My Fair Lady: The North American Roadshow and 70mm
Engagements |
Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 08.07.2024 |
 The
following is a reference / historical listing of the roadshow and 70mm
presentations of My Fair Lady in the United States and Canada. These were
the first and best cinemas in which to experience this motion picture.The Warner Bros. release, an adaptation of George Bernard Shaws Pygmalion and the Lerner & Loewe stage production, was directed by George Cukor (The Philadelphia Story, A Star is Born) and starred Audrey Hepburn (Breakfast at Tiffanys, Sabrina) and Rex Harrison (Cleopatra, Doctor Dolittle). The films world premiere was held October 21st, 1964, at the Criterion in New York. The presentations cited in the Part 1 section of this work were hard ticket roadshow engagements (i.e. special, long-running, showcase presentations in major cities prior to the film being exhibited as a general release). Much like a stage production, these typically featured an average of only ten scheduled screenings per week, advanced admission pricing, reserved seating, and an overture/intermission/entracte/exit music. A souvenir roadshow program booklet and the films soundtrack album were sold, as well, in some locales. The print types utilized during the films roadshow release were, depending on the booking, (1) 70-millimeter (2.20:1 from Super Panavision 70) with discrete magnetic six-channel stereophonic sound, (2) 35-millimeter reduction with discrete magnetic four-channel stereophonic sound and optical monaural sound, (3) 35-millimeter reduction with optical monaural sound. Out of the hundreds of films released in North America during 1964, My Fair Lady was among only six given deluxe roadshow treatment and among only seven released with 70mm prints. PART 1: FIRST RUN / THE ROADSHOW ENGAGEMENTS (reserved-seat policy and [except where noted otherwise] a presumed 70mm presentation w/ six-track magnetic audio) Opening date YYYY-MM-DD locale cinema (duration in weeks) [notes] 1964-10-21 New York, NY Criterion (87) 1964-10-23 Chicago, IL Palace (60) 1964-10-28 Boston, MA Saxon (54) 1964-10-28 Calgary, AB Uptown (14) 1964-10-28 Detroit, MI United Artists (58) 1964-10-28 Edmonton, AB Paramount (21) 1964-10-28 Los Angeles, CA Egyptian (68) 1964-10-28 Montreal, QC Alouette (56) 1964-10-28 Ottawa, ON Nelson (35) 1964-10-28 Philadelphia, PA Stanley (53) 1964-10-28 Toronto, ON University (60) 1964-10-28 Vancouver, BC Stanley (66) 1964-10-28 Winnipeg, MB Metropolitan (21) 1964-10-29 San Francisco, CA Coronet (50) 1964-11-09 Cincinnati, OH Valley (33) 1964-11-10 Minneapolis, MN Academy (58) 1964-11-11 Cleveland, OH Colony (49) 1964-11-11 Dallas, TX Tower (36) 1964-11-11 Denver, CO Denham (47) 1964-11-11 Fort Worth, TX Palace (28) 1964-11-11 Oklahoma City, OK State (32) 1964-11-11 San Antonio, TX Broadway (25) 1964-11-12 Houston, TX Tower (42) 1964-11-16 Portland, OR Paramount (46) 1964-11-17 Seattle, WA Music Box (47) 1964-11-18 New Orleans, LA Saenger-Orleans (47) 1964-11-18 Omaha, NE Cooper 70 (47) 1964-11-24 Washington, DC Warner (48) 1964-11-25 Baltimore, MD Hippodrome (37) 1964-11-25 Miami (Miami Beach), FL Lincoln (48) 1964-11-25 St. Petersburg, FL Center (31) 1964-12-20 Albany, NY Hellman (25) 1964-12-20 Kansas City, MO Capri (52) 1964-12-23 Buffalo, NY