Ziegfeld Theatre

Dear Ziegfeld Theatre,

i was wondering how i would be able to buy a ticket for a premier at your theatre? Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets.

Thank you, BJM

In the Jack Lemmon movie "How to Murder Your Wife" from 1965. You can see a shot of the Ziegfeld Theatre in the background when Terry Thomas is on the balcony, talking about is boss during the opening credits.

Did you also know that the Ziegeld can also be seen in the infamous "Skyscaper Lunch" photo?

The photo, which shows a dozen steelworkers eating lunch on a steel beam seemingly suspended in mid-air, was taken in 1932 from the top of the RCA Building while it was still under construction. The Ziegfeld is clearly visible in the bottom center of the image.

The Loew's Ziegfeld Theatre was torn down in 1966.

The NEW Ziegfeld Theatre is operated by Clearview Cinemas.

Ziegfeld Theatre
141 W. 54th Street
New York, NY 10019
(212) 777-FILM #602

(The original) ZIEGFELD THEATRE on 54th & Sixth Avenue.
Opened: Feb. 2, 1927 with Florenz Ziegfeld's production of "Rio Rita." Seating: 1628.
This was not a typical Broadway playhouse. Situated east and uptown of the concentration of most of the Broadway playhouses, the Ziegfeld was deco, inside and out. Joseph Urban, Ziegfeld's favorite designer, built it in conjunction with Thomas Lamb, the architect who specialized in movie palaces.

After Ziegfeld's death, the theater became LOEW'S ZIEGFELD in 1933. It was a second run movie house. The first film to be screened was "Rasputan and the Empress." When Loew's gave up it’s lease, a final celebratory stage show featured Jimmy Durante, the Frank & Milt Britton Band and Senator Huey Long. In 1944, Billy Rose bought the theater and returned it to legit with Cole Porter’s "Seven Lively Arts." "Gentleman Prefer Blondes" and "Kismet" were among the hits to open at the theater when it was owned by Rose. Refitted by NBC in 1955 for color television, Perry Como's Saturday night variety program originated here among several other programs. Converted back to legit in 1963 for "An Evening With Maurice Chevalier," this show was followed by Bert Lahr in the musical "Foxy" and then a special appearance by Jack Benny, and then personal appearence by Danny Kaye were mong the last attractions before the flop musical, "Anya," directed by George Abbott, closed the theater in 1965. A new Ziegfeld, which was only a movie theater, was built a few hundred feet west on 54th Street, and it is still showing movies today.

To call this Loew's Ziegfeld is an insult to its builder-namesake, the legendary Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld, and its architect, Joseph Urban (Thomas Lamb was only a consultant). Though Loew's did run the Ziegfeld Theatre as a sub-run movie house for about ten years, it was only because the owners (Ziegfeld had died by then) couldn't find any other tenant in those Depression times. I would rather remember the Ziegfeld as the theatre where "Show Boat," one of the greatest of all American stage musicals, debuted on December 27th, 1927. I wish that I could have been in the audience that night!

It may be an "insult" to call it "Loew's Ziegfeld," but that's the way it was when Loew's leased the theater in the 1930s. They even erected a "Loew's" style marquee and I have the photos to prove it. When Loew's gave up the lease, the "Loew's" marquee was dismanted and the name of the theater became "The Ziegfeld" once again. That is, until NBC leased the theater and it was known as the NBC Ziegfeld for a few years.

Regarding my post above: Warren is absolutely correct...The Ziegfeld should not be called "Loews
Ziegfeld" on this website. Not in the headline. The theater started as the Ziegfeld and ended its life as the Ziegfeld, hence it should be referred to as that. Period. Anything else is an "insult" and misinformation, to add "insult to injury."

No one is denying that it was once Loew's Ziegfeld, but that was during a lowpoint in its life. RKO once ran Radio City Music Hall, with its signature on the marquees and vertical signs, but do we remember it as the RKO Radio City Music Hall? I don't think so.

RKO opened the Radio City Music Hall and the RKO Roxy (Center), so that means that these two theatres should be listed with the RKO preceding the theatre name. Cinema Treasures should list theatres as they were named at opening with the first operater under the statistics. Subsequent operators should be listed in the theatre discription or biography. This should include the original name even if was changed within months of the opening just like the Piccadilly Theatre in Brooklyn whose name was changed some months after opening to the Avalon. N'est-pas?

