Court Opinion

ID: 9473695
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 04:37:01.089906+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:43:41.267634
License: Public Domain

OAKES, Circuit Judge
(concurring and dissenting):
While I too would vote to reverse, I would do so with instructions to grant Gil-laizeau’s motion for summary judgment. I think the last paragraph of the letter of January 26, 1972, written just before Zanuck was to be operated on for cancer unequivocally releases her from any liability. It does so after first referring to the October 8, 1970, letter which “speaks for itself” (in that arguably it also releases her from liability for the Twentieth Century-Fox stock). It does so by saying, “in other words, you are not indebted to me for any of the matters referred to in any of these letters” (emphasis added). How more unequivocal could a layman be? I would say that his codicil executed the next day doing the same by will was out of an abundance of caution, making sure that his estranged wife or executor would not go after Ms. Gillaizeau.