History of the Firm, FitPrime...

[~^~RedFlame~^~]

Originally Posted by ilovemygreatdane

I just have to thank Anna Benson. I had done Jane Fonda, etc., but when I got Vol 1 it just changed my way of thinking about exercise. (Hope that's not negative.)

I agree, The Firm changed my life LITERALLY. I doubt that I would have become a trainer were it not for the Firm's take on exercise.

[HelloKitty88]

Originally Posted by Joni O

I bought Volume I way back when - in BETA format! I must have seen it advertised on TV or something? Did they have an infomercial? I remember I was so impressed by how 'scientific' it seemed.

Boy, I wish I still had that collectors item !

WOW! Do you still have it? We had a BETA VCR "back in the day" but I have no FIRM's in beta format.

[lizzyhl]

I remember in their heyday (pre-divorce) The FIRM had a catalog for their ever growing number of videos along with "workout" clothing. Several of the instructors were models - Jane Poteet and Kai with Kai in very revealing leotards. She looked good.

I bought a bustier and one of the videos for about $100 total. That was a lot of money then. I chuckle now cuz I bought those items with my soon-to-be husband in mind.

I just purchased Volume 2 VHS at the thrift store for $1.50

[HelloKitty88]

I wish the old FIRM was still around. I've always loved the FIRM and always will! There is no workouts to this date like the old FIRM's...the old Classics, FS, FC, Tort, Hare and the compilation video's are the first that come to mind. I did Jane Fonda video's all the time and I used to see the FIRM's Vol.1 commercial every day when I'd watch Gilad. I caved and bought Vol.1 for over $50...$56 and change if I remember right...it came on a Tuesday. LOL! I can remember getting the mail that morning...it was sunny and the mail box was stuffed b/c of the mail and the video. LOL! Anyway, I started doing Vol.1 and was hooked.

I collected a lot of the old FIRM stuff and still have it:
Star-lock dumbbells
Audio cassette tapes of Vol's 1, 2, 3 and 4.
I have the music from Vol's 1, 2 and 3. It's the music ONLY no vocals or instructions over it. They were sold a short period of time. Believe it or not I wrote them suggesting that they release audio cassette versions of the videos and music.
I have all the audio walking cassette tapes.
1-1/2 pound red ankle weights
2-1/2 pound black ankle weights
5 pound adjustible ankle weights
FIRM barbell
FIRM boxes, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 inch
I have a few of the old catalogues
FIRM lattae mug
FIRM water bottle
FIRM hat
FIRM towel that i had to throw away b/c it got yucky from washing it
I had 3 FIRM t-shirts but, I wore them out.
I have a FIRM tote bag with the leaping lady on it
Of course the FIRM book. LOL!
I have a lapel pin with the iron lady and FIRM logo on it.
Last but not least all the FIRM video's. Heeheheheehe! Still keeping the HOPE that the Classics will be put on dvd someday.

Didn't they get into a law suit over using the saying that they were better than Jane Fonda? Their one Shape mag add had reviews beat Fonda or something to that nature...I can't remember the exact words. But, I always thought there was an issue with all of that.

[DawnP]

I posted about this in a thread in November 2004(!):

Originally Posted by DawnP

I've pieced this together from bits & pieces that Mark Henriksen posted at MUM and FitPrime and from legal documents available on the web.

A FIRM employee, Everett Davis, was the "Director of Photography" on many of the original FIRM workouts. You can find his name on many of the video's credits.

He sued Anna, Mark & Cynthia to get royalties for his work on those videos beyond his current compensation when they began advertising & getting more distribution (profits). After many years apparently he lost his original case.

But he has a very aggressive (greedy?) lawyer (James Leslie Jr.?) who has repeatedly brought lawsuits against the three creators even after they closed the Charleston FIRM studio and sold the FIRM video production company to GoodTimes to recoup their losses and pay off their legal representation fees.

This employee & his lawyer were in court with the three creators as recently as September of 2004 with a suit against them & Meridian Films, so it's likely that he is continuing to threaten the original FIRM founders as they continue on their new WHFN venture... possibly for a portion of their royalties due to the similarities between WFN/FitPrime and the FIRM.

