They already had a lot of film in the can, having started with a script based on WSB’s book, not realizing it had simply been plagiarized without acknowledgement.

Once they realized that a copyrighted original source existed (to whose author and publisher they were going to have to pay for rights) they abandoned that script and moved on.

Apparently the next screenplay was some kind of “Frankenstein in Outer Space,” which was then abandoned for Philip K. Dick’s novel DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP (which became the basis for the film by Ridley Scott — who wasn’t the original director).

Marble Arch Productions, not realizing that titles cannot be copyrighted, insisted on paying Burroughs for use of his title. And because they did keep that title, people have been forever confused about whether WSB’s book BLADE RUNNER was the source for Ridley Scott’s film.

Which it was . . . and wasn’t.

When we moved into this neighborhood in north Berkeley, California, Phil Dick was in fact our neighbor (though we never knew it). In fact we frequented the same bar on Solano Avenue (“The Solano Club” — $2.25 for a whole shaker full of Margaritas).

It was at a time when Dick was having trouble finding a publisher. If only we had known.