Who in the world today would know that it was once the RKO Radio City except for those few of us who are into this kind of thing(I personally fantasize about seeing RKO classics at the Music Hall but is this normal?)I hope that this wonderful site is used as well by the more general movie lover who remembers the single screen theater. The only reason the old Ziegfield is here is because it was once a Loew's. Otherwise it belongs on a site called Broadway Treasures.

The RKO logo appeared only on the marquees, the vertical signs, and on the free programs handed out at the theatre, but always separately from the four words "Radio City Music Hall." I don't recall ever seeing the theatre reported in the press as the "RKO Radio City Music Hall." In fact, it would have confused the issue because RKO Radio was the name of a movie production company. The theatre was usually known as Radio City Music Hall, and sometimes abbreviated to Music Hall. And in newspaper advertising in The New York Times for the dual engagement of "King Kong" in March, 1933, the two Rockefeller Center theatres were identified as Radio City Music Hall and Radio City New Roxy, with no mentions that either were managed by RKO.

Can you please tell me how to buy tickets to the "Troy" premiere and the time for the premiere. Please reply to my e-mail which is lil_angel2413@yahoo.com Please. :(

My memory of the Ziegfeld theater was on May 10th at the premiere of Troy. It was me and my two other friends. We came all the way from Philly, and we skipped school (shhh!) to go to this premiere. We had the chance to meet Brad Pitt and Eric Bana. We were sort of disappointed because the main reason why we went to the premiere was to meet Orlando Bloom but it turned out that he was in Morocco Spain filming another one of his movies. It wasn't at all a bad experience. There was alot of people there for Orlando and it was devastating that he wasn't there but it was still a great experience. Everyone looked so good! It was my first time at the Ziegfeld and it was a great time!
Dar

You folks who are talking about "Troy" are confusing this long-demolished Ziegfeld on 6th Avenue with the newer namesake on West 54th Street. The other newer one is currently listed under "The Ziegfeld."

Walter Read ran this theater in its hayday and ran it well , the second floor has one large office that the president of Walter Read used then later by the district managers of CINEPLEX ODEON. What an office full bar master bath and an office size not seen in Manhatten.

Longislandmovies is referring to the current Ziegfeld Theatre, not the original. The latter opened as Loew's Ziegfeld on April 21, 1933, with advertising that "The Home of the 'Follies' Becomes Manhattan's Glorified Home of Talking Pictures." At noon of that day, 200 alumnae of Ziegfeld shows took part in a tribute to the producer, who died the previous year. The single feature policy started with the subsequent-run "Rasputin and The Empress," and there were three program changes per week on Fridays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Tickets were 15 and 25 cents at matinees, 30 cents at night (slightly higher on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays). Admission included free access to a "Ziegfeld Museum" on the mezzanine floor. I wonder if those artifacts are the same as those presently on display in the lobby of the Clearview Ziegfeld?

Does anyone remember that the site of The Ziegfeld used to house a Public Elementary School? P.S. 69 - I attended that school in 1964-1965 and fought hard to have the little red brick schoolhouse saved. Save Our School signs were made and we were featured on ABC NEWS.
My teachers were Mrs. Rattien and Mrs. Shapiro and the Prinicipal was Mr. Horowitz. I am researching to find a yearbook from 1965, the last year the school was in session. I remember my classmates were Jamie, Vanessa, Jody, Scott, Bernard C., Marvin (who lived in the Park Vendome) just to name a few. I am Marion R. - I would love to get some info or touch base with old classmates...
I do love the Ziegfeld theatre although it has been quite some time since I have visited.

I have read that Joseph (seen it as Josef) Urban was also involved in the Paramount Theatre in Palm Beach FL.

The Ziegfeld Theatre on Sixth Ave. only had 1660 seats?? I think that seat figure has to be incorrect... from photos I've seen in the book "Lost Broadway Theatres" by Nicholas VanHoogstraten it has to have somewhere in the neighborhood of three or four thousand seats, however the book doesn't list seating capacity. Other major theatres of the era like Loew's State, The Strand, Capitol and Roxy had huge capacities. Consider that the late Loews Astor Plaza (opened in 1971) that we are all familiar with, had 1528 seats at opening - and the old Zieg had only 132 seats more? Can't be. Does anyone from the THSA on this site have a more realistic seat count?

