CBS COLLECTION 072 UCLA - Film Score Rundowns

ends well.” In other words, any negative situation can be changed for the better. There is
room for hope.
As hinted earlier, it came to my attention back in the fall of 1996 when all this
started that one high member of SPFM had told a Trustee/Officer there (in charge or
involved with the Dats) that I should not be given research access to the CBS music
because I was the kind of character who would then sell those tapes to black market cd
outfits! That trustee (the one who initially really wanted to help me) told me this over a
phone conversation, and was told not to help me anymore. He identified that slanderer to
me. I did not appreciate having my good name slurred like this so underhandedly. Also it
came to my attention by this Trustee/Officer (again the one who initially wanted to help
me) that there were hidden “politics” involved that would make it difficult for me to get
cooperation from SPFM. Because I was associated professionally with an original
Founder of SPFM, this would be construed as a negative association because there was
still a feud or bad blood between these various characters within the SPFM universe
(more on this later). I shook my head in disbelief. Obviously even an “educational
charity” such as SPFM was not above petty politics to the extent that even an innocent
third-party researcher such as me would be made to suffer. In that October 20 th letter I
referenced earlier by a high SPFM official, I was assured that there was no conspiracy to
not help me, and that it had nothing to do with my professional relationship with a
Founder of the Society that current SPFM management had bad feelings towards. Yet, as
given earlier, behind the scenes I was told candidly by another SPFM official that in fact
this was not true, a false assurance. There was a negative association or suspicion going
on that could be a factor why I wasn’t being helped. And having another SPFM official
slandering me behind my back only confirmed this active uncooperative attitude and lack
of the friendly spirit of fellow comradeship in film music research.
Here is another example of small-minded pettiness or even spitefulness to prove
my suspicion: Probably because of my letter campaign and “making waves,” so to speak,
SPFM even returned my postal money order of $35 for the 1998 membership renewal—
just returned with no note, no explanation; opened up, inserted back in my envelope and
returned within a Film Music Society envelope. I shook my head in disbelief when I
received it back. I wondered if they were refusing membership to anyone who openly
criticized the Society? Did a public, not-for-profit organization such as SPFM have the
right to refuse anyone membership who had valid criticisms? I returned the money order
back to SPFM but this time certified with a return receipt. I forgot now what happened.
By then I thought to myself with amusement, “Gee, I wonder if SPFM is going to scratch
my name off their Christmas card list?”
Here is another example that supported my suspicions: As given earlier, I was
going to have a few articles published about the CBS Collection at Film Score Monthly
(sent to FSM on 2-13-97) but they were never published as planned. The official there
replied to my inquiries of “what happened?” that a high official of SPFM intimidated him
at a social gathering at the end of December 1997, stating that that official was pretty
“harsh” and that he needed “authorization” from that official (I still have that letter
detailing the encounter). This was quite laughable since SPFM had nothing to do legally
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