THE ORIGINAL BLOCKBUSTER

Forget the $200 million that the original “Star Wars” grossed during a summer. Or the $100 million “Spider-Man” made in a weekend. The first true blockbuster was...“The Sound Of Music.”

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Robert Wise’s Academy Award-winning cinematic rendition of the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein musical about the singing von Trapp family, From Script To DVD offers a look back at the distribution and exhibition of the original release of “The Sound Of Music,” highlighting the unique approach 20th Century-Fox took in bringing the film to audiences around the world.

Fox’s distribution pattern for “The Sound Of Music” was that the film was booked in its initial wave on an exclusive reserved-seat roadshow basis only in cities exceeding a population of 200,000 and in theatres equipped for 70-millimeter widescreen and six-track stereophonic sound presentation. Fox ordered a considerable number of expensive 70mm prints for this film, no doubt to best show off the production’s beautiful Todd-AO large-format cinematography and music-filled soundtrack.

“The Sound Of Music” was among a number of prestigious productions during the 1950s and ’60s that were given the “roadshow” treatment whereby films were booked as an exclusive engagement in major cities and would play for many, many months before being put into a general release. Much like a Broadway show, reserved-seat tickets were sold in advance and at a higher-than-normal cost. There was a single “performance” in the evening with a matinee on weekends, holidays and one or two of the weekdays. The roadshow experience, typified by high-class musicals and historical epics such as “My Fair Lady” and “Lawrence Of Arabia,” was frequently enhanced by the use of state-of-the-art projection and sound technologies, and souvenir program booklets were often made available. Given that the typical film selected to be roadshown had a lengthy running time, there often was an intermission, and, in some cases, an overture, entr’acte and exit music. Along with “The Sound Of Music,” popular and critically-acclaimed films from the roadshow era included “This Is Cinerama,” “Oklahoma!,” “The Ten Commandments,” “Ben-Hur,” “West Side Story,” “How The West Was Won,” “Doctor Zhivago,” “Camelot,” and “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Roadshow-style exhibition had died out by the early 1970s due to a number of factors including too many roadshows in release at the same time (diluting their value as a special event), a string of critical and box-office disappointments in the late 1960s (“Star!,” “Paint Your Wagon,” “Hello, Dolly!,” etc.), audiences gravitating toward counter-culture and youth-oriented films (“Easy Rider,” “Woodstock,” etc.), and studios and exhibitors preferring nationwide, saturation-style booking over limited-market exclusives.

What is interesting about Fox’s distribution of “The Sound Of Music” is that major roadshow attractions were normally limited to key large markets (such as those included in the March-April 1965 launch of the film; see list below), but due to the incredible success of the movie, the studio elected to delay a general release of the film. Fox gambled by booking the film over a nearly two-year span in not just the large markets but also as a roadshow in small and medium-sized cities, including in dozens of theatres that had never before played any film on a hard-ticket, roadshow basis.

The gamble paid off as “The Sound Of Music” grossed $43 million domestically in its first 12 months of release. (Before you snicker at that figure, consider that it was earned with $2-3 adult tickets in no more than 151 theatres, each showing the film an average of ten times per week. By contrast, films today, on average, play in 3,000 theatres, 35 times per week, and with $6-11 tickets.) More than 50 additional roadshow engagements were booked domestically during “Music’s” second year of release, and in total the film played over 600 worldwide roadshow engagements. Many records and interesting box office statistics and trivia were established during the film’s run including it becoming the first film to gross $100 million in a single release, a feat journalists and historians often misattribute to “Jaws” (1975). Among the unique information: the numerous engagements where the number of tickets sold in a given city exceeded that city’s population, suggesting strong repeat business and people traveling from other cities to see the film. During the summer of 1966, only a year and a half after its premiere and several months prior to beginning a general nationwide release, “The Sound Of Music” surpassed “Gone With The Wind” and became the industry's top-grossing motion picture.

The box office gross of “The Sound Of Music” has, of course, been eclipsed many times over in the four decades since its release. But for its time, its performance was nothing short of remarkable, with many moviegoers returning to see the movie again and again. A woman in Cardiff, Wales, as an (extreme) example, saw the movie a well-publicized 371 times! “I knew we had a good picture after the sneak preview in Minneapolis,” producer-director Robert Wise commented to Variety in autumn 1965. “But I had no idea that it would become such a staggering hit.” To this day, “The Sound Of Music” holds for a great many theatres the house record for longest-running and/or top-grossing engagement.

