By Robyn Collins
A previously unreleased and still untitled Jimi Hendrix 1969 concert movie might finally see the light of day as a wide scale release. A California appeals court has determined that one of the rightsholders of the movie did not violate a joint production deal by refusing to accept a limited distribution offer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Related: Jimi Hendrix’s 12/31/69 Fillmore Concert to See Release in September
The case is almost 50 years old.
“For almost a half-century, the two parties (or their predecessors) who own the rights to this film and its accompanying soundtrack have been lost in a purple haze of false starts and litigation,” begins the decision.
Here’s the background. In 1969, Hendrix’s manager signed a deal with Gerald Goldstein and Steve Gold, allowing them to shoot the London’s Royal Albert Hall shows for a concert film.
Almost 5 decades later, the successors struck a deal. Experience Hendrix signed on behalf of the artist, while The Last Experience signed on behalf of Goldstein, Gold and Hendrix’s manager.
In 2010, Experience Hendrix and The Last Experience agreed to produce the film for theatrical release — but the deal fell apart over distribution. There was conflict over limited release vs. wide release.
The artist’s successor asked the court to rescind the contract and sought $4.1 million in restitution. Los Angeles Superior Court judge Mark V. Mooney ruled against Experience Hendrix in 2015 and ordered it to pay more than $300,000 in attorney’s fees.
Experience Hendrix appealed, to no avail, and the 2nd district appellate panel disagreed and affirmed the lower court’s decision.
See the latest court documents here.
