Ziegfeld Theatre

141 W. 54th Street,
New York, NY 10019

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William
William on April 11, 2007 at 1:02 pm

The classics series played last year, no new serie as of yet. The “Dirty Dancing” 20th Anniversary engagement is May 11- May 17 (all seats $7.50).

Basic22
Basic22 on April 11, 2007 at 11:53 am

Hi everyone, sorry to interupt the discussion but I have a quick question. I know Dirty Dancing is playing at the Ziegfeld and I know they play lots ‘o classics, but I haven’t seen any information on it but Dirty Dancing. There’s no page on the Clearview Cinemas website for Ziegfeld classics and I can’t find anything. I really want to see West Side Story there and I was wondering if anyone has any info when they’ll be playing classics.

Thanks!

Vito
Vito on April 4, 2007 at 8:33 am

Yes Peter I recall Rob teling that story, as I recall the projectors were set up in the first mezz. With the average cost of a digital projector as high as it is, although the cost is coming down,this is of course a totally unpactical idea for the average venue. As you know 3-D requires maximum mlight output from the projector as well as a silver screen. However there are digital projectors becoming available with greater light output, up two four times the current pixel count and will not require a silver screen for 3-D.
The digital revotution has been on fire this past year, with great improvements and lower cost. My industry insiders tell me that they now can really see a big push for conversion from film to digital sooner than expected.

Vito
Vito on April 4, 2007 at 5:11 am

The Sony SRX-R110 4k projector is the top of the line digital projector but it sells for about $80,000 (plus $15,000 for the lens A more expensive model for screens up to 25 feet is also available for $60,000. I did not realise it had duel lamps but that would explain, along with the increased pixel count,the incredable quality of the presentation. I could see in time this projector making film versions of IMAX obsolete.

PeterApruzzese
PeterApruzzese on April 4, 2007 at 5:10 am

Vito:

While I don’t know of any current standard installations using dual-digital projection, I do know that Radio City used a temporary setup of two stacked DLP units when they ran a preview showing for an HBO film a few years ago. The two projectors were aligned together on the screen to boost the brightness.

PeterApruzzese
PeterApruzzese on April 4, 2007 at 5:05 am

Vito:

While I don’t know of any current standard installations using dual-digital projection, I do know that Radio City used a temporary setup of two stacked DLP units when they ran a preview showing for an HBO film a few years ago. The two projectors were aligned together on the screen to boost the brightness (as an aside, the show ended up being cancelled in progress when the digital server went down and they had no backup).

William
William on April 4, 2007 at 3:56 am

The Sony 4K projector uses a dual bulb set-up.

Vito
Vito on April 4, 2007 at 2:31 am

sorry for the double post, I wanted to clarify how the IMAX 3-D works and somehow both posts went thru.

Vito
Vito on April 4, 2007 at 2:21 am

Michael, I have not been able to find anyone who knows of any theatres using two projectors to improve light output. All of the locations I know off have NEC, Christie or Barco projectors and are using one projector. Perhaps you are refering to a duel Xenon bulb type of installation. IMAX 3-D has a 70mm duel projector in one,
left eye-right eye) and has two bulbs, and while I know of no digital applications doing so, perhaps some experimentaion is going with that idea. If any location would need a duel lamp projection it would be the Ziegfeld, if they are using a single bulb projector one would imagine every other location is doing so as well. Hopefully some one from the Ziegeld can confirm the projector at the Ziegfeld is a single lamp type. Perhaps this duel lamp theroy will help you get to the bottom of this.

Vito
Vito on April 4, 2007 at 2:13 am

Michael, I have not been able to find anyone who knows of any theatres using two projectors to improve light output. All of the locations I know off have NEC, Christie or Barco projectors and are using one projector. Perhaps you are refering to a duel Xenon bulb type of installation. IMAX 3-D has one film projector (70mm) but uses two bulbs to improve light output, and while I know of no digital applications doing so, perhaps some experimentaion is going with that idea. If any location would need a duel lamp projection it would be the Ziegfeld, if they are using a single bulb projector one would imagine every other location is doing so as well. Hopefully some one from the Ziegeld can confirm the projector at the Ziegfeld is a single lamp type. Perhaps this duel lamp theroy will help you get to the bottom of this.

Coate
Coate on March 31, 2007 at 2:48 pm

The Rivoli was twinned earlier than 1984. 1982 maybe? (They ran “The Thing” there in summer ‘82 on both screens.)

