Only a few choice seats are still available for the benefit premiere of "South Pacific" at the Villa Theater Thursday at 8:30 p.m.

 

Donation tickets, which are tax deductible, are priced at $10, $7 and $3, with all proceeds going to the Salt Lake County Assn. for Retarted Children.

 

The box office will be open at the Uptown Theater from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday and at the Villa Theater Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

 

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Arriving in Salt Lake City Wednesday noon for personal appearances was Patricia Owens, motion picture star. Sidney Newman, advertising director for Magna Theater Corp., which is donating the film for the premiere, also arrived this week from New York City.

 

Miss Owens and Mr. Newman are making several radio and television appearances and also visited the Fairmont Park Training School Wednesday afternoon. The school will be beneficiary of money donated to the premiere.

 

Mr. Newman said that the Villa installation represents the only TODD-AO process in the area. Closest other TODD-AO equipment is in Denver. He also said that the number of theaters selected for showing "South Pacific" is being limited by the producers to assure "that it will be seen as it was intended, in 70 mm. film on the largest screen possible.

 

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It will not be reduced to the conventional 35 mm. size for at least 18 months, he said, which means that the Villa Theater is the only place in the Mountain West where it may be seen.

 

In 40 openings since March, "South Pacific" had grossed more than $4 million by the last of June, Mr. Newman said, which means it "is on its way to becoming one of the top moneymakers among current movies. Not only is it a money-maker, but it has won plaudits from filmgoers, many of whom have seen it three and four times."