Title: “Henry V” Road Show File: United Artists Corporation Records, Series 9D
Inclusive Dates: 1946-1949

Creator:

• United Artists Corporation

Call Number: U.S. Mss 99AN/9D

Quantity: 1.6 cubic feet (4 archives boxes)

Repository:

Housed at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives and Museum Collections; owned by the Wisconsin Center for Film & Theater Research

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Files for the road show distribution for Henry V, which was shown at hundreds of cities and towns throughout North America and became United Artists' biggest money-maker. In the “road show” method, a distributor rents or leases theaters in selected locations around the country and performs all of the mechanics of exhibition, from advertising to projection. Files consist of correspondence and financial records.

Note:

Forms part of the United Artists Corporation collection.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-99an009d

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The “road show” distribution method, usually reserved for “prestige” motion pictures, involves sending “advance men” to promote the picture and attempt to secure the maximum possible attendance; these agents then move on to the next cities and the distributor takes over the operation of the theater for the duration of the run. The “road show” model was followed by United Artists with Henry V. Contracts for individual engagements were drawn up by UA branch managers around the country. They attempted to secure first run theaters in or near the center of a town or city; they tried to obtain theaters with relatively small seating capacity, preferably for the “worst” days of the week, Monday through Thursday, for short-run engagements of one to three days.

During the first months of the Henry V road show, theaters were rented on a “four-wall” basis: United Artists paid the theater owner a flat fee for the use of the theater and its staff, paid for all advertising, tickets and additional staff necessary, and kept all of the box office revenue. All seats were reserved, with strong emphasis on advance sales. About one-third of the house would be scaled at the top price (then $1.80 evenings, $1.20 matinees), and the remainder would be set at a lower price ($1.20 and $.90), with special student rates.

Later in the process, the four-wall policy was changed in favor of “percentage” contracts: United Artists would pay for a certain percentage, typically 60%, of all costs and receive the same share of the boxoffice gross, thus splitting both the costs and the revenues with the theater owner.

Attendance from colleges, high schools and private schools provided a large part of the revenue for Henry V, and UA made every effort to secure that business: no engagements would be held during school holidays, special performances for students would be arranged when practical and the cooperation of teachers and administrators was actively solicited.

Approximately twenty-five agents would be on the road during the early months of the road show, arriving at the scene of an engagement a week in advance, remaining until its end, then moving on to the next city. Advertising was relatively minimal and no pressbooks were used, but the agents distributed posters, window displays and pamphlets and secured newspaper and radio advertising. They reported by letter to the home office every forty-eight hours and reported the boxoffice receipts each evening during the engagement.

Towards the end of the road show, beginning in October 1948, a simpler exploitation policy was followed. Advance agents were no longer assigned to particular engagements, but spread their efforts over several simultaneously. Seats were no longer reserved, prices were lowered and distributor and theater split expenses and profits fifty-fifty.

As a result of the road show procedure, Henry V was shown at hundreds of cities and towns throughout North America and became United Artists' biggest money-maker.

The file contains three types of material. The first, Correspondence, Miscellaneous, includes press releases, job applications, and correspondence with agents and with the general public. Of special note are folders entitled “General Instructions to Agents,” and “General Policies,” which lay out basic guidelines for the road show operation.

The second section, Correspondence, by State, consists mainly of correspondence among the agents, the branch offices and the home office, filed under the state in which exhibitions occurred. It concerns such topics as the activities of the agents, advertising budgets, scheduling of performances, educational institutions, agents' pay, etc. The final section, Financial Records, by City, contains financial records for various engagements, filed by city and theater. It includes daily box office reports, expense reports, invoices for items paid by United Artists, and final accountings of the results of each engagement. Two of the folders (a small town engagement in Astoria, Oregon, and a city engagement in Baltimore) have been left intact as examples of the full depth of financial reporting; the remainder of the folders have been weeded.

