Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-06
FLASHES

sidered a list of the "best
pictures of the past year
A< 10 of the outstanding
photoplays, the big drawing at
fractions of the last IL months
There is another angle to thi.
selection business which is mos
interesting-a glance at the besr
pictures and leading players from
the viewpoint of the exhibitors
It is natural that the exhibitor;
look upon the matter from only
one direction-the monetary value
of the star and the picture. There
fore, the list of best" pictures anc
players selected by the exhibitors
themselves is also a list of the
pictures and players that have
contributed most through the boz
office.
It may surprise the average
movie fan to know that Clara Bow
leads in the exhibitors list. That
is, she leads the feminine stars
while Lon Clancy draws the most
box Office money among the male
stars. Clara, in a recent inveSti-
cation conducted by a photoplay
trade publication, received Use
votes from the exhibitors. Hell
closest competitor was Colleen
Moore, who received 1872 votes
Billie Dove was third, with II
votes, while Bebe Daniels received
63, and Dolores Del Rio, SO. Mary
Pickford was next with So and she
was followed by Marion Davies
80; Laura La Plante, %; Norma
Shearer, 81; Joan Crawford, %;
Janet Gaynor, 10; Greta Carlo
IA: Norma Talmadge, 13, and
Esther Ralston, g. Wilma Banky,
Madge Bellamy, Betty CompSon,
Dorothy Mackaill, Aileen Pringle
and Fay Wray received only two
votes each. Mary AStor, Evelyn
Brent. Milly O'Day, Belle Bennett,
Phyllis Haver and Olive Borden
received one.
The young stars are having
their day, according to the box
Office receipts, the two leaders,
Clara Bow and Colleen Moore, be-
ing among the youngest Of the
top-nOtcherS. The one-time lead
erS, such as Mary Pickford, Con-
stance and Norma Talmadge, are
away down in the voting of the
exhibitors.
Lon CLANCY received I'll votes.
Tom Mix was second with 112, and
John Gilbert took third place with
50. Harold Lloyd came next with
SO, and then in order, Richard Dix,
Sc; William HaineS, IS; Richard
BarthelmesS, 81; Hoot Gibson, So;
Fred Thompson, SO; Ken Maynard,
81; Milton Stills, 40; Douglas Fair
banks, 48; Jack Holt, IS; Ramon
Novarro, 40; Emil JanningS, 81,
and Charlie Chaplin, 26. Lloyd
Hughes, Lew Cody, Rudolph
Schildkraut, Ernest Terrence, H.
B. Warner, Richard Cortez, Doug
las Fairbanks, jr., and Conrad
Veidt received only one vote each.
One noticeable thing about the
voting of the exhibitors is the pop
ularity of the stars of the West
ern pictures, showing that the
wild and woQlly films" remain big
box Office attractions, not only
with children, but with the grown
ups.
TIE exhibitors voted to give first
- place las a box Office attrac-
tom to 'Ben-Hur." This picture
received Isl votes, and second
place went to THE Big Parade"
Seventh Heaven" was third, fol-
lowed closely by Ramona, -
SPEEDY" what Price Glory,
shepherd of the Hills" and Red
Hair" ''The King of Kings" THE
Patent Leather Kid" and Legion
of the Condemned" are well up in
The list.
TT is, of course, natural that these
lists have a string tied to them
They are not selections of the best
pictures of the year, no more than
they are selections of the leading
players of the past IL months. But
after all, the popularity of the
stars and the plays can be pretty
well Judged by the amount of cash
turned in at the box Office. From
the viewpoint Of the exhibitor,
there is only one good picture
the picture which causes the
0cket-Seller to perspire freely
while handing =out paSteboards to
the long lines Of eager patrons.
X X X X
IA ND, while we are about it, just
add these suggested names to
those proposed for the talking
movies: "Pictaphone," "Oralflms, .
'tSynema," "ReeliStic," "Vivavox,'
''Electrophonics," "Se-a-phonic,'
"Dialo," "Diafilm," "Logos" and
'fFotovil." They may not be very
good or entirely appropriate, and
SO we may keep the original name
-"talkies."
THE producers are of the opinion
that the year 1929 will see q
rebirth of the photoplay industry
as a result of the introduction OF
sound pictures, but they are agreed
that the silent film will stay or
the screen. Development of the
sound picture has been the motion
picture sensation of the past few
II S -