The Washington times., 1930-01-07
GLEANINGS
AND
SCREENINGS
By Andrew R. Kelley

through the ten best movies OF
1929 as nominated by two dozen
or more metropolitan critics pre-
sumed to know what's what and
who's who in cinemadom.
One emergeS a little dizzy
after scanning so many varied
opinions, but a haSty concensus
arrives at this conclusion; that
the best actors at present per-
forming for the screen are:
George ArliSs, whose art as
exemplified for the cameras and
InicrophoneS in "DiSraeh" won
universal commendation.
Ruth Chatterton, whose work
in Madam x" and "The Doc
tors Secret" among other film
features, commendS as the most
sensitive and forceful issued
from the movie lots.
Greta Carlo, as the only
screen player Of mazda promi-
nence who was enabled to retain
her extensive following without
recourse to the audible films.
Now the singular thing about
these collective findings is that
the first two stars awarded this
unofficial laurel are not what
the motion picture industry
recognizes as box office" play
ers. The mere fact that they
know their business from the
ground up, that they possess all
the arts and the articles
needed to plunge the serious
minded writer's into ecStaSies
of praise, does not wipe out the
fact that they are yet some
steps removed from Clara Bow
and William Haines as magnets
to lure the cash customer to
the ticket windows.
You might gather from this
that the pictures which appeal
strongest to the intelligentsia-
and we include the critics In
this category-are not neces-
sarily the ones which make the
most money. In that Surnlise
you would be substantially coz,
rect. In the movies it is not
always the best actor who gets
the most money. It is possible
to name a half dozen: four.
figure salary stars who can't
act a lick, bat they happen to
have a following nevertheless,
ten times as great and more
than their more experienced
brethren of the legitimate
stage.
The point of all this is that
II it were possible to congregate
the men who buy the first run
movies for Washington into a
room and ask them to pick the
ten best pictures of 1929, they
would be very likely to choose
the ten features which coralled
the healthiest box office state
mentSs or in simpler language,
those which made or will make
the most money. 1 think their
selections would, without a doubt
contain-not necessarily in Or
der-the following pictures, as
among the best box-office bets:
l. THE Cockeyed World"
2. Gold Diggers of Broad
way"
8. Gloria Swanson in THE
Trespasser."
4. Hollywood Revue. i
5. Janet Gaynor and Charles
Farrell in Sunny Side Up"
6. Bebe Daniels in "Rio Rita"
7. Harold Lloyd in Welcome
Danger
8. Show of Shows"
9. Broadway Melody"
10. Al Jolson in THE Sing
ing Fool"
To carry this mythical all
American selection "a mite
further. One hundred critics,
selected catch as catch can
would be likely to nominate the
ten best pictures. regardless of
box office and all other con-
Siderations as follows:
/. George Arliss in "Disraeli."
2. Norma Shearer in Last of
Mrs. Cheyney."
8. Ruth Chatterton in
MADAME X"
4. Ronald Colman in Bull
dog Drummond"
5. King Vidor's "Halleluiah'
s! Mary and Doug in "Tam-
Ing of the Shrew."
7. Chester Morris in "Alibi."
Valiant"
9; Jeanne Esgels in "The
. 10: claudette Colbert in "The
Lady Lies"
Anybody who cares to can
pick these selections to pieces
and I hope the pickin' is good.
You will notice that Greta
Carlo is left off both lists,
That is because she could 90
on either one and who will
challenge her right? William
Haines seems to be able to
crack Loew's Palace box office
record any time he appears but
I doubt if he has the same
national appeal. Clara Bow is
missing because her 1929
features were not startlingly
successful
Nor will Maurice Chevalier
In Paramount's Love Parade"
and John BARRYMORE in "C1a,,