Smart Family Fields Book, Movie Offers (Isn't that Special!)

SALT LAKE CITY - Hollywood loves a gripping saga, especially one with a happy — and astonishing — ending like the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping.

So it's no surprise that in the five days since the kidnapped teen returned home, the family's spokesman has fielded more than 3,000 media calls and received nearly 100 film, book or made-for-TV-movie proposals.

The potential audience for a real-life drama is enormous, if hits to the Smart family Web site are any indication. In the first hours after Elizabeth was found alive and returned home Wednesday, more than 3 million people had visited the site.

Her story, outlined by investigators, is a screenwriter's dream: Kidnapped at knifepoint — allegedly by homeless drifter Brian David Mitchell — Elizabeth lived with the self-proclaimed prophet and his wife Wanda Barzee for nine months.

Family members say she was so brainwashed she didn't try to escape, even when she had the chance.

Sharp-eyed witnesses recognized Mitchell and called police Wednesday. The suspects were arrested, Elizabeth was returned home, and people across the country rejoiced.

Mitchell and Barzee remained in jail Sunday awaiting charges, which could come as early as Monday.

Chris Thomas, a spokesman for parents Ed and Lois Smart, said they will begin to review production offers in the next few weeks.

"It's something that they're going to deal with soon. They're trying to figure this all out — it comes down to let someone else tell the story, or tell it themselves," Thomas said.

USA, ABC, NBC, CBS and Lifetime are all reportedly interested in obtaining rights to the story.

"It really covers the broad spectrum. I haven't looked at all of them, and I don't want to disclose specific names and studios or other entities, but we've been contacted by some really big names," said Thomas.

Rumors that John Walsh, host of the television show "America's Most Wanted," has been pushing Ed Smart for a production deal are false, said Thomas. Walsh has interviewed the father for his show and the two became close after Elizabeth's disappearance.

"It came up in a discussion between Ed and John, when Ed was asking John for advice on a number of things. John said, 'I'm not even going to go there. I've read rumors that I've got the inside source on this. I do have a production company and if you're interested you can talk to me, but I'm not pitching you. That would be a really tacky thing to do in my capacity,'" Thomas said.

Thomas said the family has not begun to consider a price, because they haven't decided yet whether to go along with any production, movie or book.

"Right now, their main focus is on Elizabeth and books and movies and exterior things are secondary," he said. "The family is being very calculated in every action, and weighing the pros and cons of everything with the predominant priority being Elizabeth's well-being."

Chris Thomas, the family spokesman, has been speaking for the family since early June, 2002. In a June 11 2002 article in Salt Lake Tribune, he is referred to as family spokesman.

From fans4dantley.org, of which Chris Smart is president:

Chris is a partner with a SLC-based public relations and marketing firm. He is responsible for the creative and strategic direction of the agency's clients. In his tenure with the PR agency he has executed successful campaigns for companies such as Independent Witness, Inc., Marker Clothing,...The Polynesian Cultural Center and Hale Centre Theater.

Chris has extensive crisis communication experience, including, most recently, directing public relations for The Elizabeth Smart Family (sic). In this capacity he serves as spokesperson and has completed more than 100 live and taped interviews for porograms ranging from the Today Show and Good Morning America, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, Court TV and Geraldo Rivera. (end direct quote)

Yes, why wouldn't the Smarts just take the huge settlement they will get when they sue the National Enquirer for printing a story that claims Ricci and Ed Smart had a very odd relationship involving the trading of child pornography? The Enquirer story claims that when the police found child porn on Ed Smart's computer, Ed Smart collapsed from exhaustion and had to be hospitalized, and though possession of child pornography is a federal offence, the police decided not to charge him out of sympathy.

This particular issue of the Enquirer was essentially banned in Utah as, the distributor explained, to allow readers to see it, would be insensitive to the Smarts.

Mitchell and Barzee may not go to trial so no testimony about the unspeakable horrors inficted on this poor, innocent child will be necessary.