Wise recognized the value of showmanship as well as the decades-old battle with exhibitors to install and maintain the very best presentation equipment, for he hoped that audiences everywhere would have an opportunity to experience his film under the best possible circumstances. “I don't want to diminish the audience reaction,” the Oscar-winning filmmaker told Variety prior to the film's premiere. “I can’t accept seeing only 75-80 percent of the creative effort of all concerned being shown and heard on-screen in theatres. The man who sees a roadshow at a theatre several months after it has opened deserves the same on-screen and sound quality. It is well accepted that many theatres are not interested enough to get onto the screen what we put into it. The [audience] should not be robbed.” As such, there were requirements that had to meet the approval of the filmmakers and 20th Century-Fox in order for a given theatre to be considered for booking the film. These included a theatre’s seating capacity and screen size, as well as a city’s population and proximity to other cities. The minimum requirement, however, to book “The Sound Of Music” as a roadshow was that a theatre had to be equipped with a stereophonic sound system. If a theatre was not equipped for stereo presentations (either four-track for standard 35mm venues or the higher-quality six-track for 70mm-equipped houses), then that theatre/city would have been ineligible to book the film as an exclusive reserved-seat engagement and would instead have had to wait until its general release to play the film.

So... whether you believe the hills are alive with the sound of music or the sound of mucus, and before you give your new 40th anniversary edition DVD a spin, we hope you’ll take a moment to enjoy our look back at the original distribution history of “The Sound Of Music.” We’re betting this will conjure up memories of when and where you saw the film for the first time (and the second time… and the third..).

SNEAK PREVIEW TEST SCREENINGS
15 Jan 1965 ... Minneapolis, MN: Mann
16 Jan 1965 ... Tulsa, OK: Brook

THE ORIGINAL RESERVED-SEAT “ROADSHOW” ENGAGEMENTS — U.S. & CANADA
These lists are a work-in-progress with the known engagements arranged chronologically by date of premiere. Please check back periodically for updates.

For selected entries, the duration of the engagement has been provided. This data, measured in weeks, gives the reader insight into how successful “The Sound Of Music” was and offers a striking contrast to contemporary moviegoing. Duration data marked with “-->” indicates the engagement was relocated to another cinema in that market and continued on an exclusive reserved-seat basis. (The duration provided for any continuation/moveover run includes the duration of the moveover run plus the cumulative duration of the moveover and the initial engagement.) Duration data marked with “+” indicates the total duration has not been confirmed (yet) but that the film played at least as long as the figure provided.

Due to the exclusive nature of the roadshow engagements, the locations of the original showings have generally been identified by the market or “anchor” city of a given metropolitan area even though in some cases a theatre may have been located in a suburb or neighboring city.

02 Mar 1965 ... New York, NY: Rivoli [93 weeks]
10 Mar 1965 ... Los Angeles, CA: Fox Wilshire [94 -->]
10 Mar 1965 ... Toronto, ON: Eglinton [146]
17 Mar 1965 ... Boston, MA: Gary [83]
17 Mar 1965 ... Chicago, IL: Michael Todd [93]
17 Mar 1965 ... Detroit, MI: Madison [98]
17 Mar 1965 ... Miami, FL: Colony [82]
17 Mar 1965 ... Philadelphia, PA: Midtown [93]
17 Mar 1965 ... Vancouver, BC: Ridge [99 -->]
17 Mar 1965 ... Washington, DC: Ontario [97]
18 Mar 1965 ... Montreal, QC: Seville [98 -->]
18 Mar 1965 ... San Francisco, CA: United Artists [93]
24 Mar 1965 ... Atlanta, GA: Martin Cinerama [90]
24 Mar 1965 ... Baltimore, MD: New [91]
24 Mar 1965 ... Cleveland, OH: Ohio [91]
24 Mar 1965 ... Dallas, TX: Inwood [91]
24 Mar 1965 ... Denver, CO: Aladdin [112]
24 Mar 1965 ... Milwaukee, WI: Strand [97]
24 Mar 1965 ... Minneapolis, MN: Mann [95]
24 Mar 1965 ... Providence, RI: Warwick [86]
24 Mar 1965 ... Salt Lake City, UT: Utah [95]
31 Mar 1965 ... Buffalo, NY: Teck [79]
31 Mar 1965 ... Calgary, AB: Odeon [72]
31 Mar 1965 ... Charlotte, NC: Carolina [79]
31 Mar 1965 ... Cincinnati, OH: International 70 [79]
31 Mar 1965 ... Edmonton, AB: Varscona [114]
31 Mar 1965 ... Honolulu, HI: Kuhio [81]
31 Mar 1965 ... Houston, TX: Alabama [90]
31 Mar 1965 ... Indianapolis, IN: Lyric [94]
31 Mar 1965 ... Phoenix, AZ: Vista [115]
31 Mar 1965 ... Richmond, VA: Willow Lawn [86]
31 Mar 1965 ... San Diego, CA: Loma [133]
31 Mar 1965 ... Seattle, WA: 5th Avenue [117]

