Ziegfeld Theatre

What is the deal with the Ziegfeld right now?? Is it going to stay closed and be used only for premieres? It seems that they won’t be playing new releases since they’re playing at all the multiplexes anyway.

I think the Ziegfeld will be around for awhile. The studios use it for all the major premieres and is the only one with the capacity for such premieres unless they start using Radio City again.There are plenty of big summer popcorn movies coming to keep the Ziegfeld open. I think New Yorkers should support Loews Jersey when they show films because here is a true movie palace.brucec

Three strip is the only way to see Cinerama. Still remember seeing How The West Was Won in that format. They would have to cut half the seats out of the Ziegfeld to show three strip and they would never do that.

It was a curved screen in front of the current one and it was odd. In place of a curtain there were simply lights reflected on the screen. Read Vincent Canby in the NYT Arts and Leisure from this time(‘73.)He wrote a Sunday piece about how disappointing the presentation was.
I’m surprised Lowell even agreed to it.

Concerning what Jim wrote the proper presentation of classic films can only done now as a not for profit enterprise. It is now a lost art like ballet or opera and needs the support of those who feel passionate about it and have money or time. We should have great presentations of Lawrence or How the West Was Won just as one goes to the Met to hear Tosca or see Sleeping Beauty.
Why do people find this such an odd idea and not worthy of consideration? What’s wrong with a film museum with a truly magnificent screen that can properly show 70mm, Todd AO and Cinerama? The visceral impact is one of the greatest joys of moviegoing.

Let’s not be too hard on Clearview or any other operators of movie houses these days; the cut-throat competition by the movie makers and distributors now spell the rules by which exhibitors (movie houses) live! The distributors are in cahoots with the movie makers, of course, and now make exhibitors sign huge, terrible contracts that make the distributors the virtual owners of the theatres, and almost no theatres can play what they want when they want. The ‘big fish’ will always seek ways to eat the ‘little fish’ and now with DVD/tapes out almost as soon as the title appears ont he screen, the theatres are mere fodder for the big fish. Have sympathy. (And read all about it at www.bigscreenbiz.com))

Remember that when the Ziegfeld showed Cinerama it was the one strip version which I assume was some form of 70mm. They didn’t even have a curtain to give you the impression of an everexpanding screen. Also the fact that there is no back to the orchestra only an aisle separating it from the elevated loge would probably preclude it from the proper presentation of Cinerama unless it was feasible to project it from the very back.

Any chance they could program some recent classics there. Would love to see a film like Titanic on that big screen. They should try to get the new Harry Potter movie. Bet they could make money showing that film.

One quick thing to keep in mind when having noted in the past that the Ziegfeld was ‘closed for renovations’ – quite frequently (in the NY Post and Time Out NY, at least), when a theater closes, even if it’s closing permanently, publications which run film listings will, as a placeholder, note that the theater is ‘closed for renovations’. Why that’s done I’m not quite sure (except perhaps for a lack of basic research) but I suspect it’s at the discretion of the listings editor.

What great experiences I had watching APOCALYPSE NOW and the revival of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA in that empyrean. At the Ziegfeld on Sunday, October 15, 1972, I was the first person in line for the opening of FELLINI’S ROMA; so I bought the first ticket sold in America for that film! The night before I had seen the world premiere of Bertolucci’s LAST TANGO IN PARIS (untrimmed)at the New York Film Festival. After the Fellini film I went to Truffaut’s TWO ENGLISH GIRLS at the Fine Arts on 58th Street. Good weekend!

The Ziegfeld will reopen on 4/9 with “The Alamo”.

The problem with most Manhattan Theatres is that they charge the full admission prices right from the time they open their doors. In older days and up until the late 1970’s, There was a matinee price that changed at 5 P.M. to the evening price. Theatres that opened prior to 12 noon usually had an early bird special that changed to the matinee price at noon. This encouraged people to attend matinees since they could save a buck or so. Manhattan Theatres don’t offer the so-called bargain matinee where usually shows starting before 2 P.M. are at the children’s/senior price. It would make sense to do this since the theatres are empty anyway. This is why the corporate executives who run these chains have no idea of the art of running theatres and are not the showman and entrepeneurs of executives from past decades. After all, if there were a reduced admission for matinees, they would be able to sell more the over-priced concession items that they offer. How about it Clearview Cinemas in Manhattan, be the leader, not just a cable operator with theatres to sell home cable to customers.

Great to hear !!! Thank you for the good news, even I was getting a little worried..
Thanks again.

The ZIEGFELD should return to it’s policy from back in the 1980’s and maybe earlier, which is that whichever movie was playing there, could not show at another theater in Manhattan.
The last few times I went, the place was pretty filled up, so hopefully they are just doing some basic renovations, and keeping it as a single house.
When I saw CHICAGO there, there was not an empty seat to be found, and when we left, the line went down 54 st, up 6th av, and back up 55 street.
I/m cautiosly optimistic !