ENTERTAINMENT

Eisner Dropped as Defendant: Michael D. Eisner, chairman of Walt Disney Co., was dismissed as a defendant by MGM, the rival studio that is suing Disney for an alleged breach of contract. MGM is seeking damages exceeding $100 million and a court order preventing Disney from continuing to use MGM’s name on a working production facility in Orlando, Fla. MGM’s decision to dismiss Eisner as a named defendant came as the case ended its second week in trial in Los Angeles Superior Court. “I thought they had no case against Michael; they didn’t from the beginning,” said Sanford M. Litvack, an attorney for Disney. Said Terry Christensen, a lawyer representing MGM: “As the evidence came in, it became clear that there was no reason to single out Michael Eisner. It’s clear that whatever Disney did, the whole group of people at Disney did.” Testimony is to resume on Monday.