Ziegfeld Theatre
141 W. 54th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
141 W. 54th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
131 people
favorited this theater
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To the staff at Clearview Cinemas: The next time you do a Classics series, would you consider setting a “series pass” admission price? Either that, or please consider renting me a seat by the month.
Seven visits to the Ziegfeld in a month. Seven great movies. A few minor tweaks to the presentation of these films would be great; longer intermissions, lights at ½ during the overture. Presentation and sound overall, has been great throughout the whole series.
Once again, thank you for a great series.
Tonight, for my 50th time seeing “2001” in a theater, I sat in the upstairs section of the Ziegfeld, something I hadn’t done since 1970. While the screen did seem smaller from there (unless you took into account and put into proportion the people sitting underneath it), the sound was even more impressive as it boomed from the Klipsch Professional speakers all around the building. What a beautiful theater the Ziegfeld is. Can’t wait to see “Lawrence” there on Friday night.
Hello to all,
Just want to throw my two cents regarding the roadshow presentations: I have attended many classic film engagements in the LA and Orange County areas. It’s my experience that, with only one notable exception, intermissions and overtures are generally handled well. A minor discrepancy may be proper light fading during the overtures, but it’s not that big of a deal. I emphasize, “may be”. I’ll have to pay more attention to that next time. The notable exception was a presentation of “El Cid” in a theatre at Orange County, which shall remain nameless, to protect the guilty. I just barely had time to return to my seat from the restroom during the, er, “intermission”.
As far as CE3K, I’ll reiterate that the ‘77 version is much better in terms of story continuity. The '80 scenes with Neary inside the spaceship were, in my opinion, a waste of time. The Director’s Edition is not bad, and I try to catch it on the big screen when possible.
The Heights Theatre in Minneapolis is currently running a 70 mm DTS engagement of “Lawrence of Arabia”.
JSA
There might be only 3 or 4 prints available since the last re-issue. Columbia has one that only has very few shows on it for studio screenings only. It’s not how many times they have been screened, but how it was handled at those screenings.
I wonder if it’s the print that the Ziegfeld played a couple of years back? How many 70mm prints could there be in the U.S.? And how many times could each of them have been screened since they were struck, given the dearth of proper facilities.
It looks like the 70MM print of “Lawrence of Arabia” will be a DTS soundtrack version. Note it is a used print.
As the one who introduced CE3K last Friday evening, I am going to take the liberty to respond—YOU ARE ALL RIGHT! If I could have pulled it off, I, too, would have lobbied for the'77 original that had me so taken away that I didn’t realize that I was watching it with a 102 fever ( I was out of work for three days after with the flu). This whole issue of “best version” has ben going on for years. When I first saw the 1980 “Special Edition” ( only on video), what upset me the most was not the ending, but the SEVERE editing of Neary’s sequence in which he rips the house and garden apart as he attempts to re-create the vision that’s haunting him, i.e., Devil’s tower. To me this is the heart and soul of the film. Yeah I also miss the original scene at the power station, Roy looking at the pillow,etc. But without watching Roy go totally nuts as he does in the original, I thought the film was ruined.
The “Definitive Director’s Cut,” I’ll take that anyday!
I’ve asked Craig to allow me to say a few words at the Saturday afternoon screening of “Lawrence,” so you may be seeing my puss again.
Thanks,
Gary
I’m not sure about that. This latest version that I saw at the Ziegfeld was incredible. I seem to recall thinking back in ‘77 that the film dragged a bit in the mid section. I think Spielberg succeeded in tightening up the film with his edits. Again, I only saw the original once and then the “Special Edition” once in 1980 (the ending of which left me non-plussed).
