After reading about Schmadrian’s tour, I realize how lucky we were to have that particular guide in 2005. She said practically nothing about religion and the faith, aside from pointing out some murals depicting scenes from the Bible. But she was very expert about the chandelier, the stars and clouds on the ceiling, the very large restrooms – in other words, the physical condition of the building itself. I’m sorry Schmadrian didn’t have the same happy experience I had at the Stanley.
When my friend Jeff and I took the Stanley tour 3 years ago, the guide asked us if we’d ever been there in the old days when it was a movie theater. I told her about seeing “The Miracle Worker” and “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” there in 1962, and she seemed genuinely interested in hearing about that.
Thanks, Dan. I was going to make the trip to Seattle from NJ, but only if it was on the curve. I’m a sucker for “2001” in Cinerama, the way I saw it in 1968.
L.A.’s Cinerama Dome is showing it this month also, but I have jury duty that day. This is just not my year for seeing “2001”. Maybe Seattle will show it on their big screen another time, since theirs is a “real” Cinerama screen (vertical strips, 146-degree curve, etc.) I’d love to see it there someday.
To add to Howard’s list of big 70mm premieres at the Ziegfeld: “Ryan’s Daughter” in November 1970 (actually shot in 70mm, and not a blow-up from 35mm) and “Gandhi” in December 1982. Each played there for about 7 months – I think they were the two longest-running engagements in the theater’s history.
Sorry about this aside – now back to “Close Encounters” …
Thanks for the list, Michael. I’m surprised it didn’t play in Muncie, Indiana since so much of it took place there, even though it wasn’t filmed there (right?)
Come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I heard anyone applaud in a multiplex, even for a “Star Wars” or “Harry Potter” movie. The Ziegfeld really is a special place.
I usually choose to sit on the side at the Ziegfeld (the sight lines are still excellent from there), but the center section was almost completely full right up to the front on Friday night.
The audience applauded at the end of the “Mamma Mia” trailer. They also applauded big time for Sondheim’s on-screen credit.
Kram said:
>> Why would anyone want to see 2001 on the Dome’s smile-vision screen?
Because it’s a Cinerama screen, and “2001” was shown on Cinerama screens exclusively when it first came out in 1968. It was meant to be shown on a screen like the one at the Dome. I wish we had one here in the New York area. Even though Arclight doesn’t seem to be taking full advantage of it, Los Angeles moviegoers are lucky to have that screen.
I agree with Luis. I saw it on Friday night and the lack of curtains was the only thing wrong with the show. The music sounded incredible. The opening organ chords during the WB logo got a big round of applause as they shook the place to the rafters. If anyone in the New York area is planning to see “Sweeney Todd”, do yourself a favor and make the trip to the Ziegfeld.
Fox may restore “Doctor Dolittle” since they did restore “Star!” – Julie Andrews and Robert Wise together again after “The Sound of Music” and it was still a financial bomb, probably a bigger one than “Dolittle”.
I believe the screen is 50 feet wide. Just to give good examples for each ratio, I’ve seen “The Haunting” and “2001” (Panavision 2.35) and “King Kong” and “The Wizard of Oz” (Aacademy 1.33) presented properly there. As for 70mm, the theater inherited 70mm projectors from another Loew’s theater that closed (the details should be somewhere up above in this post), but I don’t think they’ve been installed in the projection booth. Just getting them up there would be a major undertaking!
Wow – it looks like there were people sitting in the side balcony boxes. Is that the first time they’ve been open to the public since Big Screen Classics began?
“Journey” at the Loew’s – wow. I really hope that comes to pass. The last time I saw the movie in 35mm it had faded to pink, but even that way it’ll still be worth seeing at the Loew’s.
One scene from “The Sentinel” comes to mind: Christopher Walken, who didn’t even make the cast list in the ad, plays a cop and says the immortal line, “She went to a birthday party with eight dead murderers”, as only he can.
I think I actually saw it at the Rivoli, come to think of it. And I haven’t thought about it for many, many years.
I always felt sorry for the projectionists at the Dominion Theatre in London in the late ‘50s-early '60s, where “South Pacific” played continuously for 4 ½ years. It’s a fine movie, of course, but … 4 ½ years!
Justin: I have to agree with what Howard said. Not only is the Ziegfeld still a great theater, but it’s the only one left in Manhattan (not counting Radio City, of course).
Looking forward to seeing “Sweeney Todd” there. I hope Tim Burton doesn’t ruin it.
The Syosset had 1,400 seats in the Cinerama/70mm days, according to this article from Motion Picture Herald, found on Roland Lataille’s Cinerama website:
After reading about Schmadrian’s tour, I realize how lucky we were to have that particular guide in 2005. She said practically nothing about religion and the faith, aside from pointing out some murals depicting scenes from the Bible. But she was very expert about the chandelier, the stars and clouds on the ceiling, the very large restrooms – in other words, the physical condition of the building itself. I’m sorry Schmadrian didn’t have the same happy experience I had at the Stanley.
Maybe Schmadrian got stuck with an extremely on-message, missionary-like guide, and I was lucky enough to get a much more open-minded one?
