The box office check-up of 1935 (1936)

DIRECTORS BOX OFFICE CHAMPION fl Commenting a bit mathematically on their relative fortunes at key box offices by MILTON WATT CASTING an analytical glance over the shoulder at a lengthy procession of box office motion pictures which brought many theatres throughout the country out of the red during the past year, the mental .machinery comes to an abrupt halt on the question, "Who is responsible for making box office bellringers?" The film salesman votes for his company and sells the trade name; exhibitor roots for the players, plastering his marquee with a star-studded alphabet. The producer claims distinction for selection of story material and cast. The writer and player usually claim direct and whole responsibility for the box office champ. To a certain degree, they're all correct. But the man who usually sleeps on a spiked bed during production is the director; that retiring gent who works the hardest, takes the rap when the picture flops and gets all too little credit when the nickels and dimes begin to play an incessant stacatto in the theatre cash register. "It's usually the director, who places on a film the deciding touch; changing debits to credits and in chameleon fashion blends the red into a rosy hue. Thus an analysis of the directors who turned out the Box Office Champions of 1935, which were selected by nationwide reports from key theatres to Motion Picture Herald, and their records for the year just passed, produces the following facts: Out of approximately 475 pictures shown throughout the nation during 1935, 96 were in the big money category. 65 directors accounted for these 96 champions. Three of these 65 directors proved to be the most consistent box office directors of the year. They are W. S. Van Dyke, David Butler and Lloyd Bacon, who each turned in four pictures named Box Office Champions. Each director had one picture that remained in the championship class for two months in a row; a record for other directors to shoot at. Van Dyke hit high-C at the box office with the MGM films, "Hideout," "Forsaking All Others," "I Live My Life" and "Naughty Marietta." The last named picture, starring Jeanette MacDonald, dragged in the important money for two months in succession, out-grossing many productions that came into the market on later bookings. Van Dyke has been turning out repeated . winners in successive years and has displayed a versatile technique adaptable to any type of story handed him. David Butler, veteran director, contributed the Champions "Handy Andy," "Bright Eyes," "Little Colonel" and "Doubting Thomas." The Shirley Temple vehicle, "Bright Eyes," was assigned by box office figures fo the Champion level for ' fwo months. All were produced under the Fox and 20th Century-Fox banner. Lloyd Bacon, Warner contract director, played a musical tune on theatre cash registers with "Here Comes the Navy," "Six Day Bike Rider," "Broadway Gondolier" and "The Irish in Us." e^Si* An interesting sidelight on the selection of money winners is the fact that two foreign directors with foreign-produced films came into the Championship limelight. Harold Young contributed the GaumontBritish picture, "The Scarlet Pimpernel," and Paul Gziner directed "Escape Me Never," both of which cut fancy figures at the box office, outgrossing many American pictures from major companies. Victor Schertzinger directed a triple Champion in the Grace Moore starring vehicle, "One Night of Love." Schertzinger registered a surprise among exhibitors throughout the nation by contributing a film which was still at the top of the heap after three months of exhibition throughout the country. Th e success of "One Night of Love," which might not have reached the apex had it not been for skillful direction, was in a way a production "freak," which catapulted Miss Moore to stardom on her first picture. The word "freak," however, does not indicate any deficiency in production. Contrarily, this film has been recognized as one of the finest pictures ever to come out of Hollywood studios. Schertzinger immediately followed up with another money Champion in "Love Me Forever," also starring Miss Moore. Th is one, however, was a Champion for only one month. The box office "gong" sounded three times during 1935 for John Ford, Roy Del Ruth and Norman Taurog. John Ford, directing for 20th CenturyFox, brought the "scheckels" pouring in with "Judge Priest" and "Steamboat Round the Bend," both starring the late Will Rogers, and "The Whole Town's Talking," an outside picture for Columbia. The value of musicals to the film entertainment field is evident in the record of Del Ruth. He directed "Kid Millions," "Folies Bergere" and "Broadway Melody of 1936." All three musicals brought in record grosses throughout the country. Norman Taurog fooled the nation's critics by making a box office winner out of "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch," which, despite adverse criticism at the preview, brought the customers flocking and chalked up new records. His other directorial efforts during the year that made important money were "College Rhythm" and "The Big Broadcast of 1936." The last two named are additional evidence of fhe drawing power of musicals. Surprisingly, the pictures directed by Ford, Del Ruth and Taurog were only onemonth Champions. A total of 13 directors brought in films that proved to be two-month Champions. These directors and their Champions were David Butler, "Bright Eyes"; Ray Enright, "Dames"; Lloyd Bacon, "Broadway Gondolier"; W. S. Van Dyke, "Naughty Marietta"; Mark Sandrich, "The Gay Divorcee"; Irving Cummings, "Curly Top"; Richard Boleslawski, "Les Miserables"; Harold Young, "Scarlet Pimpernel" (foreign); William Seiter, "Roberta"; James Whale, "Bride of Frankenstein"; E. H. Griffith, "No More Ladies"; Rouben Ma[TURN TO PAGE 144] THE BOX OFFICE CHECK-UP OF 1935 15