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…!
Here is for comparison a sample of some of the highly-anticipated films from the spring and summer of 1977 followed by the opening-week number of engagements for each: “A Bridge Too Far” (400+), “The Deep” (800+), “Exorcist II: The Heretic” (700+), “New York, New York” (400+), “Orca” (700+), “The Other Side Of Midnight” (500+), “Rollercoaster” (400+), “Smokey And The Bandit” (300+), and “The Spy Who Loved Me” (200+).
Star Wars is a post-Jaws release so it did not have months of exclusive runs. Opening May 25, 1977 the first weekend was 43 national engagements, a few more were added in the next weeks, and 100 new theaters were added in the fourth week. By August and September there were just over 1,000 theaters showing it.
The Selwyn Theatre was restored and renovated by the Roundabout Theatre company and re-opened on July 27, 2000 with a production of “The Man Who Came To Dinner” starring Nathan Lane. It was renamed for its generous benefactor, American Airlines.
2006 to 2016
1/13/2006 TRISTAN AND ISOLDE
1/20/2006 Hollywood Classics
3/31/2006 IEC AGE: THE MELTDOWN
4/14/2006 SCARY MOVIE 4
5/5/2006 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE III
5/19/2006 OVER THE HEDGE
6/9/2006 CARS
7/7/2006 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST
8/9/2006 WORLD TRADE CENTER
9/8/2006 Hollywood Classics
10/13/2006 closed?
10/20/2006 FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
11/17/2006 CASINO ROYALE
12/15/2006 DREAMGIRLS
3/9/2007 ZODIAC
3/30/2007 MEET THE ROBINSONS
4/20/2007 closed?
5/4/2007 SPIDER-MAN 3
5/25/2007 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END
6/15/2007 closed?
6/29/2007 RATATOUILLE
7/13/2007 HAIRSPRAY
8/31/2007 Hollywood Classics
9/7/2007 closed
9/26/2007 PORGY & BESS
10/5/2007 BLADE RUNNER
10/19/2007 THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
11/9/2007 BEE MOVIE
11/23/2007 ENCHANTED
12/21/2007 SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
2/1/2008 HANNAH MONTANA AND MILEY CYRUS: BEST OF BOTH WORLDS CONCERT
2/8/2008 THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES
2/29/2008 NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
3/14/2008 Hollywood Classics
3/28/2008 GO APE WEEK
4/4/2008 SHINE A LIGHT
4/11/2008 Hollywood Classics
5/2/2008 IRON MAN
5/22/2008 INDIANA JONES & THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL
6/20/2008 KIT KITTREDGE: AN AMERICAN GIRL
7/4/2008 HANCOCK
7/18/2008 MAMMA MIA!
8/15/2008 TROPIC THUNDER
9/5/2008 closed?
9/12/2008 RIGHTEOUS KILL
9/26/2008 closed?
10/3/2008 NEW YORK INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
10/10/2008 closed?
10/17/2008 THE GODFATHER/THE GODFATHER PART II
10/24/2008 HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3: SENIOR YEAR
11/14/2008 QUANTUM OF SOLACE
12/12/2008 CHE
12/19/2008 HARRY POTTER FILM WEEK
12/25/2008 THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
2/6/2009 CORALINE
2/27/2009 THE JONAS BROTHERS: THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE
3/13/2009 closed?
3/27/2009 MONSTERS VS. ALIENS
4/17/2009 closed?
4/24/2009 THE SOLOIST
5/8/2009 STAR TREK
5/29/2009 UP
6/24/2009 TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
7/15/2009 HARRY POTTER & THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
8/7/2009 G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA
8/21/2009 INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
9/11/2009 closed?
9/25/2009 FAME
10/9/2009 closed?