Granada (38) 1964-12-23 Des Moines, IA Ingersoll (26) 1964-12-23 Milwaukee, WI Towne (42) 1964-12-23 Pittsburgh, PA Squirrel Hill (52) 1964-12-23 Rochester, NY Riviera (33) 1964-12-23 Syracuse, NY Eckel (33) 1964-12-25 Atlanta, GA Roxy (40) 1964-12-25 Columbus, OH Cinestage (49) 1964-12-25 Honolulu, HI Cinerama (31) 1964-12-25 Indianapolis, IN Circle (34) 1964-12-25 Memphis, TN Crosstown (26) 1964-12-25 Providence, RI Elmwood (32) 1965-01-21 St. Louis, MO Ambassador (36) 1965-01-28 Charlotte, NC Capri (15) 1965-02-03 Worcester, MA Webster Square 1 (16) 1965-02-17 Portland (Westbrook), ME Cinema I (22) 1965-02-19 San Diego, CA Capri (44) 1965-02-24 Dayton, OH McCook (42) 1965-02-24 Louisville, KY Penthouse (32) 1965-02-24 Salt Lake City, UT Centre (33) 1965-03-24 Las Vegas, NV Cinerama (18) 1965-04-06 San Jose, CA Century 21 (33) 1965-04-06 Toledo, OH Pantheon (26) 1965-04-07 Erie, PA Strand (24) 1965-04-07 Fresno, CA Warner (16) 1965-04-07 Hartford (Wethersfield), CT Cine Webb (29) 1965-04-07 New Haven, CT Whalley (29) 1965-04-07 Springfield (West Springfield), MA Showcase 1 (18) 1965-04-09 Birmingham, AL Ritz (20) 1965-04-14 Asbury Park, NJ St. James (29) 1965-04-14 Orlando (Winter Park), FL Park East (19) 1965-04-14 Wichita, KS Sunset (26) 1965-04-21 Akron (Cuyahoga Falls), OH Falls (26) 1965-04-21 Sacramento, CA Alhambra (24) 1965-05-25 Atlantic City, NJ Center (27) 1965-06-02 Shreveport, LA Saenger (15) 1965-06-03 Jacksonville, FL Cedar Hills (16) 1965-06-03 Nashville, TN Green Hills (19) [35mm] 1965-06-18 Youngstown, OH Paramount (16) 1965-06-22 Davenport, IA Orpheum (12) [35mm] 1965-06-22 Madison, WI Majestic (14) [35mm] 1965-06-23 Utica, NY Avon (14) [35mm] 1965-06-24 Colorado Springs, CO Cinema 70 (17) 1965-06-24 Fort Wayne, IN Jefferson (15) [35mm] 1965-06-30 Phoenix, AZ Palms (25) 1965-07-21 Albuquerque, NM Lobo (12) [35mm] 1965-07-28 Allentown, PA Colonial (11) [35mm] 1965-07-28 Hamilton, ON Century (12) [35mm] 1965-07-28 Harrisburg, PA Uptown (12) [35mm] 1965-08-04 Binghamton, NY Capri (13) 1965-08-06 Grand Rapids, MI Majestic (9) [35mm] 1965-08-11 Reading, PA Fox (11) 1965-08-11 Victoria, BC Odeon (11) [35mm] 1965-08-18 Halifax, NS Paramount (7) [35mm] 1965-08-25 Cedar Rapids, IA Iowa (14) [35mm] 1965-09-02 Austin, TX Varsity (10) [35mm] 1965-09-10 Lexington, KY Strand (10) 1965-09-16 Regina, SK Capitol (6) [35mm] 1965-09-17 Quebec City (Sainte-Foy), QC Ste-Foy Salle Alouette (9) 1965-09-30 Lubbock, TX Village (12) [35mm] 1965-10-13 Norfolk, VA Rosna (16) 1965-11-17 Richmond, VA Westhampton (17) 1965-12-22 Corpus Christi, TX Tower (7) 1965-12-22 Little Rock, AR Capitol (6) [un-reserved seating] 1965-12-22 Long Island (Plainview), NY Plainview (25) 1965-12-22 Waco, TX 25th Street (6) [unreserved seating] 1965-12-25 Toronto, ON Nortown m/o (7 [67]) 1965-12-29 Bridgeport (Trumbull), CT United Artists (15) [un-reserved seating] 1966-01-14 Durham, NC Center (6) [35mm] 1966-01-19 Wichita Falls, TX State (4) [unreserved seating] 1966-01-25 Newark (Montclair), NJ Clairidge (22) 1966-01-28 Chattanooga, TN Eastgate (7) [unreserved seating] The first international roadshow booking of My Fair Lady commenced December 1st, 1964, in Tokyo, Japan. Beginning in 1965 and throughout 1966, Warner Bros. transitioned My Fair Lady into a general release, first with a reserved-performance