US Release date: 30 April 1949
First Melbourne Saturday Suburban: 1 July 1950
Genre: Family
Country: USA
Running time: 92 minutes (colour)
Director: Fred M. Wilcox
Cast: Margaret O’Brien, Herbert Marshall & Dean Stockwell
Australian Distributor: MGM
Melbourne Premiere Venue: MGM’s St. James theatre for six weeks from 7 April 1950 supporting Take Me Out to the Ball Game.
Suburban Release Type: Union 7-W-2
Rankings
| Rank | ||
| EF Points | 128 | 166 |
| EF PPE | 2.84 | 188 |
| Metres Travelled | 502,817 | 125 |
| Average MT | 11,174 | 49 |
| Engagements | 45 | 177 |
| Slots | 75 | 47 |
| Weeks | 30 | 41 |
| Weeks as % of engagements | 66.67% | 42 |
| Saturdays | 13 | 174 |
| Sats as % of engagements | 28.89% | 226 |
| Tuesdays | 2 | 317 |
| Tues as % of engagements | 4.44% | 341 |
| First billed | 2 | 223 |
| Second billed | 43 | 60 |
| Feature only | 0 | 34* |
Independent ratios
| Engagements weeks 1-10 | 42 |
| Ratio | 93.33% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 6.66% |
| Eng weeks 11-26 | 2 |
| Ratio | 4.44% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -3.18% |
| Eng weeks 27-52 | 1 |
| Ratio | 2.22% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -3.49% |
| Hoyts eng | 0 |
| Ratio | 0.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -0.84% |
| Independent eng | 36 |
| Ratio | 80.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 2.89% |
| Suburban eng | 9 |
| Ratio | 20.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -2.05% |
Notes: This lovely MGM adaptation of the children’s classic deserved a run on top of the bill, but unfortunately only received it twice. Otherwise it played passenger to Take Me Out to the Ballgame and thus earned only 128 EF points. The film was worthy of more, but the patrons who saw it as a support certainly got their money’s worth.
The Secret Garden engagements
| SUBURB | VENUE | CHAIN | DATE | W | D | B | CO-FEATURE |
| Albert Park | Kinema | Independent | 1/7/50 | 1 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Burnley | Burnley | Independent | 1/7/50 | 1 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| North Carlton | Adelphi | Independent | 1/7/50 | 1 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Richmond | National | Independent | 1/7/50 | 1 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| St.Kilda | Astor | Independent | 1/7/50 | 1 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Toorak | Village | Independent | 1/7/50 | 1 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| St.Kilda | Palais | Suburban | 1/7/50 | 1 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Elsternwick | Esquire | Independent | 8/7/50 | 2 | S | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Brunswick | Empire | Independent | 8/7/50 | 2 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Caulfield | Camden | Independent | 8/7/50 | 2 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Moonee Ponds | Moonee | Independent | 8/7/50 | 2 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| West Brunswick | Western | Independent | 8/7/50 | 2 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Westgarth | Westgarth | Independent | 8/7/50 | 2 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Malvern | Embassy | Suburban | 8/7/50 | 2 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Preston | Planet | Suburban | 8/7/50 | 2 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Essendon | Regal | Independent | 15/7/50 | 3 | S | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Camberwell | Rivoli | Suburban | 15/7/50 | 3 | S | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| East Brunswick | Liberty | Independent | 15/7/50 | 3 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Glenferrie | Glen | Independent | 15/7/50 | 3 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Hawthorn | Vogue | Independent | 15/7/50 | 3 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Balwyn | Balwyn | Suburban | 15/7/50 | 3 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Ormond | Plaza | Suburban | 15/7/50 | 3 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Preston | St. James | Suburban | 15/7/50 | 3 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Ashburton | Civic | Independent | 22/7/50 | 4 | S | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| North Brighton | Gardenvale | Independent | 22/7/50 | 4 | S | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| North Melbourne | Central | Independent | 22/7/50 | 4 | S | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Fairfield | Fairfield | Suburban | 22/7/50 | 4 | T | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Middle Brighton | Dendy | Independent | 22/7/50 | 4 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Footscray | Grand | Independent | 22/7/50 | 4 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Newport | Plaza | Independent | 29/7/50 | 5 | S | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Williamstown | Empress | Independent | 29/7/50 | 5 | S | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Box Hill | Rialto | Suburban | 29/7/50 | 5 | S | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Coburg | Plaza | Independent | 29/7/50 | 5 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Yarraville | Sun | Independent | 29/7/50 | 5 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Oakleigh | Plaza | Independent | 5/8/50 | 6 | W | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Port Melbourne | Port | Independent | 5/8/50 | 6 | W | 1 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Sandringham | Roxy | Independent | 5/8/50 | 6 | W | 2 | Take Me Out to the Ball Game |
| North Richmond | Victoria | Independent | 12/8/50 | 7 | S | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Surrey Hills | Surrey | Independent | 12/8/50 | 7 | S | 1 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Preston West | Rivoli | Independent | 19/8/50 | 8 | T | 2 | In the Good Old Summertime |
| Heidelberg | Orient | Independent | 12/8/50 | 8 | W | 2 | Take Me Out to the Ball Game |
| Chelsea | Plaza | Independent | 2/9/50 | 10 | W | 2 | After Midnight |
| Preston East | Gowerville | Independent | 4/11/50 | 19 | S | 2 | Nancy Goes to Rio |
| East Malvern | Waverley | Independent | 4/11/50 | 19 | W | 2 | Nancy Goes to Rio |
| Coburg West | Progress | Independent | 17/2/51 | 34 | S | 2 | The Blue Lamp |
The 1950 Project 