''Coming to America'' lawsuit

A few years ago, when Art Buchwald was contemplating a suit against Paramount Pictures for stealing an idea of his and turning it into Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America (1988), he had a friendly tête-á-tête with pal Martin Davis, Paramount’s chairman, about emceeing a charity dinner honoring Davis. Several days later, Buchwald says, he got a bottle of Dom Pérignon from Davis with a tape of the song ”Sue Me.” Buchwald took the advice, and two weeks ago won a $150,000 award in the Los Angeles Superior Court. But what happened to the bubbly? Buchwald says he recently sent it back to Davis with a tag reading, ”I think this belongs to you. Besides, you probably need a drink.”