-Roberts Lumber. He said he is owed about $4,000 for materials.

Tahlequah Motor Lodge co-owner Vechil Eller wouldn't say how much he is owed, but he said it was more than any other local business. He said he has called Legacy Entertainment repeatedly. "I'm kind of getting tired of the whole situation of `maybe next week' then `maybe the next week,"' Eller said. "I'm on the verge of doing something else if they can't make some better answers." The U.S. Department of Labor has contacted producers about complaints, and the Screen Actors Guild previously ordered its members to cease work on the movie because $100,000 was still owed to them.