Does that say “Gone With the Wind” was being shown on a “Wide-Vision Screen”? Did they just crop off the top and bottom of the image to make it appear wide? A friend of mine owned a ‘50s-vintage print of “Fantasia”, and that’s what was done to that film.
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.
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.
It certainly was. To prove how popular Cinerama was in 1963, I saw it in Montclair, a New Jersey suburb and not a big city by any means. Now there are only three 3-strip Cinerama theaters left in the entire world.
Oh yes, they were all 35mm regular runs at “popular prices” in local New Jersey theaters. I wish I had seen them as roadshows! My first roadshow was “How the West Was Won”, in Cinerama.
Other times (non-Music Hall) when I walked in on the middle of the movie: “Spartacus”, “Lawrence of Arabia”, “Cleopatra”, “My Fair Lady”. It really was a common practice back then. That’s why the “Psycho” restriction was so revolutionary (and effective).
Saps: I’d say the people on those long lines definitely came in the middle. I was on a four-hour line for the 1969 Christmas show, “A Boy Named Charlie Brown”, and we were just glad to finally get in the building. The movie was already playing, but we just found seats and tried to figure out what was going on. I also saw “The Out-of-Towners” at the Hall a few months later under those same circumstances. The line wasn’t as long, but we did walk in while the movie had already been playing for about 45 minutes.
Here’s a Wikipedia article about Megasound. Even more powerful and effective than Sensurround, but that may have had something to do with the sound effects and music score of Altered States itself. Whatever the reason, I’ve never heard anything like it before or since.
Have to say I was disappointed in Dolby Atmos, as well as the movie Brave itself. Don’t know what I expected from 64 channels of sound, except to be blown out of my seat. And it didn’t happen. The most mind-blowing film soundtrack I’ve ever experienced is still one from 31 years ago: Altered States at the Bellevue Theater in Upper Montclair NJ, in Megasound (which never caught on, but should have).
Nick: Thanks for steering us to the Boxoffice Magazine vault. It will soon be up there with Cinema Treasures as one of my favorite websites. Their critic, Jim Watters, wrote an extremely perceptive review of 2001 in the 4/8/68 issue, at a time when some of our most esteemed critics just didn’t get the film (or didn’t want to get it). Thanks again.
As it happens, this is the day I first saw “2001” 44 years ago – June 15, 1968 – on the Cinerama screen at the Loew’s Capitol in New York City. A real life-changing event.
Thanks to the Loew’s for programming The Producers, a movie I’d always wanted to see with an audience in a theater, but never got the chance until now. Same goes for next week’s showing of Mothra – that one seems like a real rarity.
“ … I will not be buying the Blu-Ray or any other future edition unless it includes a new hi-def scan of the original movie I saw at Grauman’s Chinese in 1977.”
I’m with Edward on this. We’ll probably never get it, but we still have our memories and George Lucas can’t wipe those out.
I saw it on opening day, 7 PM show, Loew’s Astor Plaza in New York City.
A few years ago the Ziegfeld used to program classic films to play for weeks during their down times. I guess the one-night-only special screenings are the next best thing, especially since I recently saw two exceptional ones there (“Tommy” and “Yellow Submarine”).
Does that say “Gone With the Wind” was being shown on a “Wide-Vision Screen”? Did they just crop off the top and bottom of the image to make it appear wide? A friend of mine owned a ‘50s-vintage print of “Fantasia”, and that’s what was done to that film.
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.
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.
Special events always do well at the Ziegfeld. There were hundreds of people there for “Yellow Submarine” in May.
Thanks Gary (Ziegfeld Man) for the funny quote from another great movie I saw from the front row of the Ziegfeld.
The New York Post has been crying doom for the Ziegfeld for months, but here’s an article from today’s paper.
I guess landmark status will be the only thing that can save the Ziegfeld now.
In April, the Loew’s remembered the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster with three great shows.
It certainly was. To prove how popular Cinerama was in 1963, I saw it in Montclair, a New Jersey suburb and not a big city by any means. Now there are only three 3-strip Cinerama theaters left in the entire world.
Oh yes, they were all 35mm regular runs at “popular prices” in local New Jersey theaters. I wish I had seen them as roadshows! My first roadshow was “How the West Was Won”, in Cinerama.
Other times (non-Music Hall) when I walked in on the middle of the movie: “Spartacus”, “Lawrence of Arabia”, “Cleopatra”, “My Fair Lady”. It really was a common practice back then. That’s why the “Psycho” restriction was so revolutionary (and effective).
Saps: I’d say the people on those long lines definitely came in the middle. I was on a four-hour line for the 1969 Christmas show, “A Boy Named Charlie Brown”, and we were just glad to finally get in the building. The movie was already playing, but we just found seats and tried to figure out what was going on. I also saw “The Out-of-Towners” at the Hall a few months later under those same circumstances. The line wasn’t as long, but we did walk in while the movie had already been playing for about 45 minutes.
Altered States comes out on Blu-ray in July, but unfortunately my home theater does not have Megasound.
Here’s a Wikipedia article about Megasound. Even more powerful and effective than Sensurround, but that may have had something to do with the sound effects and music score of Altered States itself. Whatever the reason, I’ve never heard anything like it before or since.
Have to say I was disappointed in Dolby Atmos, as well as the movie Brave itself. Don’t know what I expected from 64 channels of sound, except to be blown out of my seat. And it didn’t happen. The most mind-blowing film soundtrack I’ve ever experienced is still one from 31 years ago: Altered States at the Bellevue Theater in Upper Montclair NJ, in Megasound (which never caught on, but should have).
Nick: Thanks for steering us to the Boxoffice Magazine vault. It will soon be up there with Cinema Treasures as one of my favorite websites. Their critic, Jim Watters, wrote an extremely perceptive review of 2001 in the 4/8/68 issue, at a time when some of our most esteemed critics just didn’t get the film (or didn’t want to get it). Thanks again.
As it happens, this is the day I first saw “2001” 44 years ago – June 15, 1968 – on the Cinerama screen at the Loew’s Capitol in New York City. A real life-changing event.
87 weeks for “2001” – wow! Isn’t San Jose part of Silicon Valley? I wonder if the movie inspired some of the locals to go into the computer field?
Programs from the last two Loew’s Jersey shows. Mothra was really a blast!
So with Snow White, Rock of Ages and soon The Dark Knight Rises, I guess the Ziegfeld is doing OK for the rest of the summer. Good to hear.
Thanks to the Loew’s for programming The Producers, a movie I’d always wanted to see with an audience in a theater, but never got the chance until now. Same goes for next week’s showing of Mothra – that one seems like a real rarity.
Is that Regan’s bedroom window with the curtains blowing around on the side wall of the theater? Nice touch of showmanship.
“ … I will not be buying the Blu-Ray or any other future edition unless it includes a new hi-def scan of the original movie I saw at Grauman’s Chinese in 1977.”
I’m with Edward on this. We’ll probably never get it, but we still have our memories and George Lucas can’t wipe those out.
I saw it on opening day, 7 PM show, Loew’s Astor Plaza in New York City.
A few years ago the Ziegfeld used to program classic films to play for weeks during their down times. I guess the one-night-only special screenings are the next best thing, especially since I recently saw two exceptional ones there (“Tommy” and “Yellow Submarine”).
Thanks, mhvbear. That is good news. Whether the movie is good or not, at least there’s a movie playing there.