SAG sells film rights

LOS ANGELES, July 22 (UPI) -- The Screen Actors Guild has sold rights to seven films in an unprecedented public foreclosure to recover residual payments owed its members.

The actors union held the auction July 13, but just announced it.

Under the guild's collective bargaining agreements, producers frequently use film rights as collateral to guarantee payments to performers. SAG said producers of the films involved defaulted on residual payments totaling more than $400,000.

SAG officials said the foreclosure should send a message to delinquent producers that the union will take action if its members do not receive the compensation they are owed for their work.

The seven titles -- all independent productions -- are "Blood Money" (1996), "Delivered" (1998), "The Linguini Incident" (1991), "Skeletons" (1996), "Telling Lies in America" (1997), "Traveller" (1997) and "Under Heaven" (1998).

They feature such top Hollywood actors as Kevin Bacon, James Brolin and the late James Coburn.