- published: 07 Dec 2015
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A roadshow theatrical release (known also as reserved seat engagement) was a term in the American motion picture industry for a practice in which a film opened in a limited number of theaters in large cities like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, and San Francisco for a specific period of time before the nationwide general release. Such releases were shown only once or twice a day, usually with an intermission. Although variants of roadshow releases occasionally still exist, the practice mostly ended in the early 1970s.
Many of the films given roadshow releases were subsequently distributed to regular movie theatres. This was called a general release, and was akin to the modern day wide release of a film. However, there are three important differences between a roadshow presentation of a film and today's limited releases: