‘Star Wars’ Premiered in 32 Theaters in 1977: Here’s The List (VIDEO)
Most Star Wars fans may not be aware that the original 1977 film only opened in 32 theaters in the United States. Expectations for the film were so low that few theaters were willing to give up a screen during the busy summer season to show it.
In fact, Twentieth Century Fox had to require that theaters who wanted to screen the highly-anticipated film The Other Side of Midnight also had to screen Star Wars as well. Based on the best-selling book, The Other Side of Midnight was expected to be the big hit of the summer in 1977. Star Wars was hoping to ride its coattails to box office success.
As we all know, things went a little differently for the two films. Within a week, Star Wars had become a cultural phenomenon, and The Other Side of Midnight faded into cinematic obscurity.
Star Wars actually played in 43 theaters its opening weekend, but with its official premiere on May 25 (a Wednesday), a smaller number of theaters actually showed the film on day one. Additional theaters began showing the film in the days that followed.
Here is a restored version of the original trailer that teased audiences of what was coming.
Several websites, including In70mm.com, have compiled a list of the theaters that screened the film at its opening, and they are included below.
Following are the 32 theaters that screened Star Wars on its opening day of Wednesday, May 25, 1977. If the film was shown in 70mm or with Dolby Stereo sound, a notation is included.
Note also that the city listed applies to the market the theater is in. Several of those theaters are in suburbs or a nearby town from the city listed. For example, #33 the Glenwood Theater is in Overland Park, Kansas; however, it is listed as the Kansas City market.
1. Boston, MA: Charles 1-2-3 [Dolby]
2. Cincinnati, OH: Showcase Springdale [Dolby]
3. Denver, CO: Cooper [Dolby]
4. Detroit, MI: Americana [Dolby]
5. Indianapolis, IN: Eastwood [Dolby]
6. Los Angeles, CA (Hollywood): Chinese [70mm-Dolby]
7. Los Angeles, CA (Orange): City Center [70mm-Dolby]
8. Los Angeles, CA (Westwood): Avco Center [70mm-Dolby]
9. Louisville, KY: Showcase [Dolby]
10. Minneapolis, MN: Park
11. New York, NY (Hicksville): Twin South [70mm-Dolby]
12. New York, NY (Manhattan): Astor Plaza [70mm-Dolby]
13. New York, NY (Manhattan): Orpheum [70mm-Dolby]
14. New York, NY (Menlo Park, NJ): Menlo Park
15. New York, NY (Paramus, NJ): Triplex Paramus [70mm-Dolby]
16. Philadelphia, PA: Eric’s Place
17. Philadelphia, PA (Claymont, DE): Twin Tri-State Mall
18. Philadelphia, PA (Fairless Hills): Twin Fairless Hills
19. Philadelphia, PA (Pennsauken, NJ): Twin Pennsauken
20. Philadelphia, PA (Trenton, NJ): Twin Lawrenceville
21. Phoenix, AZ: Cine Capri
22. Pittsburgh, PA: Showcase East [Dolby]
23. Portland, OR: Westgate [Dolby]
24. Rock Island, IL: Showcase [Dolby]
25. Sacramento, CA: Century 25
26. Salt Lake City, UT: Centre
27. San Diego, CA: Valley Circle
28. San Francisco, CA: Coronet [70mm-Dolby]
29. San Jose, CA: Century 22
30. Seattle, WA: Cinema 150 [Dolby]
31. St. Paul, MN: Roseville 4 [Dolby]
32. Washington, D.C.: Uptown [Dolby]
The film opened at an additional theater on Thursday, May 26, 1977:
33. Kansas City, MO: Glenwood [Dolby]
Finally, an additional ten theaters added the film on Friday, May 27, 1977.
34. Chicago, IL: Esquire [Dolby]
35. Chicago, IL (Calumet City): River Oaks
36. Chicago, IL (Lombard): Yorktown
37. Chicago, IL (Northbrook): Edens [Dolby]
38. Dallas, TX: Northpark I & II
39. Dayton, OH: Dayton Mall [Dolby]
40. Des Moines, IA: River Hills [Dolby]
41. Houston, TX: Galleria
42. Omaha, NE: Cinema Center [Dolby]
43. St. Louis, MO: CreveCoeurCiné [Dolby]
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No place have I seen the name and location of the very first showing of Star Wars in May of 1977. I attended that showing with my son, who turned seven on May 24, 1977. I believe it was the next day that we drove up to the Briggsmore Theater on McHenry Blvd. in Modesto, where we lived, paid our money and filed into the theater to take our seats. It was a big deal to Modestans, before the rest of the world discovered Star Wars, because George Lucas grew up in Modesto and went to the same jr. high school my son was attending. At the theater to introduce the film to the audience was George Lucas senior, who took the stage and apologized for his son “who had intended to be here to introduce this very first showing of the movie anywhere.” He said his son was exhausted from just finishing a long period of editing the film and was resting up in Hawaii. It seems this showing, which at the time I believed to be the very first, escaped the notice of the world, for it is never on any lists of theaters showing the movie. I still believe it appeared at the Briggsmore Theater before it appeared at the Mann’s Chinese Theater. James McGrew