THE FIRST-RUN THEATRICAL ENGAGEMENTS
What follows is a reference listing of Dirty Harry’s openings in the United States and Canada. The emphasis in this work is on the film’s initial week of release and is designed to provide a sense of the film’s rollout which, in this instance, was an early-1970s model of a nationwide saturation release. (If you think this sort of distribution model began with Jaws, think again!)
The theatrical presentations of Dirty Harry were in 35mm anamorphic (2.39:1 aspect ratio) with monaural audio.
Co-Feature Legend:
BCH = The Ballad of Cable Hogue
CHL = Cool Hand Luke
DF = The Delta Factor
GC = Get Carter
HLH = The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
LSJD = Let’s Scare Jessica to Death
MW = Man in the Wilderness (opening day only)
OM = The Omega Man
PW = The Priest’s Wife
RW = Ride in the Whirlwind
THX = THX 1138
TWACM = There Was a Crooked Man
WDRTE = When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth
WB = The Wild Bunch
WEBT = When Eight Bells Toll
World premiere on Tuesday, December 21st, 1971:
- San Francisco – Loew’s*
*The premiere of Dirty Harry was dramatized in David Fincher’s Zodiac (2007) but inexplicably depicted as having taken place at the Northpoint at Bay and Powell rather than at the Loew’s on Market Street.
Opened Wednesday, December 22nd, 1971:
CALIFORNIA
- Huntington Beach – Huntington [w/ DF]
- Los Angeles – Hollywood Loew’s
- Orange – Orange 1 Drive-In [w/ DF]
- San Francisco – Cinema 21
- San Francisco – Loew’s [w/ GC]
- San Francisco – Mission Drive-In [w/ OM]
NEW YORK
- New York – Orpheum
- New York – State 2
Opened Saturday, December 25th, 1971:
ALABAMA
- Birmingham – 5 Points West
- Huntsville – Martin
- Mobile – Loop
- Montgomery – Paramount
- Tuscaloosa – Bama
ALBERTA
- Calgary – Palliser Square 1
- Edmonton – Paramount
ARIZONA
- Glendale – Thunderbird Drive-In [w/ LSJD]
- Phoenix – Bethany
- Tucson – Catalina
ARKANSAS
- Fort Smith – Phoenix Village 1
- Little Rock – Arkansas
BRITISH COLUMBIA
- Vancouver – Capitol
- Victoria – Royal
CALIFORNIA
- Alameda – Showcase I [w/ WB]
- Bakersfield – Nile
- Belmont – Starlite Auto Movie [w/ OM]
- Berkeley – United Artists [w/ OM]
- Campbell – Pruneyard 1 [w/ OM]
- Carmichael – Cinema 150 [w/ OM]
- Carmichael – Westerner Auto Movie [w/ OM]
- Chico – El Rey
- Concord – Capri
- Concord – Solano 2 Drive-In [w/ OM]
- Dublin – San Ramon II Auto Movie II [w/ OM]
- Fremont – Showcase II
- Fresno – UA Cinemas 3
- Goleta – Fairview
- Livermore – Vine [w/ OM]
- Menlo Park – Guild
- Millbrae – Millbrae [w/ OM]
- Monterey – Steinbeck
- Oakland – Airport 1 Auto Movie [w/ OM]
- Oakland – Roxie [w/ OM]
- Palm Springs – Camelot II
- Sacramento – Encore [w/ OM]
- Sacramento – Southgate Auto Movie [w/ OM]
- Salinas – El Rey [w/ OM]
- Salinas – Salinas 1 Drive-In [w/ OM]
- San Anselmo – Tamalpais
- San Carlos – Carlos [w/ OM]
- San Diego – Campus Drive-In [w/ OM]
- San Diego – Spreckels [w/ OM]
- San Jose – Century Almaden 4 [w/ OM]
- San Jose – El Rancho Drive-In [w/ OM]
- San Lorenzo – Lorenzo [w/ OM]
- Santa Clara – Moonlite Auto Movie [w/ OM]
- Santa Cruz – Cinema 1
- Sunnyvale – Hacienda [w/ WEBT]
- Union City – Union City 1 Drive-In [w/ OM]
- Vallejo – Crescent Auto Movie [w/ OM]
- Visalia – Visalia
- Walnut Creek – Festival 4
- Yuba City – Sutter
COLORADO
- Colorado Springs – Cinema 70
- Denver – Paramount
- Fort Collins – Campus West
- Greeley – Cooper Twin 2
- Pueblo – Chief
CONNECTICUT
- Brookfield – Fine Arts
- East Hartford – Eastwood 1
- Groton – United Artists
- Norwalk – Norwalk
- Wethersfield – Cine Webb
DELAWARE
- Newark – King
- Wilmington – Prices Corner Drive-In [w/ CHL]
- Wilmington – Warner
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
