>these films and were apparently willing to wait until the few >roadshow theaters in each town became available.  The question is >why!

Roadshow prices were higher than normal admissions, in some cases quite a bit so.  Not enough to off-set the more limited showings but I think there were probably two other reasons for roadshowing.  For one thing it was equivalent to platforming a film, allowing for publicity and a buzz (to be anachronistic) for films that might have been a bit too long or otherwise had some minor marketing hurdles.  (Roadshow versions of films were often longer as well, sometimes with musical overtures and intermissions and sometimes with actual extra scenes.)  The other element is simple prestige.  From what I understand early roadshows during the 20s were actually intended to resemble large theatrical productions to offset cinema's working class or somehow "negative" image (something that's never entirely left it, at least as far as Hollywood's concerned).

LT

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