POPULAR STARS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 March 1939, Page 5

POPULAR STARS

SHIRLEY TEMPLE AGAIN HEADS LIST. POLL AMONGST EXHIBITORS. Shirley Jane Temple, with all but three of her nine and one-half years spent before the lights of the motion picture studio stage, is the one to whom the exhibitors continue to turn as the one who assures them of the most cheering box-office, yeax' in and. year out. Fox- the fourth successive’ season hers is the name the showmen place first of all as the “money making star.” Since 1932 Quigley’s publication in U.S.A, have conducted a poll'amongst film exhibitors to ascertain what screen performers held the ten highest places in popular favour, as indicated by box office receipts. - The ranking of winners for 1938 is revealed as follows: — Shirley Temple 664 votes 1 Clark Gable 560 votes 2 Sonja Henie 380 votes 3 Mickey Rooney 316 votes 4 Spencer Tracy 340 votes 5 Robert Taylox - 270 votes 6 Myrna Loy . 258 votes 7 Jane Withers 256 votes 8 Alice Faye 194 votes 9 Tyrone Power 180 votes 10 Next in order came what are called the “Fifteen Honour Stars,” namely Gary Cooper, 143; Wallace Beery, 142; Bing Crosby, 128; Jeanette MacDonald, 125; Deanna Durbin, 106; Don Ameche, 105; Dorothy Lamour, 102; Ginger Rogers, 95; Nelson Eddy, 92; Bob Burns, 85; Errol Flynn, 84; Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, 76; Irene Dunne, 71; Paul Muni, 70; William Powell, 60. EARLY WINNERS. In setting out the result of the poll, the New York “Motion Picture Herald” recalls that Marie Dressier won the first poll in 1932, and repeated that success in the following season. She was succeeded by another whose memory is also treasured by industry and public alike, Will Rogers. Then came Shirley. The 1934 poll found her already in eighth place. In 1935 she reached first rank. In the 1937 poll Sonja Henie’s personality skated her to eighth ranking with her “Girl in a Million,” her first American motion picture.

There is a parallel this-year in the cases of Mickey Rooney, Alice Faye, and Tyrone Power, in that none of them was within the circle of the twenty-five leaders of 1937. Miss Faye and Tyrone Pow r er came up to ninth and tenth places respectively largely because of two productions in which they co-starred —“In Old Chicago” and “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.” Also among the ten leaders this year is Spencer Tracy. In 1937 Tracy’s steady rise in fame, had taken him to eighteenth place. This year he is fifth

from the top. A possible connection with the rise of the Rooney may be seen in the joint appearances of, Tracy and Rooney in Metro-Goldwyn,-Mayer products, such as “Captains Courageous” and “Boys’ Town,” though “Boys? Town” was released jaw in 1938. Tracy, it will be recalled, won the Academy award of 1937 for his performance in “Captains Courageous” after many, many appearances in motion pictures. A record no less consistent than Shirley Temple’s is that of Clark Gable for year in, year out assurance of good box office for exhibitors in general, according to their ballots. For the third successive poll Gable holds second place. Indeed, his name has been among the ten leaders in each of the seven years.