Actors, crew left unpaid when movie filming shuts down

Las Vegas lived up to its "Lost Wages" nickname this week when the movie "Baby-O" shut down production, leaving more than 100 actors, extras, crew members and vendors without paychecks.

"This is criminal, what they've done," said art director Steve Noell, who estimated that the movie's production company, First Take Motion Picture Group, owed locals "upwards of half a million dollars" -- and owed him about $9,000.

In addition to the 30 to 40 local staff and crew members and 70 to 75 local actors and extras employed by the production, about 20 of more than 70 outside vendors were left "holding the bag" when the movie shut down Tuesday, according to production supervisor Skip Burrows, who estimated he's owed "well over three weeks' salary -- somewhere around $40,000."

Burrows filed a wage claim Thursday with the state's Labor Commission; Noell plans to do so today.

The company started a planned monthlong shoot in Las Vegas June 14. Producers issued their first two paychecks on time, but on July 6, they told employees they couldn't pay them until they received a $450,000 wire transfer from a European bank.

By the time the wire transfer arrived, it was too late to issue paychecks before Tuesday's shutdown.

Producer Michael Meltzer attributed the shutdown to "a hiccup" in the movie's financing.

"I acknowledge that people are owed money," Meltzer said Thursday in a telephone interview from Southern California. "This has happened on productions before and we're going to try to correct that."

It may have happened before, but Nevada Film Office director Charles Geocaris can't recall it happening during his 23-year career. (Geocaris has been in Nevada nine years; he previously ran the Chicago film office.)

"It's hard to believe, especially with the talent involved," Geocaris said. "These are not a bunch of no-names."

"Baby-O" -- a romantic drama about a jazz singer and fading talent agent -- features a host of familiar faces, including co-writer and star David Proval ("The Sopranos"), co-star Theresa Russell (most recently seen in this summer's "Spider-Man 3") and director Charlie Matthau ("The Grass Harp"), son of Oscar-winning actor Walter Matthau.

"It's unfortunate when you realize you've got to stop," said Meltzer, who said the production plans to "take responsibility" for the unpaid wages.

That would be in the production's best interest, according to Labor Commissioner Michael Tanchek.

In Nevada, companies have three days to settle with unpaid workers, Tanchek said in a telephone interview Thursday from his Carson City office.

Because "Baby-O" shut down Tuesday, that three-day period ends today.

After that, employees who file wage claims with the Labor Commission are "entitled to a day's wage every day they're not paid," Tanchek explained.

"The penalties are recurring as long as employees aren't getting paid."

Generally, the Labor Commission negotiates those penalties with employers, Tanchek added, because the penalties often add up to more than the unpaid wages.

"They left a lot of workers high and dry," said Noell, who added he now fears he's going to lose his house and vehicle because of the unpaid wages, which "were going to carry me through the summer."

Meltzer said the production company plans to resume filming in Southern California soon and hopes to return to Las Vegas for a few brief shots.