10/23/2009 AMELIA
11/6/2009 A CHRISTMAS CAROL
11/25/2009 THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
12/18/2009 NINE
1/22/2010 closed
2/12/2010 Hollywood Classics
2/19/2010 SHUTTER ISLAND
3/5/2010 ALICE IN WONDERLAND
4/2/2010 CLASH OF THE TITANS
4/22/2010 OCEANS
5/7/2010 IRON MAN 2
5/27/2010 SEX AND THE CITY 2
6/18/2010 TOY STORY 3
7/16/2010 INCEPTION
8/13/2010 EAT PRAY LOVE
9/1/2010 THE AMERICAN
9/24/2010 WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS
10/15/2010 closed?
10/22/2010 METROPOLIS
10/29/2010 closed?
11/19/2010 HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
12/15/2010 THE SOUND OF MUSIC
12/22/2010 TRUE GRIT
1/21/2011 THE KING’S SPEECH
3/18/2011 LIMITLESS
4/8/2011 ARTHUR
4/22/2011 closed
5/6/2011 THOR
5/20/2011 PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES
6/10/2011 SUPER 8
6/29/2011 TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON
7/15/2011 HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2
8/10/2011 THE HELP
9/16/2011 THE LION KING
10/7/2011 THE IDES OF MARCH
10/28/2011 PUSS IN BOOTS
11/11/2011 IMMORTALS
11/23/2011 HUGO
12/25/2011 THE WAR HORSE
1/13/2012 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
1/27/2012 THE IRON LADY
2/10/2012 STAR WARS: EPISODE 1-THE PHANTOM MENACE
2/24/2012 ACT OF VALOR
3/9/2012 JOHN CARTER
3/23/2012 THE HUNGER GAMES
4/20/2012 closed?
4/27/2012 ROCK FILM FESTIVAL
5/4/2012 THE BEATLES: THE LOST CONCERT
5/11/2012 closed
6/1/2012 SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN
6/15/2012 ROCK OF AGES
6/29/2012 closed
7/3/2012 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
7/20/2012 THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
8/10/2012 THE BOURNE LEGACY
8/24/2012 SLEEPWALK WITH ME
9/21/2012 THE MASTER
10/12/2012 ARGO
11/21/2012 LIFE OF PI
12/25/2012 LES MISERABLES
2/8/2013 SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
3/1/2013 LINCOLN
3/8/2013 OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL
4/5/2013 closed?
4/12/2013 “42”
5/10/2013 THE GREAT GATSBY
6/14/2013 MAN OF STEEL
7/3/2013 THE LONE RANGER
7/19/2013 MONSTER’S UNIVERSITY/THE LONE RANGER
7/26/2013 THE WOLVERINE
8/9/2013 ELYSIUM
8/30/2013 ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US
9/13/2013 THE BIT PLAYER
9/20/2013 PRISONERS
10/11/2013 CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
11/22/2013 THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
12/18/2013 ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES
12/25/2013 THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
3/7/2014 12 YEARS A SLAVE
3/28/2014 NOAH
4/11/2014 RIO 2
5/2/2014 THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
5/23/2014 X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
6/20/2014 JERSEY BOYS
7/11/2014 DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
8/1/2014GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
8/22/2014 SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR
9/5/2014 GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
9/12/2014 THE DROP
9/19/2014 THE MAZE RUNNER
10/3/2014 GONE GIRL
11/7/2014 INTERSTELLAR
11/21/2014 THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY- PART 1
12/12/2014 EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS
12/25/2014 INTO THE WOODS
1/30/2015 BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)
2/13/2015 FIFTY SHADES OF GREY
3/6/2015 THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL
3/20/2015 THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT
4/3/2015 FURIOUS 7
5/1/2015 AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
5/22/2015 TOMORROWLAND
6/12/2015 JURASSIC WORLD
7/1/2015 TERMINATOR GENISYS
7/15/2015 ANT-MAN
7/31/2015 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION
9/18/2015 closed
10/2/2015 THE MARTIAN
11/6/2015 SPECTRE
12/18/2015 STAR WARS: EPISODE VII-THE FORCE AWAKENS
1/29/16 Closed
2000 – 2005
2/4/2000 SIMPATICO
2/18/2000 DIAMONDS
2/25/2000 THE INSIDER
3/10/2000 AMERICAN BEAUTY
5/5/2000 GLADIATOR
6/16/2000 TITAN A.E.