Which version is your favorite?
posted by Michael Coate on Mar 21, 2006 at 11:57pm
Without a doubt, the 1977 original version of “Close Encounters” is my favorite, maybe because I saw it so many times back then. I still get a little jolt whenever one of the newer versions cuts abruptly to the Gobi Desert, or when the scenes come on in re-arranged order – it just feels wrong to me. I wish I could let Spielberg and especially Lucas know that the version of your film that the vast majority of its audience first fell in love with should always be the definitive version.
Hi Michael, I would love your opinion on this.
I feel the Ziegfeld is showing very little showmanship in the manner in which they present the classic old roadshows, do you think I am wrong with my rants about how poorly the Ziegfeld handles the intermissions? How are they done in LA?
You are right about the Criterion laserdisc edition of Close Encounters. Its possible to view 3 different versions of the film but you have to stop the film to access the right scenes on the disc.
I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s postings regarding the Ziegfeld’s festival. It’s about time New York City had one of these! We on the west coast have been rather spoiled the past few years with an amazing array of screenings of films, especially those of the Cinerama and 70mm variety that until recently I figured I’d never get to see in my lifetime in their original form. I always thought it was a bit weird that New York, given its size and importance, did not seem have nearly as many film festivals as in L.A.
What do you guys think of this: If anyone who has attended the Ziegfeld fest wishes to do a write-up — could be something similar to the postings here, or perhaps even a full article — Bill Kallay and I will consider posting it on our website, FromScriptToDVD.com. Perhaps this could help spread the word and encourage the Ziegfeld and other venues to consider more classic film festivals in the future. If interested, give me or Bill a shout.
It has been mentioned here that this “Definitive Director’s Edition” of “Close Encounters” is a third version of the film. I consider it a fourth version, with the third version being the network television edition since it, like this new cut, was essentially a combination of the ‘77 & '80 theatrical cuts. (There was also the Criterion laserdisc edition which, I believe, allowed some user programming to include/exclude certain scenes.)
Which version is your favorite?
RE the world premiere of “Close Encounters” at the Ziegfeld:
The film opened to the public on Nov. 16, 1977; the world premiere event was held the previous night.
View link
Hal, I’d love to see 70 mm film festivals, and that includes some of the recent Ziegfeld classics that weren’t presented in 70 mm but were issued that way.
As to new releases, there’s another problem. 70 mm presentations are expensive, as you know. They was more of an effeciency of scale when they were presented in single screen flagship houses in the cities. One 70 mm print was shown in an auditorium that ranged from 500 seats (such as the Paris) to 1000+ seats. Unfortunately, there’s very few such screens left! The blockbuster movie is often presented in a multiplex every half hour, requiring several prints, and at the same time throughout the city & suburbs since there’s no more downtown exclusive for maintream movies. The cost of making, shipping, and showing all those 70 mm prints would be high.
No doubt the old days were better: 70 mm 6 track on giant screens in single screen moviehouses!
Gee whiz guys! When I said it was all about the money I wasn’t trying to imply that money was the only issue, it was an oversimplification. My point was, the modern economics of theatre operation do not allow for roadshow type presentations in this day and age, and the cost of making 70mm prints combined with booth equipment costs simply discourage the use of 70mm prints. This is unfortunate, the studios do not want to spend the dollars to make 70’s and the theatre owners do not want to spend the money on the equipment because there are no prints to run, kind of a nasty circle don’t you think? I do not have a solution, unless the theatre owners insist on making 70’s available the studios won’t make them, plain and simple problem. And yes I would agree that RCMH does herd people in like cattle, it’s a 6000 seat theatre for crying out loud! How else would they deal with it?
The Egyptian out in LA runs 70mm festivals from time to time, seems the Ziegfeld would be a wonderful venue for such a festival, judging from some of the postings, I’m not the only one that feels that way.
Irv:
Irv
Thanks for the kind words, I’ll probably be at the afternoon screening of Lawrence on Saturday and am thinking of asking Craig to talk again in light of Premiere’s voting O'Toole’s performance as the greatest in film history (see newest issue) I have Lawrence on VHS, laser, and DVD-(I also have a home theatre with an 80 inch screen.) I refuse to watch any of them-can’t match the Ziegfeld experience. Isn’t this what it’s all about?