In a criminal libel suit a victim of the calibre of Ed Smart will win in a walk with no reference to his daughter since he alone was allegedly libelled. Perhaps Mrs. Ricci is considering filing a libel suit against the Enquirer also. But since her late husband's reputation was not as sterling as Ed Smart's, her settlement would be considerably less, leaving the Smarts with enough money to turn down offers that would exploit the extraordinary circumstances of Elizabeth Smart's disappearance and sudden, blooming re-appearance as reported in more main-stream venues like The Deseret News and the Connie Chung Show.

Are they really as wealthy as it is said they are?

In 1996, at the height of boom times, Ed Smart buys a house. His business is buying, fixing up and selling houses, among other things. "A real entrepreneur," one of his admirers describes him.

Was the house unfinished or in major disrepair? How much did he pay for the house? How much is the mortgage? Are their any liens on the house from building supply creditors? There are probably no mechanics' liens on the house since his workforce was composed of men who would not willingly visit a courthouse where the registry of deeds office is usually located.

Over the years he brought in 50 (Salt Lake Tribune) to 100 (Boston Globe) men of questionable character, and, perhaps skill, to work on the house.

Did he keep records of their pay? Will he include their labor costs to reduce the capital gains he must pay on the sale of this house? It would be an interesting exercise for junior IRS accountants to try to subtract the value of say, an old jeep, five dollars for five hours work on a roof, or a hot meal, from whatever profit is made on the house.

The house had been for sale when Elizabeth Smart vanished from it. How long had it been for sale? At $1 million to $1.19 million, reportedly, it should not be difficult to sell according to economists' who claim that high end merchandise is not affected by downturns in the economy. It is to laugh.

And there is a downturn. Even in Utah things are not rosy. Even the LDS Church, Utah's largest individual employer, 33,355 people on its payroll, more than the 22,500 on the State of Utah's government payroll, was eliminating positions "from the mailroom to investment personnel who watch over the $6 billion annual income to the church (mostly from tithing.)"

In addition, more than 22,000 individuals and businesses filed for bankruptcy the majority seeking debt relief under Chapter 7, for individuals. More bankruptcies were filed in Utah in 2002 than in any other state, and state economists predict there will be an increase in 2003.

This is not good news for real estate entrepreneurs and mortgage brokers.

The Smarts have not, to my knowledge, claimed to be rich, but have been invested with the imaginary panoply of wealth by reporters who are rarely from that class which inspires in them, envy, resentment, and absolute servility as can be observed in their slavish attention to the personal attractiveness of the people they cover, and their almost imbecilic inattention to gaping holes and small details screaming to be noticed, in the narrations their subjects deliver.

Of course, the Smarts will be rich beyond the dreams of avarice, as they say, when Ed Smart sues the National Enquirer for criminal libel for printing that story about him and Richard Ricci.

The Enquirer story stated that Ed Smart and Richard Ricci had a very odd relationship that involved the trading of child porn. The story also claims that when the police found child porn on Ed Smart's computer he collapsed from exhaustion and was hospitalized, so the police did not charge him for what is a federal offense out of sympathy.

This issue of the Enquirer was not sold in Utah. The distributor claimed that the Enquirer story was insensitive to the Smart family.

Ed Smart should not have to exploit his daughter by selling her to movies and book publishers. His lawsuit against the Enquirer would concern only his reputation so Elizabeth would be safe from prying eyes.

I've spent about ten days at Barset and Mrs. Barset's house trying to shake pneumonia. I was supposed to go home today but there was a mix-up and I have to wait until tomorrow.

This case went right by me. When I first heard that the Smart girl was found I thought Pam Smart had broken out of prison and been re-captured. My aunt suggested I go on Free Republic as they keep current. I'm not sure she would be too pleased with the emotional tone in some of the comments.

Please excuse the length of this comment. Your comment set me off. I checked your profile and like your "courage of one" stand. It's mine, too.

Barset's niece

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