When my friend Jeff and I took the Stanley tour 3 years ago, the guide asked us if we’d ever been there in the old days when it was a movie theater. I told her about seeing “The Miracle Worker” and “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” there in 1962, and she seemed genuinely interested in hearing about that.
Thanks again, Dan! Maybe I’ll get to see “How the West Was Won” there too.
Thanks, Dan. I was going to make the trip to Seattle from NJ, but only if it was on the curve. I’m a sucker for “2001” in Cinerama, the way I saw it in 1968.
L.A.’s Cinerama Dome is showing it this month also, but I have jury duty that day. This is just not my year for seeing “2001”. Maybe Seattle will show it on their big screen another time, since theirs is a “real” Cinerama screen (vertical strips, 146-degree curve, etc.) I’d love to see it there someday.
Can anyone confirm whether “2001” will be shown on the curved Cinerama screen later this month, or will it be on the smaller, flat one? Thanks.
To add to Howard’s list of big 70mm premieres at the Ziegfeld: “Ryan’s Daughter” in November 1970 (actually shot in 70mm, and not a blow-up from 35mm) and “Gandhi” in December 1982. Each played there for about 7 months – I think they were the two longest-running engagements in the theater’s history.
Sorry about this aside – now back to “Close Encounters” …
Thanks for the list, Michael. I’m surprised it didn’t play in Muncie, Indiana since so much of it took place there, even though it wasn’t filmed there (right?)
Come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I heard anyone applaud in a multiplex, even for a “Star Wars” or “Harry Potter” movie. The Ziegfeld really is a special place.
I usually choose to sit on the side at the Ziegfeld (the sight lines are still excellent from there), but the center section was almost completely full right up to the front on Friday night.
The audience applauded at the end of the “Mamma Mia” trailer. They also applauded big time for Sondheim’s on-screen credit.
The Star Gate sequence is at its most spectacular on a curved Cinerama screen. Sit in the front row for the full effect!
Kram said:
>> Why would anyone want to see 2001 on the Dome’s smile-vision screen?
Because it’s a Cinerama screen, and “2001” was shown on Cinerama screens exclusively when it first came out in 1968. It was meant to be shown on a screen like the one at the Dome. I wish we had one here in the New York area. Even though Arclight doesn’t seem to be taking full advantage of it, Los Angeles moviegoers are lucky to have that screen.
I agree with Luis. I saw it on Friday night and the lack of curtains was the only thing wrong with the show. The music sounded incredible. The opening organ chords during the WB logo got a big round of applause as they shook the place to the rafters. If anyone in the New York area is planning to see “Sweeney Todd”, do yourself a favor and make the trip to the Ziegfeld.
Fox may restore “Doctor Dolittle” since they did restore “Star!” – Julie Andrews and Robert Wise together again after “The Sound of Music” and it was still a financial bomb, probably a bigger one than “Dolittle”.
I believe the screen is 50 feet wide. Just to give good examples for each ratio, I’ve seen “The Haunting” and “2001” (Panavision 2.35) and “King Kong” and “The Wizard of Oz” (Aacademy 1.33) presented properly there. As for 70mm, the theater inherited 70mm projectors from another Loew’s theater that closed (the details should be somewhere up above in this post), but I don’t think they’ve been installed in the projection booth. Just getting them up there would be a major undertaking!
Wow – it looks like there were people sitting in the side balcony boxes. Is that the first time they’ve been open to the public since Big Screen Classics began?
That is still the best place to eat when you’re in a hurry to catch a show at the Loew’s Jersey.
“Journey” at the Loew’s – wow. I really hope that comes to pass. The last time I saw the movie in 35mm it had faded to pink, but even that way it’ll still be worth seeing at the Loew’s.
One scene from “The Sentinel” comes to mind: Christopher Walken, who didn’t even make the cast list in the ad, plays a cop and says the immortal line, “She went to a birthday party with eight dead murderers”, as only he can.
I think I actually saw it at the Rivoli, come to think of it. And I haven’t thought about it for many, many years.
I always felt sorry for the projectionists at the Dominion Theatre in London in the late ‘50s-early '60s, where “South Pacific” played continuously for 4 ½ years. It’s a fine movie, of course, but … 4 ½ years!
This November 1968 ad from the Bergen Record features what may be the longest-running engagement to play the Lafayette, at 20 weeks:
View link
If you’re nostalgic for the Century … here’s an ad from July 1965 announcing the theatre’s opening.
View link
Notice what it says on the map at the bottom. That’s exactly what the Century’s site has now become: Ample Free Parking, Always!
Justin: I have to agree with what Howard said. Not only is the Ziegfeld still a great theater, but it’s the only one left in Manhattan (not counting Radio City, of course).
Looking forward to seeing “Sweeney Todd” there. I hope Tim Burton doesn’t ruin it.
The Syosset had 1,400 seats in the Cinerama/70mm days, according to this article from Motion Picture Herald, found on Roland Lataille’s Cinerama website:
http://cinerama.topcities.com/syosset.htm
“Enchanted” is coming in, the day before Thanksgiving (11/21). A perfect movie for the Ziegfeld, although “Beowulf” is too, probably.