WILLIAM BENDIX - DOCUMENT SIGNED 09/24/1964 - HFSID 296225

WILLIAM BENDIX
Out of court settlement in which Bendix drops his suit against CBS-TV in exchange for a cash payment of $35,000. (CBS had canceled a new Bendix series on account of his shaky health, a claim Bendix disputed, but he died 6 weeks after this agreement was reached.)
Document signed: "William Bendix", 3 pages, 8½x13. New York, N.Y., 1964 September 24. Agreement between William Bendix and CBS Television, whereby Bendix drops his California civil suit alleging breach of contract by CBS, and commits not to initiate a new suit based on the same claims. Without conceding the validity of any of Bendix's claims, CBS agrees to pay him $10,000 immediately and an additional $25,000 on January 8, 1965. William Bendix (1906-1964) may be best remembered as the star of the sitcom The Life of Riley on radio (1944-1951) and television (1953-1958). As the bumbling Riley he popularized the catch phrase, "What a revoltin' development this is!" Bendix had received an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor for Wake Island (1942). He had the title role in The Babe Ruth Story (1948. Bendix had been a Yankee batboy in the 1920s, seeing Ruth hit over 100 homers.) Among his other prominent films was A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949, as Sir Sagramore). He starred in the pilot of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone. A new CBS-TV series starring Bendix, Bill and Martha, had been scheduled for the Fall Season, 1964. CBS decided to cancel the series, without airing an episode, on the grounds of Bendix's shaky health. Bendix sued, claiming he was in perfect health, and that the cancellation harmed his professional reputation. Bendix died on December 14, 1964. Filing holes and staples at top edge. Multiple mailing folds. Lightly toned. Otherwise, fine condition.