Pay the Source of the Horse, By Force, By Force

Posted Jun 27th 2008 8:37PM by TMZ Staff

Wilbuuuur, what has the world come to? The estate of the widow of the creator of "Mr. Ed" has filed a lawsuit, claiming when it comes to paying up, MGM is full of horse manure.

The estate of Dorothy Brooks claims Dorothy's hubby Walter created a short story about a talking horse back in 1959 -- and that was turned into the hit TV show that ran from 1961 through 1966.

In the lawsuit, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, the estate claims MGM has released two DVD collections, featuring "Best of Mr. Ed" and owes at least $378,396 in royalties.

TMZ went right to the source to ask the horse ... but he was glued to the TV set.

Filed under: TV


Comments [13]
SphereBookmark and Share
4ie6

Reader Comments

(Page 1 of 1)

1. This is ridiculous! Every parent that has ever recited a story to their child involving an animal at one time or another has the animal talking. Look at Aespop's fables. What has this world come to?

Posted at 8:56PM on Jun 27th 2008 by laura

2. HEY, only 47 years later..... Hmm, is this a serious lawsuit ? 47 years later she finally decides to sue for her husband who is as dead as Mr. Ed ? One might ponder how it takes 2 score and 7 years to file a lawsuit for a stolen idea. I cannot even fathom how anyone can take this seriously, but obviously will have no choice but to do so.

Crazy Stuff in California........

RanchoDan at gmail dot com

Posted at 8:56PM on Jun 27th 2008 by RanchoDan

3.
this story sounds more like
a tijuana donkey show;

Posted at 9:18PM on Jun 27th 2008 by joel rifkin

4. So, when can we expect the suit for stealing the idea for Frances the Talking Mule movies which preceded the Mr. Ed series by about 10 years? Just sayin..

Posted at 10:14PM on Jun 27th 2008 by BigDaddy

5. And all Mr. Ed wanted was a color tv.......

Posted at 10:42PM on Jun 27th 2008 by FlBiker

6. I love you Alan Young, if you're out there!!!

Thanks for that call all those years ago on my 16th; it meant EVERYTHING. :)
!

Posted at 2:43AM on Jun 28th 2008 by Melissa

7. Recent DVD SALES and video SALES are the issue, they had a 1959 contract , Frances the talking mule Movies did come first in the 1940s ,

Posted at 8:04AM on Jun 28th 2008 by ken

8.
we can't overlook that 2004 to present episodic
show with that talking mule named dr. phil;

Posted at 11:16AM on Jun 28th 2008 by richard angelo

9. one of my favorite shows...takes you back......

Posted at 2:57PM on Jun 28th 2008 by susie

10. OMG! Get a job if you need money! This is totally ridiculous, you lazy idiots.

Posted at 3:04AM on Jun 29th 2008 by whatado

11. Hey, if you have kids, or not, you should read Walter Brooks's hilarious book series, Freddy the Pig. Some of the titles are Frerddy, the Detective, Freddy Goes to the North Pole, and Freddy Goes to Florida. They are just hilarious. I love Walter Brooks, creator of Mr. Ed.

Posted at 9:14AM on Jun 30th 2008 by QueenVelveeta

12. I still love the Mr. Ed show! It used to come on on Sunday mornings TV Land. I hope they run it again.

Posted at 2:23PM on Jun 30th 2008 by ketielynn

13.
Horse ... glue ....... NOT funny.

Posted at 6:00PM on Jun 30th 2008 by melissa b