6/30/2000 ME, MYSELF AND IRENE
7/14/2000 X-MEN
9/15/2000 THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Singalong)
9/29/2000 ALMOST FAMOUS
10/13/2000 THE CONTENDER
11/10/2000 MEN OF HONOR
12/22/2000 CAST AWAY
2/9/2001 HANNIBAL
3/2/2001 THE MEXICAN
3/16/2001 ENEMY AT THE GATES
4/6/2001 ALONG CAME A SPIDER
4/27/2001 DRIVEN
5/11/2001 closed?
5/18/2001 MOULIN ROUGE!
6/8/2001 ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE
6/22/2001 DR. DOLITTLE 2
6/29/2001 A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
7/27/2001 PLANET OF THE APES
8/31/2001 FUNNY GIRL
9/28/2001 DON’T SAY A WORD
10/12/2001 BANDITS
11/2/2001 MONSTERS, INC.
12/7/2001 OCEAN’S ELEVEN
1/11/2002 BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF
2/15/2002 RETURN TO NEVER LAND
3/1/2002 WE WERE SOLDIERS
3/15/2002 ICE AGE
4/5/2002 HIGH CRIMES
4/26/2002 LIFE OR SOMETHING LIKE IT
5/16/2002 STAR WARS: EPISODE II- ATTACK OF THE CLONES
7/12/2002 ROAD TO PERDITION
8/16/2002 METROPOLIS
8/30/2002 MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING
9/25/2002 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
10/18/2002 THE RING
11/1/2002 THE SANTA CLAUSE 2
11/27/2002 SOLARIS
12/27/2002 CHICAGO
5/2/2003 X2
5/16/2003 DOWN WITH LOVE
6/6/2003 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS
6/20/2003 HULK
7/11/2003 THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN
7/25/2003 LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: THE CRADLE OF LIFE
8/8/2003closed?
8/15/2003 OPEN RANGE
8/29/2003 THE WAY WE WERE
9/12/2003closed?
10/24/2003 BROTHER BEAR
11/14/2003 MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
12/5/2003 THE LAST SAMURAI
12/25/2003 COLD MOUNTAIN
1/23/2004 MYSTIC RIVER
2/6/2004 MIRACLE
2/27/2004 closed
3/5/2004 HIDALGO
3/19/2004 closed
4/9/2004 THE ALAMO
4/23/2004 MAN ON FIRE
5/14/2004 closed
5/28/2004 THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW
6/18/2004 THE TERMINAL
7/16/2004 I, ROBOT
7/30/2004 THE VILLAGE
8/6/2004 COLLATERAL
9/1/2004 VANITY FAIR
10/1/2004 SHARK TALE
10/22/2004 SURVIVING CHRISTMAS
11/5/2004 closed?
