Ziegfeld Theatre
141 W. 54th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
141 W. 54th Street,
New York,
NY
10019
131 people
favorited this theater
Showing 2,901 - 2,925 of 4,511 comments
Well it will be interesting to see if the film was shot in scope since it definately was not shot in 70mm. Poor Bill Condon got a slap in the face today not getting a best director or screenplay in the Golden Globe nominations. Clint Eastwood getting two for Flags of Our Fathers and the Japaneese version was ridiculous condier neither picture got a best picture or any other nominations. At least Dreangirls got 3 acting nods plus a Best Picure nod.
hdtv267 if you go back to posts starting Nov. 3rd 2006. There is the rest of the story about Roadshow days returning to the Ziegfeld for “Dreamgirls”.
Scorsese’s film of Last Temptation of Christ is a masterpiece. I haven’t read the novel so I have no idea what he may or may not have captured from it, but as a film unto itself it is stunning. It remains the only film that actually made me believe – however briefly – in the Christ story.
Well!
Unfortunately, Scorsese did not do justice to the Kazantzakis novel and the film runs like a frustrated altar boy’s attempt to challenge his strict religious upbringing. I translated the novel, per the author’s estate, into a screenplay and script in August 1971. I remained faithful to the text as it reads as a visual experience of the mind’s eye and needed little, if any, alterations. A partial storyboard was also accomplished with the dynamic imagery composed for Super Panavision 70. Selected existing music was compiled and included Alan Hovhaness’s works, for example, Myteriosu Mountain – Symphony No. 2. What happened to all of this? Industry refusal to handle the controversial nature of the project. Years later, several attempts at a film version of the novel never materialized until the Scorses travesty. He had no insight into what Kazantsakis intended in his Christus document, nor did he have the spiritual maturity to transform a beautiful novel into an extraordinary motion picture expereince.
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.
For some more historical perspective on the theatre, here are some TV news reports (WABC, WCBS and WNBC, as well as “Entertainment Tonight”) from Aug. 12, 1988, about the demonstrations outside the Ziegfeld at the opening of Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ.” (And don’t miss the Alligator From Hell!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV67a2T9fdM
Cheers,
David
Archives… Thanks for the response. I only wish that the film industry would take back a little pride in the exhibition of some of their more prestigious offerings allow for some exclusive or limited release “roadshow” style engagements. There should be theaters that can execute good curtain and house-light cues and see to it that audiences never have to stare blankly at a screen that stares blankly back at them. You remember the word for this… “showmanship”. And I believe it can exist, even in today’s wide-release environment. Even if it were just a handful – 5 or 6 top offerings per year. Raise the ticket prices a bit, run exclusive at a theater like the Ziegfeld for 3 or 4 weeks and then go general release. If the movie’s over 2 and ½ hours, let’s have an overture and intermission. Make it feel like an event.
And I also share your wishes that the industry dip into the collective archives and prepare top-notch prints for revival of classic titles. Let them be seen and enjoyed as they ought to be – in the dark, up on a big screen and with an enthusiastic audience. With digital technology getting better and better and image degredation becoming an increasingly minor factor, the cost factor of having to strike new prints for prestigious art-house revivals will be a thing of the past. Digital presentation may well offer an affordable way for studios to get back in the game of re-releasing back catalog and spurring re-newed interest in same on the DVD market. Imagine being able to have a digital presentation of an epic like “Ben Hur” with the data transfered from restored 70mm elements… looking like it came fresh from the lab! And having the 1000th showing look as pristine as the first! Perhaps the resolution isn’t there yet, but I’m sure its close and I’ll bet it will be there soon enough.
DELETE THIS section -removed from the theatre in the mid to late 1970s. It was free suspended and not braced
to a frame nor black matted to the pictures projected aspect ratio of 1:1.33 which is
height equals 1 and width equals 1.33.
No curtains where used for the opening or closing, as I was told they no longer exist.
I hope these will be replaced if the theatre is going to do professional film presentations.
The sound system was not the Altec-Lansing “Voice of the Theatre” speakers that once existed
behind the screen, but two large speakers placed at either end and behind the screen.
The sound delivered was close to equalling full theatre sound.
The digital projector operator had some difficulty in presenting a blanks screen and
the sponsored ad for the Paramount by PNC Bank. He was unaware or cautious of the opening of
the film and so missed the 20th Century-Fox opening logo and a several dozen frames from the
opening of the film proper.
Overall presentation was an 8.5 and not a 10.
Prior to the film presentation, I gave a friend of mine a complete tour of the theatre
and told him of the theatre’s history, films I saw at the venue, and a retrospect of
Walter Reade theatres in the area.
Attached is an image of the event.
Don
Comment to EdSolero: I pulled the archive data on CE3K roadshow cut and found a reference file for a video transfer. This was located and set up for screening and review by myself and a close associate. End result – a far superior rendition of the Spielberg work. Ed, be safe and enjoy the holidays. Thanks again.
removed from the theatre in the mid to late 1970s. It was free suspended and not braced
to a frame nor black matted to the pictures projected aspect ratio of 1:1.33 which is
height equals 1 and width equals 1.33.
No curtains where used for the opening or closing, as I was told they no longer exist.
I hope these will be replaced if the theatre is going to do professional film presentations.
The sound system was not the Altec-Lansing “Voice of the Theatre” speakers that once existed
behind the screen, but two large speakers placed at either end and behind the screen.
The sound delivered was close to equalling full theatre sound.
The digital projector operator had some difficulty in presenting a blanks screen and
the sponsored ad for the Paramount by PNC Bank. He was unaware or cautious of the opening of
the film and so missed the 20th Century-Fox opening logo and a several dozen frames from the
opening of the film proper.
Overall presentation was an 8.5 and not a 10.
Prior to the film presentation, I gave a friend of mine a complete tour of the theatre
and told him of the theatre’s history, films I saw at the venue, and a retrospect of
Walter Reade theatres in the area.
Attached is an image of the event.
Don
such as the Ziegfeld, will lead to an inward demand expressed to the motion picture industry, to promote previous stock in their archives and sanction a revival of cinema and theatres (cinema treasures), prepared by staff and projectionists, to deliver unforgettable experiences for each individual ticket holder. In closing, as the year ends,may all have a bright future of film surrounded by the historical nature of this wonderous industry.
I attended this invitational premiere as an observer and gave it a fair appraisal. Is this film roadshow quality? No. Is the film worth $25 or $11? No! To All: just because you love the theatre doesn’t mean you have to admire being part of some sort of historical retrospect borne anew with films that bite an invitation and deliver standard fair worthy of TV or substandard “home theatre” viewing. Of course “anything is better than nothing”, as the old saying goes for those who wish to have been part of the Ziegfeld and the years prior that established magnificent films projectedon big screens affording the ticket buyer a deep personal experience and relationship with a theatre and the film presented. As I have said my observations which, by the way, are not prejudged by past experiences, I hold all to enjoy DREAMGIRLS and, as we approach the end of a year, to learn that cinematic emotions experienced in a theatre of magnitude, such as the Ziegfeld, will lead to an inward d
Tonight is the red carpet invitational premiere of “Dreamgirls”, which means we might see some pictures of the Ziegfeld in tomorrow’s New York papers.
Filmprojector… is the Dolby cinema server the hard drive on which the digital cinema presentation is stored? If so, I guess the device has been out-of-order for sometime. And the newspaper ads have been misleading folks interested in seeing a digital presentation for weeks! By the way, Saturday night was also the first time I took my pre-teen son and cousin to the Ziegfeld and they were mightily impressed. My 13-year old cousin in particluar – having been raised as he’s been on Long Island multiplexes. My son had never been in a movie theater as big as the Ziegfeld, but he has been to B'way theaters and Radio City Music Hall before.
Huh—– so it is!
Jeff: On both my home computer and the one here at work, it’s only “End”. I just did it.
Bill— Control-End
No need to scroll down – just press the “End” button and it should take you right to the bottom of the comments section.
Why aren’t some of the older comments on this trheatre erased! It takes forever to scroll down to recent comments!
I ran the shows at ziegfeld on sun nov 19 . it was my first time running that booth though i did service calls and technical screenings there in 98. The dolby cinema server was temporarily not in use . something had to be replaced. I heard that many dolby servers had to be replaced due to problems and dolby wanting to upgrade. btw i was told that when they use the server they run the film with a 5 minute delay. you cal look at the booth to determine what is running. The video projector is in the port to your right as you look toward the booth.
Attended the 6:30pm show of “Casino Royale” last night (Saturday) with a nice big house in attendance. I’d say there were anywhere from 700-800 people, with only the first 4 or 5 of the orchestra and the loge section at the rear relatively empty. I enjoyed the movie a lot and it was definitely a buzz seeing it here with such a large and well-behaved crowd. When we walked in, the curtains were open for the on-screen advertisements, but just before showtime, the projectionist closed the curtains for a few moments before re-opening them to allow for the Clearview pre-show reel. After the reel, a few previews were shown – of most interest to the audience, the excellent trailer for “Spiderman 3.”
I forgot to take note of whether the marquee or signage outside the theater advertised a digital presentation, but the newspaper ad that ran in the times clearly indicates that this was to be the case. However, I noticed some minor blemishes right away – during the Columbia logo, in fact – that immediately betrayed the fact that this was a film presentation. I also spotted the change-over cues in the upper right corner as did Erik H and Bill Huelbig when they saw the film here. A first rate presentation, nonetheless.
I was at the Sunday evening showing of Casino Royale and it was heartwarming tp see the theater about 80% full! I’m recommending to all of my frineds that they see this film here. I’m buying my tickets for Dreamgirls this afternoon. The previews looked great!
Why yes Peter, as a matter of fact I do; It’s in the attic along with my reel-end alarms and carbon savers. I gotta have something to remind me of the good ole days. I have a Griswald cold splicer and a B&H hot splicer as well.
Oh my Jeff, I laughed my butt off at those cue mark ideas, but you forgot razor blades which were great for scratching off the emulsion and was the tool of choice for a lot of guys; you sure brought back some nightmare memories from the past. I swear over the years I have seen everything you described. Some operators were butchers when it came to mutilating prints with all those cues. The only time I used a cue-scriber was to cue the trailers; I also added a two frame cue to the bottom right of the frame for my curtain cue. and THAT’S IT!
I pity the fool who relieved in my booth and altered the cues.
Pete, just do what all the other projectionists appear to do in the past:
An “X” from corner to corner scraped into emulsion
A Diagonal line from one corner to the other scratched into emulsion
A hole punch used on 4 frames (preferably in the frame dead center)
Red or black grease pencil to make all sorts of marks
circle marks scracthed into emulsion along the frame edge (either side OK)
Or, make up your own unique style (many have!)
It’s amazing what some projectionists have done!
Those cue-scribers are now expensive from edit equipment houses.