Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1951)

Friday, December 28, 1951 Motion Picture Daily 7 Rogers Again Tops Poll on Westerns Motion Picture Herald's Money-Making Western Stars poll reflects even slighter variation in public preference than the major section. Roy Rogers is winner of No. 1 rank for the ninth consecutive time. Gene Autry again is runner-up, for the fourth year. Tim Holt gained three rungs on the ladder, finishing third, and Charles Starrett was up this year from seventh to fourth. Rex Allen, a newcomer, finished fifth and Allan Lane, took eighth position. Bill Elliott wound up sixth, Smiley Burnette seventh. Dale Evans, only female star, was ninth, Gabby Hayes was 10th. TOA to Offer Blueprint (Continued from page 1) Guinness, Neagle Win British Poll Alec Guinness is the box-office leader among British players, while for the fifth successive year, Anna Neagle is named as the First Lady of Britain's screen. A record number of 4,524 theatre managers — representing 98.5 per cent of the 4,593 film theatres now in regular operation there— contributed to the collective verdict in Motion Picture Herald's annual poll. Other winners in the British poll were : Jean Simmons, Michael Wilding, Trevor Howard, Alastair Sim, Robert Newton, Jean Kent, Michael Redgrave and Glynis Johns. Also in the British poll, John Wayne held on to his leadership in the Western division. But a newcomer, Alan Ladd, ousted James Stewart from second place. Back of the two came Randolph Scott, Roy Rogers, Joel McCrea and Gene Autry. Those cowboys and injuns still draw the crowds in Britain. diately following its own board meeting in Washington on Feb. 4-6. Meanwhile, H. V. (Rotus) Harvey, president of the Pacific Coast Conference of Independent Theatre Owners, has publicly deplored the taking of "separate roads" toward arbitration by exhibitor organizations, and suggested at the same time an exhibitor organizations congress in New York in February to discuss the setting up of an industry arbitration system. Herman M. Levy, TOA general counsel, on Wednesday concurred in Harvey's suggestion as did a spokesman for the Independent Theatre Owners Association of New York. "For many years," Wolfson said, "the executives and members of TOA have been researching and developing plans for a constructive industry-wide system of arbitration. This research and planning has now been formalized and will be submitted to our board of directors." The board will vote on the content of the plan and the manner in which it will be brought to the attention of distributors and exhibitors, he added. TOA will not espouse its plan as "the one and only solution," Wolfson emphasized. "It is hoped," he continued, "that a formal plan of arbitration may be so finalized that, subsequent to the board action, all distributors and exhibitors will have an adequate understanding of TOA beliefs and of the essentials for implementing a sound arbitration system." 'Money Makers' (Continued from page 1) are newcomers to the Top Ten, but they hardly can be called surprises. Martin and Lewis were voted top spot in the mid-year "Stars of Tomorrow" poll in 1950. Miss Day, a relatively recent recruit to the film musical field, had begun to show poll strength in 1950, finishing 24th. Betty Grable, making her 10th Top Ten appearance this year, and moving up from fourth to third position, headed the list in 1943. Abbott and Costello, who headed the list in 1941, are in the Top Ten this year for the seventh time. Bing Crosby, making his 12th ap pearance in Top Ten company, holds the all-time poll championship, earned by taking down No. 1 position in five consecutive years. Bob Hope, on the Top Ten list for the 11th time, was No. 1 in 1949. Randolph Scott, who was first in eluded in the Top Ten category last year, gained three positions — 10th to seventh — in the 1951 voting. Gary Cooper makes Top Ten this year for the 12th time since 1936. Spencer Tracy is a Top Ten-er this year for the 11th time. Observes The Herald: "The outcome of the 1951 Money "While TOA has never subscribed to an arbitration plan that would be inflexible, or demanded a program that could not be modified or amended, we believe that there are certain fundamentals in developing such a system that all sides will accept and approve. We shall be prepared for those adjustments and compromises that will reflect a solid and unified viewpoint of all concerned — and we shall work wholeheartedly and with good-will toward the adoption of an industryapproved system," Wolfson declared. The TOA president concluded that "there can be no final blueprint for an industry-wide arbitration plan until all elements are able to sit down and evolve the most practical and most workable system for all interested parties." The TOA board meeting, originally scheduled for Jan. 28-30, now has been set to run through Jan. 31, it was reported in Los Angeles by Charles P. Skouras, TOA board chairman, "because of added important items to be included on the agenda." 