Just six genuine $2 roadshow pictures to date. This takes in all pictures and lists only those films which have gone across the country and profited by special showings at special prices.
It's an elite circle into which few have been able to break, including Birth of a Nation, Way Down East, The Covered Wagon, Ten Commandments, The Big Parade and Ben-Hur, in that order.
Of these six but two were sent into production with road showings the release plan, Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur. Of the sextet it is noteworthy that D.W. Griffith has had two, Paramount two and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer two.
At the present time Paramount is threatened with another, Wings, which has done well in the key cities but has yet to prove itself in the lesser population centers.
How the four program pictures became $2 is as follows.
Birth of a Nation. Decision made to roadshow the picture around a table in Schrafft's 23d street store less than a month before the picture opened in New York on March 3, 1914. D.W. Griffith, J.J. McCarthy and Henry E. Aiken around the table at the time, with Thomas Dixon, author of "The Clansman" from which the Nation was adapted, having to be argued into the plan. The first $2 picture.
Way Down East. D.W. Griffith and J.J. McCarthy decided to road show the film in the lobby of the 44th Street theatre the third or fourth night after the opening. Road showed one season, and could have gone two.
The Covered Wagon. Already sold on program to about 400 exhibitors when J.J. McCarthy walked into Adolph Zukor's office and said he'd like to handle it. He had viewed it at the Criterion theatre shortly after it opened. Result was a conference between Zukor, Sidney Kent and McCarthy with picture sent out for $2.
The Big Parade. J.J. McCarthy was on coast to look over Ben-Hur and watching advance footage on Parade in a studio projection room when he tagged it as a road show picture. Scene of girl being dragged by truck, and then a solitary figure in the middle of the road on her knees convinced McCarthy it was $2. Picture unfinished at that time.
"6 Road-Show Films' History," Variety, February 1, 1928, page 9.
© 1999, David Pierce, on editing and revisions (if any)
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