Some friends of mine saw “Dreamgirls” at the Ziegfeld on Friday the 29th, and they also reported a big crowd and long lines. What a relief – I was afraid attendance would fall off after the exclusive run. I guess New Yorkers know that if they want to see “Dreamgirls” right, they gotta go to the Ziegfeld.
Saps: To be fair to your parents, I was 13 at the time and the whole demolition-of-the-Capitol thing was kept pretty quiet. I saw “2001” there in June of 1968, and I couldn’t believe it when I found out that beautiful theater with the tremendous Cinerama screen was closing. There was a very short mention of it on the Today Show one morning in September. In my mind the movie was a hit, so why was the theater being torn down? I knew nothing about economics and Manhattan real estate – the demolition deal was probably made long before “2001” even opened there.
When “Forbidden Planet” played the Globe (now the Lunt-Fontanne) in Times Square, the first show went on at 9 AM and the last show started at 1:20 AM, getting out at around 3! And this was just a regular non-holiday week in May 1956. If you look at the Movie Time Table, you’ll see several theaters had shows starting at midnight or later:
Thanks, Jerry. 2007 marks the 75th anniversary of the Hall, and I hope there’s at least one movie showing included in whatever special events they’re planning to commemmorate it.
Rhett: The Classics should start sometime in February, which is when it happened in 2006. “Dreamgirls” should be through packing them in by then. But I hope the Ziegfeld doesn’t start playing to empty houses as soon as “Dreamgirls” opens in wide release next week.
I was there for last night’s 8 PM show. It was almost surreal being shown to our seats by an usher … in a MOVIE THEATER. If that doesn’t bring back memories of 40-year-old roadshows, I don’t know what will.
The movie was excellent, and Jennifer Hudson was beyond excellent. During her big song “And I Am Telling You …”, you are literally watching a star being born, and most likely an Oscar being won.
The sold-out audience was really pumped up for the show. The guys in front of us were a little TOO enthusiastic. One of them was jumping up and down in his seat so much that, when the show was over and he’d already left, my cousin found a set of keys lying on the floor. They must’ve jumped right out of his pocket from his leaping around so much (if you are reading this, we gave the keys to an usher).
As for the $25 ticket price, I forgot all about it once the movie got going, and the fancy program everyone got when they entered was worth at least $10.
All in all, it was a sincere pleasure to be a part of the return of showmanship to New York first-run moviegoing.
Thanks for the good news, Erik. Nothing else contributes to what Vito (who should know) described as “the atmosphere of an opening night” quite like a sold-out house.
You’re right about all that, Jeff. But for a New York City firstrun, the way they’re presenting “Dreamgirls” has been non-existent for a good many years now. I’m really looking forward to the experience. I hope my Tuesday night show gets sold out too.
At least we’ll get no commercials or slideshows or even previews – just the movie, like it was in the good old roadshow days. And we’re still getting exclusivity, only it’s 10 days instead of 10 months. Can’t have everything :)
I’m going Tuesday night. I hesitated a little when I heard about the $25 ticket, but special engagements and roadshows (even though “Dreamgirls” isn’t really a roadshow) were always higher priced than regular runs. In 1968 my dad paid $4 each for two tickets to “2001” at the Capitol, and that was probably more than double a regular ticket price, same as “Dreamgirls” is now. I recall the ad for a 1968 New Year’s Eve showing of “Funny Girl” at the Criterion charging $5 – that REALLY seemed like a lot of money to me back then.
It was an all-day-and-night storm on a Friday in February 1983. It was classified as a blizzard, with high winds and zero visibility. Which made it all the more amazing to see a sellout crowd at the Ziegfeld for “Gandhi”, which had already been playing there for more than two months.
Here’s a dismissive, condescending review of the movie from Wanda Hale (at least she liked “2001” 12 years later). Notice the Movie Time Table. The first showing of “Forbidden Planet” at the Globe was at 9 AM. Last show: 1:20 AM! Movies sure ruled Times Square back then, didn’t they?