Dave-Bronx: I have to ask you....since you live in the Bronx-NYC have you ever gone to see the RCMH Christmas Spectacular? I'm still waiting to go someday even though it may not be at RCMH. It came to the Shea's in Buffalo this year, but I wasn't able to attend. :-( RCMH has to be right up there with some of the most spectacular movie palaces in the country. I can say, though, that I've seen the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA. It is an 'atmospheric' theatre with an organ as so many of today's theatre's don't have their original organs or any organ! :-(

I would imagine anyone posting on the old Zieg is probably from NYC or living in the NYC area so if anyone can give me their personal RCMH thoughts including the Christmas Spectacular that would be great! Thanks. :-)

The seating capacity of 1,660 is probably correct (give or take a few seats). Don't forget that the Ziegfeld was built as a "legit" playhouse and not for movies. It's rare to find any theatre designed for plays or vaudeville with more than 1,800 seats. When the Ziegfeld was listed in Film Daily Year Books as a Loew's movie house, the seating capacity was given as 2,000, but, IMHO, that was either an error or an exaggeration. I don't know how nearly 400 seats could have been added, nor was there any need because the Loew's Ziegfeld was a dismal failure and played only subsequent-run movies.

I've posted my thoughts on the RCMH Christmas show on the Hall page.
The Rockettes are great. Everything else is a bad joke. But then I remember the show from the late 60's and early 70's when it was still pretty wonderful.
The midgets are emabarassing and the Nativity is downright offensive(I am not a PC person but this seems to have been produced by a midwestern christian fundamentalist,Leonidoff has to be spinning in his grave.)
However mine seems to be a minority opinion.

Vincent: Thanks so much for your honesty in regards to segments other than the Rockettes. I'm sure you are probably right about the Nativity scene and it looking like it was produced by a "midwestern Christian Fundamentalist". LOL! Times have certainly changed and not for the better, it seems. Enlighten me on who Leonidoff was in connection to RCMH. Thanks. And where do I find this "Hall" page? Would your comments in regards to the RCMH be on the Cinema Treasures page of listed architects?

Patsy,
Yes the page on Radio City Music Hall in Cinema Treasure has many posts and I have certainly contributed quite a few as I am crazy about this building(worked there during Robin and Marian) and grieve over the way it has been wasted in recent years.
Leonidoff was the stage show producer who Roxy brought from the his original theater on 7th Av to Rockefeller Center(literally a block away.)
Leonidoff along with greats like Russel Markert and Florence Rogge created the stage shows for which the Music Hall became famous and was responsible for the religious portions of both the Christmas and Easter shows. His Nativity was a Renaissance pagaent stressing color, spectacle, movement and tableau as imagined by a Medici.

Patsy- sorry for delay in responding - While I have been to RCMH, I have never been to the Christmas Show there - I didn't grow up in NYC and therefore never was taken there as a kid, as were most kids who did grow up here - as an adult I've never gotten around to it.

Come by the RCMH site as a couple of posters have really been talking about their RCMH memories...good, bad and otherwise.

In its final years as a Loew's movie house, the Ziegfeld played the same double features as the circuit's top theatres in other parts of Manhattan. Sometimes, the main feature would be the same as the movie being shown with vaudeville at Loew's State in Times Square. In August, 1943, for example, the Ziegfeld was showing Bing Crosby's "Dixie" and a stage show headed by Arthur Tracy, Harry Langdon and Edith Fellows, while the Ziegfeld had "Dixie" accompanied by "Aerial Gunner." In January, 1944, the State had Humphrey Bogart's "Sahara" with Patricia Morison, Jackie Gleason and Harrison & Fisher topping the vaudeville bill, while the Ziegfeld was showing "Sahara" with "Is Everybody Happy?".

I am hoping some one can help me. My handicapped Daughter wants so badly to see the Premier of the new Harry Potter movie November 12th its not funny. I keep telling her we can't get the tickets but all she does is cry. Do any of you know how I can get tickets to this premier?
Thank you for your help>

J. Foley

J. Foley
Why not try calling on one of the local t.v. or radio stations? I worked for radio stations and also newspapers and they usually had free passes to these events.
Or call the theatre directly..I am sure if you explain your situation with your daughter someone will come forward with the tickets. I wish I had some I would give them to you. Good luck I hope you get the tickets for your daughter.

