Ziegfeld Theatre

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

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HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on January 27, 2016 at 1:15 pm

Did anyone attend 2008 Go Ape Week? which were shown? good prints? And, 3 Cheers to Al for compiling the wonderful list of films that played from start to finish of the Ziegfeld!

GeorgeStrum
GeorgeStrum on January 27, 2016 at 4:15 am

There are display cases of memorabilia of the old Ziegfeld in the lobby and going up the stair case. Could these be preserved and displayed at the Lincoln Center Library or some other theatre?

cmbussmann
cmbussmann on January 27, 2016 at 1:59 am

Amen to that! I dragged so many people to the Ziegfeld over the years and none of them walked away less than awed.

Rstewart
Rstewart on January 27, 2016 at 12:03 am

What a wonderful video! When moving to the N. NJ area 9 years ago I went to experience the Ziegfeld as quickly as I could, knowing all the time that the end was inevitable and I didn’t want to have missed out. Unfortunately, it is over now and those who never made the effort will have missed out on one of the great later palaces. (I also made a point of visiting the Loews Tower East 72nd street just before the AMC takeover, you knew the days there were numbered too.)

Now, what is next? I’ve missed the UPTOWN in DC during every visit, I hope it is still there next time I am.(but it’s hard to trust AMC) The Senator dodged a bullet and the Jersey still clings to life. The Lafayette is a treasure and there are still a number of local small town singles that still know how to put on a show.

Remember this Theater Lovers, none of our treasures are safe and we must do what we can to keep those that are viable open and preserve the memory of those that do not. Everyone should experience the magic of the opening curtain and the beautiful auditorium at least once so that they can understand the magic of the movies and what a professional presentation really is! Do your part; take your friends, kids, relatives, anybody you can to the next show that you can at the nearest remaining example of the pre-huge chain multiplex, even if they are using digital. Share the beauty and the magic; help create more and future lovers of Cinematreasures.

SethLewis
SethLewis on January 26, 2016 at 2:43 pm

Thanks for the brilliant list…Significant in the evolution of distribution

From 1969 a few exclusives and the end of roadshows…then in the 70’s day dating with New Jersey and Long Island so moviegoers did not have to travel into the city for an event…then day dating with the East Side – people wouldn’t go to 54th St and rather see a film in Loews Tower East..to showcases and a lot of films which could not fill a thousand seats on a good day

It’s not theatres that got smaller it’s the movies:)

walterk
walterk on January 26, 2016 at 2:40 pm

I’ll show you next time I’m in town, markp. In the meantime:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey_4KyBu2TA

I wish that curtain had moved when I made my last visit on the 28th last month.

markp
markp on January 26, 2016 at 1:07 pm

Im hoping my wife or someone can help me with the whole cut and paste thing so I can view the video. Im not good when it comes to that.

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on January 26, 2016 at 3:34 am

Wonderful! Thank you for the curtain closing video!

DavidMorgan
DavidMorgan on January 26, 2016 at 3:06 am

Here is a video of the Ziegfeld’s double curtains closing this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey_4KyBu2TA

HowardBHaas
HowardBHaas on January 25, 2016 at 1:06 pm

I have a flickr gallery of my photos of movies on the Ziegfeld’s marquee & in order, each room from the Box Office to the Lobby Museum & Grand Stairs, the Foyer upstairs, Concession Foyer, and Auditorium. I may add more photos at a later time. https://www.flickr.com/photos/howardbhaas/albums/72157634640390968 After Star Wars 7 is over, the curtains close. A few minutes later, the gold curtain opens, followed by the white curtain. I quickly snapped 7 photos, a bit dark. I am not great with making videos & can’t return to NYC from Philly to try. Can someone please use your camera or cell phone to video the curtains opening (after the movie is over)? & post on Youtube & post the Youtube link? The Ziegfeld’s use of 2 curtains is special enough to be videotaped!

R68Dtrain2500
R68Dtrain2500 on January 25, 2016 at 5:40 am

In 1977 my grandparents saw Saturday night fever and they love this movie and this theater opened in 1969 before I was born. My grandfather would be alive to save Ziegfeid theater and now this theater is going be miss, remembered and never be forgotten

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on January 25, 2016 at 3:15 am

My first movie there was also That’s Entertainment, which blew me away. I hadn’t heard of most of those stars and movies featured, (I know them all very well now!) but was especially amazed seeing Esther Williams and her aquatic extravaganzas on the big screen…!

