Anna Neagle Heads Popularity Ballot

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23061, 11 June 1938, Page 16 (Supplement)

Anna Neagle Heads Popularity Ballot

WIDE INTEREST IN FILM [from our own correspondent] LONDON, May 28 . The climax to the world-success of "Victoria the Great" comes with the announcement that Anna Neagle has been awarded the gold medal in the Picturegoer Weekly ballot for tho finest woman's acting performance of the year in recognition of her playing of Queen Victoria in that film. As the competition is open to "allcomers," including the Hollywood stars, this represents a very high honour. Actually, the. percentage of votes cast in favour of Miss Neagle is one of the heaviest ever recorded in this annual competition and shows an overwhelming majority over the rest. Another significant fact is that many of the votes for Miss Neagle came from the Continent and from overseas, demonstrating the widespread interest that has been taken in the film, and making a happy augury for the success of "Sixty Glorious Years," the companion picture to ''Victoria the Great," in which she is shortly to start work, i Another individual honours secured through "Victoria the Great" is the placing of Anton Walbrook, the Prince Consort in the film, as second among the men. The distinction is all the more remarkable, as this was his first British film. It confirms the opinion of Mr. Herbert Wilcox, who produced and directed "Victoria the Great," that in Anton Walbrook he has a striking new personality.