I like to think that I know Everything about films, but even I have to confess that I had never heard of this film before, until recently. an unknown Richard Pryor film that most likely you, me or anyone else will ever see in their lifetime. I'm referring to the oddly titled Uncle Tom's Fairy Tales: The Movie for Homosexuals, which was made back in 1968, produced by and starring Pryor. The film was directed by a young student filmmaker, Penelope Spheeris, who later went on to be more known for her rock music documentaries such as The Decline of Western Civilization and later in the mid-90's directed a slew of Hollywood studio comedies such as Wayne's...
- 1/23/2013
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Richard Pryor's daughter Rain Pryor is blaming her father's wife Jennifer Lee Pryor for the lawsuit against her and moviemaker Penelope Spheeris. The ailing comedian, who has been crippled by multiple sclerosis, reportedly claims that Lee Pryor and Spheeris took the master copy of his first film appearance in Uncle Tom's Fairy Tales and never returned it. But the situation is shrouded in suspicion, as Rain has a good relationship with her father, and she insists his wife, who has power of attorney, is behind the legal action. Rain fumes, "My father's wife is using my father's name to action a lawsuit against me." A source tells British newspaper Daily Express, "The lawsuit was filed in LA last week. People were taken aback to see Rain's name on there as she and her father are known to get along. It's a strange state of affairs."...
- 8/5/2005
- WENN
Ailing comedian Richard Pryor is suing movie-maker Penelope Spheeris in a bid to get a lost film back. The 64-year-old funnyman, who has been crippled my multiple sclerosis, claims his daughter Rain and Spheeris conspired to take the master copy of his first film appearance, which the Wayne's World director shot when she was a film student in 1968 and they haven't returned it. In a suit filed in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Pryor, who raised the money for the film and hired Spheeris, claims he's the only person entitled to decide what's to become of the mystery movie and he wants it back. He claims the negatives and prints went missing from his house 20 years ago and feels sure his daughter and Spheeris have the footage. Pryor believed the film, Uncle Tom's Fairy Tales, was lost until scenes appeared earlier this year, when the comedian was honored by the Directors Guild of America. According to his suit, he contacted Spheeris after the tribute and she revealed she had given the footage to the Academy Film Archive of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
- 7/29/2005
- WENN
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