So the stuff about having to sell over "150,000 units to make more than the minimum $150,000" pertained only to the post-1960 features. Is this part or all of the reason why Have Rocket, Will Travel (1959) hasn't been released to DVD? If I recall correctly all of the post-1960 Columbia features saw somewhat speedy DVD releases. On a related note, do you know if C3 sees anything from Fox in regards to Snow White and The Three Stooges?
$150,000 is the guarantee due C3 for "Playhouse." The reference to 150,000 units was some crazy-ass argument that C3 and its co-counsel made, that if Sony did not generate enough business from selling "Playhouse" into TV syndication, it had an obligation to package "Playhouse" onto the retail DVDs, instead of the shorts.
As far as I know, C3 is due nothing for SNOW WHITE.
HAVE ROCKET did not make it to DVD due to bad timing. Sony decided to launch the colorized shorts, and when that brainstorm bombed, they finally listened to the fans and went forward with the chronological volumes. After this latest nuisance litigation, there are some in Sony who don't particularly want to do C3 any favors by marketing the '60s features; but business is business, and at some point I expect we'll see a volume of all the Columbia features.
is C3 sharing in the "Playhouse" episode a big reason why AMC went to the N.Y.U.K. format? There was something in the document about C3 being "paid with commercials"; was that for "Playhouse", N.Y.U.K. or both?
AMC went to its own N.Y.U.K. format because they had no interest in the commercialized format of "Playhouse." At that time, 2000-2001, AMC was still showing films uncut, without commercial breaks.
C3 was "paid with commercials" at the close of each AMC short, after the Sony Pictures Television logo/fanfare, with C3's logo and website address onscreen; and around the 2000 Holiday season, there was a C3-produced commercial with Dave Knight that promoted their catalog/online store.