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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Producers Say Director Sold Dean Martin Show

LOS ANGELES (CN) - Two production companies say the man who directed the "Dean Martin Variety Show" worked with the executor of his own trust to funnel money into Black Horse Television Enterprises, a company the director owned.

Barrump-Bump Publishing Inc., Greg Garrison Productions and the director's two children, Michael and Patricia Garrison, say director Greg Garrison racked up millions by licensing the show for release on DVD, even though he did not hold the rights to the show. The executor also allegedly kept $2.7 million from the sale of the producers' company jet.

Greg Garrison died in 2005, but Ronald Blanc, executor for the Greg Garrison Revocable Trust, has allegedly continued to make money from the "Variety Show" and has refused to explain the trust accounts to the plaintiffs.

Greg Garrison allegedly contracted with Guthy-Renker Corporation to release 26 episodes of the variety show on DVD. Barrump-Bump and Greg Garrison Productions say they were the rightful owners of those shows. Garrison and Black Horse allegedly kept the $525,000 generated from the deal, though Barrump-Bump says Garrison should have gotten only $183,750.

Blanc also allegedly transferred Barrump-Bump's variety show episodes to NBC.

After Garrison's death, Blanc allegedly sold the personal jet that Garrison had used, though Greg Garrison Productions says it was the rightful owner. Through the sale, Blanc made $2.7 million, but he allegedly refused to deposit the money in a "neutral trust account," pending resolution of the parties' disputes. Instead, Michael and Patricia say, Blanc deposited the money in trust accounts over which he has sole control.

The plaintiffs are represented in Superior Court by Stephen Moeller from Valensi Rose.

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