Screen Guilds Magazine (March 1936)

Best Performance of February O NE player who has previously won an award, another who returns to the screen after a five years’ absence and a supporting player this month are listed for the Best Performance of Feb¬ ruary in the poll of the members of the Screen Actors’ Guild. The selections are made on the 39 pictures released as Los Angeles first runs between January 21 and February 19. Charlie Chaplin received more ballots than any other actor for his perform¬ ance of The Tramp in “ Modern Times”, the picture which he produced, wrote and directed for United Artists. This is Mr. Chaplin’s first appearance on the screen in five years. The Honorable Mention awards, ac¬ cording to the poll, go to two players in “The Petrified Forest” which Warner Bros.-First National produced. They are Humphrey Bogart, who as Duke Mantee appeared in a supporting role, and Leslie Howard, selected for second Honorable Mention for his portrayal of Alan Squier—the same role in which he appeared on the New York stage. “The Petrified Forest” as well as supplying the two acting bests, had the best writ¬ ing job of the month, according to the votes of members of the Screen Writers’ Guild. That poll is analyzed below. A GAIN, as last month, there are no women in the current selections, which increases the ratio between the actor winners and the actress winners in the nine months since the establish¬ ment of this feature in The Screen Guilds Magazine. To date, because of two ties, there have been 29 winners. Twenty men and but nine women have been selected by their fellow craftsmen for the monthly honors. Twenty players from 12 pictures re¬ ceived one or more ballots, and with the exception of the winners, the votes were scattered. Four players from ‘ ‘ Ceiling Zero” and three from “The Petrified Forest” received one or more votes, while two players each from three other pictures were in the same classification. During the past month this feature was singled out for a unique honor when it supplied the theme for the Screen Actors’ Guild Third Annual Ball pro¬ gram. Best Screen Play of February I N the most spirited competition since the establishment of an award for the Best Screen Play of the month by The Screen Writers’ Guild, “The Petrified Forest” emerges victorious by a single vote. “The Ghost Goes West” is select¬ ed for first Honorable Mention and “Ceiling Zero” receives second Honor¬ able Mention, getting three votes less than the Best Screen Play winner. “The Petrified Forest” and “Ceiling Zero” were produced by Warner Bros.- First National, wdiile London Films made “The Ghost Goes West.” Also this month, Robert E. Sherwood is credited with half of the six definite divisions of writing work on the three productions. He wins the first Honor¬ able Mention for his screen play of “The Ghost Goes West”, and he is cred¬ ited with the original story on this pic¬ ture as well as the play from which “The Petrified Forest” was adapted; an achievement unique in the history of this poll. It is interesting to note, that Mr. Sherwood wrote “The Ghost Goes West” in London, produced “The Petri¬ fied Forest” as a play in New York, and the screen version of the play was writ¬ ten in Hollywood. Charles Kenyon and Delmer Daves Screen Play Writers of "THE PETRIFIED FOREST" From the play by Robert E. Sherwood Produced by Warner Bros.-First National HONORABLE MENTION "THE GHOST GOES WEST" Original and Screen Play by Robert E. Sherwood Produced by London Films Released by United Artists "CEILING ZERO" Based on the play by Frank Wead Screen Play by Frank Wead Produced by Warner Bros.-First National HE LIST OF LOS ANGELES RELEASES APPEARS ON • 8 Charlie Chaplin as The Tramp in "MODERN TIMES" Produced by Charlie Chaplin Released by United Artists honorablF mention Humphrey Bogart as Duke Mantee in "THE PETRIFIED FOREST" Produced by Warner Bros.-First National Leslie Howard as Alan Squier in "THE PETRIFIED FOREST" Produced by Warner Bros.-First National W ELL - KNOWN scenarists with long lists of successes to their in¬ dividual credit, Charles Kenyon and Delmer Daves wrote the screen play of “The Petrified Forest”. In recent months Mr. Kenyon has written the screen play in collaboration of “A Mid¬ summer Night’s Dream ’ ’ and the story and screen play of “The Girl From Tenth Avenue.” Mr. Daves’ recent credits are the original and screen play of “Shipmates Forever”, the screen play of “Stranded” and the screen play in collaboration of “Page Miss Glory.” Author of the New York stage success on which the picture is based, Frank Wead alone wrote the screen play of “Ceiling Zero” which received the third greatest number of ballots in this month’s selection. Mr. Wead has re¬ ceived credit for writing the screen plays in collaboration of ‘ £ Murder in the Fleet” and “West Point of the Air.” Seventeen of the 39 pictures released in Los Angeles during February re¬ ceived one or more votes in the Febru¬ ary poll which marks the ninth month in which writers have singled out fel¬ low craftsmen for this honor. PAGE 16 The Screen Guilds' Magazine