Chickey

Just noticed a glaring error in my post of 1/5/05. In line three, the wording should be "the State was showing Bing Crosby's 'Dixie' and a stage show...while the Ziegfeld had 'Dixie' accompanied by...."
J. Foley has posted about a different Ziegfeld Theatre. This one was demolished 39 years ago!

Here's a sad image of Florenz Ziegfeld's magnificent playhouse reduced to subsequent-run movie "grinder" under Loew's management. Ironically, the main feature at the time was MGM's "Ziegfeld Girl":
www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/lozig.jpg

It's always fascinating to view the old b/w theatre photos!

Another great photo, Warren. I guess all things are relative however, huh? You rightly point out how sad it was that such a magnificent showplace be reduced to second-run grind... I'm sure the notion would have sent Flo Ziegfeld into an apoplectic rage, but how many of us would have back that time when Loew's ran the theater in this manner? "Reduced to subsequent-run movie 'grinder'" is certainly more palatable than "reduced to rubble" - which describes the sad and unfortunate fate this theater ultimately met.

Fortunately, the Ziegfeld returned to its original purpose for some of its final years and housed such hit shows as "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," "Brigadoon," and "Kismet." Its demolition seemed inevitable due to its distance from the main theater district and the scarcity of real estate on Sixth Avenue.

In November of 1965, just before I was drafted, as a young man of 22, I went to see "Anya" at the Ziegfeld, and sat there totally enchanted. The critics decimated this last lovely operetta, and the developers decimated this last lovely theater. Now I'm a senior citizen of 62, and we have "Mama Mia" and multiplexes. Anybody got a time machine ?

One of the original Ziegfeld dancers is still with us. She is 101 years old ;)

Here is a lawsuit concerning demolition of the theater:
http://tinyurl.com/y226sd

What stands where the Ziegfeld once was?

The site is now occupied by an office building which is set back from Sixth Avenue by an open area with two spectacular fountains that are ball-shaped and no longer fully operated. Their sprays of water tended to soak the sidewalks and pedestrians whenever there was even the slightest breeze.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/1/prweb499705.htm (2 photos at this link)

Other than a few architectural fragments, nothing of the Art-Deco landmark "Ziegfeld Theater" was believed to have been saved from it's tragic demolition in 1966. That was until recently, when an immense mural called "The Joy of Life", designed by the architect Joseph Urban for the theater, was discovered by New York City antiques dealer John Bermingham.

New York, NY (PRWEB) January 24, 2007 -- In 1927, the Broadway impresario Florenz Ziegfeld opened the Ziegfeld Theater on 6th Avenue and 54th Street and changed the face of theater for decades after. Home of the famed "Ziegfeld Follies", the theater was an Art-Deco masterpiece created by Joseph Urban, an architect known for his fanciful and imaginative design and décor. Situated well out of the theater district and featuring a unique "egg-shaped" auditorium, the Ziegfeld Theater was a landmark unto itself.

Despite public outcry at the time, the Ziegfeld Theater was demolished in 1966 to make way for an office tower that now occupies the spot. It was believed that other than a few architectural fragments, nothing remained of this lost landmark. That is, until now.

It's a part of New York City history, theater history and design history, and it deserves to be seen and appreciated.
A rare piece of this lost American treasure has recently re-surfaced in the form of an immense section of the original painted mural "The Joy of Life" which somehow escaped the wrecking ball all those years back. The mural was painted in 1926 by Lillian Gaertner under the direction of Joseph Urban, who provided the original sketches and personally oversaw the work. Madame Gaertner had studied under the renowned Bauhaus designer Joseph Hoffman and worked with Urban on many of his theatrical projects. The recently re-discovered canvas, which originally graced the walls and ceiling of the main auditorium, measures 24 feet wide by 14 feet high and features fanciful and brightly colored depictions of characters from literature, history and mythology.

The mural is currently owned by Manhattan antiques dealer John Bermingham who located it in November 2006. Bermingham states that his interest in the work stemmed from his love for New York City history and the theater in particular. "It is a tragedy that a landmark such as the Ziegfeld Theater was allowed to be destroyed back then, before the awareness of the value of historical architecture and design. Today, thankfully, such a thing would never happen". Bermingham added, "It is remarkable, however, that such a unique and important artifact as this mural has managed to survive and we should at least be grateful for that". The outcry over the demolition of the Ziegfeld Theater and the original Penn Station are credited with prompting the landmark preservation movement championed by Jacqueline Onassis.