01 Apr 1965 ... St. Louis, MO: St. Louis [83 -->]
01 Apr 1965 ... Winnipeg, MB: Kings [88]
06 Apr 1965 ... Tulsa, OK: Brook [79]
07 Apr 1965 ... Columbus, OH: Northland [84]
07 Apr 1965 ... Dayton, OH: Dabel [105]
07 Apr 1965 ... Des Moines, IA: Capri [113]
07 Apr 1965 ... Jacksonville, FL: 5 Points [31]
07 Apr 1965 ... Louisville, KY: Rialto [64 -->]
07 Apr 1965 ... Memphis, TN: Paramount [79]
07 Apr 1965 ... Norfolk, VA: Riverview [52+]
07 Apr 1965 ... Oklahoma City, OK: Tower [82]
07 Apr 1965 ... Omaha, NE: Dundee [118]
07 Apr 1965 ... Pittsburgh, PA: Nixon [106]
07 Apr 1965 ... Portland, OR: Fox [116]
07 Apr 1965 ... San Antonio, TX: Cinema II [82]
07 Apr 1965 ... Tampa, FL: Palace [62+]
15 Apr 1965 ... Orlando, FL: Beacham [52+]
15 Apr 1965 ... Rochester, NY: Monroe [85]

27 May 1965 ... Atlantic City, NJ: Virginia [79]
27 May 1965 ... Fort Worth, TX: Palace [21]
28 May 1965 ... Syracuse, NY: Shoppingtown [76]

19 Jun 1965 ... Albany, NY: Hellman [58]
23 Jun 1965 ... Akron, OH: Village [91]
23 Jun 1965 ... Asbury Park, NJ: Paramount [66+]
23 Jun 1965 ... Hartford, CT: Elm [77]
23 Jun 1965 ... Nashville, TN: Belle Meade [69]
23 Jun 1965 ... New Haven, CT: Cinemart [75]
23 Jun 1965 ... Scranton, PA: West Side [53]
23 Jun 1965 ... Syosset, NY: Syosset [78]
23 Jun 1965 ... Toledo, OH: Princess 70 [91]
23 Jun 1965 ... Upper Montclair, NJ: Bellevue [100]
23 Jun 1965 ... Worcester, MA: White City [53]
23 Jun 1965 ... Youngstown, OH: State [27+]
30 Jun 1965 ... London, ON: Hyland [73]
30 Jun 1965 ... Ottawa, ON: Nelson [55]
30 Jun 1965 ... Sudbury, ON: Century [14]

07 Jul 1965 ... Columbia, SC: Carolina [22]
14 Jul 1965 ... Harrisburg, PA: Eric [68]
14 Jul 1965 ... Kansas City, MO: Midland [75]
16 Jul 1965 ... Chattanooga, TN: Brainerd Cinerama [24+]
21 Jul 1965 ... Portland, ME: Cinema I [53+]
21 Jul 1965 ... Savannah, GA: Savannah [12+]
21 Jul 1965 ... Wichita, KS: Boulevard [49]
22 Jul 1965 ... Birmingham, AL: Eastwood Mall [17]
22 Jul 1965 ... Grand Rapids, MI: Midtown [71]

