Ben-Hur 50th Anniversary
The Roadshow Engagements | Read more at
in70mm.com
The 70mm Newsletter
| | Compiled by: Michael Coate, Hollywood, USA | Date: 08.04.2010 |  Commemorating the golden anniversary of the release of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayers 1959 production of Ben-Hur, I would like to present a list of the award-winning films original North American roadshow engagements.
This (work-in-progress) article was created for the sake of nostalgia and historical record and is a celebration of the (mostly) long-gone but fondly-remembered cinemas in which the film played as much as it is a celebration of the classic film.
The bookings are listed chronologically by premiere date (day.month.year). Duration data has been included for selected entries, many of which are/were a record for a given market or cinema.
Many of the roadshow engagements of Ben-Hur were presented in 70-millimeter and six-track stereophonic sound, including every booking during the first six months of the films release. Thereafter, MGM circulated both 70mm and 35mm prints, and which type of print got booked in a given market was determined on a case-by-case basis.
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| Release dates (day.month.year) | | 18.11.1959
New York, NY State (74 weeks)
23.11.1959
Boston, MA Saxon (76 weeks; includes moveover to Capri)
24.11.1959
Los Angeles, CA Egyptian (98 weeks)
24.11.1959
Philadelphia, PA Boyd (62 weeks)
17.12.1959
Montreal, QC Alouette (52 weeks)
18.12.1959
Dallas, TX Tower
23.12.1959
Chicago, IL Michael Todd (74 weeks)
23.12.1959
Miami Beach, FL Lincoln
23.12.1959
San Francisco, CA Coronet (75 weeks)
23.12.1959
Toronto, ON University (71 weeks)
25.12.1959
Atlanta, GA Roxy
19.01.1960
Portland, OR Music Box (52 weeks)
20.01.1960
Pittsburgh, PA Warner (48 weeks)
28.01.1960
Cleveland, OH Ohio (46 weeks)
28.01.1960
Kansas City, MO Capri (50 weeks)
03.02.1960
Seattle, WA Blue Mouse (55 weeks)
04.02.1960
St. Petersburg, FL Center (34 weeks)
17.02.1960
Detroit, MI United Artists (65 weeks)
19.02.1960
Minneapolis, MN Academy (49 weeks)
19.02.1960
Omaha, NE Cooper (48 weeks)
23.02.1960
Indianapolis, IN Lyric (36 weeks)
02.03.1960
Salt Lake City, UT Centre (38 weeks)
02.03.1960
Vancouver, BC Stanley (54 weeks)
15.03.1960
Buffalo, NY Teck (40 weeks)
15.03.1960
Washington, DC Warner (44 weeks)
16.03.1960
Cincinnati, OH Capitol (40 weeks)
29.03.1960
Baltimore, MD Town (43 weeks)
12.04.1960
Denver, CO Denham (58 weeks)
12.04.1960
Milwaukee, WI Strand (49 weeks)
13.04.1960
Ottawa, ON Nelson (28 weeks)
29.04.1960
Houston, TX Tower
12.05.1960
Columbus, OH Cinestage (40 weeks)
13.05.1960
Rochester, NY Riviera
13.05.1960
San Antonio, TX Broadway (22 weeks)
19.05.1960
DeWitt (Syracuse), NY Shoppingtown (31 weeks)
19.05.1960
Hartford, CT Strand (25 weeks)
19.05.1960
Louisville, KY Brown
20.05.1960
Youngstown, OH State (25 weeks)
26.05.1960
Asbury Park, NJ St. James
26.05.1960
St. Louis, MO Mid-City (27 weeks)
27.05.1960
Atlantic City, NJ Embassy
27.05.1960
Wildwood, NJ Regent
09.06.1960
Birmingham, AL Ritz
10.06.1960
Charlotte, NC Plaza (17 weeks)
10.06.1960
Chattanooga, TN Rogers
10.06.1960
El Paso, TX Pershing (15 weeks)
15.06.1960
Dayton, OH McCook
15.06.1960
Richmond, VA Willow Lawn
16.06.1960
Charleston, WV Capitol (12 weeks)
16.06.1960
Nashville, TN Crescent
16.06.1960
San Diego, CA Capri (49 weeks)
17.06.1960
Grand Rapids, MI Majestic
23.06.1960
New Orleans, LA Civic
23.06.1960
Oklahoma City, OK Cooper (29 weeks)
24.06.1960
Providence, RI Elmwood
29.06.1960
Halifax, NS Paramount
30.06.1960
