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Motion Pictures' Greatest Year (MPGY), 1938-1943

 Series
Identifier: CWLK 102-109

Scope and Contents

In the fall of 1938 the motion picture industry ran a a contest, called Motion Pictures' Greatest Year (MPGY), to increase attendance at local theaters by promoting that year's movies. Contestants who correctly answered a series of questions about current movies were eligible for prizes ranging from $10 to$50,000. The promotion was organized as an independent corporation with the participation of the major movie companies and local theaters.

Frank Walker served as the corporation's treasurer; his duties included collecting money from participating theaters and companies, keeping accounts for the receipts and expenditures of the corporation, and helping to pay out the prize money. The records from the promotion include correspondence, contracts, lists of contest rules, participating theaters, and winners, daily and weekly reports of receipts and expenditures, canceled checks, expense receipts and purchase orders, and records of the money collected from participating theaters.

The Walker Papers do not include extensive records from the Comerford family business, which Frank Walker served as general counsel and eventually president. Working with his Uncle Mike (M.C.) Comerford and his cousin Mike (M.B.) Comerford, he was responsible for the legal arrangements between Comerford Enterprises and their national chain of theaters, many of which were part owned by local investors. In 1930 the Comerford theater interests were sold to Paramount, but by 1933 Paramount was bankrupt and in receivership. As part of the company's reorganization, Comerford Enterprises was brought back into the theater business to help run the chain. This relationship lasted until 1949 when it was dissolved as part of the federal government's anti-trust suit against the motion picture industry.

The Correspondence Series does include letters concerning the family business, which operated from a New York office at 1600 Broadway. Some of this correspondence is filed under the name of the business, but most of it is filed by name of correspondent as is the case with most of the letters in the Correspondence Series. The Memoirs Series has a draft of Walker's recollections of his work with the Comerford companies and articles and clippings about the 1949 anti-trust settlement.

Dates

  • Creation: 1938-1943

Language of Materials

English.

Repository Details

Part of the University of Notre Dame Archives Repository

Contact:
607 Hesburgh Library
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