03 Aug 1965 ... El Paso, TX: Pershing [17]
04 Aug 1965 ... Albuquerque, NM: Sunshine [16]
04 Aug 1965 ... Sioux City, IA: Cinema [47]
06 Aug 1965 ... Cedar Rapids, IA: Times 70 [65]
06 Aug 1965 ... Lexington, KY: Kentucky [16]
11 Aug 1965 ... Greenville, SC: Carolina [10+]
11 Aug 1965 ... Raleigh, NC: Ambassador [61]
11 Aug 1965 ... Winston-Salem, NC: Winston [44]
13 Aug 1965 ... Columbus, GA: Beverly [13]
18 Aug 1965 ... Erie, PA: Plaza [21]

22 Sep 1965 ... Beaumont, TX: Liberty [14+]
22 Sep 1965 ... Corpus Christi, TX: Tower [12]
22 Sep 1965 ... Eugene, OR: Fox [14+]
22 Sep 1965 ... Knoxville, TN: Park [43+]
22 Sep 1965 ... Little Rock, AR: Capitol [13]
22 Sep 1965 ... Sacramento, CA: Crest [59]
22 Sep 1965 ... Spokane, WA: State [29+]
23 Sep 1965 ... Augusta, GA: Daniel Village [14+]
23 Sep 1965 ... Macon, GA: Grand [14]
29 Sep 1965 ... Tucson, AZ: Catalina [45]

06 Oct 1965 ... Fall River, MA: Durfee [27+]
06 Oct 1965 ... Springfield, MA: Cinema II [36]
14 Oct 1965 ... Las Vegas, NV: Fox [24]
20 Oct 1965 ... Fargo, ND: Moorhead [53]
20 Oct 1965 ... New Orleans, LA: Orleans [56]
27 Oct 1965 ... Hamilton, ON: Century [38]
27 Oct 1965 ... Springfield, IL: Lincoln [23]
28 Oct 1965 ... Charleston, SC: Riviera [12+]
28 Oct 1965 ... Fort Wayne, IN: Jefferson [52+]
29 Oct 1965 ... Evansville, IN: Washington [30+]

03 Nov 1965 ... Fitchburg, MA: Saxon [12+]
10 Nov 1965 ... Davenport, IA: Coronet [74]

23 Dec 1965 ... Colorado Springs, CO: Cooper 70 [41]
24 Dec 1965 ... Austin, TX: Varsity [22]
25 Dec 1965 ... Allentown, PA: Boyd [45]
25 Dec 1965 ... Binghamton, NY: Capri
25 Dec 1965 ... Boise, ID: Ada
25 Dec 1965 ... Canton, OH: Palace [42]
25 Dec 1965 ... Champaign, IL: Co-Ed II [26]
25 Dec 1965 ... Fresno, CA: Warner [33]
25 Dec 1965 ... Green Bay, WI: West [18+]
25 Dec 1965 ... Jacksonville, NC: Iwo Jima
25 Dec 1965 ... Lubbock, TX: Village [41]
25 Dec 1965 ... Lynchburg, VA: Warner
25 Dec 1965 ... Manchester, NH: Strand [27]
25 Dec 1965 ... Montgomery, AL: Empire [12+]
25 Dec 1965 ... Newport News, VA: Market [31+]
25 Dec 1965 ... Reno, NV: Crest [19]
25 Dec 1965 ... Roanoke, VA: Grandin
25 Dec 1965 ... Shreveport, LA: Broadmoor [35]
25 Dec 1965 ... Sioux Falls, SD: Cinema [44]
25 Dec 1965 ... Utica, NY: Uptown [26]
25 Dec 1965 ... Williamsport, PA: Rialto [11+]

19 Jan 1966 ... Madison, WI: Hilldale
21 Jan 1966 ... Palm Beach, FL: Paramount
26 Jan 1966 ... Mobile, AL: Loop
28 Jan 1966 ... Bristol, TN: Paramount [17]

02 Feb 1966 ... Cocoa Beach, FL: Fine Arts [25+]
02 Feb 1966 ... Reading, PA: Fox [41]
02 Feb 1966 ... Tallahassee, FL: State
04 Feb 1966 ... Daytona Beach, FL: Beach [12+]
09 Feb 1966 ... Quebec, QC: Cinema Sainte-Foy Salle Alouette [43]
11 Feb 1966 ... Wheeling, WV: Victoria [20]
16 Feb 1966 ... Lawrence, MA: Showcase I [36]
18 Feb 1966 ... Halifax, NS: Paramount [19]
23 Feb 1966 ... Charleston, WV: Capitol [17]
23 Feb 1966 ... Huntington, WV: Orpheum [18]
24 Feb 1966 ... Kingston, ON: Hyland [13]