6 Streetcar' (Continued from page 1) MMPTA Support of Harvey Suggestion Is Indicated The Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatres Association agrees with the suggestion of H. V. (Rotus) Harvey, president of the Pacific Coast Conference of Theatre Owners, that an exhibitor organizations congress should be held in New York shortly to discuss the formation of an industry arbitration system, an MMPTA spokesman indicated "unofficially" yesterday. Making Stars poll of exhibitors is singularly significant in a number of respects. For one, it appears to establish beyond question that the business of the motion picture is by no means so uneasy as the business men who run it. There has been upheaval within the industry, but there has been none within the ranks of the paying public. The public, the poll results show plainly, has undergone no perceptible change of choice, as to personality, nor of liking, as to type of material." The combined circuit-independent exhibitors vote is broken down in the two respective categories as follows : Circuit vote : John Wayne, Martin and Lewis, Bing Crosby, Betty Grable, Bob Hope, Abbott and Costello, Gregory Peck, Gary Cooper, Mario Lanza, Doris Day. Independents' vote : John Wayne, Martin and Lewis, Abbott and Costello, Betty Grable, Randolph Scott, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Spencer Tracy, Gary Cooper, Doris Day. The Canadian poll also revealed a tendency toward straight comedy, and musical comedy performers, as can be seen in the following rating: 1. Bing Crosby ; 2. Bob Hope ; 3. Mario Lanza; 4. Gregory Peck; 5. Abbott & Costello ; 6. Doris Day ; 7. Gary Cooper ; 8. Martin & Lewis ; 9. Dannv Kaye; 10. Betty Hutton. Western stars in Canada lined up as follows among the money-makers : 1. Roy Rogers; 2. Gene Autry; 3. George "Gabby" Hayes; 4. William Royd; 5. Tim Holt; 6. Bill Elliott; 7. Smiley Burnette ; 8. Charles Starrett ; 9. Dale Evans ; 10. Andy Devine. 20th-Fox to Sift (Continued from page 1) agers, seven division chiefs, represen tatives of the international organization and members of the advertisingexploitation-publicity department. The delegates will view four of the studio's major releases for 1952, including "With A Song in My Heart" starring Susan Hayward, Rory Calhoun, David Wayne and Thelma Ritter; "Viva Zapata!" starring Marlon Prando and Jean Peters ; "5 Fingers" starring James Mason, Danielle Darrieux and Michael Rennie and "Return of the Texan" starring Dale Robertson and Joanne Dru. Lichtman will preside at all sessions, with the round-table discussions to be led by Lichtman, W. C. Gehring, assistant general sales manager ; Edwin W. Aaron, Western sales manager, and Arthur Silverstone, Eastern sales manager. Spyros P. Skouras, company president, will participate in all sessions, while vice-president Charles Einfeld will outline advertising, exploitation and publicity plans, assisted by his department heads. It will be the first time in 20th-Fox sales convention history that territorial heads of the company's international organization will join with the firm's domestic representatives according to Murray Silverstone, president of the International corporation. Arriving next week to attend the sessions will be Albert Cornfield, managing director for Europe, Scandinavia, North Africa and the Middle East, with headquarters in Paris ^ Edward D. Cohen, supervisor for South and Central America, and Edward Ugast, Far East manager. Joining "Miracle in Milan," an Italian import produced by Vittorio De _ Sica, as the best foreign language picture of 1951. Joseph Burstyn is distributing in the U. S. It was the fifth award to a foreign film distributed by him. Under the Critics' voting system, a two-thirds vote on any ballot up to the sixth clinches an award. On the sixth and final ballot a simple majority wins. There were 15 members of the Critics' Circle participating in the voting yesterday. "Streetcar" won out over "The River" on the sixth ballot for best picture of the year by a vote of eight to seven. "The River" is a Kenneth McEldowney production, distributed by United Artists. Kazan's award as best director also came on a sixth ballot, by a vote of nine to six, besting George Stephens for his directorial work on Paramount's "A Place in the Sun." The award to Miss Leigh was concluded on the fifth ballot by a vote of 10 to five. The minority ballots went to Shelley Winters for her role in "A Place in the Sun." Kennedy achieved the earliest award, winning by a vote of 10 to five on the third ballot over Marlon Brando for the latter's performance in "Streetcar." "Miracle in Milan" won in the foreign language division by besting RKO Radio's release of the Japanese film, "Rashomon" by a vote of 10 to five on the fourth ballot. The awards will be presented by the Critics late next month at a place to be chosen later. Participating in the balloting were: Bosley Crowther, Abe Weiler and Howard Thompson of the Times; Otis Guernsey, James Barstow and Joseph Pihodna of the Herald-Tribune; Kate Cameron, Wanda Hale and Dorothy Masters of the News'; Alton Cook of the World-Telegram and Sun; Seymour Peck of the Compass; Jane Corby, Brooklyn Eagle; Leo Mishkin, Morning Telegraph, and, voting by proxy, Archer Winsten of the Post and Rose Pelswick, JournalAmerican. Pickman Is Named (Continued from page 1) yesterday. He entered the industry in 1944 when he became a member of the 20th Century-Fox home office advertising and publicity department, after having been in the newspaper and entertainment fields. He was subsequently associated with SelznickVanguard Films and Eagle-Lion, where he was a publicity-advertising department executive. He joined Paramount in 1949. with them in the sessions will be International corporation vice-president Emanuel Silverstone and Leslie Whelan, director of advertising-publicity for the foreign field. CHICAGO, 1327 S. Wabasti • NEW YORK, 630 Ninth Av.