Back to the Ziegfeld… This is one of the few large venues showing “Meet The Robinsons” in digital 3-D. Has anyone seen it there? Has anyone been able to determine if they are showing it using two projectors to improve the light output on the screen? (There were some reports that Disney screened “Chicken Little” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas” in some large-screen, major-market theatres using the dual-projection technique.)

Oh, and if any readers missed it in the news report posted Friday, here is a link to the theatres throughout the U.S. and Canada showing “Meet The Robinsons” in 3-D:

View link

William
William on March 22, 2007 at 4:12 pm

The Rivoli installed the D-150 screen in 1966 prior to the opening of The Sand Pebbles. That screen remained till the theatre was twinned in 1984. I think the Todd-AO screen was 52 feet by 26 feet.

JSA
JSA on March 22, 2007 at 3:39 pm

Going back to screen size and installations, didn’t the Rivoli remove the Todd-AO screen in the 60’s and replaced it with D-150?

William
William on March 22, 2007 at 3:26 pm

The Warner (aka: Strand) Cinerama had 67 foot by 24 foot during the 3-Strip Cinerama days and after the remodel for 70MM Cinerama it was a 81 foot by 30 foot screen.

JSA
JSA on March 22, 2007 at 2:53 pm

Thanks, Bill & Pete, for the info. From looking at the pictures posted here, I guessed about 40 to 50'. It seems rather small for a theatre with that seating capacity.

JSA

PeterApruzzese
PeterApruzzese on March 21, 2007 at 5:32 am

Thanks, Bill. According to that info, the Rivoli’s curved screen was 50-feet wide (66' along the arc). When I last walked off the Ziegfeld’s screen, it was between 45-50'.

VincentParisi
VincentParisi on March 21, 2007 at 5:13 am

They did not enlarge the prosceniums. They put large curved screens in front of them and had curtains installed as well.
I believe the Rivoli was 65'. I do not know the Warner but I was very happy with it as I also saw a 70MM print there of the complete Paint Your Wagon and that wonderful score in 6 track. I still remember the haunting singing of ‘gold’ which opened the film. I enjoyed it enormously despite it’s negative press and failure but people in the late ‘60s were fools turning against big Hollywood films. Look also at Sweet Charity which was roadshow at the Rivoli. It was out of there pretty fast and it’s sensational.
By the way I also saw a ToddAO print at the Warner of South Pacific.
Though I’ve alway hated the tinting I like the film and it was the only way to see it.

Bill Huelbig
Bill Huelbig on March 21, 2007 at 4:39 am

Pete:

From Martin Hart’s Widescreen Museum page – how the Rivoli was converted to Todd-AO in 1955 for “Oklahoma!”:

View link

Bill Huelbig
Bill Huelbig on March 21, 2007 at 4:34 am

JSA: I always thought the screen size was 50' wide, but I can’t prove it. I think I heard that back in the early ‘70s, but a memory that old can’t be trusted. Maybe someone else can give an exact figure.

PeterApruzzese
PeterApruzzese on March 21, 2007 at 4:22 am

How’d they “fix” the Warner and Rivoli? I was never in them, so I don’t know how they enlarged their prosceniums.

JSA
JSA on March 21, 2007 at 4:10 am

Now I’m curious: What’s the screen size?

VincentParisi
VincentParisi on March 21, 2007 at 4:05 am

Exactly. But it can be fixed like when they put in Cinerama at the Warner or ToddAO at the Rivoli.
But I am sure the people who run and own the place couldn’t care less. If they did though I would think the place was great.

By the way when I saw My Fair Lady in a vintage 70MM print, which still looked great, at the Warner with no digital messing about and true,no Dolby, 6 track sound, which was surround sound because I walked the theater trying to find the speakers, what detail I heard from them and such warmth!
This with the large stunning images was a totally exhillarating experience. This was in ‘77 I believe.
Then when I saw the restoration at the Ziegfeld in the early '90’s the screen was too small and the Dolby sound though loud was flat without the surround sound I heard at the Warner.
It was better than nothing but it was not the real thing which we will never see again.

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on March 20, 2007 at 5:28 pm

Anyway, the Ziegfeld screen IS too small, but I don’t see how it can be enlarged without re-designing th entire proscenium.

VincentParisi
VincentParisi on March 20, 2007 at 11:26 am

Bill I do concede that. But I am concerned about all the political and financial factors I mentioned above taking the Loew’s Jersey. But then this belongs on the Loew’s Jersey’s page.