03 Mar 1966 ... Flint, MI: Palace [17]
03 Mar 1966 ... Kalamazoo, MI: Capitol [16]
03 Mar 1966 ... Lansing, MI: Gladmer [16]
18 Mar 1966 ... Victoria, BC: Odeon [24]
23 Mar 1966 ... Billings, MT: Babcock [18+]
23 Mar 1966 ... Jackson, MS: Paramount [12]
24 Mar 1966 ... Amarillo, TX: Esquire [17]
30 Mar 1966 ... Great Falls, MT: Civic Center
30 Mar 1966 ... New London, CT: Capitol
30 Mar 1966 ... Springfield, MO: Gillioz [13]
30 Mar 1966 ... St. Joseph, MO: Fox East Hills [13]
30 Mar 1966 ... State College, PA: Nittany
30 Mar 1966 ... Topeka, KS: Grand [13]
31 Mar 1966 ... Waco, TX: 25th St.

06 Apr 1966 ... Charlottesville, VA: University [8+]
06 Apr 1966 ... Yakima, WA: Yakima [8+]
07 Apr 1966 ... Baton Rouge, LA: Paramount
07 Apr 1966 ... Kitchener, ON: Waterloo [22]
07 Apr 1966 ... Monroe, LA: Eastgate
07 Apr 1966 ... Quincy, IL: State [10]
08 Apr 1966 ... Rockford, IL: Times [25]
14 Apr 1966 ... Wichita Falls, TX: State [10]
21 Apr 1966 ... Abilene, TX: Queen [14]

25 May 1966 ... Wildwood, NJ: Ocean [19]
27 May 1966 ... Myrtle Beach, SC: Gloria [17]

15 Jun 1966 ... Duluth, MN: Duluth
15 Jun 1966 ... Grand Forks, ND: Forx
22 Jun 1966 ... Columbia, MO: Cinema [15]
22 Jun 1966 ... Lancaster, PA: Fulton [17+]
23 Jun 1966 ... Dubuque, IA: Strand [13+]
29 Jun 1966 ... Brockton, MA: Cinema II [26+]
29 Jun 1966 ... Hyannis, MA: Center [14]
29 Jun 1966 ... Louisville, KY: Penthouse [moved from Rialto, 15 (79)]
30 Jun 1966 ... Lethbridge, AB: Paramount [11]
30 Jun 1966 ... Fort William, ON: Capitol [11]

01 Jul 1966 ... Peoria, IL: Beverly [23]
12 Jul 1966 ... San Jose, CA: Century 22 [67]
27 Jul 1966 ... Altoona, PA: Capitol [12+]
27 Jul 1966 ... South Bend, IN: River Park

31 Aug 1966 ... Trenton, NJ: Eric [28]

21 Sep 1966 ... Anchorage, AK: Fireweed [10+]
21 Sep 1966 ... Brandon, MB: Strand [4]
21 Sep 1966 ... Oakland, CA: Roxie [35]
21 Sep 1966 ... Regina, SK: Capitol [16]
21 Sep 1966 ... Stockton, CA: Ritz [18]
22 Sep 1966 ... Belleville, ON: Belle [7]
22 Sep 1966 ... Brantford, ON: Odeon [6]
22 Sep 1966 ... Moncton, NB: Paramount [6]
22 Sep 1966 ... North Bay, ON: Capitol [5]
22 Sep 1966 ... Peterborough, ON: Paramount [10]
22 Sep 1966 ... Prince George, BC: Parkwood [4]
22 Sep 1966 ... Sarnia, ON: Odeon [10]
22 Sep 1966 ... Sault Ste. Marie, ON: Algoma [5]

05 Oct 1966 ... Monterey, CA: Steinbeck [25]
05 Oct 1966 ... Wilmington, DE: Cinema 141 [41]
12 Oct 1966 ... Burlington, VT: State
12 Oct 1966 ... Wilkes-Barre, PA: Gateway [9+]
13 Oct 1966 ... Cornwall, ON: Capitol [4]
20 Oct 1966 ... Brockville, ON: Capitol [5]
20 Oct 1966 ... Timmins, ON: Victory [4]
20 Oct 1966 ... Windsor, ON: Park [22]
26 Oct 1966 ... Maynard, MA: Fine Arts [9+]