U.S. Mss 99AN/9D	Series: Correspondence, Miscellaneous
Box   1 Folder   1	Applications for jobs, 1946 July-1948 March
Box   1 Folder   2	General instructions to agents, 1947 July-1949 February
Box   1 Folder   3	General policies, 1946 October-1949 February
Box   1 Folder   4	International Ticket Company, 1947 April-1948 March
Box   1 Folder   5	Personnel, 1947 June-1948 December
Box   1 Folder   6	Press releases - Henry V
Box   1 Folder   7	Press releases - road show, 1946 May-1947 February
Box   1 Folder   8	Public relations, 1946 October-1948 December
Box   1 Folder   9	RCA Victor, 1947 April-1948 February
Box   1 Folder   10	Sample records
Box   1 Folder   11	Theatre Guild, 1946 May-1947 February
	Series: Correspondence, by State	⇧
Box   1 Folder   12	Alabama, 1947 January-1948 September
Box   1 Folder   13	California - Northern (and Washington, Oregon), 1946 November-1948 March
Box   1 Folder   14	California - Southern (and New Mexico), 1946 May-1947 October
Box   1 Folder   15	Canada, 1947 February-March
Box   1 Folder   16	Colorado (and Wyoming), 1946 November-1947 November
Box   2 Folder   1	Connecticut, 1946 November-1948 December
Box   2 Folder   2	Delaware, 1947 April-August
Box   2 Folder   3	Florida, 1946 December-1949 February
Box   2 Folder   4	Georgia (and Tennessee), 1946 July-1949 February
Box   2 Folder   5	Idaho, 1947 October-December
Box   2 Folder   6	Illinois, 1946 May-1948 November
Box   2 Folder   7	Indiana, 1947 February-1948 September
Box   2 Folder   8	Iowa, 1947 February-1949 February
Box   2 Folder   9	Kansas (and Kansas City), 1946 November-1947 November
Box   2 Folder   10	Kentucky, 1946 November-1947 March
Box   2 Folder   11	Louisiana, 1946 December-1948 May
Box   2 Folder   12	Maine, 1947 May- August
Box   2 Folder   13	Maryland, 1946 July-1948 November
Box   2 Folder   14	Massachusetts, 1946 March-1947 December
Box   2 Folder   15	Michigan, 1946 July-1948 November
Box   2 Folder   16	Minnesota (and Dakotas), 1947 January-1948 November
Box   2 Folder   17	Missouri, 1946 November-1947 November
Box   3 Folder   1	Montana, 1947 July-1948 February
Box   3 Folder   2	Nebraska, 1946 December-1949 February
Box   3 Folder   3	Nevada, 1947 April-October
Box   3 Folder   4	New England tour, 1947 May-November
Box   3 Folder   5	New Hampshire, 1947 July-December
Box   3 Folder   6	New Jersey, 1947 January-December
Box   3 Folder   7	New York, 1946 November-1948 February
Box   3 Folder   8	North Carolina, 1946 November-1947 December
Box   3 Folder   9-10	Ohio, 1946 July-1949 February
Box   3 Folder   11	Texas (and Oklahoma, Arkansas), 1947 August-1948 April
Box   3 Folder   12	Utah, 1947 September-1948 March
Box   3 Folder   13	Washington, District of Columbia, 1946 August-1947 October
Box   3 Folder   14	Wisconsin, 1947 September-1948 December
	Series: Financial Records, by City	⇧
Box   3 Folder   15	Asheville, North Carolina - Plaza Theatre, 1948 April-June
Box   3 Folder   16	Astoria, Oregon - Viking, 1948 February
Box   3 Folder   17	Baltimore, Maryland - Rex, Hilton, Brooklyn, 1949 February- March
Box   3 Folder   18	Bellingham, Washington - People's, 1948 May
Box   3 Folder   19	Burlington, North Carolina - Alamance, 1949 March- April
Box   3 Folder   20	Calgary, Alberta - Tivoli, 1947 February-April