Gary
Gary
Cool intro Gary. Nice bit of trivia there on the date of the premiere of CE3K at the Ziegfeld. That very day was my 11th birthday. Wonder what I was doing that day, can’t even remember.
In regard to Hal, Al, and vito’s previous comments. I agree that there is some revisionism going on here in terms of how theaters used to be. At the same time, I think I’d have to say that there is definitely something missing with what’s left of today’s movie going experiences. Al you’re totally right. There are some theaters, a few in Manhattan, that actually are cool theaters. Tower East (haven’t been there in a while) is a good one, and of course The Paris. The product just isn’t out there often enoughto get people into the seats. Most of the films today, as we’ve stated one way or another, totally suck!
Ed-agree with you 100%. Just about everybody here including myself has had a grievance with some of the presentations during this series. And they’re all prety valid. But overall this has been a great series and a real positive experience. Can’t think of a better way to get through the last days of another desolate winter in New York. I hope Clearview/Ziegfeld finds a way to continue it in some form in the future. One thing that I can’t complain about anymore is how people in the entertainment business don’t take chances any longer. This was a big gamble but a great idea and hopefully the receipts will prove that after the final showing of ‘Lawrence of Arabia’.
WOW: Everyone, can we all calm down, please. Remember what Craig told me above, “A great program that can only grow in time!” The man really wants this program to succeed, and is open to constructive criticism. But he is not the President of Clearview Cinemas. The first time I ever spoke to him, I offered some “constructive criticism.” He immediately said, “I know, the overtures, the intermissions…” And then I said, “Not at all.” I told him that Clearview could have done a better job in getting the word out to everyone about the program. Sure, print quality, sound, overtures, ALL IMPORTANT! I agree with all of you, But as a start, I am grateful for two things, first, that the Ziegfeld is still standing and functioning as a theatre and secondly, that they gambled on two months of classics, yes, TWO MONTHS, as an experiment.
The “kinks” can work out in time, as long as the program can continue. I really believe that a first priority is to ensure that the program can continue on some regular basis.
Hey, I respect all of your opinions, I wouldn’t settle for the 1980 Special Edition of CE3K, I would have been embarrased to introduce it. I was in constant touch with Craig about this, and guess what, that great print that you’ve all been complimenting came directly from Steven Spielberg. I am not making this up. Craig worked very hard to make that happen!
What can I say, of course, Clearview has to make money to keep the place open and at the same time is gambling that a festival of movies that are all available on home video will draw an audience. I absolutely applaud that. Would CE3K or Lawrence look as good at the Film Forum? I recently saw “Barry Lyndon” at MOMA, nice theatre, but not the Ziegfeld. I am not saying, lower your standards, settle for mediocrity—I wanted a great print and the “right” version of CE3K, and best of all I wanted to introduce it. I worked very hard to make all this happen ( and screamed at the “Film Critic” at ‘Time Out’ for his ignorance of the ‘Definitive Director’s Cut’ )
You have issues, tell Craig about them, but please remember that if this program can’t continue, then all the issues will be dead issues-and then we will have nothing but our DVD’s.
Thank you for asking for a copy of my intro: Here it is:
Good Evening and Welcome:
WE WANT EVERYTHING TO BE PERFECT TONIGHT ! SO, RIGHT BEFORE
YOU CAME IN, WE DID A SOUND CHECK, THEN WE DID A PICTURE
CHECK,—NOW, ONE MORE CHECK TO DO! WE NEED TO DO AN
ENTHUSIASM CHECK- HOW IS EVERYBODY’S ENTHUSIAM!!!
SO, MAYBE YOU WERE EXPECTING STEVEN SPIELBERG TONIGHT?
