Around the World in Eighty Days: The North American Roadshow and 70mm Engagements | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 10.03.2023 |
 The following is a reference / historical listing of the roadshow presentations of Around the World in Eighty Days in the United States and Canada. These were the first and best cinemas in which to experience this motion picture.The presentations cited in the main 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. Souvenir program booklet were sold, as well, and, in some locales, the films soundtrack album. Go to Mike Todd's "Around the World in 80 Days" in Todd-AO Go to "Around the World in 80 Days" 70mm & Cinestage Seasons (2000 version) Go to gallery "Around the World in 80 Days" adverts Go to in70mm.com's Todd-AO Page The print type utilized during the films initial months of roadshow release was 70-millimeter (at 30 frames per second) with discrete magnetic six-channel stereophonic sound. Seven months into release the producer and distributor modified the films exhibition policy to include 35mm (reduction print) presentation along with the same reserved-seat policy. There were a variety of different 35mm print and audio types available during this phase of the films release: Various combinations of 35mm 2x anamorphic, 35mm 1.567x anamorphic (i.e. Cinestage), interlocked 6-track, 4-track magnetic audio, 4-track magnetic/optical mono combination, optical monaural audio, surround track encoded with Perspecta. And even a 34mm print for Astoria (London) bookings because of special British regulations. Any 35mm presentations have not been cited in this work. (Note: Around the World in Eighty Days was filmed twice, once in 65mm at 30fps and again/simultaneously in 65mm at 24fps. The 35mm reduction prints were sourced from the 24fps negative.) The Mike Todd production and United Artists release was directed by Michael Anderson (Operation Crossbow, Logans Run) and starred David Niven, Cantinflas, Robert Newton and Shirley MacLaine, plus dozens of celebrity cameos. Out of the hundreds of first-run films released in North America during 1956, Around the World in Eighty Days was among only four given deluxe roadshow treatment and the lone new title issued with 70mm prints. PART 1: THE ORIGINAL 70MM ROADSHOW ENGAGEMENTS 70mm prints @30 fps and reserved seat policy. | More in 70mm reading: Mike Todd's "Around the World in 80 Days" in Todd-AO "Around the World in 80 Days" 70mm & Cinestage Seasons Brian O'Brien, Jr. tracks American Optical Co's development of the Todd-AO process 70mm Cinemas in North America in70mm.com's list of films blown up to 70mm 70mm Engagements by Title 35mm to 70mm Engagements by Year Large Format 7OMM Engagements Month by month premiere list of wide gauge and 3-strip films Chronological premiere list of major 70mm films 70mm Blow Up List Dolby Stereo |
 Premiere/opening date YYYY-MM-DD
locale cinema (duration in weeks) [notes]1956-10-17 New York, NY Rivoli (103) 1956-12-19 Houston, TX Tower (40) 1956-12-20 Dallas, TX Tower (46) 1956-12-21 Baltimore, MD Film Centre (54) 1956-12-21 Miami (Miami Beach), FL Sheridan (66) 1956-12-22 Los Angeles, CA Carthay Circle (127) 1956-12-26 San Francisco, CA Coronet (95) 1956-12-27 Detroit, MI United Artists (67) 1956-12-27 Philadelphia, PA Midtown (53) 1957-01-10 San Antonio, TX Broadway (34) 1957-01-23 New Orleans, LA Panorama (28) 1957-03-01 Montreal, QC Alouette (44) 1957-04-04 Chicago, IL Cinestage (90) 1957-04-05 Buffalo, NY Century (22) 1957-04-08 Washington, DC Uptown (51) 1957-04-11 Pittsburgh, PA Nixon (38) 1957-04-17 Oklahoma City, OK State (17) 1957-04-17 Portland, OR Broadway (36) 1957-04-17 Seattle, WA Blue Mouse (50) 1957-04-17 Tulsa, OK Rialto (17) 1957-04-20 Boston, MA Saxon (50) 1957-05-15 Corpus Christi, TX Tower (9) 1957-05-15 Denver, CO Tabor (36) 1957-05-15 Little Rock, AR Capitol (9) 1957-05-28 Louisville, KY Brown (18) 1957-05-29 Atlantic City, NJ Virginia (1+) 1957-05-29 Kansas City, MO Tower (27) 1957-05-29 Syracuse (DeWitt), NY Shoppingtown (35) 1957-06-12 Milwaukee, WI Strand (49) 1957-06-13 Cincinnati, OH Valley (35) 1957-06-14 Cleveland, OH Ohio (42) 1957-06-26 Atlanta, GA Roxy (30) 1957-07-12 Minneapolis, MN Academy (49) 1957-07-24 Rochester, NY Monroe (30) 1957-07-30 Hartford, CT Strand (15) 1957-08-01 San Diego, CA Capri (45) 1957-08-07 Toronto, ON Tivoli (48) 1957-08-08 Fort Wayne, IN Clyde (1+) 1957-08-08 Indianapolis, IN Lyric (26) 1957-08-14 Jacksonville, FL 5 Points (12) 1957-08-22 Beaumont, TX Liberty (4) 1957-09-12 Columbus, OH Cinestage (37) 1957-10-03 Buffalo, NY Granada (20) 1957-10-10 Providence, RI Elmwood (29) 1957-10-16 Youngstown, OH State (12) 1957-10-17 New York, NY Madison Square Garden [1-year anniversary event] 1957-10-17 Shreveport, LA Saenger (12) 1957-12-29 Louisville, KY Brown (4 [22]) [resume following Raintree County] 1958-01-03 Montreal, QC Alouette (11) [Version Francaise] 1958-04-05 Dayton, OH McCook (17) 1958-07-16 Long Island (Syosset), NY Syosset (15) 1958-07-17 Calgary, AB Capitol (3) | |
PART 2: SUBSEQUENT 70MM ENGAGEMENTS & SCREENINGS | |
| General-release/continuous performances/unreserved seating/popular prices (except reserved-seat engagements marked with an asterisk). 70mm @ 30fps or 70mm @ 24fps depending on booking. 1959-02-26 St. Louis, MO Pageant (7) 1959-05-22 Columbus, OH Cinestage* (7) 1959-05-24 Norfolk, VA Memrose (3) 1959-05-29 Dayton, OH McCook* (6) 1959-06-04 Seattle, WA Blue Mouse (?) 1959-06-12 Honolulu, HI Kuhio (3) 1959-07-18 Lexington, KY Strand (1) 1959-08-19 Cincinnati, OH Twin Drive-In [canceled?] 1959-10-09 Montreal, QC Alouette* (4) 1960-01-27 New York, NY Warner* (3) 1960-02-19 Toronto, ON Tivoli* (5) 1960-03-04 Rochester, NY Riviera (2) 1960-03-25 Oklahoma City, OK Cooper (5) 1960-04-21 Cincinnati, OH Valley (2) 1960-04-22 Rochester, NY Monroe (2) 1960-04-27 Richmond, VA Willow Lawn (2) 1960-05-01 Detroit, MI Mercury (2) 1960-05-05 Nashville, TN Crescent (2) 1960-05-12 Syracuse, NY Eckel (2) 1960-07-21 Pontiac, MI Miracle Mile Drive-In (1) 1968-03-01 New Orleans, LA Cinerama* (3) 1968-03-13 Portland, OR Hollywood (6) 1968-03-15 Los Angeles, CA Egyptian* (7) 1968-04-10 Scottsdale, AZ Kachina* (7) 1968-05-01 Louisville, KY Showcase 1 (6) 1968-05-22 Trotwood, OH Salem Mall* Twin (3) 