quasi-roadshow and followed by several waves of first-run, second-run, return run, neighborhood run, drive-in run, etc. None of these thousands of mostly-35mm presentations during these phases of the films release have been cited in this work. PART 2: SUBSEQUENT 70MM ENGAGEMENTS AND SCREENINGS (second run, re-issue, revival, etc. / unreserved seating / general release policy) 1965-12-22 Houston, TX Gaylynn (6) 1965-12-22 King of Prussia, PA Plaza (5) 1966-02-04 North Versailles, PA Eastland (5) 1966-02-16 Kailua, HI Kailua Drive-In (1) 1966-03-30 Philadelphia, PA Leo (3) 1966-06-15 Anaheim, CA Brookhurst (1) 1966-06-22 Cranston, RI Cranston Drive-In (1) 1966-06-28 Nanuet, NY Route 59 (7) 1971-01-21 Beverly Hills, CA Fox Wilshire (10) 1971-01-21 New York, NY Criterion (7) 1971-02-10 Philadelphia, PA Goldman (4) 1971-02-11 Boston, MA Cheri 2 (4) 1971-02-12 Shrewsbury, MA White City (3) 1971-02-18 San Francisco, CA Alexandria (6) 1971-02-19 San Diego, CA Cinerama (3) 1971-02-24 Washington, DC Uptown (6) 1971-03-05 St. Louis Park, MN Park (4) 1971-03-05 St. Paul, MN Norstar (2) 1971-03-12 Kansas City, MO Midland (8) 1971-03-12 Santa Clara, CA Cinema 150 (4) # 1971-03-19 Baltimore, MD Mayfair (7) 1971-03-19 Houston, TX Windsor (6) 1971-03-19 Ottawa, ON Nelson (6) # 1971-03-19 Toronto, ON Eglinton (12) # 1971-03-26 Augusta, GA National Hills (1) 1971-03-26 Calgary, AB Chinook (3) 1971-03-31 Riverside, CA Tyler Mall 1 (4) [70mm during Week 4] 1971-03-31 Salt Lake City, UT Villa (8) 1971-04-02 Dayton, OH McCook (8) 1971-04-02 Philadelphia, PA Orleans (1) 1971-04-09 Philadelphia, PA Parkwood Manor (1) 1971-04-09 Wichita, KS Uptown (3) 1971-04-15 Norfolk, VA Riverview (8) 1971-04-16 Waco, TX 25th Street (1) 1971-04-23 Des Moines, IA Capri (2) 1971-04-30 Greenville, SC Astro 1 (3) 1971-06-02 Vienna, VA Vienna (1) 1971-06-11 Toronto, ON Nortown (2) 1971-06-18 Winnipeg, MB Grant Park (1) 1971-09-03 Riverdale, UT Cinedome 70 South (4) 1971-09-29 Portsmouth, VA Plaza 2 (1) 1971-09-29 Seattle, WA Cinema 150 (3) 1971-10-15 Charlotte, NC Carolina (1) 1971-10-20 Annandale, VA Bradlick (1) 1971-10-22 Denver, CO Denham (2) 1971-10-29 Durham, NC Center 1 (1) 1971-10-29 North York, ON Glendale (1) 1971-10-29 Toronto, ON TD Centre (1) # 1971-11-03 Little Rock, AR Cinema 150 (1) 1971-11-18 Columbia, SC Richland Mall (1) 1972-01-07 Toronto, ON Cinesphere (2) 1972-06-28 Los Angeles, CA Four Star (1) [w/ Hello, Dolly!] 1973-08-23 Toronto, ON Science Centre # 1978-02-22 New York, NY Cinerama 2 (1) [Broadway comes to Broadway] 1978-04-05 Albany, NY Madison (1) [70mm series] 1978-09-20 Salt Lake City, UT Villa (2) 1978-10-04 Denver, CO Aladdin (4) 1978-10-20 Detroit, MI Redford (2 days) 1978-11-01 Santa Clara, CA Cinema 150 (1) 1978-12-01 Seattle, WA Crest 70 (3) 1978-12-01 Washington, DC MacArthur (3) 1978-12-22 Buffalo, NY Granada (3) 1979-01-19 Renton, WA Roxy (2) 1979-06-11 Atlanta, GA Fox [2nd Annual Summer Film Festival] 1979-10-19 San Francisco, CA Market Street (1) [w/ Funny Girl] 1980-04-06 Seattle, WA Crest 1 [70mm festival] 1980-04-07 Seattle, WA Crest 1 [70mm festival] 1980-04-13 Cleveland, OH CWRU Strosacker [CWRU Film Society] 1980-07-23 Buffalo, NY Granada (2) 1980-08-31 Atlanta, GA Rhodes 1980-12-05 Denver, CO Aladdin (1) # [classics series] 1981-12-04 Cleveland, OH Colony (3 