Box   3 Folder   21	Canada (miscellaneous), 1947 February-March
Box   3 Folder   22	Cape Charles, Virginia - Palace, 1949 March-April
Box   3 Folder   23	Charleston, South Carolina - Garden, 1948 April
Box   3 Folder   24	Charlotte, North Carolina - Manor, 1947 November
Box   3 Folder   25	Dawson Creek, British Columbia - Northland, 1948 June-July
Box   3 Folder   26	Dover, Delaware - Capitol, 1949 March
Box   4 Folder   1	Durham, North Carolina - Astor, Duke University, 1947 February-1948 November
Box   4 Folder   2	Edmonton, Alberta - Vascona, 1947 March-May
Box   4 Folder   3	Elizabeth City, North Carolina - State, 1948 April-June
Box   4 Folder   4	Essex, Maryland - Hiway, 1949 February
Box   4 Folder   5	Eugene, Oregon - Mayflower, 1948 February-May
Box   4 Folder   6	Goldsboro, North Carolina - Wayne, 1949 April-June
Box   4 Folder   7	Greensboro, North Carolina - Victory, 1948 March
Box   4 Folder   8	Greenville, North Carolina - Colony, 1949 February- April
Box   4 Folder   9	Hull, Québec - Cartier, 1948 March
Box   4 Folder   10	La Grande, Oregon - State, 1948 April-May
Box   4 Folder   11	Lethbridge, Alberta - Lealta, 1947 May-August
Box   4 Folder   12	London, Ontario - Elmwood, 1946 October-November
Box   4 Folder   13	Los Angeles, California - Marcal, 1947 June-October
Box   4 Folder   14	Marlboro, Maryland - Marlboro, 1949 February-March
Box   4 Folder   15	Medicine Hat, Alberta, - Astra, 1947 May-July
Box   4 Folder   16	Middleburg, Virginia - Center, 1949 February-March
Box   4 Folder   17	Montréal, Québec - Kent, His Majesty's Theatre, 1946 August-1948 January
Box   4 Folder   18	Moscow, Idaho - Nuart, 1948 May-July
Box   4 Folder   19	Pinehurst, North Carolina - Carolina, 1947 November
Box   4 Folder   20	Portland, Oregon - Guild, Avalon, 1948 January-April
Box   4 Folder   21	Pullman, Washington - Cordova, 1948 April-June
Box   4 Folder   22	Québec City, Québec - Capitol, 1948 February-May
Box   4 Folder   23	Richland, Washington - Village, 1948 April
Box   4 Folder   24	Rock Island, Québec - Border, 1947 April-August
Box   4 Folder   25	Rocky Mount, North Carolina - Carolina, 1949 April-June
Box   4 Folder   26	Rouyn, Québec - Alexander, 1947 June-August
Box   4 Folder   27	St. Jerome, Québec - Rex, 1948 February-March
Box   4 Folder   28	St. John's, Québec - Capitol, 1948 February-May
Box   4 Folder   29	Salem, Virginia - Salem, State, 1948 February-1949 March
Box   4 Folder   30	Seattle, Washington - Grand, Varsity, 1948 March-May
Box   4 Folder   31	Sherbrooke, Québec - Premier, 1947 April-May
Box   4 Folder   32	Spokane, Washington - Orpheum, 1948 May-June
Box   4 Folder   33	Sumter, South Carolina - Carolina, 1949 April
Box   4 Folder   34	Swift Current, Saskatchewan - Lyric, 1947 April-July
Box   4 Folder   35	Tacoma, Washington - Temple, 1948 April-June
Box   4 Folder   36	Verdun, Québec - Palace, 1948 February-March
Box   4 Folder   37	Washington, District of Columbia - Uptown, Sheridan, Calvert, Kennedy, Circle, York, Coral, Beverly, Highland, Congress, Newton, 1949 March-October
Box   4 Folder   38	Wilmington, Delaware - Manor, 1947 December-1948 January
Box   4 Folder   39	Winnipeg, Manitoba - Rialto, 1947 January-February
Box   4 Folder   40	Winston-Salem, North Carolina - Forsyth, 1949 April