Seating list for the Twenty-sixth Annual Luncheon of the National Board of Review, held at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City on November 16, 1940, with Disney listed in the second column, nicely signed in pencil, “Walt Disney.” The list is also signed in pencil by Lewis Milestone, Aaron Copland, Victor Mature and Trina Naronova. Impressively suede-matted and framed with a photo of Disney working on a Mickey Mouse sketch, the sheet music to The Wedding Party of Mickey Mouse, and three Disney character paintings on the mat itself, to an overall size of 36 x 32.5. The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures was founded in 1909 to protest New York City Mayor George B. McClellan, Jr.’s revocation of moving-picture exhibition licenses on Christmas Eve 1908. The mayor, son of the famous Civil War general, believed that the new medium degraded the morals of community. To assert their constitutional freedom of expression, theatre owners led by Marcus Loew and film distributors (Edison, Biograph, Pathe and Gaumont) joined John Collier of The People's Institute at Cooper Union and established a National Review Committee that endorsed films of merit and championed the new “art of the people,” which was transforming America’s cultural life. In an effort to avoid government censorship of films, the National Board became the unofficial clearinghouse for new movies. From 1916 into the 1950s thousands of motion pictures carried the legend “Passed by the National Board of Review” in their main titles. To the public, this was the catchphrase of confidence. In 1929, the NBR was the first group to choose the ten best English-language movies of the year and the best foreign films, and is still the first critical body to announce its annual awards. Interesting to note that The Grapes Of Wrath was awarded best picture that year by the Board, besting Fantasia and Gone With The Wind among others. In fine condition, with a mild shade of overall toning and a staple to top left corner. COA PSA/DNA and R&R COA. Oversized. Featured collection item.
