A week or so ago Joyce Miller send a posting requesting titles on

          30s films featuring southern women as well as information on  the

          decade's  top  grossing  films.  On   the   latter  point  first,

          unfortunately there is  no uniform, accurate guide  to  the  most

          popular films  of  the decade. Each  of  the various trades (Film

          Daily,  MP Herald, Variety, etc.) published their  own  lists  of

          varying   length   most   years.   Sometimes   the   titles   are

          complimentary, other times contradictory. It is these lists which

          have  been reprinted literally and uncritically in  later  books.

          And  of  course  the  figures  do   not  measure  the  degree  of

          profitability based upon the original budget of  the picture. Nor

          does the mention of  a  film as  a moneymaker necessarily reflect

          the  more  (?) accurate bookkeeping of  the studio. For instance,

          several sources list  THE  LOST PATROL as among the  most popular

          films of 1934, which is contradicted by studio records, per  Rick

          Jewell, author of The RKO Story.

          Second, if  you  will excuse my personal bias  for  the films  of

          Robert  Florey,  you  might  check  into MOUNTAIN MUSIC, starring

          Martha Raye.  It  is  a  rather bizarre hillbilly musical comedy,

          bordering  on  the screwball, set  in  Arkansas, starring  Martha

          Raye--most notable because  it  was Paramount's top grossing film

          for  the summer of 1937. It  will certainly give  you  a contrast

          between what is remembered now and what was popular at the time.

          Brian Taves, Library of Congress

                                 Tavesmail.loc.gov