WELL, CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET? HE’S JUST A LITTLE TOO BUSY RIGHT
NOW â€"AND THAT’S BECAUSE HE, AND GEORGE LUCAS, AND HARRISON
FORD ARE IN pre-production on Indiana Jones 4.
BUT I DID GET A RATHER CRYPTIC E-MAIL FROM HIM:
It said, “Gary, make sure YOU eat before your talk tonightâ€"I suggest a BIG PLATE of
mashed potatoes and a VERY LARGE FORK. AND STOP PLAYING WITH THE
POTATOES!†WHAT’S THAT ALL ABOUT?????
OK, I BETTER GET STARTED OR MY INTRO WILL BE LONGER THAN BEN-HUR
In a few moments, we’ll be on our way, to “THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON.†AND
I THANK ALL OF YOU, IN ADVANCE, FOR THIS VERY SPECIAL
OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE YOU FOR THE JOURNEY.
About 20 years ago, I got the shock of my life. I used to be a high school teacher, and I
loved to talk movies with kids. And one day, with one young man, the movie was Jaws.
And we were both really into it. He loved the thrill and tension AND ROLLER
COASTER RIDE of the movie, but as a teacher, I wanted him to know what makes great
films workâ€"the brilliant editing that propels the story forward; the underwater shots
from the shark’s point of view, that enhance the terror; that pulsating, pounding,
magnificent score by John Williams; and, especially Spielberg’s astonishing use of the
wide screen as, Quint is dragged, kicking and screaming, across the entire deck of the
sinking Orca in his final showdown with the shark . And this kid, who loved Jaws, and
who was really smart, just wasn’t getting it. AND I COULDN’T UNDERSTAND
WHY, WE BOTH HAD SEEN THE SAME MOVIE! OR SO I THOUGHT !!!
So finally he said to me. Mr. Joseph,†You have to understand something, I’ve only seen
Jaws on videotape, never in a theater.â€
Now if that isn’t a MANDATE FOR what’s been going on IN THIS THEATER for the
last SEVERAL WEEKS, I don’t know what is.
LOOK: IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS
1, YOU’VE BEEN MADE OFFERS THAT YOU CAN’T REFUSE
3, YOU’VE RUMBLED IN THE STREETS WITH THE JETS AND THE SHARKS.
YOU’VE FOUND LOVE IN THE ICE AND SNOW WITH Dr. ZHIVAGO
YOU’VE BEEN SINGING IN THE RAIN
THIS AFTERNOON, YOU WENT TO JUPITER AND BEYOND..
NEXT WEEK YOU RIDE INTO THE DESERT WITH LAWRENCE, AND YOU KNOW THE CAMELS WILL BE HUGE.
DOES IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS?
WELL, ACTUALLY, ……..IT DOES! RIGHT NOW!
This REALLY is an HISTORIC EVENINGâ€" because†Close Encounters†had its world premiere-right here- at the Ziegfeld on November 16, 1977.
The next morning in The New York Times, Vincent Canby wrote:†Steven Spielberg’s giant, spectacular Close Encounters of the Third Kind is one of the best, most-elaborate science fiction movies ever made——– The film is breathtaking——– the Close Encounter in which the earthlings and the alien creatures come together, a sequence as beautiful as anything I’ve ever seen, has been deliberately designed to suggest a religious experience of the first kind. Whether or not you believe it, this climax involves the imagination in surprising, moving ways. This is a day in which the earth might have stood still. If indeed, we are not alone, it would be fun to believe that the creatures who one day visit us are of the order that Mr. Spielberg has conceived.â€
Now, speaking of “religious experiences†just a few blocks from here, there once stood the ultimate Movie Palace, so fabulous and beautiful, that it was dubbed the “Cathedral of the Motion Picture.†ANYBODY REMEMBER ? This was the world famous ROXY THEATRE.
