UK Release date: 26 January 1949
First Melbourne Saturday Suburban: 1 April 1950
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Running time: 95 minutes.
Director: David Lean
Cast: Ann Todd, Trevor Howard & Claude Rains
Australian Distributor: GBDFD
Melbourne Premiere Venue: Hoyts’ Athenaeum theatre for four weeks from 23 December 1949 with Badger’s Green as support.
Suburban Release Type: Suburban Palais EX-1
Rankings
| Rank | ||
| EF Points | 170 | 137 |
| EF PPE | 3.78 | 145 |
| Metres Travelled | 455,432 | 183 |
| Average MT | 10,121 | 189 |
| Engagements | 45 | 177 |
| Slots | 46 | 236 |
| Weeks | 1 | 284 |
| Weeks as % of engagements | 2.22% | 318 |
| Saturdays | 11 | 204 |
| Sats as % of engagements | 24.44% | 255 |
| Tuesdays | 33 | 14 |
| Tues as % of engagements | 73.33% | 23 |
| First billed | 44 | 83 |
| Second billed | 1 | 259 |
| Feature only | 0 | 34* |
Hoyts Ratios
| Engagements weeks 1-10 | 45 |
| Ratio | 100.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 7.64% |
| Eng weeks 11-26 | 0 |
| Ratio | 0.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -5.39% |
| Eng weeks 27-52 | 0 |
| Ratio | 0.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -2.24% |
| Hoyts eng | 30 |
| Ratio | 66.67% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 0.89% |
| Independent eng | 5 |
| Ratio | 11.11% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -0.39% |
| Suburban eng | 10 |
| Ratio | 22.22% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -0.50% |
Notes: A praised, middle-brow drama from a young David Lean, it was evident that Hoyts had little idea how to move this through the suburbs, handballing its initial week to the Palais, before taking it back to disseminate among its houses. A handful of Saturdays in mostly leafier suburbs, but otherwise this was typical British Tuesday (14th overall) fare. Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill took the support role on most occasions.
The Passionate Friends engagements
| SUBURB | VENUE | CHAIN | DATE | W | D | B | CO-FEATURE |
| St.Kilda | Palais | Suburban | 1/4/50 | 1 | S | 2 | Tulsa |
| Prahran | Empress | Hoyts | 8/4/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| South Yarra | Regent | Hoyts | 8/4/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Caulfield | Crystal Palace | Suburban | 8/4/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Albert Park | Park | Hoyts | 8/4/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Fitzroy | Regent | Hoyts | 8/4/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Malvern | New | Hoyts | 8/4/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| North Fitzroy | Merri | Hoyts | 8/4/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Port Melbourne | Eclipse | Hoyts | 8/4/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Richmond | Cinema | Hoyts | 8/4/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Ascot Vale | Ascot | Suburban | 15/4/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Brunswick | Alhambra | Hoyts | 15/4/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Essendon | Circle | Hoyts | 15/4/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Glenhuntly | Glenhuntly | Hoyts | 15/4/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Northcote | Northcote | Suburban | 15/4/50 | 3 | T | 2 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Richmond | Globe | Suburban | 15/4/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Ascot Vale | Waratah | Hoyts | 15/4/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Brighton | Centre | Hoyts | 15/4/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Coburg | Grand | Hoyts | 15/4/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Elsternwick | Renown | Hoyts | 15/4/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Essendon | Plaza | Hoyts | 15/4/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Thornbury | Regent | Hoyts | 15/4/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Camberwell | Rivoli | Suburban | 15/4/50 | 3 | W | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Balwyn | Time | Hoyts | 22/4/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Camberwell | Broadway | Hoyts | 22/4/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Man About the House |
| Footscray | Barkly | Hoyts | 22/4/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Bentleigh | Bentleigh | Hoyts | 22/4/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Carnegie | Carnegie | Hoyts | 22/4/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Gardiner | Regent | Hoyts | 22/4/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Hampton | Southern | Hoyts | 22/4/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Kew | Rialto | Hoyts | 22/4/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Preston | Circle | Hoyts | 22/4/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Hartwell | Regal | Suburban | 29/4/50 | 5 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| North Fitzroy | Palace | Suburban | 29/4/50 | 5 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Brunswick | Lygon | Hoyts | 29/4/50 | 5 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Canterbury | Maling | Hoyts | 29/4/50 | 5 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Ivanhoe | Ivanhoe | Hoyts | 29/4/50 | 5 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Yarraville | St. George | Suburban | 6/5/50 | 6 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Williamstown | Shore | Hoyts | 6/5/50 | 6 | T | 1 | Mr Perrin and Mr Traill |
| Oakleigh | Paramount | Independent | 13/5/50 | 7 | T | 1 | Murder in Reverse |
| North Melbourne | Loco | Independent | 20/5/50 | 8 | T | 1 | Things Happen at Night |
| Box Hill | Rialto | Suburban | 20/5/50 | 8 | T | 1 | Sofia |
| Elwood | Broadway | Independent | 27/5/50 | 9 | S | 1 | The Calendar |
| North Richmond | Victoria | Independent | 3/6/50 | 10 | T | 1 | Incident |
| Preston West | Rivoli | Independent | 3/6/50 | 10 | T | 1 | All Over the Town |
The 1950 Project 