You can see one of the legal documents showing a jury case convening in Richland SC in Sept 2004: http://www.richlandonline.com/depar...ros20040913.pdf

Obviously a tale I never tire of telling

[~^~RedFlame~^~]

Originally Posted by DawnP

I posted about this in a thread in November 2004(!):Obviously a tale I never tire of telling

A PHOTOGRAPHER? What rights would he have? He was doing a job and certainly paid for it. It is not as if his personal creativity was the brainchild of the Firm. Some people's greed just floors me! The really REALLY sad part is that our legal system ALLOWS them to bring these frivolous cases at no necessary loss to them. A while back there were bills trying to create laws where those who filed frivolous lawsuits would HAVE to pay all costs of the person they were suing if they lost. Now THAT would make people think twice. But of course the attorneys lobbied against it, as they couldn't get their greedy little mits into everything. People would hesitate to sue, and where would they get their blood money?

[superfit41]

Originally Posted by Firstwavefirmie

I wish the old FIRM was still around. I've always loved the FIRM and always will! There is no workouts to this date like the old FIRM's...the old Classics, FS, FC, Tort, Hare and the compilation video's are the first that come to mind. I did Jane Fonda video's all the time and I used to see the FIRM's Vol.1 commercial every day when I'd watch Gilad. I caved and bought Vol.1 for over $50...$56 and change if I remember right...it came on a Tuesday. LOL! I can remember getting the mail that morning...it was sunny and the mail box was stuffed b/c of the mail and the video. LOL! Anyway, I started doing Vol.1 and was hooked.

I collected a lot of the old FIRM stuff and still have it:
Star-lock dumbbells
Audio cassette tapes of Vol's 1, 2, 3 and 4.
I have the music from Vol's 1, 2 and 3. It's the music ONLY no vocals or instructions over it. They were sold a short period of time. Believe it or not I wrote them suggesting that they release audio cassette versions of the videos and music.
I have all the audio walking cassette tapes.
1-1/2 pound red ankle weights
2-1/2 pound black ankle weights
5 pound adjustible ankle weights
FIRM barbell
FIRM boxes, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 inch
I have a few of the old catalogues
FIRM lattae mug
FIRM water bottle
FIRM hat
FIRM towel that i had to throw away b/c it got yucky from washing it
I had 3 FIRM t-shirts but, I wore them out.
I have a FIRM tote bag with the leaping lady on it
Of course the FIRM book. LOL!
I have a lapel pin with the iron lady and FIRM logo on it.
Last but not least all the FIRM video's. Heeheheheehe! Still keeping the HOPE that the Classics will be put on dvd someday.

Didn't they get into a law suit over using the saying that they were better than Jane Fonda? Their one Shape mag add had reviews beat Fonda or something to that nature...I can't remember the exact words. But, I always thought there was an issue with all of that.

Whoa!!!! Holy cow! You have an amazing lot of vintage Firm stuff!!!!! I just recentlly purchased Firm Core Cardio 1 & 2 in clamshell's off of Amazon, and I was quite excited about this purchase! I have been looking for these forever and a day!!! I think the only Firms I dont have is Ballroom Aerobics. Well, I dont have either of the newer Firm yogas either. I will have to get those whether I do them or not. The Firms are my all time favorite workouts, and I have enjoyed collecting them. I would love to have some of that other cool stuff however!

Sherry

[Helen S]

Thanks Dawn. Wow, I didn't know it was a director of photography. I thought it was somebody that helped design the set. I thought I remembered Mark saying that's why Strong Heart/Strong Body used a library set instead of the original set. But he claimed that it was still too similar looking. That's why the Prime Powers had a jungle theme. However, I could be wrong. This is where I wish MUM was still around (and various other times for various reasons) so I could go back to check Mark's threads.

Also I do think that this same person tried to sue them again when WHFN workouts were in the works because of the similarities.

Helen

[Helen S]

Firstwavefirmie,

Wow!!! You have a nice collection. I wish I didn't throw away the old Firm catalogs. I really liked looking at them. I should have saved at least one of them.

Helen

[Fanny]

I think Helen S is right, it was someone who helped with the sets, not the photographer, and also a personal friend. Mark gave him more credit than he deserved in the credits at the end of the workout to help his resume, and he sued for royalties when they continued to use the set. The so called friend lost the first lawsuit and appealed.

When the case was appealed, Mark, Anna and Cynthia lost and their insurance paid off this person. Mark is now appealing since the lawsuit was lost on falsified information and his witness was out of town and not available for court to refute the false information.

There is of course, much much more!