- Washington – Palace
FLORIDA
- Clearwater – Trans-Lux
- Coral Gables – Gables
- Deerfield Beach – Gold Coast Drive-In [w/ WB]
- Fort Lauderdale – Coral Ridge
- Fort Myers – Arcade
- Gainesville – Center Twin 1
- Hollywood – Florida 2
- Jacksonville – Center
- Jacksonville – Normandy Twin Gold
- North Miami Beach – Sunny Isles 1
- Orlando – Beacham
- Pensacola – Saenger
- St. Petersburg – Plaza 1
- South Miami – Suniland 1
- Tampa – Horizon Park 4
- Tampa – Twin Bays 4
GEORGIA
- Athens – Palace Two
- Atlanta – Lakewood
- Atlanta – Rhodes
- Augusta – Imperial
- College Park – National 1
- Columbus – Bradley
- Decatur – North Dekalb
- Macon – Cinema II
- Macon – Weis Drive-In [w/ HLH]
- Marietta – Town & Country
- Savannah – Cinema II
HAWAII
- Honolulu – Kuhio
ILLINOIS
- Bloomington – Irvin
- Carbondale – Varsity
- Champaign – Co-Ed II
- Chicago – Loop
- Decatur – Northgate Mall 1
- Galesburg – Carrols Twin II
- Kankakee – Paramount
- La Salle – Majestic
- Milan – Showcase 1
- Peoria – Rialto
- Rockford – Times
- Sterling – State
INDIANA
- Anderson – State
- Evansville – Victory
- Fort Wayne – Southtown Mall II
- Lafayette – Lafayette
- Indianapolis – Glendale IV
- Indianapolis – Regency 1
- Muncie – Delaware
- Terre Haute – Honey Creek Square 1
IOWA
- Cedar Rapids – Stage 1
- Cedar Rapids – Stage 4
- Des Moines – Fleur 1
- Des Moines – Fleur 2
- Sioux City – Riviera I
- Waterloo – Crossroads I
KANSAS
- Overland Park – Ranch Mart 1
- Topeka – Gage 3
- Topeka – Gage 4
KENTUCKY
- Ashland – Midtown 2
- Bowling Green – State
- Lexington – Turfland Mall
- Louisville – Showcase 1
- Owensboro – Lincoln Mall Twin 1
LOUISIANA
- Baton Rouge – Hart
- Lafayette – Cinema Center 2
- Lake Charles – Paramount
- Monroe – Plaza
- New Orleans – Saenger
- Shreveport – Strand
MAINE
- Portland – Paris
- Waterville – Cinema Center 3
MANITOBA
- Winnipeg – Capitol
MARYLAND
- Baltimore – Liberty II
- Baltimore – Northwood
- Baltimore – Patterson
- Baltimore – Town
- Greenbelt – Beltway Plaza
- La Vale – Center
- Potomac – Seven Locks I
- Silver Spring – Flower Ave. Playhouse
- Wheaton – Aspen Hill 2
MASSACHUSETTS
- Boston – Savoy II
- Brockton – Westgate Mall III
- Chelmsford – Route 3 Cinema City 4
- Fall River – Cinema I
- Leominster – Searstown 1
- New Bedford – North Dartmouth Mall III
- Pittsfield – Capitol
- West Springfield – Showcase 5
- Worcester – Webster Square 1
MICHIGAN
- Bloomfield Hills – Showcase II
- Detroit – Palms
- Farmington Hills – Old Orchard 2
- Flint – Genesee Valley Twin Red 1
- Garden City – La Parisien
- Grand Rapids – Alpine Twin 1
- Harper Woods – Eastland
- Kalamazoo – Capitol
- Lansing – Gladmer
- Oak Park – Towne 2
- Port Huron – Huron
- Saginaw – Franklin
- Taylor – Southland 1
MINNESOTA
- Duluth – Norshor
- Minneapolis – Gopher
- Rochester – Oakview
- St. Paul – Strand
MISSISSIPPI
- Gulfport – Paramount
- Hattiesburg – Saenger
- Jackson – DeVille
MISSOURI
- Columbia – Campus Twin 1
- Columbia – Campus Twin 2
- Kansas City – Empire 1
- Richmond Heights – Esquire 1
- St. Joseph – Fox East Hills
- Springfield – Gillioz
MONTANA
- Great Falls – Fox Holiday
NEBRASKA
- Lincoln – Cinema 1
- Omaha – Cooper 70
NEVADA
- Las Vegas – El Portal
- Reno – Crest
NEW HAMPSHIRE
- Manchester – King
- Nashua – State
- Portsmouth – Civic
NEW JERSEY
- Princeton – Garden
- Trenton – Lincoln
NEW YORK
- Amherst – Boulevard Mall II
- Binghamton – Binghamton Plaza 2
- Buffalo – Backstage
- Elmira – Colonial
- Lockport – Mall 2
- New Hartford – Paris
- Niagara Falls – Four Seasons II
- Niskayuna – Mohawk Mall 1
- Rochester – Regent
- Syracuse – Westhill
NORTH CAROLINA
- Asheville – Plaza II
- Charlotte – Southpark I
- Durham – Center II
- Fayetteville – Colony