11/10/2004 THE POLAR EXPRESS
12/10/2004 OCEAN’S TWELVE
12/22/2004 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
1/28/2005 RAGING BULL
2/18/2005 CONSTANTINE
3/11/2005 ROBOTS
4/8/2005 SAHARA
4/22/2005 closed
4/29/2005 THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
5/19/2005 STAR WARS: EPISODE III- REVENGE OF THE SITH
6/29/2005 WAR OF THE WORLDS
7/22/2005 THE ISLAND
8/12/2005 THE GREAT RAID
8/26/2005 THE SKELETON KEY (closed captions version)
9/2/2005 THE BAXTER
9/9/2005 closed
9/23/2005 FLIGHTPLAN
10/14/2005 ELIZABETHTOWN
10/28/2005 closed
11/23/2005 RENT
12/16/2005 THE PRODUCERS
The Ziegfeld in the 90’s…
02/23/90 MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON
04/27/90 CHATTAHOOCHEE
05/18/90 BIRD ON A WIRE
06/29/90 DAYS OF THUNDER
08/10/90 FLATLINERS
09/14/90 POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE
10/19/90 WHITE PALACE
11/23/90 HOME ALONE
12/07/90 EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
02/08/91 SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY
03/01/91 THE DOORS
04/26/91 SPARTACUS
05/31/91 BACKDRAFT
06/21/91 DYING YOUNG
07/12/91 CITY SLICKERS
08/09/91 PURE LUCK
08/30/91 THE COMMITMENTS
11/22/91 FOR THE BOYS
12/27/91 THE PRINCE OF TIDES
01/31/92 SHINING THROUGH
02/21/92 RADIO FLYER
03/06/92 THE LAWNMOWER MAN
04/03/92 THUNDERHEART
04/17/92 CITY OF JOY
05/22/92 FAR AND AWAY
07/03/92 A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
07/31/92 DEATH BECOMES HER
09/25/92 MR. SATURDAY NIGHT
12/25/92 HOFFA
02/05/93 A FEW GOOD MEN
02/12/93 GROUNDHOG DAY
03/19/93 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
04/30/93 BENNY & JOON
05/14/93 LOST IN YONKERS
06/11/93 JURRASIC PARK
09/17/93 THE AGE OF INNOCENCE
11/12/93 CARLITO’S WAY
12/31/93 HEAVEN & EARTH
02/04/94 I’LL DO ANYTHING
03/25/94 THE PAPER
05/06/94 THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT III
06/17/94 WOLF 07/15/94
TRUE LIES 09/23/94
MY FAIR LADY
09/30/94 THE RIVER WILD
11/11/94 INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE
01/13/95 LEGENDS OF THE FALL
03/24/95 THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
04/07/95 ROB ROY
05/19/95 BRAVEHEART
06/30/95 APOLLO 13
10/06/95 STRANGE DAYS
11/10/95 TO DIE FOR
11/17/95 CASINO
01/05/96 12 MONKEYS
02/16/96 CITY HALL
03/22/96 DIABOLIQUE
04/12/96 FEAR
05/17/96 JANE EYRE
05/31/96 DRAGONHEART
06/14/96 MOLL FLANDERS
07/05/96 INDEPENDENCE DAY
09/13/96 closed for remodeling
10/04/96 VERTIGO
11/15/96 THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES
12/20/96 GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI
01/24/97 STAR WARS
02/21/97 THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
03/14/97 RETURN OF THE JEDI
04/25/97 VOLCANO
05/23/97 THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK
08/15/97 COP LAND
09/26/97 THE PEACEMAKER
10/31/97 RED CORNER
11/14/97 ANASTASIA
12/26/97 THE POSTMAN
01/16/98 HARD RAIN
01/30/98 GREAT EXPECTATIONS
03/20/98 PRIMARY COLORS 0
5/15/98 BULWORTH
06/19/98 THE X FILES
07/24/98 SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
09/18/98 ONE TRUE THING
10/02/98 WHAT DREAMS MAY COME
10/23/98 PLEASANTVILLE
11/13/98 MEET JOE BLACK
12/25/98 THE THIN RED LINE
03/19/99 RAVENOUS
03/26/99 SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
04/23/99 PUSHING TIN
05/21/99 THE PHANTOM MENACE
09/24/99 JAKOB THE LIAR
10/15/99 THE STORY OF US
11/26/99 END OF DAYS
12/17/99 ANNA AND THE KING
1970 – 1989
12/18/69 MAROONED
02/25/70 GONE WITH THE WIND
03/04/70 DOCTOR ZHIVAGO
03/11/70 THE BIBLE — IN THE BEGINNING