02 Nov 1966 ... Ellisville, MO: Ellisville [16]
02 Nov 1966 ... St. Louis, MO: Lewis & Clark [moved from St. Louis, 12 (95)]
09 Nov 1966 ... Boston, MA: Paris [13]
09 Nov 1966 ... Chelmsford, MA: Route 3 Twin Cinema II

25 Dec 1966 ... Los Angeles, CA: Carthay Circle [moved from Fox Wilshire, 23 (117)]

01 Feb 1967 ... Montreal, QC: York [moved from Seville, 7 (105) -->]
08 Feb 1967 ... Vancouver, BC: Park Royal [moved from Ridge, 11 (110)]

23 Mar 1967 ... Montreal, QC: Versailles [moved from York, 7 (112)]


THE ORIGINAL RESERVED-SEAT “ROADSHOW” ENGAGEMENTS — INTERNATIONAL

29 Mar 1965 ... London, England, UK: Dominion [170]

09 Apr 1965 ... Auckland, New Zealand: Plaza [52+]
15 Apr 1965 ... Bournemouth, England, UK: Odeon [52+]
15 Apr 1965 ... Christchurch, New Zealand: State [34+]
17 Apr 1965 ... Melbourne, Australia: Paris [104+]
17 Apr 1965 ... Sydney, Australia: Mayfair [140 -->]
18 Apr 1965 ... Birmingham, England, UK: Gaumont [52+]
18 Apr 1965 ... Blackpool, England, UK: Palladium [52+]
18 Apr 1965 ... Leeds, England, UK: Majestic [130]
18 Apr 1965 ... Newcastle, England, UK: Queens [140]
?? Apr 1965 ... Brighton, England, UK: Regent [52+]
?? Apr 1965 ... Bristol, England, UK: Odeon [52+]
?? Apr 1965 ... Cardiff, Wales, UK: Capitol [75+]
?? Apr 1965 ... Edinburgh, Scotland, UK: Odeon [52+]
?? Apr 1965 ... Glasgow, Scotland, UK: Gaumont [52+]
?? Apr 1965 ... Manchester, England, UK: Gaumont [52+]
?? Apr 1965 ... Southampton, England, UK: Odeon [52+]

20 May 1965 ... Buenos Aires, Argentina: Ambassador [96]
26 May 1965 ... San Juan, Puerto Rico: Metropolitan [44]

11 Jun 1965 ... Tokyo, Japan: Piccadilly [premiere only; see also 26 Jun]
16 Jun 1965 ... Nairobi, Kenya: 20th Century [3]
26 Jun 1965 ... Tokyo, Japan: Piccadilly [20]
?? Jun 1965 ... Johannesburg, South Africa: Fine Arts [28+]
?? Jun 1965 ... Lima, Peru: ? [16+]
?? Jun 1965 ... Liverpool, England, UK: Odeon [52+]
?? Jun 1965 ... Osaka, Japan: Namba Dai Gekijo [12+]

05 Jul 1965 ... Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Palacio [26+]
12 Jul 1965 ... Nottingham, England, UK: Odeon [52+]
12 Jul 1965 ... Sao Paulo, Brazil: Rivoli [39]
20 Jul 1965 ... Bloemfontein, South Africa: Ritz
28 Jul 1965 ... Brisbane, Australia: Paris [26+]
?? Jul 1965 ... Hong Kong: ?
?? Jul 1965 ... Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: ?
?? Jul 1965 ... Manila, Philippines: Ever [37]
?? Jul 1965 ... Port-of-Spain, Trinidad: De Luxe [24+]
?? Jul 1965 ... Singapore:?