1968-05-29 Wichita, KS Uptown (3) 1968-06-07 Huntsville, AL Madison (1) 1968-06-19 South Salt Lake, UT Century 21* (1) 1968-07-17 Houston, TX Gaylynn* (6) 1968-07-24 Chicago, IL Michael Todd* (15) 1968-07-25 Columbus, OH Cinestage* (12) 1968-08-02 Des Moines, IA Capri (2) 1968-09-18 Phoenix, AZ Bethany (1) 1968-10-11 Dayton, OH McCook* (8) 1968-10-23 Kansas City, MO Royal (1) 1969-09-26 Overland Park, KS Glenwood 1 (4) 1970-12-23 Wichita, KS Uptown (3) 1971-09-15 Beverly Hills, CA Fox Wilshire (4) [w/ West Side Story] 1971-09-17 Seattle, WA Cinema 150 (2) [w/ Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World] 1971-09-29 Las Vegas, NV Cinerama (1) [w/ West Side Story] 1971-10-06 Washington, DC Uptown (5) [w/ West Side Story] 1971-10-20 Louisville, KY Showcase 4 (1) [w/ West Side Story] 1971-10-20 Wichita, KS Uptown (1) 1971-10-27 Clarksville, IN Trans-Lux (1) [w/ West Side Story] 1971-10-27 Southfield, MI Americana (3) [w/ West Side Story] 1974-12-04 Beverly Hills, CA Fox Wilshire (1) [w/ West Side Story] 1978-09-25 Atlanta, GA Fox [1st annual summer film festival] 1979-01-09 Toronto, ON Cinesphere (6 days) [70mm festival] | |
PART 3: SUBSEQUENT 70MM ENGAGEMENTS & SCREENINGS | |
| 70mm @ 24fps. General-release/continuous performances/popular prices. Distribution taken over by Warner Bros. 1983-04-01 Toronto, ON University (3) 1983-04-22 Toronto, ON Hollywood Twin (3) 1983-04-29 Seattle, WA Cinerama (4) 1983-05-01 Los Angeles, CA Four Star [FILMEX] 1983-05-13 Toronto, ON University (1) 1983-05-27 Vancouver, BC Stanley (3) 1983-06-03 Chicago, IL McClurg Court (3) 1983-06-03 Ottawa, ON Nelson (1) 1983-08-26 Portland, OR Music Box (2) 1983-09-23 Cleveland, OH Colony (1) 1983-09-23 San Francisco, CA Regency I (1) 1983-09-30 San Francisco, CA Metro (2) 1983-10-07 Tucson AZ El Dorado Twin (1) 1983-10-14 Fox Point, WI Brown Port (1) 1983-10-26 Toronto, ON Ontario Science Centre 1983-11-25 Calgary, AB North Hill [canceled] 1984-02-03 San Diego, CA Cinerama (2) 1984-05-11 Towson, MD Hillendale Twin (1) 1984-06-11 Atlanta, GA Fox [7th annual summer film festival] 1984-10-12 Whitehall, OH Cinema East (1) 1986-05-30 Redford, MI Redford (2 days) 1991-01-18 Creve Coeur, MO Creve Coeur Triplex (1) [70mm festival] 1991-06-07 Dayton, OH Dabel (2) 1991-09-06 Redford, MI Redford (2 days) 1991-11-15 Austin, TX Arbor 7 (1) [THX] 1992-07-31 Los Angeles, CA LACMA Leo S. Bing [70mm festival] 1994-09-09 Dayton, OH New Neon Movies (4 days) 2006-05-05 Los Angeles, CA Egyptian [30fps; 70mm festival] 2014-08-31 Silver Spring, MD AFI Silver [30fps; 70mm festival] The information included in this article was principally referenced from film industry trade publications and regional newspaper promotion, with thanks to Bill Kallay, Bill Kretzel, Stephen Leigh and Mark Lensenmayer, and an extra special thank-you to all of the librarians who helped with this project. International 70mm engagements of this title have not been accounted for in this article. If you believe this article contains any errors or omissions, please consider emailing the author or editor. | |
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