Roadshow theatrical release

A roadshow theatrical release opens a film in a limited number of theaters in major cities for a set period, either before or after a wider release, a practice dating to silent film but most prominent from the 1950s, when studios used widescreen and stereophonic sound to compete with television. Roadshow presentations from roughly 1952 into the early 1970s imitated live theater, with reserved seating sold at premium prices, one or two screenings a day, an intermission with entr'acte music, an overture and exit music, souvenir programs, and typically no short subjects or trailers. The format declined with changing cultural tastes and the rise of the multiplex. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/