“South Pacific” 55th Anniversary – The Roadshow Engagements

posted by Michael Zoldessy on March 19, 2013 at 8:00 am

“South Pacific” 55th Anniversary
The Roadshow Engagements

Compiled by Michael Coate

Presented here in commemoration of the 55th anniversary of the release of South Pacific is a list of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical’s roadshow engagements in the United States and Canada, which offers an opportunity to name-drop some once-glorious movie theaters. These were shown exclusively in major cities prior to the film being given a nationwide release. The roadshow engagements included reserved seating with an advanced admission price and an average of ten scheduled showings per week. Much like a Broadway show, the roadshow presentations included an overture, intermission, entr’acte and exit music. As well, souvenir programs were sold. And, unlike the majority of the film’s general-release presentations, these roadshow engagements were presented in 70-millimeter and six-track stereophonic sound.

This article/list was created for the sake of historical record, but is also a celebration of the mostly now-closed and fondly-remembered “Cinema Treasures” in which the film played. The bookings are arranged chronologically by premiere date. Duration data, measured in weeks, has been included for selected entries. At the time, many of these engagements established a long-run record for their respective city and/or theater (and a few hold to this day).

03.19.1958 … New York, NY – Criterion [29 weeks]
03.25.1958 … Miami Beach, FL – Sheridan [46 weeks]
03.26.1958 … Chicago, IL – McVickers [56 weeks]
03.26.1958 … Philadelphia, PA – Midtown [46 weeks]

04.01.1958 … Baltimore, MD – New
04.01.1958 … Washington, DC – Uptown [46 weeks]
04.02.1958 … Cleveland, OH – Ohio [48 weeks]
04.07.1958 … Pittsburgh, PA – Nixon [26 weeks]
04.08.1958 … Boston, MA – Saxon [55 weeks]
04.09.1958 … Detroit, MI – United Artists [48 weeks]
04.16.1958 … Dallas, TX – Wynnewood [34 weeks]
04.16.1958 … St. Louis, MO – Pageant [45 weeks]
04.23.1958 … Denver, CO – Tabor [32 weeks]
04.24.1958 … Cincinnati, OH – Valley [42 weeks]
04.24.1958 … Indianapolis, IN – Lyric [45 weeks]
04.25.1958 … Montreal, QC – Alouette [45 weeks]
04.29.1958 … New Orleans, LA – Panorama [36 weeks]

05.08.1958 … Louisville, KY – Brown
05.21.1958 … Los Angeles, CA – Egyptian [44 weeks]
05.22.1958 … Buffalo, NY – Century
05.26.1958 … Seattle, WA – Blue Mouse [38 weeks]
05.27.1958 … Portland, OR – Broadway [29 weeks]
05.28.1958 … Atlantic City, NJ – Virginia

06.05.1958 … Milwaukee, WI – Strand [54 weeks]
06.05.1958 … Oklahoma City, OK – State
06.05.1958 … Tulsa, OK – Ritz
06.26.1958 … Houston, TX – Uptown
06.26.1958 … Minneapolis, MN – Academy [36 weeks]
06.26.1958 … Providence, RI – Elmwood
06.27.1958 … Columbus, OH – Cinestage [38 weeks]
06.27.1958 … Honolulu, HI – Kuhio

07.01.1958 … San Diego, CA – Capri [21 weeks]
07.01.1958 … San Francisco, CA – Alexandria [48 weeks]
07.09.1958 … Toronto, ON – Tivoli [57 weeks]
07.10.1958 … Dayton, OH – McCook
07.11.1958 … Asbury Park, NJ – St. James [22 weeks]
07.15.1958 … Rochester, NY – Monroe [31 weeks]
07.16.1958 … Syracuse (DeWitt), NY – Shoppingtown [32 weeks]
07.17.1958 … Richmond, VA – Willow Lawn
07.23.1958 … Atlanta, GA – Roxy [25 weeks]
07.31.1958 … Salt Lake City, UT – Villa [43 weeks]

08.08.1958 … Youngstown, OH – State [18 weeks]

10.07.1958 … New York, NY – Rivoli [cont. from Criterion, 25 (54) weeks]
10.17.1958 … Corpus Christi, TX – Tower [11 weeks]
10.23.1958 … Omaha, NE – Cooper [64 weeks]

11.05.1958 … Vancouver, BC – Stanley [68 weeks]
11.19.1958 … Tampa, FL – Britton [21 weeks]
11.26.1958 … Jacksonville, FL – 5 Points [12 weeks]

01.01.1959 … Shreveport, LA – Saenger

02.10.1959 … Hartford, CT – Strand [11 weeks]
02.11.1959 … Syosset, NY – Syosset
02.19.1959 … Albany, NY – Ritz
02.19.1959 … Phoenix, AZ – Vista [39 weeks]

03.29.1959 … Kansas City, MO – Capri [36 weeks]

05.07.1959 … Lexington, KY – Strand [8 weeks]

06.26.1959 … Upper Montclair, NJ – Bellevue [26 weeks]

07.02.1959 … Sacramento, CA – Alhambra [9 weeks]

OPENING DATES UNCONFIRMED
Beaumont, TX – Liberty
Birmingham, AL – Ritz
Buffalo, NY – Granada [cont. from Century]
Fort Wayne, IN – Clyde
Little Rock, AR – Capitol
Utica, NY – Uptown

The first international roadshow booking of South Pacific commenced April 21, 1958, at the Dominion in London (where it went on to play a staggering 232 weeks).

The North American general release of South Pacific began during the summer of 1959.

References: This article was compiled by referencing regional newspaper promotion and various articles in Boxoffice and Variety.

Special Thanks: Jerry Alexander, Jim Barg, Raymond Caple, Sheldon Hall, Bill Huelbig, Bill Kretzel, Mark Lensenmayer, Rick Mitchell, Bob Throop, Vince Young, and the librarians who helped with research for this project.

Theaters in this post

• Alexandria Theatre
• Alhambra Theatre
• Bellevue Cinema 4
• Blue Mouse Theatre
• Britton Cinema 8
• Broadway Theatre
• Capitol Theater
• Capri Theater
• Century Theatre
• Clyde Theatre
• Cooper 70
• Criterion Theatre
• Cutler Majestic Theatre
• Dominion Theatre
• Egyptian Theatre
• Elmwood Theatre
• Goodale Theatre
• Granada Theatre
• Hunt's Cinestage Theatre
• Kallet Shoppingtown Theatre
• Kuhio 1 & 2 Theatre
• Le Spectrum
• Liberty Theatre
• Lyric Theatre
• Lyric Theatre
• McCook Theatre
• McVickers Theatre
• Mimi Ohio Theatre
• Monroe Theatre
• New Theatre
• Nixon Theatre (new)
• Pageant Theatre
• Panorama Theatre
• Park Theatre
• Philadelphia Film Center
• Ritz Theatre
• Ritz Theatre
• Ritz Theatre
• Rivoli Theatre
• Rivoli Theatre
• Roxy Theatre
• Sheridan Theatre
• Stanley Theatre
• State Theatre
• State Theatre
• St. James Theatre
• Strand Theatre
• Strand Theatre
• Strand Theatre
• Sun-Ray Cinema
• Syosset Triplex
• Tabor Grand Opera House
• Tivoli Theatre
• Tower Theater
• United Artists Theatre
• Uptown Theatre
• Uptown Theatre
• Valley Theater
• Villa Theatre
• Virginia Theatre
• Vista Theater
• Willow Lawn Theatre
• W.L. Lyons Brown Theatre
• Wynnewood Theater