03/18/70 THE SOUND OF MUSIC
03/25/70 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
05/06/70 WAR AND PEACE (USSR)
06/03/70 THE GREAT ZIEGFELD/ZIEGFELD GIRL/ ZIEGFELD FOLLIES
06/17/70 THE SAND PEBBLES
07/01/70 GONE WITH THE WIND
07/08/70 THE BOATNIKS
08/05/70 AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS/WEST SIDE STORY
08/19/70 SOLDIER BLUE
10/14/70 A HARD DAY’S NIGHT/ HELP!/ YELLOW SUBMARINE/ LET IT BE
10/28/70 A NIGHT AT THE OPERA/ AT THE CIRCUS/ A DAY AT THE RACES/ THE BIG STORE
11/11/70 closed
11/18/70 RYAN’S DAUGHTER
07/07/71 PETER RABBIT AND THE TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER
08/04/71 CLEOPATRA
08/18/71 KLUTE
08/25/71 THE ANDERSON TAPES
09/01/71 BANANAS
09/08/71 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY/ YELLOW SUBMARINE
09/15/71 closed
12/22/71 STAR SPANGLED GIRL
02/02/72 closed
02/16/72 CABARET
08/16/72 WOODSTOCK
08/23/72 WAR AND PEACE (USSR)
08/30/72 closed
09/20/72 BLACKBOARD JUNGLE/ ROCK ROCK ROCK/ THE THING/ THE WILD ONE/
JAILHOUSE ROCK
09/27/72 closed
10/18/72 FELLINI’S ROMA
12/13/72 SLEUTH
03/28/73 I AM A DANCER
05/16/73 THIS IS CINERAMA
08/22/73 ROMEO AND JULIET (1968) 1
0/24/73 FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER
11/07/73 closed
12/19/73 THE DAY OF THE DOLPHIN
04/17/74 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THE ROLLING STONES
05/01/74 closed
05/29/74 THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
10/02/74 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
11/20/74 EARTHQUAKE
03/26/75 TOMMY
07/02/75 ROLLERBALL
08/27/75 THE JOLSON STORY
09/10/75 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
10/01/75 GIVE ‘EM HELL, HARRY!
10/15/75 LISZTOMANIA
11/12/75 CONDUCT UNBECOMING
11/26/75 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
12/10/75 closed
12/24/75 BARRY LYNDON
03/31/76 MOSES
05/19/76 THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT PART 2
07/28/76 THE RETURN OF A MAN CALLED HORSE
09/22/76 closed
10/13/76 SOLARIS
11/10/76 closed
12/29/76 A STAR IS BORN
02/23/77 closed
06/01/77 THE GRATEFUL DEAD
06/22/77 NEW YORK, NEW YORK
08/31/77 closed
10/12/77 TOMMY
11/16/77 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND
05/03/78 THE LAST WALTZ
07/26/78 REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER
10/11/78 THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL
11/15/78 THE LORD OF THE RINGS
02/14/79 MURDER BY DECREE
03/21/79 HAIR
05/23/79 THE PRISONER OF ZENDA
06/27/79 THE MUPPET MOVIE
07/18/79 DRACULA
08/15/79 APOCALYPSE NOW
11/14/79 THE ROSE
02/20/80 SATURN 3
03/26/80 APOCALYPSE NOW
04/23/80 THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS
05/07/80 FANTASIA
05/21/80 FAME
06/25/80 CAN’T STOP THE MUSIC
08/06/80 RAISE THE TITANIC
10/22/80 TIMES SQUARE
11/26/80 PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS ROCKSHOW
12/24/80 THE JAZZ SINGER
02/18/81 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (Special Edition)
03/18/81 FANTASIA
04/22/81 LION OF THE DESERT
06/10/81 closed 07/01/81
THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER
08/12/81 BEATLEMANIA
08/26/81 HONKY TONK FREEWAY
10/14/81 closed
12/16/81 PENNIES FROM HEAVEN
02/17/82 QUEST FOR FIRE
03/24/82 VICTOR/ VICTORIA
05/26/82 AC/DC LET THERE BE ROCK
06/16/82 GREASE 2 07/21/82
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
08/11/82 PINK FLOYD THE WALL
09/29/82 YES, GIORGIO
11/03/82 TESS
11/10/82 FANTASIA
12/08/82 GANDHI
07/20/83 STAYING ALIVE
10/05/83 BRAINSTORM
11/23/83 YENTL
02/22/84 FANTASIA
03/21/84 A STAR IS BORN
04/04/84 ANTARCTICA