The mural will be on display at the New York Design Fair at the Park Avenue Armory at 67th Street from February 8th through the 10th. "The biggest challenge we will face will be finding it an appropriate home, considering its size," says Bermingham. "It would be great if it could remain intact, perhaps as part of a museum collection, or featured on the wall of some fantastic New York restaurant like the Picasso mural on display at the Four Seasons." Bermingham adds, "It's a part of New York City history, theater history and design history, and it deserves to be seen and appreciated."

###

Thanks very much to all for the information. I remember the Mural as well as the theatre. I was fortunate enough to be a guest of the theatre manager, Ross Stewart for the 1st Saturday evening performance of "ANYA". I was only 16 and was awestruck by the powerful and beautiful image I saw. The mural was like some musical fantasy in Golds and rich earth tones. Does anyone remember the 2 large Comedy and Tragedy masks that were suspended from the proscenium over the curtain? The were large and very beautiful. I wonder if they survived? I remember reading in Variety at the time that the house curtain and maybe the seats went to the Playhouse in Kennibunkport, Me.

Does anyone out there have a shot of the Ziegfeld actually with a show playing on the marquee??? A real show, not movie. This theatre housed many big hits after 1944, Brigadoon, Showboat revival, The Cleopatra's, Porgy and Bess revival as well as Kismet. I have never come across a shot of the theatre with the marquee lit with a show and would love to have one.
Many thanks again for the sharing of all this great information.
845Frank

Originally as a playhouse, the Ziegfeld had no marquee due to an overhang of a curved portion of the facade above the entrance. Loew's added a garish marquee when the theatre became a cinema, but I think that was later removed and replaced by a simpler one more suited to a playhouse. This photo of the original playhouse shows a roof sign with the opening attraction of "Rio Rita." There was also a two-line changeable attraction board above the entrance doors: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/origzig.jpg

You are correct but that covers its initial Ziegfeld ownership. When Billy Rose took over in 1944 through 1965 there was a regular theatre sign board on each side of the glass and bronze overhand. If you examine Nathan Silversteins "Lost New York" the Ziegfeld is listed as in danger with a foot note stating it is to be torn down. In this photo from sometime after 1959 ,as a 59 cadillac is pictured making a turn on 6th ave in front of the theatre, you can see the bronze/brass and glass overhang or entrance canopy. I remember the marquee for ANYA in red lit up on the evening I saw it, but have never seen a photo of the theatre when "Foxy" or "Kismet" played there. There must be some vintage newsreel that captures one of the impportant shows that were tenants at the Ziegfeld.
Your comments are appreciated.
845Frank

Have you tried looking for photos at the Billy Rose Theatre Collection at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts? It has many files about the Ziegfeld Theatre and all the "legit" shows presented there. And since Billy Rose himself ran the Ziegfeld for a time, there might be photos in his files.

Warren
Its an item on my list of things to do. I have not been there in 30 years. I have collected the entire volume of Theatre Worlds from 1944 on up to be able to view what may be the only photos of the productions that played the Ziegfeld. Additionally, I have a program from each and every show that played the house from Rio Rita on till the end. The professional photo I recently purchased was from the NYC Dept of Buildings which has microfiche of all NYC buildings from 1940 survey but as you know this is when it was still a movie theatre. How many times had you been in the Ziegfeld?

Thank you,
845Frank

Frank, I expect to be at the Lincoln Center library today. If I have time, I'll check to see what they have of photos of the Ziegfeld in its post-Loew's period...Sorry, but I never attended anything at the Ziegfeld Theatre, though I passed it many times. There used to be a greeting cards/book rental store next door which also had Ziegfeld in its name. When the theatre closed for demoliton, the store moved to the west side of Seventh Avenue between 57th and 58th, where it remained for quite a few years until the by then elderly owners could no longer afford the rent increases.

For HowardBHaas
Has anything happened with the disposition of the mural. I regret that I have missed seeing it this time around,unless it is for Feb 2008 display?. Please keep the site posted as to its disposition and thank you for the info. I had an opportunity to take a piece from the site but I was too young at the time to realize its artistic value for the future. I visite the site during demolition every weekend in hopes of being able to carry something away.
845frank

I found that online. If the mural finds a home, as it hopefully will, and there's a news item about it that I see, I certainly will post it.

