MOVIES - April 24, 1992

‘Problem’ Case: In a hearing Thursday morning in Los Angeles Superior Court, Judge Dzintra Janavs ended the first courtroom confrontation between Universal Pictures and 10-year-old Michael Oliver, who played the title role in the studio’s “Problem Child” and “Problem Child 2,” by dismissing Universal’s answer to a cross-complaint filed by Oliver and his mother as part of an ongoing dispute over Universal’s contract with the young actor. Universal is suing Oliver over the $250,000 salary it paid him for “Problem Child 2,” claiming Oliver and his mother forced the studio to renegotiate the boy’s contract “under duress” between the original movie and the sequel. The studio is demanding a $190,000 refund from Oliver and his mother, Dianne Ponce. Oliver’s attorney said Thursday that the dismissal merely opens the way for a possible trial.