- Gastonia – Gaston Mall
- Greensboro – Cinema
- High Point – Center
- Raleigh – Ambassador
NORTH DAKOTA
- Fargo – Lark
OHIO
- Akron – Chapel Hill II
- Avon Lake – Avon Lake
- Boardman – Southern Park
- Cincinnati – Grand
- Cleveland – Euclid Ave. Drive-In [w/ WDRTE]
- Cleveland – Memphis Drive-In [w/ WDRTE]
- Cleveland Heights – Center-Mayfield
- Columbus – Arlington
- Cuyahoga Heights – Canal Road Drive-In [w/ TWACM]
- Dayton – Dabel
- Euclid – Shore
- Maple Heights – Southgate II
- North Ridgeville – Aut-O-Rama Drive-In [w/ PW]
- Parma – Parmatown II
- Rocky River – Westgate II
- Rocky River – Westgate IV
- Steubenville – Grand
- Toledo – Franklin Park 4
- Warrensville Heights – East Side Drive-In [w/ TWACM]
- Whitehall – Town & Country
OKLAHOMA
- Lawton – Showcase
- Oklahoma City – Centre
- Tulsa – Boman Twin East
ONTARIO
- Ottawa – Place De Ville 1
OREGON
- Portland – 104th Street Drive-In [w/ THX]
- Portland – Paramount
PENNSYLVANIA
- Altoona – Capitol
- Erie – Cinema-18
- Harrisburg – Colonial
- Lancaster – RKO Twin 1
- Levittown – Fox
- New Castle – Cinema
- Philadelphia – Fox [w/ MW]
- Pittsburgh – Fiesta
- Reading – Fox North
- Washington – Penn
QUEBEC
- Montreal – Loew’s
RHODE ISLAND
- East Providence – Four Seasons I
- Warwick —Warwick Mall II
SOUTH CAROLINA
- Charleston – Gloria
- Columbia – Palmetto
- Greenville – Astro II
SOUTH DAKOTA
- Sioux Falls – West Mall
TENNESSEE
- Chattanooga – Martin
- Jackson – Malco
- Kingsport – State
- Memphis – Malco
- Nashville – Paramount
TEXAS
- Arlington – Six Flags Mall II
- Austin – State
- Beaumont – Liberty
- Big Spring – Cinema
- Corpus Christi – Deux Cine II
- Dallas – Astro 1 Drive-In [w/ RW]
- Dallas – Capri 1
- Dallas – Casa Linda
- Dallas – Gemini 1 Drive-In [w/ RW]
- Dallas – Preston Royal
- Denton – Campus
- El Paso – Cinema Park 2 Drive-In [w/ RW]
- El Paso – State
- Fort Worth – Hollywood
- Galveston – State
- Garland – Apollo 1 Drive-In [w/ RW]
- Grand Prairie – Century 1 Drive-In [w/ RW]
- Houston – Gulf-Way Drive-In [w/ RW]
- Houston – McLendon 3 Drive-In [w/ RW]
- Houston – Metropolitan
- Houston – Post Oak 1 Drive-In [w/ RW]
- Houston – Shepherd Drive-In [w/ CHL]
- Houston – Town & Country 6
- Irving – Chateau
- La Marque – Bayou 1 Drive-In [w/ RW]
- Lubbock – Fox Twin 2
- Plano – Plano 1 Drive-In [w/ RW]
- Port Arthur – Park Plaza II
- San Angelo – Parkway
- San Antonio – Aztec 1
- San Antonio – Laurel
- Waco – 25th Street
- Wichita Falls – Strand
UTAH
- Salt Lake City – Utah
VERMONT
- South Burlington – Plaza I
VIRGINIA
- Fairfax – Turnpike
- Lynchburg – Boonsboro
- Norfolk – Loew’s
- Richmond – Colonial
WASHINGTON
- Olympia – State [w/ BCH]
- Seattle – Town
- Spokane – State
- Tacoma – Narrows
WEST VIRGINIA
- Charleston – Virginian
- Huntington – Camelot
- Wheeling – Victoria
WISCONSIN
- Eau Claire – Cinema 1
- Green Bay – Stadium 2
- Kenosha – Roosevelt
- Madison – East Towne Mall II
- Milwaukee – Wisconsin 1
- Racine – Westgate I
- Superior – Palace
The engagements cited above represent only a fraction of the film’s bookings. Not cited in this work are the subsequent-wave bookings (i.e. larger cities inexplicably absent from the film’s initial launch, smaller markets, lower-population locales, expansion waves in larger markets, second-run, etc.) that commenced during the weeks and months that followed the initial rollout. Re-issues and international bookings have also not been cited. What you also will not find in the listing are any entries for December 23rd or 24th (1971), two dates numerous sources erroneously claim was the film’s U.S. release date.
Note that in some cases a co-feature was added, dropped or changed during holdover week(s) or during late-night weekend screenings.