12 Aug 1965 ... Kampala, Uganda: Norman [2]
16 Aug 1965 ... Cape Town, South Africa: Van Riebeeck [19+]
?? Aug 1965 ... Dunedin, New Zealand: Octagon [20+]
?? Aug 1965 ... Perth, Australia: Paris [17+]
?? Aug 1965 ... Porto Alegre, Brazil: Marrocas [21+]

03 Sep 1965 ... Tel Aviv, Israel: Peer [25]
07 Sep 1965 ... Santiago, Chile: Ducal [40]
26 Sep 1965 ... Leicester, England, UK: Odeon [13+]
?? Sep 1965 ... Belo Horizonte, Brazil: Guarani [13+]
?? Sep 1965 ... Caracas, Venezuela: Florida [15+]

04 Oct 1965 ... Sheffield, England, UK: Odeon [52+]
29 Oct 1965 ... Bangkok, Thailand: Krung Kasem [20]
?? Oct 1965 ... Curitiba, Brazil: Maraba [11+]
?? Oct 1965 ... Pretoria, South Africa: 20th Century [12+]

13 Nov 1965 ... Tokyo, Japan: Shibuya Tokyu [7]
13 Nov 1965 ... Tokyo, Japan: Shinjuku Piccadilly [7]
13 Nov 1965 ... Tokyo, Japan: Togeki [7]
18 Nov 1965 ... Mexico City, Mexico: Cine Manacar [65]
?? Nov 1965 ... Alagoinhas, Brazil: Azi [4+]
?? Nov 1965 ... Durban, South Africa: Colosseum [6+]
?? Nov 1965 ... East London, South Africa: 20th Century [7+]
?? Nov 1965 ... Hastings, New Zealand: State [5+]
?? Nov 1965 ... Kobe, Japan: Shuraku Kan [8+]
?? Nov 1965 ... Kyoto, Japan: Shochiku Za [8+]
?? Nov 1965 ... Napier, New Zealand: State [7+]
?? Nov 1965 ... Osaka, Japan: Ueroku E.G. [9+]
?? Nov 1965 ... Trujillo, Peru: Municipal [5+]
?? Nov 1965 ... Trujillo, Peru: Venus [5+]

09 Dec 1965 ... Stockholm, Sweden: Ritz
17 Dec 1965 ... Helsinki, Finland: ?
17 Dec 1965 ... Wellington, New Zealand: Kings [41]
17 Dec 1965 ... Zuerich, Switzerland: Corso [6]
20 Dec 1965 ... Barcelona, Spain: Aribau
20 Dec 1965 ... Copenhagen, Denmark: Imperial [24]
20 Dec 1965 ... Madrid, Spain: Amaya
22 Dec 1965 ... Rotterdam, Netherlands: Corso
23 Dec 1965 ... Antwerp, Belgium: Rubens [12]
23 Dec 1965 ... Bombay, India: Regal [47]
23 Dec 1965 ... Brussels, Belgium: Varietes
25 Dec 1965 ... Berlin, West Germany: Royal
25 Dec 1965 ... Frankfurt, West Germany: Metro [2]
25 Dec 1965 ... Tokyo, Japan: Marunouchi Shochiku [8]
25 Dec 1965 ... Yokohama, Japan: Piccadilly [8]
30 Dec 1965 ... Milan, Italy: Cavour

10 Jan 1966 ... Lisbon, Portugal: Roma
10 Jan 1966 ... Lisbon, Portugal: Tivoli [44]

18 Feb 1966 ... Paris, France: Cameo [8]
18 Feb 1966 ... Paris, France: Ermitage [8]
18 Feb 1966 ... Tel Aviv, Israel: Ramat Gan [11]
?? Feb 1966 ... Adelaide, Australia: Paris [104+]

11 Mar 1966 ... Jerusalem, Israel: Orion [10]
30 Mar 1966 ... Bayamon, Puerto Rico: Oller

?? Apr 1966 ... Hong Kong: Queen's [12]
?? Apr 1966 ... Hong Kong: Royal [12]
?? Apr 1966 ... Hong Kong: State [10]

20 May 1966 ... Munich, West Germany: City [3]

03 Jun 1966 ... Haifa, Israel: Tamar [17]
?? Jun 1966 ... Dublin, Ireland: Cinerama [26+]
?? Jun 1966 ... Monterrey, Mexico: ?
?? Jun 1966 ... Oxford, England, UK: ?
?? Jun 1966 ... Taipei, Taiwan: Great World [16]

03 Jul 1966 ... Norwich, England, UK: Gaumont [32]
11 Jul 1966 ... Alexandria, Egypt: Amir [15]

24 Oct 1966 ... Cairo, Egypt: Cairo Palace [23]

?? Nov 1966 ... Madras, India: Safire [20]