Soon after, Earthquake was a bone-rattling eye-popper and my first Ava Gardner movie. I saw that more than once, bringing in friends from Long Island for the unique Sensurround experience. (I’ve since come to appreciate Gardner’s beauty in movies like Showboat and Mogambo, but even in Earthquake she had an earthy sensuality.)

To complete the trifecta, Tommy was astounding. I’d never heard the album before, nor really knew who The Who were, but I was stunned and euphoric by the sights, sounds and presentation of that rock opera. These three movies seemed like they were custom-made for this house.

In my lifetime there has been no showplace like the Ziegfeld. In a word, wow…!

Ed Solero
Ed Solero on January 25, 2016 at 12:31 am

First film I saw here was That’s Entertainment, followed soon thereafter by Earthquake! I was 9 years of age at the time, and going into the city for a movie or show was always a treat, and my parents (and extended adult family) were great about giving me those experiences on a fairly regular basis. I’m not 100% sure, but my dad may have also taken me here to see 2001, at one of tie mid to late ‘70’s engagements. The family also took in Fantasia here during that same era.

First time I ever be tired into Manhattan on my own, at age 14, was to see Hair at the Ziegfeld on St Patty’s day, 1979. And later that year, Apocalypse Now, which ran without any beginning or end credits – these were distributed in a souvenir handout given to patrons by the ticket taker. I still bemoan the loss of that item from my memorabilia. A few years later I remember coming in with some high school classmates to see Pink Floyd’s The Wall.

More recently – as in THIS century – I can remember seeing Chicago, The Producers, and the Bond reboot Casino Royale. Of course, among my favorite experiences here were the Classic series they ran during slow weeks. I caught Blade Runner, Close Encounters, and 2001 – those last two on the same day. Also Ben-Hur, and West Side Story.

I’m sure I’m forgetting a few titles, but I’ll certainly never forget the Ziegfeld, it’s friendly staff, nor its expert film presentation. She may not be a classic movie palace of the sort this site was designed to celebrate, but the not-so-old gal certainly went before her time and will be missed!

xbs2034
xbs2034 on January 25, 2016 at 12:10 am

Oops missed one (not surprised I did)– Tomorrowland played in-between Avengers and Jurassic World

xbs2034
xbs2034 on January 25, 2016 at 12:07 am

I believe the films which played here in its last full year of operation were (I got weekly film schedule emails from them so searched my inbox, plus I saw half of these here anyway): Fifty Shades of Grey, Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Divergent Series: Insurgent, Furious 7, Avengers Age of Ultron, Jurassic World, Terminator Genisys, Ant-Man, Mission Impossible Rogue Nation, The Martian, Spectre, and Star Wars The Force Awakens.

I know Into the Woods opened last Christmas here and was a hold over at the start of the year.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on January 24, 2016 at 9:55 pm

I’ve started working on a more recent release list. Unfortunately (and ironically) the newer lists are more difficult to compile than the old ones because the films changed more often, timeclocks were less reliable or missing and the ads were sometimes not even bought.

Myron
Myron on January 24, 2016 at 7:23 pm

Where can I find a list of films that we saw at the Ziegfeld more recently? I believe we saw Hugo, Nine, the Majestic, perhaps Dreamgirls and Shakespeare in Love. Not sure about the last two. The Ziegfeld has been used more recently for NY Premieres.

cityscope
cityscope on January 24, 2016 at 4:36 am

WOW! This is amazing – Al and Bill, thank you so much. Al, I’ll definitely be writing to you at the bijou address to get that file. I’m sure this is a ton of work, but if anyone is able to recreate 2000 to the present, just so we have the history (more or less) complete, that’d be amazing — if we have the 1st 30+ years, we already have two-thirds of it! ;) Thanks again for all the work!

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on January 24, 2016 at 3:18 am

I recreated an excel version from the original post. If you want a copy of that, just write to me at . Mind you, the opening dates are NOT exact. I only search weekly Sunday papers.

Bill Huelbig
Bill Huelbig on January 24, 2016 at 2:48 am

Mike: They were originally posted by Al in list form, but when I copied and posted them, this was how they came out.

celboy
celboy on January 24, 2016 at 1:58 am

what a shame they can’t do a week or 2 of a “farewell festival” of some classics? next thursday appears to be last day.

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on January 24, 2016 at 1:12 am

Now if only someone could put them in list form for ease of perusal…

Movieholic
Movieholic on January 24, 2016 at 12:45 am

Thanks Bill for digging them up and to Al for compiling them previously.

Bill Huelbig
Bill Huelbig on January 23, 2016 at 10:10 pm

Thanks to you for doing all the hard work, Al!