This photo was taken in December, 1953, shortly after the opening of the stage musical, "Kismet." The marquee was plain but elegant. If I recall correctly, the predominant color was a burnished gold, with frosted white glass across the bottom row: www.i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/kismet.jpg

Great Photo Warren! Was this from the Billy Rose Theatre Library collection? The Marquee addition I am talking about must have been after the retun to legit from the Television studion use. It probably existed from the engagements of Maurice Chevalier till closing in 1966. I will have to review the BR collection.
845Frank

Warren's 10/26 photo above is a dandy. I am trying to taylor it for my screen-saver. Another of my favorite houses is the Cosmopolitan, aka, Majestic,International and Columbus Circle. This was also another hard luck house that after its premier in 1903 with the Wizard of Oz its luck scooted precipitously downward until after being a TV studio in 1954 it met the wreckers ball. Even after Ziegfeld took over in 1925, until his own house was built, and a redesign by Joseph Urban the longest running show only managed a 300 performance run (Louis XIV). The Depression and its far northern district location kept the theatre lonely and dark.

845Frank

For historic photos, click on the exterior photo for a gallery. Each photo can then be clicked to enlarge:
http://www.ibdb.com/venue.aspx?id=1393

Thanks Howard,
Am familiar with the site and its great collection of snapshots.
845Frank

Here are new direct links to images of the Ziegfeld as playhouse, Loew's cinema, and back to playhouse again (with the stage musical version of "Kismet"):
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/origzig.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/lozig.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/kismet.jpg

In the introduction, the title of probably the greatest of all American stage musicals needs to be corrected. It's "Show Boat" (not "Showboat").

Ziegfeld's daughter died recently. There was an obit in today's LA Times.

Patricia was Ziegfeld's only child. Her mother was Billie Burke. Patricia once wrote a memoir, "The Ziegfelds' Girl," which is well worth reading.

Has anyone noticed that Wikipedia's entry for Florenz Ziegfeld displays an INCORRECT photo of him? The photo might show Ziegfeld's father and namesake, but it's definitely NOT the legendary Broadway theatrical producer.

The Ziegfeld was one of the first "legit" theatres to boast of having a refrigerated air system, which in this case kept the temperature never higher than 70 degrees during summer. At the time of this 1927 ad, no one could have known that in another six years, the glorious playhouse would be reduced to a Loew's grinder with sub-run movies: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a18/Warrengwhiz/coolziegfeld.jpg

I could cry after looking at the historic photos of the Ziegfeld.

I always celebrate Mr. Ziegfeld's birthday by screening the 1936 (Best Film) "The Great Ziegfeld." The revolving stage scene with the magnificent waterfall curtain takes my breath away each and every time.
Perhaps, if I go to the "big theater in the sky", I'll have the honor of meeting Florenz... meanwhile, may those who greedily decided to destroy his wonderful palace rot in hell!

A limestone head of a goddess, alleged to be from the facade of this theater, was recently spotted on E. 80th St. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nick-carr/a-decapitation-on-east-80_b_273115.html

Wowie Zowie, what a find! Thanks for the link!

Here's a photo taken just before the Ziegfeld's grand opening in February, 1927: http://www1.dailynewspix.com/sales/largeview.php?name=N1984600.jpg&id=23633&lbx=-1&return_page=searchResults.php&searchDisplay=A&searchAction=advSearch&numFields=1&Button=1&start=-2713888800&end=-976647601&dayFrom=1&monthFrom=1&yearFrom=1884&dayTo=19&monthTo=1&yearTo=1939&location_0=allmeta&bool_0=AND&Button=1&page=0

The last paragraph of the introduction needs revision. The collection of memorabilia in the current Ziegfeld Theatre covers more than just the "Follies," and also includes "Show Boat," "Whoopee," "Sally," "Rio Rita" and other hits produced by Florenz Ziegfeld. In fact, only one of the "Follies" actually played at the Ziegfeld Theatre, the 1931 edition, which was also the last that Ziegfeld produced before his death in 1932.

The last movies at the Ziegfeld were "Once Upon a Time" and "Shadows in the Night" in August 1944.

The Ziegfeld closed as a Loew's cinema at the end of business on Sunday, August 27th, 1944, and re-opened as a playhouse on Thursday evening, December 7th, of that same year.