Ziegfeld Theatre
141 W. 54th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
141 W. 54th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
131 people
favorited this theater
Showing 101 - 125 of 4,511 comments
It was an old Cinerama print simply transferred to 70mm so shown with a single lens on a bare screen with no curtains and therefore no showmanship whatsoever. Vincent Canby wrote a piece on it at the time so if you have access to the Times' archive you might want to read it.
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in vindanpar’s comment of 7/17/19 he said Zefferelli’s R&J was a replacement “for the shameful presentation of This is Cinerama”. what was shameful about the presentation of TIC?
What happened to the numerous Ziegfeld Theatre images uploaded to the Photos Section by “NYer”? All seem to have suddenly vanished.
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I read a lot via computer, magazines and newspapers and have not come across a single item about the Paris' imminent closing.
Later this year, this venue turns 50 years old. With the closing of the Paris imminent, there won’t be any more single screen movie houses from this era anymore, although radio city occasionally shows movies and tv shows on its screen.
On this date 20 years ago, the phantom menace premiered to a sold out crowd.
According to an Associated Press article from 12/1967, it was planned that Saturday night screenings would require formal evening dress.
Sunday, after enjoying a movie at the Paris, I went to see the Ziegfeld exterior. I was delighted to see “Ziegfeld, A Walter Reade Theatre” still on the marquee. The Ziegfeld -Ballroom- flag was nice.The left & right sections of the marquee were changing graphics with jazzy Art Deco details, in white & black- “Z” and “The legend lives on” (in caps). Much of the former entry was walled off with a blank wall with flower boxes so current entry is narrower. No poster cases. An elevator has an entry at the front area. The redone lobby & stairs can be seen from outside. Alongside the fountains on the plaza that runs with the former auditorium had been gutted & that space fenced off to be redone to whatever. I’m not happy with the quality of my photos so maybe in the future I will photo again & post better photos.
As per the discussion of the ‘73 Cinerama screen. Though the presentation of this Is Cinerama was very poor and in 70mm the screen should have been kept. The theater finally had a screen worthy of it’s size. Like the Cinerama screen that was kept at the Warner and I assume at the Capitol different film ratios could have been presented on it with proper masking and the use of curtains. Films like the epics that were to play there in the future and the restored films done by Harris would have been so much more impressive.
At least they left the marquee up. Small consolation, I know.
You, too, can hire it out for a disco night!
YouTube video of the Ziegfeld Ballroom.
(IMO… tacky in all respects…)
Too bad disco is dead……Would make a great new “Studio 54” with those panels changing LED colors!!!
“Photosphere” 360° photo.
Berefit of any quality design other than (what I assume to be) a nice custom-made carpet, this fine theatre has been converted into a nightmare, what I would regard to be the very opposite of “escape to the movies”: a tacky socialites' cavern. :–(
We need a petition to make it a movie theater again this time with reserved seating and recliners!!!
So right about the the deco of the ballroom. Isn’t there enough of hotel ballrooms in NY to warrant another ballroom space? This should have remained a movie theater. A special place with a great name that means theater history… Shame on Disney for not going forward with a plan to showcase their productions! This will fail and will be torn down for another high-rise building!!!
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I thank Mikeoaklandpark for his reply but I should have been more exact in my question. I should have said I am referring to actual engagements not special quickie engagements before a film opens wide. that would also exclude Anastasia from 1997.
I think the z has shown more mono movies than stereo and surround sound movies in its history.
I am pretty sure it was Dreamgirls. The Ziegfeld had an exclusive reserved seat engagement for two weeks prior to the wide release. This included a souvenir program too
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I apologize for asking this question again but I can’t remember what the answer was. what was the last big studio film to have an exclusive 1st run engagement at the Ziegfeld?
For those with an interest in this sort of stuff, here’s the link to my recent retrospective article, Still Watching the Skies: Remembering “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” on its 40th Anniversary, which includes mention of the Ziegfeld run (and a bunch of other info).
Two photos are in the photo section.
Where are there pictures of the ballroom?
27x63 ft single sheet screen on deeply curved track installed for the run. Theatre’s curtains had to be removed. Projected slide with pattern used for light curtain. Slide had a movable “flag” in the lower center section that was in place for the small-image “prologue”.
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one’s memory can play tricks on you but and there’s always a but. when the 1st Cinerama film This Is Cinerama was released the Spring of 1973 I could swear the Ziegfeld used a curved screen. yet a comment says the re-issue was shown on a flat screen. who’s right?
That is one friggin ugly ball room. I wouldn’t even hold an Italian wedding there. The Fiesta on Route 17 has more class.
What happened to the Ziegfeld memorabilia that used to be in the display cases? Were the given to the Museum of the city of New York?