“Gandhi” did extremely well at the Ziegfeld. I saw it there 7 times and several of those were sell-out shows, including the night of the biggest snowstorm of 1983.
An update to the previous post about the New York Daily News: The Main Branch of the New York Public Library (42nd and 5th) has the entire collection on microfilm.
Astyanax and Ed: The only other theater in the world besides the two Ed mentioned that can show 3-strip Cinerama is in Bradford, England. A real shame, considering how many theaters all over the world were capable of showing it 45 years ago.
I have a similar Magical Mystery Tour story. 1974, The Park Theater in Caldwell, NJ : My friends and I came in about 20 minutes late so, after the co-feature Yellow Submarine, I was all set to see what I had missed. But the friend who had driven us there insisted on leaving because he had to be home by a certain time. We fought about it all the way home.
Ed: Where did you find the weekend movie clocks on NY Times online? Is that a special pay service? I have a free account with them and I accessed the movie reviews archive, but I haven’t seen any actual movie ads or movie clocks. Thanks in advance!
Thanks, David, for those excellent clips. I saw the movie at the Ziegfeld on opening day and I’ll never forget the sight of protestors marching up 6th Ave. and turning onto 54th St. carrying these gigantic religious tapestries. It was like something out of the Middle Ages. As it turned out, they effectively killed the movie financially but it will always be one of Scorsese’s best films, and certainly his bravest.
To be fair to the Ziegfeld’s screen, that photo does not show it exposed to its fullest dimensions.
Some friends of mine saw “Dreamgirls” at the Ziegfeld on Friday the 29th, and they also reported a big crowd and long lines. What a relief – I was afraid attendance would fall off after the exclusive run. I guess New Yorkers know that if they want to see “Dreamgirls” right, they gotta go to the Ziegfeld.
Saps: To be fair to your parents, I was 13 at the time and the whole demolition-of-the-Capitol thing was kept pretty quiet. I saw “2001” there in June of 1968, and I couldn’t believe it when I found out that beautiful theater with the tremendous Cinerama screen was closing. There was a very short mention of it on the Today Show one morning in September. In my mind the movie was a hit, so why was the theater being torn down? I knew nothing about economics and Manhattan real estate – the demolition deal was probably made long before “2001” even opened there.
Maybe that Friday night wasn’t New Year’s Eve? Hold on – I’ll check the World Almanac …
In 1949 New Year’s Eve was a Saturday, so they were advertising the all-night show a day early.
When “Forbidden Planet” played the Globe (now the Lunt-Fontanne) in Times Square, the first show went on at 9 AM and the last show started at 1:20 AM, getting out at around 3! And this was just a regular non-holiday week in May 1956. If you look at the Movie Time Table, you’ll see several theaters had shows starting at midnight or later:
View link
Based on the context of Simon’s post, I figure he meant to type “terrific” instead of “horrific”.
Thanks, Jerry. 2007 marks the 75th anniversary of the Hall, and I hope there’s at least one movie showing included in whatever special events they’re planning to commemmorate it.
Rhett: The Classics should start sometime in February, which is when it happened in 2006. “Dreamgirls” should be through packing them in by then. But I hope the Ziegfeld doesn’t start playing to empty houses as soon as “Dreamgirls” opens in wide release next week.
I was there for last night’s 8 PM show. It was almost surreal being shown to our seats by an usher … in a MOVIE THEATER. If that doesn’t bring back memories of 40-year-old roadshows, I don’t know what will.
The movie was excellent, and Jennifer Hudson was beyond excellent. During her big song “And I Am Telling You …”, you are literally watching a star being born, and most likely an Oscar being won.
The sold-out audience was really pumped up for the show. The guys in front of us were a little TOO enthusiastic. One of them was jumping up and down in his seat so much that, when the show was over and he’d already left, my cousin found a set of keys lying on the floor. They must’ve jumped right out of his pocket from his leaping around so much (if you are reading this, we gave the keys to an usher).
