2:39 PM PT -- James Comisar tells us, "I am sad to learn that Mr. Reubens has resorted to the threat of a lawsuit to improperly seek the return of items that he simply does not own. In addition to those items personally given to me by Mr. Reubens in lieu of sending them to the landfill, without conditions or promises, Mr. Reubens seeks the return of material that was the property of film studios, production companies, and individual creators — none of which he is entitled to."
He continues, "Over the ensuing three decades, I have cared for, conserved, and preserved these items at my considerable expense — and with Mr. Reubens’ complete and continual knowledge of their whereabouts. Beyond his baseless accusations, Mr. Reubens has simply not shown that any of these items are his property.”
Pee-wee Herman is going on another big adventure -- only this time it's going to be in court ... 'cause the guy just filed a lawsuit claiming his priceless belongings have been jacked.
Paul Reubens -- who played Pee-wee on TV and on the big screen for years -- is suing James Comisar and his memorabilia company, The Comisar Collection, for what he says is straight-up theft of some of the old, iconic props that he walked away from the show with way back when.
In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Reubens claims that he loaned certain items from "Pee-wee's Playhouse" to Comisar -- with the understanding that this stuff would make its way into a "Museum of Television" for display to the public and based on the promise he could get the stuff back upon his request ... but Reubens said he later discovered there was no museum at all and Comisar was keeping the items for their private collection.
Reubens said when he demanded return of the stuff, the dude held onto the items and claimed they'd been "gifted" to them -- and ultimately started hocking them at auction ... keeping the profits for himself.
Reubens says the collection includes some notable props that fans would certainly recognize ... like the Dog Chair, the Floory puppets, and Mr. Window -- plus, Reubens says, cue cards and signed photos from the set that are all worth a pretty penny to any TV enthusiast.
Reubens now wants the court to sort it all out and is asking the judge for an order stating he's entitled to immediate possession of the items or, if they can't be recovered from folks who already bought the stuff at auction, for at least $1 million
He also wants an injunction to stop the sale of whatever else may be left. We've reached out to Comisar ... so far, no word back.
Originally Published -- 1:06 PM PT