days) 1982-08-02 Atlanta, GA Fox [5th Annual Summer Film Festival] 1983-11-18 Detroit, MI Redford (2 days) 1983-12-08 Renton, WA Roxy (1) 1985-09-20 Detroit, MI Redford (2 days) 1987-01-13 Cleveland, OH CWRU Strosacker [CWRU Film Society] PART 3: THE RESTORATION RE-ISSUE & SUBSEQUENT ENGAGEMENTS (Harris/Katz restoration / New 70mm prints / magnetic Six-Track Dolby audio) 1994-09-10 Toronto, ON Uptown 5 [restoration world premiere] 1994-09-16 Toronto, ON York Twin (3) [THX] 1994-09-19 New York, NY Ziegfeld [restoration regional premiere] 1994-09-21 New York, NY Ziegfeld (1) 1994-09-23 Los Angeles, CA Century Plaza 4 (5) [THX] 1994-09-23 Philadelphia, PA Riverview Plaza 11 (2) # 1994-09-23 San Francisco, CA Kabuki 8 (2) [THX] 1994-09-23 Seattle, WA Cinerama (1) 1994-09-23 Washington, DC Uptown (1) 1994-09-30 New York, NY Beekman (2) 1994-09-30 Washington, DC Wisconsin Avenue 6 (1) [THX] 1994-09-30 Woodbury, NY The Syosset (1) 1994-10-07 Portland, OR Broadway 4 (1) 1994-10-07 Washington, DC MacArthur Triplex (2) 1994-10-28 Los Angeles, CA Century Plaza 4 m/o (3 [8]) [HPS-4000] 1994-11-10 Hartford, CT Trinity College Cinestudio (3 days) 1994-11-23 Baltimore, MD Senator (2) 1994-12-09 Milwaukee, WI Paradise (3 days) 1994-12-25 San Francisco, CA Castro (1) 1995-01-21 Norfolk, VA Naro [Sat-Sun matinee] 1995-02-17 Los Angeles, CA LACMA Bing [Audrey Hepburn series] 1995-05-12 Detroit, MI Redford (2 days) 1995-05-12 Detroit, MI Redford (2 days) 1995-06-30 Dayton, OH New Neon Movies (1) 1995-07-21 Dayton, OH New Neon Movies (1) 1995-08-07 Atlanta, GA Fox [18th Annual Summer Film Festival] 1995-11-18 Hartford, CT Trinity College Cinestudio 1996-09-20 New York, NY Radio City [Warner Bros. classics festival] 1996-10-25 San Francisco, CA Northpoint (1) [70mm festival] 1997-01-01 Los Angeles, CA Four Star (1) 1997-07-23 Brookline, MA Coolidge Corner Twin [70mm festival] 1997-11-15 Long Beach, CA CSULB Carpenter Center [wide screen festival] 2000-04-29 Baltimore, MD Senator [Maryland Film Festival] 2000-12-03 Los Angeles, CA Egyptian [70mm festival] 2003-01-27 Beverly Hills, CA AMPAS Goldwyn [Best Picture series] 2006-04-26 Champaign, IL Virginia [EbertFest*] 2011-10-08 Seattle, WA Cinerama [Cinerama and 70mm festival] 2012-09-28 Los Angeles, CA Egyptian [70mm festival w/ Theodore Bikel] 2012-12-29 New York, NY Lincoln Center [70mm festival] *EbertFest screening included Q&A with Marni Nixon, Robert A. Harris and Jim Katz. # Presentation not explicitly or consistently promoted as 70mm suggesting it may have been 35mm The information included in this article was principally referenced from film industry trade publications and regional newspaper promotion. Special Thanks: Jerry Alexander, Jim Barg, Raymond Caple, Nick DiMaggio, Sheldon Hall, Robert A. Harris, Bill Huelbig, Bill Kallay, Bill Kretzel, Ronald A. Lee, Mark Lensenmayer, Deborah May, Rick Mitchell, Robert Morrow, Jim Perry, Bob Throop, Joel Weide, Vince Young, and a big thank-you to the librarians who helped with the research for this project. International 70mm presentations of this title have not been accounted for in this work (except for a mention of the Tokyo run). If you believe this article contains any errors or omissions, please consider emailing the author or editor. |
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