NOW, GET THIS: Almost 6000 seats, six box offices, a five story grand foyer and rotunda, ushers in black tie, dazzling Baroque décor, lounges, smoking rooms, three organ consoles, twenty-one-bell cathedral chimes, a resident symphony orchestra of 110 musicians and four conductors, a chorus of one hundred voices, and a ballet company of fifty dancers.
Oh yes, and one other thingâ€"the Roxy showed great movies on a great big screen—-for JUST over three decades. All gone, like the rest of New York’s GREAT single screen MOVIE palaces including, most recently, Loew’s Astor Plaza.
ALL GONE EXCEPT FOR THE ZIEGFELD!
BUT THE ZIEGFELD IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A BIG SCREEN AND BIG SOUND, THE ZIEGFELD WOULD NOT BE THE ZIEGFELD WITHOUT THESE HARD WORKING PROFESSIONALS WHO PRIDEFULLY RUN THIS PLACEâ€"ALL HERE TO MAKE YOUR ZIEGFELD EXPERIENCE THE ABSOLUTE BEST!
For those of you in the audience who have experienced Close Encounters on the “big screen,†well, you know why you are back here tonightâ€"I think it has something to do with those mashed potatoes. But for those of you who have never seen the film, or heaven forbid, those of you who have only seen it on home video or TV, I promise you ONE HELL OF A RIDE.
The real Close Encounters aficionados know that there are multiple versions of the film, but, don’t worry, tonight we are going to see the GREATEST—– Spielberg’s Definitive Director’s Cut from 1998. You don’t have to go inside the spaceship with Roy Nearyâ€"by film’s end, your own imagination will take you there as John Williams’s music soars!
But just before that, in one of my favorite scenes, the scientist, Claude Lacombe, asks Roy Neary, “Mr. Neary, what do you want?†And Neary answers, “I just want to know that it’s really happening.â€
Well, tonight———– as Norma Desmond would say——— for all you wonderful people out there in the dark—– here—— at the world famous Ziegfeld——– “ It is really happening!â€
As they say in the film:
“I DON’T THINK WE COULD ASK FOR A MORE BEAUTIFUL EVENING, DO YOU?
Thank you for coming and enjoy the show!
Gary
Gee Hal. “It’s all about the money?” When super budget productions like WEST SIDE STORY, BEN-HUR, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and LAWRENCE OF ARABIA were produced they were even bigger risks than today’s films which can generate millions in a weekend. It was even more about the money then when one screw-up on Broadway could mean 50% of the film’s world wide gross. These older classics were often ruined by bad projectionists, rude customers (juvenile delinquents, we called them) and careless sloppy staff. If you really want to remember how cattle were herded in the good old days go to a Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall.
I think if you read the posts above, The Ziegfeld suffers from none of these and I cannot say the same was the case during the Walter Reade/Cineplex Odeon days.
I think your memories are rose coloured and you need let go and give credit where it is due! Most new cinemas have great presentation. It is most of the movies that tend to be crap and make this series so special.
I would appreciate the people in the booth at the Ziegfeld not be referred to as projectionists. They are mearly threading a projector feed by a platter, pushing a button and then sitting on their butts for two+ hours. Hal made some very good points, the Zeigfeld guys would not have lasted a day in my time. They have only one screen to attend to and could do a lot more to enhance the presentation with a little showmanship.They choose not to bother.
Hal T… The series at the Ziegfeld is actually quite an exciting and enjoyable affair. There is still nothing like seeing a great movie on a nice sized screen in a big theater like the Ziegfeld. There are many aspects of the presentation that have come under the scrutiny of our collective purist’s eye, but I think most of us will agree that Clearview has been very responsive to these criticisms and suggestions. There are still some kinks to be worked out (the whole intermission business and getting hold of good 70mm prints) but on the whole, I think the reaction here on this board has been overwhelmingly positive.
