Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), Saturday 31 December 1949, page 4


TOPS AT HOME

BRITISH STARS OUST BING

LONDON, December 30 (Special). — Britain's Anna Neagle and Michael Wilding drew more people to British

cinemas in 1949 than stars of any other nationality. Thai is the judgment of an exhibitors' poll run by the publication Motion Picture Herald, based on actual tak ings in nearly all cinemas throughout Britain.

Anna Neagle

Wilding

The result is considered apt comment on suggestions that the British cannot make successful pictures. Anna Neagle and Michael Wilding who are the first British stars to lead in the 14 years that the poll has been taken, pushed Bing Crosby from the top. The poll's list of interna-tional stars is: Anna Neagle, Michael Wilding, Bob Hope, Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby, Jane Wynan, Alan Ladd, John Mills, Jean Simmons, and Betty Grable.

10 best films The 10 films taking the most money in Britain were: "The Third Man" (British), 'Johnny Belinda,' 'Maytime In Mayfalr' (British), 'Scott of the Antarctic' (British), 'Pale Face,' 'Ea-ster Parade,' 'Blue Lagoon' (British), 'Red River.' 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,' 'The Hasty Heart' (British). Popular British stars be sides those already mentioned appearing In British films are: Margaret Lockwood. Richard Attenborough, Stew art Granger, Michael Deni son. David Farrar, and Jack Warner. American moneymakers be sides the above-mentioned are : Abbott and Costello. John Wayne, Gary Cooper. Cary Grant. Esther Williams. Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gahle. British film production plans revealed to-day sur prisingly disclose that, des pite the film Industry crisis, 1950 will be one of the best years in the industry's his-tory.

Production schedules now completed by all but a hand-ful of studios show that 44 new British films are plan-ned for the yenr. The figure may be upwards of 60 when the remaining in dependent producers an-nounce their plans. BOB HOPE No. 1 IN U.S. NEW YORK, December 30 (A.A.P.).—Bob Hope has been roted lop box office nfnr of 1949 in a poll of United States film exhibi-tors conducted by the trade magazine. Motion Picture Herald. Hope defeated his friend and partner Bing Crosby, who had held first place for five successive years. Runners-up were the Bud Abbott — Lou Costello team, John Wayne, Gary Cooper. Cary Grant, Betty Grable, Esther Williams, Humphrey Bogart, and Clark Gable. Although she was among the leading 10 in the previous three years, Ingrid Bergman was not named in the first 25 selections this year.