As for the $25 ticket price, I forgot all about it once the movie got going, and the fancy program everyone got when they entered was worth at least $10.
All in all, it was a sincere pleasure to be a part of the return of showmanship to New York first-run moviegoing.
Thanks for the good news, Erik. Nothing else contributes to what Vito (who should know) described as “the atmosphere of an opening night” quite like a sold-out house.
You’re right about all that, Jeff. But for a New York City firstrun, the way they’re presenting “Dreamgirls” has been non-existent for a good many years now. I’m really looking forward to the experience. I hope my Tuesday night show gets sold out too.
At least we’ll get no commercials or slideshows or even previews – just the movie, like it was in the good old roadshow days. And we’re still getting exclusivity, only it’s 10 days instead of 10 months. Can’t have everything :)
I’m going Tuesday night. I hesitated a little when I heard about the $25 ticket, but special engagements and roadshows (even though “Dreamgirls” isn’t really a roadshow) were always higher priced than regular runs. In 1968 my dad paid $4 each for two tickets to “2001” at the Capitol, and that was probably more than double a regular ticket price, same as “Dreamgirls” is now. I recall the ad for a 1968 New Year’s Eve showing of “Funny Girl” at the Criterion charging $5 – that REALLY seemed like a lot of money to me back then.
It was an all-day-and-night storm on a Friday in February 1983. It was classified as a blizzard, with high winds and zero visibility. Which made it all the more amazing to see a sellout crowd at the Ziegfeld for “Gandhi”, which had already been playing there for more than two months.
In February 1963 “Fantasia” played the Chinese in a re-formatted SuperScope print:
View link
The American premiere of “How the West Was Won” attracted a spectacular turnout of movie stars. 12 of them were actually in the picture:
View link
Here are three pages from the New York Daily News, May 1956.
View link
This ad gives away the ending of the movie:
View link
Here’s a dismissive, condescending review of the movie from Wanda Hale (at least she liked “2001” 12 years later). Notice the Movie Time Table. The first showing of “Forbidden Planet” at the Globe was at 9 AM. Last show: 1:20 AM! Movies sure ruled Times Square back then, didn’t they?
View link
“Gandhi” did extremely well at the Ziegfeld. I saw it there 7 times and several of those were sell-out shows, including the night of the biggest snowstorm of 1983.
An update to the previous post about the New York Daily News: The Main Branch of the New York Public Library (42nd and 5th) has the entire collection on microfilm.
Astyanax and Ed: The only other theater in the world besides the two Ed mentioned that can show 3-strip Cinerama is in Bradford, England. A real shame, considering how many theaters all over the world were capable of showing it 45 years ago.
Thank you, Ed. It was Times Select, like you said. Guess I’ll be back to the microfilm machine before too long (I do enjoy doing that, though).
I have a similar Magical Mystery Tour story. 1974, The Park Theater in Caldwell, NJ : My friends and I came in about 20 minutes late so, after the co-feature Yellow Submarine, I was all set to see what I had missed. But the friend who had driven us there insisted on leaving because he had to be home by a certain time. We fought about it all the way home.
Ed: Where did you find the weekend movie clocks on NY Times online? Is that a special pay service? I have a free account with them and I accessed the movie reviews archive, but I haven’t seen any actual movie ads or movie clocks. Thanks in advance!
Thanks, David, for those excellent clips. I saw the movie at the Ziegfeld on opening day and I’ll never forget the sight of protestors marching up 6th Ave. and turning onto 54th St. carrying these gigantic religious tapestries. It was like something out of the Middle Ages. As it turned out, they effectively killed the movie financially but it will always be one of Scorsese’s best films, and certainly his bravest.
I’ve always been impressed by the design of this ad for the epic “Hawaii”:
View link