University of Virginia Library

'Alice's Restaurant' Voted Best Movie
Of 1969 By University Film Critics

In their recent balloting, the
University of Virginia film critics
voted "Alice's Restaurant" the best
movie of 1969 by a narrow margin
over "They Shoot Horses, Don't
They?"

The three-member panel consists
of Carl Erickson of the Cavalier
Daily, Paul Chaplin of WUVA,
Radio, and Steve Wells of both The
Cavalier Daily and WUVA.

The voting was done on a
five-point gradation scale, with
five points going to each critic's
first choice, four for second, three
for third, two for fourth, and one
for fifth. On the strength of Mr.
Erickson's first place vote and Mr.
Chaplin's second place nod,
"Alice's Restaurant" received a
total of nine points. "They Shoot
Horses, Don't They?" was cited as
the second best film of the year by
Mr. Wells, third best by Mr.
Chaplin, and fifth best by Mr.
Erickson, thereby capturing a total
of eight points. "Last Summer."
Mr. Wells' first choice and Mr.
Chaplin's fourth, wound up with
seven points, while Mr. Chaplin's
first place selection "Midnight Cowboy"
finished with five.

In other categories, winners by
unanimous vote were Jon Voight
for his portrayal of a Texas stud in
"Midnight Cowboy" and Jack
Nicholson for his supporting turn as
the Southern lawyer in "Easy
Rider." Cited by a majority 2-to-1
vote were Liza Minnelli for her
performance in "The Sterile
Cuckoo," Paul Mazursky and Larry
Tucker for their original script for
"Bob and Carol and Ted and
Alice," and Eleanor Perry for her
adapted script for "Last Summer."
Voting in other categories was split.

Below is a list of each critic's
choices. The first five best picture
selections are listed in order of
preference, the second five in no
specific order since no points were
awarded for them.

Mr. Erickson: Best Pictures - 1)
"Alice's Restaurant," 2) "Stolen
Kisses," 3) "The Damned," 4) "The
Sterile Cuckoo," 5) "They Shoot
Horses, Don't They?" 6-10) "Bob
and Carol and Ted and Alice,"
"The Wild Bunch," "Tell Them
Willie Boy is Here," "Topaz," "On
Her Majesty's Secret Service." Best
Director - Francois Truffaut ("Stolen
Kisses"). Best Actor Jon
Voight ("Midnight Cowboy"). Best
Actress — Liza Minnelli ("The Sterile
Cuckoo"). Best Supporting Actor -
Jack Nicholson ("Easy Rider").
Best Supporting Actress - Dyan
Cannon ("Bob and Carol and Ted
and Alice"). Best Foreign Film -,
"Stolen Kisses." Best Original
Screenplay - Paul Mazursky and
Larry Tucker ("Bob and Carol and
Ted and Alice"). Best Screenplay
based on material from another
medium - James Poe and Robert
E. Thompson ("They Shoot Horses,
Don't They?"). Director Most
Promising - Peter Hunt ("On Her
Majesty's Secret Service").

Mr. Chaplin: Best Pictures - 1)
"Midnight Cowboy," 2) "Alice's
Restaurant," 3) "They Shoot
Horses, Don't They?" 4) "Last
Summer," 5) "Z," 6-10) "Bob and
Carol and Ted and Alice," "The
Wild Bunch," "Easy Rider," "The
Sterile Cuckoo," "Medium Cool."
Best Director Arthur Penn
("Alice's Restaurant"). Best Actor

Jon Voight ("Midnight Cowboy").
Best Actress Maggie Smith
("The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie").
Best Supporting Actor Jack
Nicholson ("Easy Rider"). Best
Supporting Actress Catherine
Burns ("Last Summer"). Best Foreign
Film - "Z." Best Original
Screenplay Paul Mazursky and
Larry Tucker ("Bob and Carol and
Ted and Alice"). Best Screenplay
based on material from another
medium - Eleanor Perry ("Last
Summer"). Director Most Promising
Gordon Parks ("The Learning
Tree").

Mr. Wells: Best Pictures 1)
"Last Summer," 2) "They Shoot
Horses, Don't They?" 3) "Goodbye,
Columbus," 4) "John and
Mary," 5) "Easy Rider," 6-10)
"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance
Kid," "Midnight Cowboy," "Cactus
Flower," "Tell Them Willie Boy is
Here," "Alice's Restaurant." Best
Director Frank Perry ("Last
Summer"). Best Actor Jon
Voight and Dustin Hoffman ("Midnight
Cowboy"). Best Actress -
Liza Minnelli ("The Sterile
Cuckoo"). Best Supporting Actor
Jack Nicholson ("Easy Rider").
Best Supporting Actress Susannah
York ("They Shoot Horses,
Don't They?"). Best Foreign Film

Abstained, Best Original Screenplay
William Goldman ("Butch
Cassidy and the Sundance Kid").
Best Screenplay based on material
from another medium Eleanor
Perry ("Last Summer"). Director
Most Promising Dennis Hopper
("Easy Rider").