US Release date: 10 March 1949
First Melbourne Saturday Suburban: 28 January 1950
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Running time: 122 minutes (colour).
Director: Mervyn Leroy
Cast: June Allyson, Peter Lawford & Margaret O’Brien
Australian Distributor: MGM
Melbourne Premiere Venue: MGM’S Metro Theatre for five weeks from 26 October 1949 as a feature only presentation.
Suburban Release Type: Union 8-W-FO
Rankings
| Rank | ||
| EF Points | 474 | 2 |
| EF PPE | 9.48 | 3 |
| Metres Travelled | 562,392 | 36 |
| Average MT | 11,248 | 39 |
| Engagements | 50 | 86 |
| Slots | 142 | 1 |
| Weeks | 38 | 7 |
| Weeks as % of engagements | 76.00% | 22 |
| Saturdays | 7 | 273 |
| Sats as % of engagements | 14.00% | 324 |
| Tuesdays | 5 | 261 |
| Tues as % of engagements | 10.00% | 304 |
| First billed | 18 | 160 |
| Second billed | 1 | 259 |
| Feature only | 31 | 1 |
Independent Ratios
| Engagements weeks 1-10 | 47 |
| Ratio | 94.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 7.33% |
| Eng weeks 11-26 | 1 |
| Ratio | 2.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -5.62% |
| Eng weeks 27-52 | 2 |
| Ratio | 4.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -1.71% |
| Hoyts eng | 0 |
| Ratio | 0.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -0.84% |
| Independent eng | 37 |
| Ratio | 74.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -3.11% |
| Suburban eng | 13 |
| Ratio | 26.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 3.95% |
Notes: At the time of writing Greta Gerwig’s version of Little Women is winding up its run in Melbourne cinemas. Critically praised, it has been a financial success, certainly relative to other period literary adaptations. Other cinematic versions of the film have been cherished by audiences, yet it is MGM’s lavish 1949 adaptation that is possibly the least admired. However, its Melbourne performance was not only successful in a relative-to-other-period-adaptations way, it was a genuine blockbuster, long before that term came into common usage. Number 1 for Feature Only screenings and slots, second place in EF points, 3rd for ave PPE and 7th in weeks. A massive success and Union’s best performer of the year.
Little Women engagements
| SUBURB | VENUE | CHAIN | DATE | W | D | B | CO-FEATURE |
| Collingwood | Austral | Suburban | 28/1/50 | 1 | T | FO | FO |
| Albert Park | Kinema | Independent | 28/1/50 | 1 | W | FO | FO |
| Burnley | Burnley | Independent | 28/1/50 | 1 | W | 1 | Phantom Raiders |
| North Carlton | Adelphi | Independent | 28/1/50 | 1 | W | 1 | Last Crooked Mile |
| Richmond | National | Independent | 28/1/50 | 1 | W | FO | FO |
| St.Kilda | Astor | Independent | 28/1/50 | 1 | W | FO | FO |
| Toorak | Village | Independent | 28/1/50 | 1 | W | FO | FO |
| St.Kilda | Palais | Suburban | 28/1/50 | 1 | W | FO | FO |
| Newmarket | Newmarket | Suburban | 4/2/50 | 2 | T | FO | FO |
| Brunswick | Empire | Independent | 4/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Gangs of the Waterfront |
| Caulfield | Camden | Independent | 4/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Tell No Tales |
| Elsternwick | Esquire | Independent | 4/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | FO |
| Malvern | Embassy | Independent | 4/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | FO |
| Moonee Ponds | Moonee | Independent | 4/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | FO |
| West Brunswick | Western | Independent | 4/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Within the Law |
| Westgarth | Westgarth | Independent | 4/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Within the Law |
| Preston | Planet | Suburban | 4/2/50 | 2 | W | 1 | Fast Company |
| East Brunswick | Liberty | Independent | 11/2/50 | 3 | W | FO | FO |
| East Malvern | Waverley | Independent | 11/2/50 | 3 | W | FO | FO |
| Essendon | Regal | Independent | 11/2/50 | 3 | W | FO | FO |
| Glenferrie | Glen | Independent | 11/2/50 | 3 | W | FO | FO |
| Hawthorn | Vogue | Independent | 11/2/50 | 3 | W | FO | FO |
| Balwyn | Balwyn | Suburban | 11/2/50 | 3 | W | FO | FO |
| Camberwell | Rivoli | Suburban | 11/2/50 | 3 | W | 1 | One Night With You |
| Ormond | Plaza | Suburban | 11/2/50 | 3 | W | FO | FO |
| Preston | St. James | Suburban | 11/2/50 | 3 | W | FO | FO |
| Elwood | Broadway | Independent | 18/2/50 | 4 | S | FO | FO |
| Hartwell | Regal | Suburban | 18/2/50 | 4 | T | FO | FO |
| Ashburton | Civic | Independent | 18/2/50 | 4 | W | 1 | Whistling in Dixie |
| Middle Brighton | Dendy | Independent | 18/2/50 | 4 | W | FO | FO |
| North Brighton | Gardenvale | Independent | 18/2/50 | 4 | W | FO | FO |
| Footscray | Grand | Independent | 18/2/50 | 4 | W | FO | FO |
| North Melbourne | Central | Independent | 18/2/50 | 4 | W | FO | FO |
| Sandringham | Roxy | Independent | 18/2/50 | 4 | W | FO | FO |
| Newport | Plaza | Independent | 25/2/50 | 5 | S | FO | FO |
| Williamstown | Empress | Independent | 25/2/50 | 5 | S | FO | FO |
| Coburg | Plaza | Independent | 25/2/50 | 5 | W | 1 | The Inlanders |
| Heidelberg | Orient | Independent | 25/2/50 | 5 | W | FO | FO |
| Yarraville | Sun | Independent | 25/2/50 | 5 | W | FO | FO |
| Box Hill | Rialto | Suburban | 25/2/50 | 5 | W | FO | FO |
| North Richmond | Victoria | Independent | 4/3/50 | 6 | S | 1 | Road to Alcatraz |
| Oakleigh | Plaza | Independent | 6/3/50 | 6 | W | FO | FO |
| Port Melbourne | Port | Independent | 6/3/50 | 6 | W | 2 | Whistling in Dixie |
| Surrey Hills | Surrey | Independent | 11/3/50 | 7 | W | FO | FO |
| Preston West | Rivoli | Independent | 18/3/50 | 8 | T | FO | FO |
| Chelsea | Plaza | Independent | 25/3/50 | 9 | W | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Reservoir | Plaza | Independent | 1/4/50 | 10 | S | FO | FO |
| Hartwell | Regal | Suburban | 22/4/50 | 13 | T | 1 | Nick Carter Master Detective |
| South Melbourne | Empire | Suburban | 5/8/80 | 28 | S | 1 | The Mutineers |
| Eltham | Plaza | Suburban | 18/11/50 | 43 | S | 1 | Nick Carter Master Detective |
The 1950 Project 