'S. Pacific' Sets All-Time Record

When "South Pacific" ends its run at the Villa Theater about midnight tonight, it will have established a record which theatermen hereabouts say will be difficult to beat.

In 435 performances since the Deseret News premiere last July 31, the picture has played to 280,000 paid admissions. This is about 50,000 more than the latest estimated population of Salt Lake City.

When the curtain goes down on the scene of Mitzi Gaynor and Rossanno Brazzi touching hands and looking into each other's eyes, it will mark finis to a run that has attracted nationwide attention.

In the 10 months and four days since the Todd-AO process and "South Pacific" were introduced in Salt Lake, the film has chalked up a gross of $412,000 before taxes, according to John Denman, city manager for Fox Theaters, which operate the theater.

Its gross, including state and federal taxes, will be $450,000, Mr. Denman estimates. He says if the money at the refreshment stand were taken into account, the amount would be higher still.

The Salt Lake run of "South Pacific" has drawn moviegoers from southern Idaho and eastern Nevada, as well as from all parts of Utah, Mr. Denman added.

He said that the Villa run is one of the highest grossers in the U.S. in proportion to the population, just as was "The Ten Commandments," previous high moneymaker in Salt Lake.