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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Anyway, Vito, I’m sure you have some good 70mm Sound of Music stories to contribute.
Vito, the post was done on march 3rd. 2010 @ 6:34pm by Ret Akc (NAC) Bob Jensen. It was about have 2 men operated a booth for 70MM. And what was the weight of a 70MM reel.
Thanks Bill, I must have mised something there. I read that thread and did not see anything I could respond to.
I will have another look, thanks
Vito: since you can usually be found hanging out on this page, someone on this other page:
http://cinematreasures.org/news/23149_0_1_0_C/
has a couple of 70mm questions for you.
WOW THATS A LOT OF POSTS!!!!!!!!!!
One upcoming show where you can guarantee that the curtains will be used:
http://www.tcm.com/2010/roadtohollywood/newyork/
And it’s free! First come, first served. WOW!
Oh yes Bill I so remember that thing. When “marooned” opened I spoke with the guy running the thing. He basically ran he lights, sound levels and may have started the show from there. But he went to far when he said something along the lines of we barely need anyone in the booth anymore now. As a projectionist at the time and concerned about all this automation stuff I was a little shall we say sensitive to that remark Man did I give him a piece of my mind.
Vito: Remember the electronic remote control console the Ziegfeld had in the beginning, in the back row of the orchestra? If only they’d install something like that in the auditorium for the curtains. I’d be proud to press that button at every show I attended.
Oh my God, the curtain thing again.
Management, please put a big sign in the booth
CURTAINS MUST BE USED AT ALL TIMES!
If they are breaking down a lot for heavens sake get a pro in there to find the reoccuring problem and fix the darn things once and for all. I spent close to 60 years in theatres and sure they broke down but we got em fixed. As to a projectionist who needs to be instructed to open and close the curtains…
please, are you kdding me. I have said this before,in my day we would have rode him outta town on a rail.
Look, I understand by now that the curtain thing at this theatre is a lost cause but I feel better bitchin about it
There I feel better now. :)
I was just gonna say that exact thing. Has anyone actually told them?
No, I think it that the projectionist has to be told before EACH show to use the curtain. Sheer madness.
It wasn’t used for the Friday night show of “Shutter Island” either. Maybe it’s broken again?
Liked the print of “Funny Girl” but unfortunatly the curtain was not used at the 1 PM show on Thursday.
Hi Everyone:
I caught the 4:30 “Shutter Island” yesterday at the Ziegfeld. I’m not here to review the movie ( which by the way, I liked). But just the experience of being there, from Leroy’s wonderful “Welcome to the Ziegfeld, remember that the best seat in the house is the one you’re sitting in” to the experience of actually sitting in that seat, reminded me of two quotes from Marcus Loew ( I had to look them up on IMDB):
“We sell tickets to theaters, not movies.”
“I long ago learned that success cannot be weighed by the money at one’s command. When you come down to the real facts I guess the most successful man is the one that has made the world a better place to live in and the people in it a little happier.”
We just had one week of Classics which I hope you enjoyed. If you’d like more, please post here or better yet e-mail Craig at
Thanks,
and Best,
Gary
Also, check out the framed displays in the lobby. You’ll find a photo of the real Fanny Brice, on the left wall near the escalator.
You’re welcome, Yankee Mike. I hope they use the curtains for your show!
Thanks Bill for the review of “Funny Girl”. I plan to attend the 1 PM screening today.
Ah, so it must have been the Criterion—I remembered the girl, but not the theatre!!
Thanks, William
Best,
Gary
Ziegfeld Man, “Funny Girl” had it’s World Premiere on Sept. 18th, 1968 and opened on Sept 19th. at the Criterion Theatre. It finished it’s Roadshow Engagement at that theatre after 72 weeks in 70MM. And it moved over to the DeMille on Feb. 4th., 1970.
Wonderful, well said. Thats showbiz!
Normally I would not even dignify AGR’s comments with a response. However since my name was mentioned in the post allow me just say
I forgive his ignorance.
By the by I was able to reach one the boys I did the WSS Road show at the Syosset. He is 88 years young and happy retired and living in Arizona. While he had no positive memory of how the opening was handled he believed we would have ran the whistles with curtains closed. In fact he went on to say “There ain’t no way we exposed the white sheet, not even for Bobby Wiseâ€
He also reminded me that while instructions or requests for presentation of the pictures were generally honored there were times when we had to remind the film makers that their job is to make the pictures, and a damn fine job they did. However it was our job to project or present them in the atmosphere of showmanship that WE did so well.
AGR:
I did not take anything that you said personally, I hope that my response to you expressed that sentiment. My background in cinema and experience in speaking before audiences are both substantial and I have enough respect for myself to defend someone’s right to disagree.
This forum tends to become very lively and interesting when Classics are shown at the Ziegfeld, and, since the interest is there, can perhaps engender more Classic screenings.
So, I’m in favor of keeping what you started going. Even bad publicity is good.
With that said, you’ve already indicated, in criticizing my remarks that you’ve “never given an intro to a film nor expect to” and that you are “not qualified.”
So, how about, with some detail, telling us about some intros to Classic films that you’ve experienced which have been more to your liking and are not, as you say, “childish.”
Best,
Gary
sheesh! I wish I could’ve attended the screening of West Side Story at the Ziegfeld Cinema. Great speech, Gary! Way to go!
A cousin of mine and I attended an evening screening of the film West Side Story at the Ziegfeld back in October 2006, and we had a wonderful time!
Here’s hoping WSS comes back to the Ziegfeld in the spring so I could see about driving down there again for the screening. Woohoo!
Ian, of course it was negative. I did nor like the intro, period. Let’s just end it. I am entitled to my opinion. You or someone else did not like it? Too bad.
By the way,
I’ll be at the 4:30 “Shutter Island” on Friday (not introducing it)\
Anyone else going??
Best,
Gary