Albuquerque, NM Lobo
30.06.1960
Wichita, KS Palace
06.07.1960
Honolulu, HI Kuhio
15.07.1960
Spokane, WA Post (12 weeks)
21.07.1960
Fort Worth, TX 7th Street
29.07.1960
Austin, TX Varsity (10 weeks)
29.07.1960
New Haven, CT Whalley (36 weeks)
10.08.1960
Jacksonville, FL Center
17.08.1960
Winnipeg, MB Gaiety (34 weeks)
25.08.1960
Lexington, KY Strand
14.09.1960
Calgary, AB Capitol (8 weeks)
23.09.1960
Corpus Christi, TX Tower (7 weeks)
28.09.1960
Albany, NY Ritz
28.09.1960
Edmonton, AB Paramount (9 weeks)
29.09.1960
Erie, PA Strand
29.09.1960
Fall River, MA Center (10 weeks)
29.09.1960
Springfield, MA Arcade
06.10.1960
Sacramento, CA Alhambra (14 weeks)
06.10.1960
Scranton, PA Center
06.10.1960
Toledo, OH Princess (17 weeks)
07.10.1960
Lubbock, TX Village (11 weeks)
12.10.1960
Madison, WI Strand (9 weeks)
13.10.1960
Reno, NV Crest (6 weeks)
13.10.1960
Utica, NY Uptown
14.10.1960
Tulsa, OK Premiere
14.10.1960
Worcester, MA Warner
19.10.1960
Springfield, MO Tower
20.10.1960
Eugene, OR Heilig (8 weeks)
01.11.1960
Las Vegas, NV Huntridge (8 weeks)
02.11.1960
Phoenix, AZ Vista
03.11.1960
Lawton, OK Vaska (8 weeks)
10.11.1960
Abilene, TX Queen
10.11.1960
Cedar Rapids, IA World (11 weeks)
10.11.1960
Des Moines, IA Capri
10.11.1960
Salina, KS Strand (5 weeks)
10.11.1960
Waco, TX 25th Street (5 weeks)
17.11.1960
Altoona, PA State (7 weeks)
17.11.1960
Amarillo, TX Esquire (4 weeks)
18.11.1960
Terre Haute, IN Grand
21.12.1960
Tucson, AZ Catalina (11 weeks)
22.12.1960
Herrin, IL Marlows
23.12.1960
Manchester, NH State
24.12.1960
Modesto, CA State (4 weeks)
25.12.1960
Fredericksburg, VA Colonial
28.12.1960
Myrphysboro, IL Marlows
30.12.1960
Lowell, MA Strand
12.01.1961
Nashua, NH Daniel Webster
25.01.1961
Pittsfield, MA Berkshire
08.02.1961
Newark, NJ Adams
In addition to the bookings listed above, I believe Ben-Hur played roadshow engagements in the markets listed below. Additional research is necessary to verify premiere dates and missing cinema names.
??.??.1960
Akron, OH State
??.??.1960
Allentown, PA ?
??.??.1960
Beaumont, TX Liberty
??.??.1960
Canton, OH ?
??.??.1960
Dubuque, IA Orpheum
??.??.1960
Evansville, IN ?
??.??.1960
Fort Wayne, IN ?
??.??.1960
Fargo, ND Grand
??.??.1960
Flint, MI ?
??.??.1960
Fresno, CA Hardys
??.??.1960
Harrisburg, PA State
??.??.1960
Little Rock, AR Capitol
??.??.1960
Memphis, TN Palace
??.??.1960
New Bedford, MA State
??.??.1960
Norfolk, VA ?
??.??.1960
Orlando, FL ?
??.??.1960
Peoria, IL ?
??.??.1960
Portland, ME Strand
??.??.1960
Raleigh, NC Ambassador
??.??.1960
Rock Island, IL Rocket
??.??.1960
Saginaw, MI ?
??.??.1960
Shreveport, LA ?
??.??.1960
Sioux City, IA ?
??.??.1960
Sioux Falls, SD ?
??.??.1960
Springfield, IL ?
??.??.1960
Springfield, OH Regent
??.??.1960
Tyler, TX ?
??.??.1960
Wichita Falls, TX State
| | Sources/References | | The first international booking (at the Empire in London) commenced in December 1959.
The general release began, in most markets, in 1961.
Ben-Hur was re-released in 1968.
The films first network television broadcast was in 1971.
References: This (work-in-progress) article was compiled primarily by referencing Ben-Hur coverage in film industry trade publications and newspaper promotion.
Thanks: Jerry Alexander, Claude Ayakawa, William Hooper, Mark Huffstetler, Bill Kretzel, Mark Lensenmayer, Rick Mitchell, Gabriel Neeb, Jim Perry, John Stewart, Bob Throop, Vince Young, and the librarians who helped me research information for this project.
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Updated 03-04-12 | |
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