 The following is a reference / historical listing of the roadshow presentations of “The Best of Cinerama” in the United States and Canada.
“The Best of Cinerama” was a compilation of sequences from the Cinerama travelogues released during the 1950s.
“The Best of Cinerama” was presented exclusively in Cinerama-branded cinemas. The print type was 26fps 6-perf 35mm x 3 plus 35mm magnetic fullcoat for interlocked 7-channel audio. (The film was never released in any other formats.)
The presentations cited in 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 advanced admission pricing, reserved seating, an overture/intermission/entr’acte/exit music, and an average of only ten scheduled screenings per week. Souvenir program booklet were sold, as well, and, in some locales, the film’s soundtrack album.
Out of the hundreds of first-run films released in North America during 1962, “The Best of Cinerama” was among only nine given deluxe roadshow treatment and among only two issued in Cinerama.
PART 1: THE CINERAMA / ROADSHOW ENGAGEMENTS
(reserved seat policy [except where noted] / 3-panel Cinerama presentation)
Opening date YYYY-MM-DD … locale — cinema (duration in weeks) [notes]
1962-11-13 … Cleveland, OH — Palace (5) [seats not reserved]
1962-11-14 … Memphis, TN — Palace (3)
1962-11-14 … Milwaukee, WI — Palace (5)
1962-11-15 … Oklahoma City, OK — Cooper (13)
1962-11-21 … Louisville, KY — Rialto (11) [seats not reserved]
1963-01-03 … Vancouver, BC — Strand (14)
1963-01-08 … Columbus, OH — Grand (13) [seats not reserved]
1963-01-09 … Toledo, OH — Paramount (9)
1963-01-10 … Indianapolis, IN — Indiana (10)
1963-01-10 … Toronto, ON — Eglinton (11)
1963-01-17 … Montreal, QC — Imperial (10)
1963-02-06 … Boston, MA — Boston (7)
1963-02-13 … Charlotte, NC — Carolina (8)
1963-02-13 … Portland, OR — Hollywood (8)
1963-02-14 … Cincinnati, OH — Capitol (4) [seats not reserved]
1963-02-14 … Pittsburgh, PA — Warner (5) [seats not reserved]
1963-04-17 … Norfolk, VA — Rosna (9)
1963-05-08 … Charlotte, NC — Carolina (3) [return run]
1963-05-23 … Newark (Montclair), NJ — Clairidge (8)
1963-07-03 … Miami, FL — Florida (9)
1963-09-04 … Baltimore, MD — Town (2) [seats not reserved]
1963-09-27 … Erie, PA — Strand (3) [seats not reserved]
1963-10-11 … Atlanta, GA — Cinerama (8)
1963-12-25 … New York, NY — Loew’s Cinerama (13)
1963-12-25 … Wichita, KS — Uptown (7)
1964-01-29 … Providence, RI — Cinerama (8)
1964-04-16 … Fresno, CA — Warner (5)
1964-10-21 … Chicago, IL — McVickers (9)
1965-01-27 … Albuquerque, NM — Fox Winrock (3)
1965-09-29 … Detroit, MI — Music Hall (9)
1965-10-23 … Hartford, CT — Cinerama (8)
1966-11-04 … Denver, CO — Cooper (12)
1966-12-23 … Minneapolis (St. Louis Park), MN — Cooper (7)
PART 2: CINERAMA MARKETS / VENUES IN WHICH “THE BEST OF CINERAMA” DID NOT PLAY
Akron (Cuyahoga Falls), OH — Falls
Albany, NY — Hellman
Birmingham, AL — Ritz
Buffalo, NY — Teck
Chattanooga, TN — Brainerd
Dallas, TX — Capri
Dayton, OH — Dabel
El Paso, TX — Capri
Honolulu, HI — Cinerama
Houston, TX — Windsor
Jacksonville, FL — 5 Points
Kansas City, MO — Empire
Long Island (Syosset), NY — Syosset
Los Angeles, CA — Warner Hollywood
Nashville, TN — Crescent
New Orleans, LA — Cinerama
Omaha, NE — Indian Hills
Philadelphia, PA — Boyd
Phoenix (Scottsdale), AZ — Kachina
Rochester, NY — Monroe
Rockland County (Nanuet), NY — Route 59
Sacramento, CA — Esquire
St. Louis, MO — Cinerama
Salt Lake City, UT — Villa
San Diego, CA — Cinerama
San Francisco, CA — Orpheum
Scranton, PA — Strand
Seattle, WA — Cinerama
Syracuse, NY — Eckel
Tampa, FL — Palace
Washington, DC — Uptown
This information has been principally referenced from film industry trade publications and regional newspaper promotion, with thanks to Al Alvarez, Claude Ayakawa, Jim Barg, Kirk Besse, Raymond Caple, Nick DiMaggio, Sheldon Hall, William Hooper, Bill Huelbig, Mark Huffstetler, Bill Kallay, Bill Kretzel, Mark Lensenmayer, Matthew Lutthans, Stan Malone, Gabriel Neeb, Jim Perry, John Sittig, David Strohmaier, Bob Throop, Joel Weide and Vince Young.
International presentations of this title have not been accounted for in this article.
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