Ziegfeld Theatre
141 W. 54th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
141 W. 54th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
131 people
favorited this theater
Showing 901 - 925 of 4,511 comments
I love The Ziegfeld to death and would be devastated to see it close. Easily my favorite place to see a movie in the city. The entire experience from the greeter to the chandelier to the curtain to the plush carpeting and trim, I love it all. And though I know it’s struggling financially, there’s nothing I love more than an empty house. I was one of maybe three people for a screening of The American and the awe of being in that vast space (center row, balcony) will stay with me forever. I’ve also been there when it’s been packed (Harry Potter, Casino Royale) and the crowd is often quite fun.
I’m not sure what the solution is for keeping this place running. I’ve been to some revivals there (like Dr. No) that were sparsely attended and others (like Blade Runner) that did so well they had their engagement extended. Fathom Event stuff seems to bring in a strong clientele as well. Hopefully, the owners can find a way to capitalize and keep this place going. It really is tremendous.
Does anyone know if The Ziegfeld still has 70mm capacity? I’d love to see The Master there in that format this Fall.
Hello-
in recent years the Ziegfeld has had an occasional exclusive engagement. for instance the two week limited engagement of “The Princess and the Frog” with an accompanying show at Roseland. but discounting such special engagements what was the last time this theater had a regular open ended exclusive engagement of a new film?
I was here today (Saturday) for 1 PM movie, 2nd week of The Bourne Legacy. Only about 30 people were in the audience. There was NO use of the curtain. It has been 3 years since I was last here, for a Harry Potter film, where the curtain was used. Is the curtain ever used? For a busy opening? for classics? for premieres? is it broken?
Just added an ad for the re-release of THIS IS CINERAMA in the photo section.
Amazing Spider-man won’t be what The Dark Knight Rises is going to be July 19th at midnight. The only place that will be busy are the imax locations (the one in Lincoln Square is the best) and regular locations all over the city (AMC Empire will be jammed). Not only that, but the liberty science center is showing the imax film on the dome screen…now that’s intense!!!
Isn’t the new 70MM prints from Fox for change-over presentations only? They were not letting platter houses run them on platters.
Why have they never played the 70mm Cleopatra print?
It would have to be a non-profit or a foundation, the weekly nut at the Ziegfeld is HUGE.
Two years ago I saw the TCM screening of All About Eve at the Ziegfeld, and earlier this year TCM screened To Kill a Mockingbird. Both shows were full houses. If you book the right movies, the people will come. I’ll bet The Amazing Spider-Man is showing to an almost empty Ziegfeld tonight.
Agree with Bill and William. Install Cinerama and play 70mm classics and classic festivals including 3D films like Dial M For Murder.
Maybe thats what New York needs to do. With a game plan like that the Ziegfeld would be saved and New York would get a true State-of-the-Art theatre for the future.
We have nothing like them here. The Film Forum programs great but lets face it the cinemas are tiny as are the screens.
Yes, the American Cinematheque / Egyptian and Aero Theatres do very well.
One thing that would work for the Ziegfeld Theatre. Is to build a ARCLight type plex around it like Pacific Theatres did for the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood. And offer TRUE State-of-the Art movie presentations and retro film & Director series there. And add food and coffee cafe service and make it a one stop GOING TO THE MOVIES type of Theatre.
I used to go to the movies once a week but now maybe once a month because of the garbage product. I loved IMAX until they started making IMAX screens that were half the size of the original. I still travel to the Ziegfeld for the festivals or if anything of quality plays there. I have attended the theatre since it opened and have always felt the screen is way to small to really impress. I always hoped they would put in a huge wall to wall curved screen that could give us an experience similar to the Music Hall.
Does anyone know if the Egyptian Theater/American Cinematheque in Hollywood is a success? They show classic movies only, several times a week. A format like that might be just what the Ziegfeld needs. I was there once in 2003 (“Dial M for Murder”) and there were no empty seats.
Then why is it not doing the business? Yes you can get anywhere in Manhattan. But alot of people like to go to the plexes over on 42nd or Lincoln Square. I live three blocks from the Ziegfeld and I’m in the film business. I just don’t go down that street most of the time. I go by Radio City afew times a week. The Large single screen theatres no longer make money, they are limited.
But that was May. There needs to be hundreds of people every day to make it work. I know that was back then Al. You’re right on the 42nd Street houses.
Hello Again-
i always enjoy reading my fellow posters comments. to which i myself do not consider this theater in the-“Out Sight~Out of Mind” category. i mean Radio City Music Hall is within spitting distance and people don’t have trouble finding that theater. so considering we humans have the ability to walk and Manhattan has both great bus and subway lines i don’t see how this theater is anymore “out of the way” than any other movie theater in Manhattan.
Special events always do well at the Ziegfeld. There were hundreds of people there for “Yellow Submarine” in May.
If clearances still existed in Manhattan the Ziegfeld would have closed long ago. The 42nd street theatres with staggered showtimes on multiple screens and bigger grosses would deny it any product at all, much less tentpole titles.
The Ziegfeld Theatre only survives on the Big Studio Tentpole movies each year. Which could be around 4-5 films, the rest of the time it runs mostly empty. The only time the Ziegfeld roars is with a exclusive engagements and you see the numbers and lines. The only thing the Ziegfeld can offer is the biggest regular movie screen in town. You can get Digital Projection and Digital sound at 90% of the area theatres. In many first run markets there was a area clearance zone. As to this theatre and the next closest theatre that could play the film. In Los Angeles at one time it was 5 miles clearance zone. That was before the Big Multi-Plex build up. So the pie got cut smaller for the big releases. So if your theatre was going to play it on two screens and the next chain down the street has it on 3 screens, he got more business. The film distribution has changed in the last 10 years and is changing faster with digital presentations. The only way the Ziegfeld Theatre can survive is to give the theatre patron , something they can’t get at another local theatre. One problem is that the theatre is over on 54th Street away from Times Square business, so I find it Out of Sight, Out of Mind.
I’m sure the Dark Knight Rises will be the longest running movie at the ZIegfeld lol…..
This is the New York Post folks. What they meant is “that story we made up last week is simply not true.” They do this all the time.
Thanks Gary (Ziegfeld Man) for the funny quote from another great movie I saw from the front row of the Ziegfeld.