Whenever I visited New York, I always went to see a film here, the Ziegfeld even managed to make “crappy” movies look good, now, if I read some of the recent postings correctly, they manage to make good movies look “crappy”! Showmanship is rare these days, if there is a projectionist in the booth(s) he/she is likely running anywhere from 12 to 30 screens, having been there and done that, it’s almost impossible to keep an eagle eye on everything, it’s thread and start all day. And most of these theatres have managers or high school kids running the film. Even the union projectionists (I was one) that are working today probably have never done a manual start or close-in, have never done a changeover and wouldn’t know what a carbon arc lamp was if they tripped over it! I wish we could have some theatres that still did it the way we used to, but it ain’t gonna happen. It’s all about money, which is exactly why there are no 70mm releases anymore, they herd the masses in like cattle, subject them to minutes of on-screen ads and put on a lousy presentation and call it a day! As long as people are willing to put up with this abuse, it won’t change, and if the Ziegfeld has lowered itself to this level, the purists like me and you are in alot of trouble!
Movieguy718… My lady and I paid $30 for a pair of tickets to the 1pm “2001” as well as the 4:30 “Close Encounters” on Sunday and, since I was settling in for a day of classic movie-going, we brought with us a sandwich from our local deli to split for lunch between shows. I also purchased a medium popcorn, a bag of M&M’s and 2 large soft drinks from the Ziegfeld’s candy counter. I felt no shame. What I felt was well fed and fiscally responsible!
Having said that, I also felt immensely entertained by these two terrific movies! “2001” is absolutely a magnificent work of art unlike any other film and stands as my all time favorite motion picture. My lady fair – having never seen the film before and not being particularly fond of anything avant-garde, let alone sci-fi – did not share my enthusiasm for the movie. In fact, she hated it. To each their own, but happily, she did very much enjoy “Close Encounters” (another film she had never before seen).
As for presentation, they played the usual interminable ads (no trailers) along with a short commercial presentation called “the clearview” or something that I suspect runs before every feature along the chain. That started about 15 minutes before each show time, so that the movies themselves started at the advertised times. The curtain was closed completely for the “2001” overture, but the house lights seemed to remain at full strength. As others have commented about previous screenings, the film played straight through the Intermission card into the entr'acte music in complete darkness and with the curtains fully open. The print for “2001” was very scratchy with signs of serious wear at the real changes and at least two instances of dropped frames, but the sound was strong and clear and in full surround. “Close Encounters” was a positively perfect print; as if it were struck just for this occasion. Impeccable picture quality and sound presentation (and no pesky overtures or intermissions to muck about with the projectionist).
The theater was not as filled as it was for either “West Side Story” or “Ben-Hur” – the other classics I’ve taken in during the series. I’d say the theater was ¼ to 1/3 full at most, but the crowd was extremely enthusiastic and respectfully quiet throughout both films. Oh, and someone had mentioned above that the weekday showings did not feature commercials and I forgot to respond that the Tuesday night “West Side Story” did include a number of ads prior to the screening. Perhaps they dropped showing them during the week at a later date?
Gary… do you have a copy of your comments that you can post here on CT for those of us who were unable to make it down? Finally, the sign on the door regarding “Alien” states that the screenings were cancelled due to a “damaged” print. Next stop, Arabia!
Just wondering… I’ve stated before that I will go out of my way to see any old crap that they slap up on the screen at the Ziegfeld just to try to help support the place. Anyone else do this? Let me tell you, I have seen new releases here on a Sturday night with just 19 people (sometimes less) in the house, and meanwhile, the same movie will be a sell-out on 42nd Street. A few weeks of “classics” at $7.50 a pop sure as hell ain’t gonna keep the joint open. What I’m saying is… if you’re gonna see Ice Age 2 and it’s showing across the street from your house, make the trip to the Ziegfeld instead. And buy some popcorn and soda at the concession stand – you all KNOW that’s where they make their real money… I’ve seen 7 of the classics and I’ve seen people smuggle in complete meals at all of them. Shame on you!