Expert: Jim Kason - 7/23/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I'm doing a report for my film class on great films during June 1949 (every person in the class has to pick a month and year to report on, so I picked June 1949 randomly). So, I have 2 questions:

1. Which film had the largest advertising campaign (as in which film got the most publicity) in June 1949?

2. What was the highest grossing film in June 1949 (I read somewhere it was Sorrowful Jones but I don't know if that's true)?

ANSWER: Hi Jason,

Thanks for your question.  It's a tough one !!!  It's hard to come up with the exact films that were released in a certain month,...since studios would announce release dates,..., and then cancel, etc.

Also, ...picking a certain month and year at random,...may turn up Many films...or very Few films.
( Would like to know how you picked That particular month and year?  And, I'd love to know what dates other classmates came up with. Hope you'll let me know the results.)

62 years later,..it's difficult to know which films were the highest grossing, etc.
The industry magazine, "Boxoffice" usually had the grosses of films a month or two after they came
out.  So, you may be able to look that up on the internet ( Google, etc.)

So,...I can only give you a suggestion of what you may be able to use.  There were probably about 23
films released that month, (many from minor studios)...and the Ten main ones seem to be the following.

1. "The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend" (Betty Grable- 20th Cent.Fox. --May/June)
2. "Dumbo" re-release (Disney)
3. "Colorado Territory"
4. "Lust For Gold"
5. "It Happens Every Spring" - 20th
6. "Edward My Son" - (MGM - Spencer Tracy)
8. "The Great Sinner" - (MGM -Gregory Peck)
7. "The Stratton Story" - (MGM - Jimmy Stewart, June Allyson)
9. "Neptune's Daughter" - (MGM - Esther Williams, Red Skelton)
10."The Fountainhead"" -(Warner Bros. - Gary Cooper) in Preview/Premiere showings.
(Incidentally, "Sorrowful Jones" was released the first week in July.)

I'd say the last 3 or 4 (maybe 5) films had the biggest campaigns, and maybe the last 3, the highest grosses.  You can check these out at "Boxoffice" mag, and at:  www.imdb.com ( the movie
data base site.)
(Incidentally, "Sorrowful Jones" was released the first week in July.)

Hope this will help you a bit.  Also check with the other "experts".

Jim K.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks! Variety and The Hollywood Reporter provide film grosses too, right? I picked June 1949 because it's a date of humanity's unique inventiveness(like the waterproof diaper). Other people in my class have chosen May 1977, December 1993, September 1994, and December 1939.

Answer
Thanks for your update.  Yes, I believe that Variety and H'wood Reporter also posted grosses. Re:
choosing years,...I'd imagine that any month in 1939 would have produced fantastic films;...That, of
course was movie's "Golden" year.
JK
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