Boxoffice-July.01/1950

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Moy'ies Are Better Than Ever Drive Goes Over
13,000 Entries the Payoff
In Giant Denver Contest
DENVER—More than 13.000 entries an;!
more than 50 full pages of publicity driving
home the slogan Movies Aie Better Than
Ever came out of the Great Movie Contest
originated by the Rocky Mountain News,
sponsored by all Denver daily newspapers
and motion picture theatres in tlie area.
The contest, originated by Jack Poster
editor of the Rocky Mountain News, featured
newspaper photographs of scenes from
old and new motion pictures. The contestants
were to identify the film from which
the scene came. For instance a scene from
"The Good Earth." with comment telling
why it was a great film, would be shown
next to a scene from "The Bicycle Thief."
The contestant would write in the name of
the unidentified picture and accompany his
entry with a comment telling why he believed
it to be a great film.
Winner of the $1,000 grand prize, raised
in cash by Denver theatres, was Mrs. R. J.
Harrison of 2140 S. William St., Denver.
Named best by an independent board of
judges of all the comments received was
Mrs. Harrison's opinion of why "Sands of
Iwo Jima" was a great film.
"It projects us so close to the sides of
its heroes that the war becomes no bigger
than the bullet hole in a man's heart." Mrs.
Harrison wrote. She and 39 other persons
were winners of special Honor award courtesy
cards good at any theatre in Colorado for
the remainder of 1950. Two of the pas.ses
were awarded each day during the 20-day
period in whicli the News published photographs
and information about fine old films
and tlieir counterparts of today.
The contest compared "The Jazz Singer'
and "Jolson Sings Again. " Can't Take
It With You" and "Cheaper by the Dozen."
'The Informer " "The Third Man."
"Snow White" and "Cinderella." "Shoulder
Arms" and "Francis." "The Good Earth"
and "The Bicycle Thief." "Broadway Melody"
and "The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady."
"The Ten Commandments" and "Samson
and Delilah." "All Quiet on the Western
Fi-ont" and "Battleground," "The Barretts
of Wimpole Street" and "The Heiress." "It
Happened One Night"" and "Adam"s Rib."
"The Big Parade" and "Sands of Iwo Jima.
"Imitation of Life" and "My Foolish Heart."
"Hell's Angels'" and "Twelve O'clock High."
"The Front Page" and "All the King's Men."
"Public Enemy" and "Champion." "Stage
Coach " "Fled River." "Min and Bill"
and "Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town." "City
Lights" and "Sitting Pretty" and "Fortysecond
Street" and "The Red Shoes."
MGM to Release 13 for Four Months,
Making Total of 40 for the Year
NEW YORK—MGM will release a minimum
of 13 pictures for the four months
starting September 1. according to William F.
Rodgers. vice-president arad general sales
manager. This is an increase of three over
the corresponding period in 1949.
With these 13 films for the balance of
1950, the company will have a total of 40
pictures, including one reprint, for the calendar
year. This compares with 35 films, two
of them reprints, for the calendar year 1949.
Five of the new films will be in Technicolor.
one each for September. October and November
and two in December.
The three September releases will be:
"Summer Stock." in Technicolor, starring
Judy Garland and Gene Kelly; "A Life of
Her Own." starring Lana Turner and Ray
Milland. and 'Devil's Doorway." starring
Robert Taylor with Louis Calhern.
For October, the three releases will be:
"Toast of New Orleans," in Technicolor, with
Kathryn Grayson and Mario Lanza; "Right
Cross," starring June AUyson and Dick Powell,
and "To Please a Lady," starring Clark
Gable and Barbara Stanwyck.
The three November releases will be: "King
Solomon's Mines." in Technicolor. Deborah
Kerr and Stewart Granger; "The Violent
Hour." with Marshall Thompson starring and
Keefe Brasselle. and "The Tender Hours,"
starring Jane Powell and Ricardo Montalban.
Four pictures will be released in December.
They &re: "Kim." in Technicolor, starring
Errol Flynn with Dean Stockwell; "Watch the
Birdie." starring Red Skelton with Arlene
Dahl; "Cause for Alarm." starring Loretta
Young with Barry Sullivan, and "Pagan Love
Song." in Technicolor, starring Esther Williams.
Howard Keel. Ricardo Montalban and
Cyd Charisse.
No general release dates have been set for
three pictures being given special handling.
"Annie Get Your Gun." "Stars in My Crown"
and "The Next Voice You Hear .
."
.
The July-August releases are: "Crisis."
"Duchess of Idaho." "The Happy Years" and
"Mystery Street" in July and "The Miniver
Story," "Three Little Words" and "Lady
Without Passport" in August.
DeerPu ts in Appearance
At Sioux City Uptown
Sioux City, Iowa—An uninvited gruest
star put in an appearance at an evening
performance of the Uptown Theatre here
recently, startling many theatre patrons.
The uninvited visitor was a deer.
The atmosphere of the theatre, which
had a western on the bill at the time,
was heightened when the deer dashed
into the candy shop adjoining the lobby
of the Uptown. Patrons were more
startled than frightened when the doe
raced around the candy store trying to
get through the show windows. Finally
she went out the same way she came
and when last seen was heading down
Stone Park boulevard.
Youngstein Is Named
V-P of Paramounl
NEW YORK — Max E. Young.stein. who
joined Paramount just a year ago as director
of advertising, publicity
and exploitation,
has been named a
vice-president and a
member of the board
of directors of Paramount
Film Distributing
Corp. Announcement
of the honor was
made jointly by
Barney Balaban, president
of Paramount
Pictures Corp.. and A.
W. Schwalberg. president
of Paramount Max E. Youngstem
Film Distributing Corp.
A luncheon for Youngstein was given by
his associates Wedne.sday