Valerie Harper

Calendar’s article on the trial of Valerie Harper by Diane Haithman was so one-sided and slanted that it must be corrected (“The Power of Stardom,” Sept. 2).

Apparently, only the “sensational” testimony was of interest, regardless of the other testimony presented at the trial or the accuracy of the picture that Haithman painted.

Haithman went into great detail about allegations from Lorimar’s officers and producers that Harper was “insane.”

Where was the mention of the witnesses, some Lorimar employees, who have contradicted this testimony and emphatically stated that Harper conducted herself in the normal fashion, was an excellent performer, and a person only seeking to achieve an outstanding show?

Probably the most glaring inaccuracy of the entire article was that its basic theme was completely wrong. Haithman suggested that this case is about who will control a television show. It is not. This case is about a contract that was made between Harper--one of the originators of the show long before Lorimar became involved--and Lorimar.

And because Harper was one of the originators of the show (a fact never mentioned in the article), she received, in her deal with Lorimar, certain creative rights that she claims were later denied her, and, when she insisted on them, was fired. This is far from what the article suggested.

Since The Times is not the National Enquirer, I thought that you would be interested in the truth.

BARRY B. LANGBERG

Los Angeles

Langberg is Harper’s lawyer.