The Film Daily (1931)

THE '2&2k DAILY Thursday, January 22, 1931 Best Pictures of 1930 Selected in Nation -Wide Poll Participation in Annual Event Reflects Growing Interest (Continued from Page 1) poll. Thus the results announced in this national contest represents the last analysis and final essence of all selections — the best of all ten bests. A special factor operating in favor of "All Quiet on the Western Front," was the great amount of controversy aroused by this picture in Europe. This kept "All Quiet" in the newspaper headlines almost consistently. "All Quiet on the Western Front" was produced by Universal from the best-seller by Erich Maria Remarque. Lewis Milestone directed it. Louis Wolheim, Lew Ayres and John Wray are the featured players and others in the cast include Raymond Griffith, "Slim" Summerville, Russell Gleason, William Bakewell, Scott Kolk, Beryl Mercer, Walter Browne Rogers, Ben Alexander, Owen Davis, Jr., Edwin Maxwell, Harold Goodwin, Marion Clayton, Richard Alexander, Pat Collins, Yola D'Avrfl, Arnold Lucy, Bill Irving, Joan Marsh. Edmund Breese, Heinie Conklin and Bertha Mann. The adaptation was by Maxwell Anderson, screen story by George Abbott, dialogue by Anderson and Abbott, continuity by Del Andrews, and musical score and synchronization by David Broekman. Arthur Edeson was cameraman, C. Roy Hunter recording engineer, and Nate Watt assistant director. Art direction was handled by Charles D. Hall and W. R. Schmitt. Second place on the "Ten Best" list goes to "Abraham Lincoln," produced and directed by David Wark Griffith for United Artists release Walter Huston played the title role, with Una Merkel opposite him. The story, scenario and dialogue were supplied bv Stephen Vincent Benet and Gerrit Lloyd. Karl Strus handled the camera work, Harold Witt was recording engineer, Tame Smith and Hal Kern did the editing art direction was in the hands of William Cameron Menzies, and Walter Israel had charge of costumes. Supporting cast included Kay Hammond, Jason Robards, Ian Ke'th, Otto Hoffman, Hobart Bosworth, Henrv B. Walthall, Helen Freeman. W. L Thome, Lucille La Verne, Edgar Deering and E. Allyn Warren. Pathe's "Holiday," starring Ann Harding, is third. Edward H. Griffith directed, from the play by Philip Barry, with scenario and dialogue by Horace Jackson. The M-G-M Again Leads M-G-M, which had four pictures in the 1929 "Ten Best" list, again walks off w;th th? biggest number of 1930 winners. It has three this year. The 1930 Roil of Honor No. of Picture Votes Dawn Patrol 78 Sarah and Son 77 Common Clay 73 Outward Bound 73 Love Parade 68 Whoopee 59 Big Trail 55 Laughter 54 LeT Us Be Gay 52 Min and Bill 43 Street of Chance 43 Tom Sawyer 42 Rogue Song 39 Sunny Side Up 38 General Crack 37 Vagabond King 36 Monte Carlo 35 Animal Crackers 31 Romance 31 Green Goddess 28 Seven Days' Leave 25 Young Man of Manhattan. 25 Picture No. of Votes Tol'ahle David 24 Manslaughter 23 White Hell of Pitz Palu.. 22 Men Without Women 22 Devil's Holiday 20 King of Jazz 20 Up the River 20 Sin Takes a Holiday 19 Song O' My Heart 19 Lady Surrenders 17 Lummox 17 Doorway to Hell 17 Unholy Three 16 Ladies of Leisure 14 Moby Dick 14 So This Is London 14 Case of Sergeant Grischa.. 13 Grumpy 13 Man from Blankley's 13 Africa Speaks 12 Condemned 11 Just Imagine 10 cameraman was Norbert Brodine; recording engineers, D. A. Cutler and Harold Stine; editor, Dan Mandel; art director, Carroll Clark; assistant director, Paul Jones; costumes, Gwen Wakeling. In the star's support are ' Mary Astor, Edward Everett Horton, Robert Ames, Hedda Hopper, Monroe Owsley, William Holden, Elizabeth Forrester, Mabel Forrest, Creighton Hale, Hallam Cooley and Mary Elizabeth Forbes. "Journey's End," Tiffany production, comes fourth. This was directed by James Whale, who won a place among The Film Daily's "Ten Best Directors of 1929-30" on the strength of his work in this production, his first screen effort. Colin Give, who also appeared in the stage version, was starred in th": picture. R. C. Sheriff authored it Joseph Moncure March did the scenario and dialogue, Benjamin Kline handled the camera work. Bud Myers was sound engineer, Hervey Libbert was art director, and Claude Berkely edited. Supporting cast includes Ian MacLaren. David Manners. Anthony Bushell, Billy Bevan. Charles Gerrard, Robert A'Dair. Thomas Whitely, Tack Pitcairn and Warner Klinger. Fifth and sixth places are held bv "Anna Christie" and "The Big House," M-G-M productions, each getting the same number of votes "Anna Christie" was directed by Clarence Brown, another member of the "Ten Best Directors" of last season. Greta Garbo starred in the picture, which is from the play bv Eugene O'Neill. Frances Marion did the adaptation: the cameraman wa<William Daniels; recording engineer. Douglas Shearer: art director. Cedric Gibhons: editor, Hugh Wynn In the supporting cast are Charles Bickford, George F. Marion, Marie Dressier, James T. Mack and Lee Phelps. George Hill directed "The Big House," written by Frances Marion, who also did the dialogue with additions by Joe Franham and Martin Flavin. Harold Wenstrom handled the camera work, Douglas Shearer was sound engineer; Blanche Sewell, editor; Cedric Gibbons, art director. Principal players include Wallace Beery, Chester Morris, Robert Montgomery, Karl Dane, Leila Hyams Lewis Stone, George F. Marion, J C. Nugent, Dewitt Jennings, Mathew Betz, Claire McDowell, Robert Emmet O'Connor, Tom Kennedy, Tom Wilson, Eddie Foyer, Roscoe Ates and Fletcher Norton. "With Byrd at the South Pole," released by Paramount, is seventh on the list. It was made bv the RearAdmiral Richard E. Byrd expedition. The cameramen were Joseph Rucker and Willard Vanderveer. Emanuel Cohen edited the film, which was supplied with a synchronized narrative by Floyd Gibbons. Silent titles were by Julian Johnson. "The Divorce." M-G-M production starring Norma Shearer and directed by Robert Z. Leonard, comes eighth. Continuity and dialogue were supplied by John Meehan. who wrote the scenario from the story by Ursula Parrott, with treatment by Nick Grinde and Zelda Sears. Norbert Brodin was the cameraman; Douglas Shearer, recording engineer: Hugh Wynn, film editor: Cedric Gibbons, art director; Adrian, costumes. Supporting play ers include Chester Morris, Conrad Nagel, Robert Montgomery, Florae Eldridge. Helene Millard, Robert Elliott. Mary Doran, Tyler Brooke. Zelda Sears, George Irving and Helen Johnson. Ninth place goes to "Hell's Aneels," produced and directed bv Howard Hughes for United Artist* release. Jean Harlow. Ben Lvon and James Hall are featured in th^ cast. Story is by Marshall Neilan and Joseph Moncure March, w:th dialogue by March and scenario by Harry Behn and Howard Estabrook. The cameraman was Tony Gaudio; sound engineer, Lodge Cunningham; art directors, J. Boone Fleming and Carroll Clarke; editors, Douglas Biggs, Perry Holligsworth and Frank Lawrence; assistant directors, Reginald Callow, William J. Scully and Fred A. Fleck; supporting cast, Jane Winton, Lucien Prival, John Darrovv, Frank Clarke, Ray Wilson, Douglas Gilmore, Wyndham Standing, Carl Van Haartman, F. Schumann-Heink, Pat Somerset and William Von Brinken. George Arliss in "Old English," Warner Bros, picture, winds up the list. This was directed by Alfred E. Green, one of the "Ten Best Directors" of 1929-30 and whose "Disraeli," starring Arliss, headed the 1929 "Ten Best" poll — Green being the only director to repeat from last year. "Old English" is from the John Galsworthy play, adapted by Walter Anthony and Maude Howell. The cameraman was James Van Trees; editor, Owen Marks, costumes, Earl Luick; supporting players, Leon Janney, Doris Lloyd, Betty Lawford, Ivan Simpson, Harrington Reynolds, Reginald Sheffield. Murray Kinnell, Ethel Griffies and Henrietta Goodwin. OTHER NOTABLE PICTURES About a dozen other outstanding releases of 1930 suffered a handicap in thy? voting due to either having been released so late in the season that their distribution had not been effected over a majority of the country, or having been released so early in the year that the critics' memory of the pictures was dimmed by later events. In this category are "Tom Sawyer," "Outward Bound," "Sunnv Side Up," "The Love Parade," "Sarah and Son," "Lummox," "Sin Takes a Holiday," and others. Ernst Lubitsch, director of "Love Parade," and Herbert Brenon, director of "Lummox," both won places among the "Ten Best Directors" of the past season as a result of their work on these productions. Failure of "Common Clay" to come in with the first ten was somewhat of a surprise inasmuch as this big box-office attraction from Fox played such an important part in jacking up attendance last summer and fall when theater business was at its lowest. Para. Heads Honors Paramount has repeated its performance in number of pictures on the "Honor Roll," heading the list with 13. Fox follows with 8, then Warners with 6, M-G-M with 5, Columbia, United Artists and Universal with 3 each, and RKO, First National and Pathe with one each.