22 Dec 1966 ... Delhi, India: Odeon [17]

01 May 1967 ... Copenhagen, Denmark: 3 Falke Bio [15]

20 Dec 1967 ... Sydney, Australia: Paris [moved from Mayfair, 41 (181)]

21 May 1968 ... Copenhagen, Denmark: 3 Falke Bio [14]


THE SOUND OF SOMETHING DIFFERENT — INTERNATIONAL TITLES
Dutch: “De Mooiste Muziek”
French: “La Melodie Du Bonheur”
German: “Meine Lieder Meine Träume”
Greek: “E Meloudia Tees Efti Hias”
Israeli: “Tze-leh Ha-musica”
Italian: “Tutti Insieme Appassionatamente”
Portuguese (Latin America): “A Novica Rebelde”
Portuguese (Portugal): “Musica No Coracao”
Spanish (Latin America): “La Novicia Rebelde”
Spanish (Spain): “Sonrisas Y Lagrimas”


ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF INTERNATIONAL TITLES
Chinese: “Fairy Music Blow Fragrant Place, Place Hear”
Dutch: “The Most Beautiful Music”
Egyptian: “Love And Tenderness”
French: “The Melody Of Happiness”
German: “My Songs My Dreams”
Greek: “The Melody Of Happiness”
Israeli: “The Sound Of Music”
Italian: “All Together With Passion”
Portuguese (Latin America): “The Rebellious Novice”
Portuguese (Portugal): “Music Of The Heart”
Spanish (Latin America): “The Rebellious Novice”
Spanish (Spain): “Smiles And Tears”
Thai: “Charms Of The Heaven Sound”

THE “SELECTIVE” & “GENERAL” ENGAGEMENTS — U.S. & CANADA
The music didn’t end with the roadshow release. Beginning in late 1966 in the U.S. and Canada, “The Sound Of Music” was put into “Selective Engagement” release. This was a “modified roadshow” in that the bookings were area exclusives with reserved performances (but unreserved seating), scheduled showtimes, and higher-than-normal admission prices. It was at this stage that most small and mid-sized cities that did not run the film on a reserved-seat basis first played the film. It was also during this time that large cities began their return engagements. The majority of these engagements were shown in 35mm, although it is unclear at this stage if the mandatory stereophonic sound policy was still in effect or if souvenir roadshow program booklets were offered for sale.

The “general” release (Continuous Performances at Popular Prices) followed the “Selective” release, depending on the market, in mid-to-late 1967. It was at this stage that the film would be booked into virtually any city with a movie theatre and ultimately played over 9,000 total hardtop and drive-in engagements throughout North America. The film remained in circulation through the summer of 1969, at which time selected cities ran “Farewell” engagements.

As “The Sound Of Music” was withdrawn from release, 20th Century-Fox announced that the film would be re-released in 1973. The film would also be re-released during 1978 and in a limited-market re-issue in 1990 for the film’s 25th anniversary. In addition, the film was seen during countless revival and special event screenings. It was first shown on network television in 19?? and released on videocassette and videodisc formats in 19??.

Primary references for this project were hundreds of daily newspapers archived on microfilm. General references included the book “The Sound Of Music: The Making Of America's Favorite Movie” by Julia Antopol Hirsch (1993; Contemporary Books) and film industry trade coverage published in Boxoffice, The Film Daily, The Hollywood Reporter, Motion Picture Herald, Motion Picture Exhibitor, Movie Marketing, and Variety.

Research was conducted at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; Die Deutsche Bibliothek, Frankfurt, Germany; the Young Research Library and Southern Regional Library Facility at the University of California Los Angeles; and Margaret Herrick Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study, Beverly Hills, California; as well as at several public and university libraries throughout the world. The author extends a special thank-you to the many librarians and researchers who were of assistance throughout this project.

Canadian engagement details researched and contributed by Bill Kretzel.

The author would like to thank the following for their input: Marilyn L. Arnold, Serge Bosschaerts, Deborah Bryan, Mary Piero Carey, Evans Criswell, Anthony Cutts, Peter Fraser, Carlos Fresnedo, Jarrell Greever, Jean-Pierre Gutzeit, Dr. Sheldon Hall, Thomas Hauerslev, Bill Huelbig, Bill Kretzel, Paul Linfesty, Jim Perry, Dr. Jochen Rudschies, Barbara Shatara, Grant Smith, Carol ‘Stash’ Stanley, Bob Throop, Ashley Ward.