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MGH/i's 'Because You're Mine' Wim<br />
)^i November Blue Ribbon Award<br />
By DOROTHY F.<br />
MARTIN<br />
pOR THE SECOND TIME in the 1952-53 season Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has brought in<br />
a winner in the balloting for the BOXOFFICE Blue Ribbon Award. "Because You'r<br />
Mine," starring Mario Lanza, has been voted the honor for the best motion picture!<br />
suitable for family entertainment by members of the National Screen Council. The!<br />
picture will please a large segment of the public as there is popular music and an "ultra|<br />
modern" story for the "folks" and operatic airs for those who appreciate the classic.<br />
Lanza has a large following among moviegoers, especially since his smash hit in "The!<br />
Great Caruso," and he has received a great deal of publicity in the past few months I<br />
during which his altercation with his producers has kept his name on the front pagesi<br />
of the nation's newspapers. He has been given a newcomer to motion pictures as hisi<br />
co-star, Doretta Morrow, from the cast of the stage hit, "The King and I," and strongl<br />
support is offered by James Whitmore as a tough top sergeant. The picture was pro-|<br />
duced by Joe Pasternak and directed by Alexander Hall.<br />
Reports from 19 key cities show the picture<br />
is doing business which carries it well<br />
into the hit class with an average of 133 per<br />
cent. "Because You're Mine" did a recordbreaking<br />
300 in Philadelphia, with high<br />
bo.xoffice figures comTng in from Denver,<br />
New York, Buffalo, Los Angeles and San<br />
Francisco. It is a picture with small-town<br />
draw as well, with Lanza's recent recordings<br />
selling 1,000,000 copies each.<br />
BOXOFFICE Review Digest gives the film<br />
a 12-(- rating. Lanza sings 15 numbers in<br />
all, including arias from "Norma" and<br />
"Cavalleria Rusticana" for the highbrow<br />
patrons and "Granada" and the title tune,<br />
now a best-seller, for popular appeal<br />
"Because You're Mine" was the choice of<br />
National Screen Council members by a wide<br />
margin and their comments indicate they<br />
feel it measures up in every respect to their<br />
well-worn yardstick marked with entertainment<br />
values for all age groups. Writing in<br />
the Knoxville (Tenn.) Journal, Malcolm<br />
Miller says of the picture, "It is a sumptuous<br />
musical with grand opera excerpts for<br />
those who like to feast on great music,<br />
popular music for those who prefer that<br />
tjfpe and riotous comedy that would move<br />
.<br />
.<br />
a sphinx to laughter." Ai-t Preston of sta-l<br />
tion WIDE, Biddeford (Me.i, cornrnents,!<br />
"Mario again thrills you with hi.s voice.f<br />
His singing of 'The Lord's Prayer' i' mag-|<br />
nificent."<br />
From Minneapolis, Leonard Santwire.l<br />
film critic, writes, "Melodious, magical.f<br />
mighty musical channeled to please!<br />
family audiences Lanza and Morrow!<br />
a good duo." From Allen M. Widem of thel<br />
Hartford (Conn.) Times comes th:= opin-l<br />
ion, "Another pleasing musical ir. MGM|<br />
tradition."<br />
And from Genevieve Hackett, M. P. chair-i<br />
man D.C.C.W., Kansas City, comes thlsl<br />
estimate, "This amusing and most enjoy-l<br />
able picture has an almost perfect score.l<br />
Excellent art, good production, directioni<br />
and photography, with an army background!<br />
and Mario Lanza's wonderful voice taking!<br />
in everytliing, opera, ballads and modern!<br />
songs with equal ease. His rendition of!<br />
'The Lord's Prayer' is exquisite and the|<br />
dramatic highlight of the picture. Doretti<br />
Morrow, che new soprano, gives a good|<br />
account of herself and James Whitmor<br />
nearly steals the show at times. The teen-l<br />
agers will love it."<br />
The Cast<br />
Renaldo Rossano<br />
Bridget Batterson<br />
Sgt. Batterson<br />
Ben. Jones<br />
Francesca Landers<br />
Patty Ware<br />
Mrs. Montville<br />
Mario Lanza<br />
Doretta Morrow<br />
James Whitmore<br />
Dean Miller<br />
Paula Corday<br />
Jeff Donnell<br />
Spring Byincton<br />
Gen. Montville<br />
Curtis Cooksek<br />
Cavt. Burton Nordell Loring....'Don Port<br />
Albert Parkso7i Foster Eduard Frak<br />
Artie Pilcer<br />
Bobby 'Van<br />
Horsey Ralph Reed<br />
Mrs. Rossano<br />
Celi Lovsk<br />
Maestro Paradori Alexander Steinert<br />
Production<br />
Staii<br />
Production Chief<br />
Directed by<br />
Produced by<br />
Screenplay by<br />
Dore Schary<br />
Alexander Hall<br />
Joe Pasternak<br />
Karl Tunberg,<br />
Leonard Spigelgass<br />
Based on story by. ...Rvth Brooks Flippen,<br />
Sy Gomberc<br />
M7isical Direction Johnny Green<br />
Color by Technicolor<br />
Director of Photography<br />
Joseph Ruttenberg. A.S.C.<br />
Technicolor Color Consitliant<br />
Henri Jaffa, James Gooch<br />
Art Directors<br />
Cedric Gibbons,|<br />
William Ferrari<br />
U<br />
This Award is given each month by the N.itioniil Screen Council on the b.isis of outst.in(lino merit<br />
and suiUibilily tor family entertainment. Council mcmbersnio comoriscs motion oicture editors, radio<br />
film conimentalort. and representatives o( betttr film councils, civic and educational orBanizatlons.
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