05/02/84 closed
06/27/84 THE KARATE KID
09/19/84 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
10/03/84 closed
10/24/84 THE RAZOR’S EDGE
12/19/84 A PASSAGE TO INDIA
04/03/85 KING DAVID
05/01/85 closed
07/03/85 ST. ELMO’S FIRE
07/17/85 SILVERADO
08/28/85 GHOSTBUSTERS
10/16/85 FANTASIA
11/27/85 WHITE NIGHTS
02/05/86 DOWN AND OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS
03/26/86 JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS
04/23/86 ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS
06/04/86 closed
07/02/86 AMERICAN ANTHEM
07/23/86 PIRATES
08/06/86 FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR
09/10/86 closed
09/24/86 PATHS OF GLORY/ FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
09/27/86 BIRMAN OF ALCATRAZ/ I WALK ALONE
10/01/86 ELMER GANTRY/ ALONG THE GREAT DIVIDE
10/08/86 TOUGH GUYS
11/19/86 closed
12/03/86 NUTCRACKER
12/31/86 WISDOM
01/28/87 closed
02/04/87 OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE
03/18/87 HEAT
04/08/87 closed
04/15/87 THREE FOR THE ROAD
04/22/87 closed
05/20/87 ISHTAR
06/24/87 ROXANNE
08/12/87 WHO’S THAT GIRL
09/02/87 THE FOURTH PROTOCOL
10/14/87 HAIL! HAIL! ROCK N’ ROLL
11/04/87 closed
11/11/87 CRY FREEDOM
01/20/88 GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM
03/23/88 D.O.A.
04/20/88 APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH
05/04/88 POWAQQATSI
06/29/88 WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?
08/17/88 THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST
11/30/88 COCOON: THE RETURN
01/11/89 TALK RADIO
02/15/89 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
07/05/89 THE KARATE KID PART III
08/09/89 THE ABYSS
09/20/89 SEA OF LOVE
11/01/89 THE BEAR
12/20/89 BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY
Cinema 1 tickets are $18 (wow) but the first and last shows of the day are only $9…
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…!
Now if only someone could put them in list form for ease of perusal…
(Can we all do multiple clicks on the closed-curtain photo on page 8 to bump it up to the overview page, where it belongs…)
It’s gone full circle — started as a Walter Reade theater, playing a sci-fi movie, and ends with Walter Reade on the marquee, playing a sci-fi movie…
The marquee is still up, but the words United Artists have been removed.
Theater is closed. Marquee says “closed. New theater coming soon.”
I believe the building is coming down and a new one will be erected.
Time to get some photos of the old girl, especially with the current marquee.
Ed…?
The outside looked great, the inside seemed a little bland.
Any reports on the 70mm showing of The Hateful Eight?
I just did the same search and it’s there. The site gives “open” theaters first, but click the tab “all theaters” and voila!
I’m surprised to hear that Radio City presented a re-release as a regular presentation, and with a stage show no less…!
Did it EVER play here?
Myron, we here have known about its closing since Ed Solero’s post back on July 7, 2014, nearly 18 months ago…
I’d like to hear some reports about the round-the-clock opening weekend of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
How did the exhibit go?
Here is for comparison a sample of some of the highly-anticipated films from the spring and summer of 1977 followed by the opening-week number of engagements for each: “A Bridge Too Far” (400+), “The Deep” (800+), “Exorcist II: The Heretic” (700+), “New York, New York” (400+), “Orca” (700+), “The Other Side Of Midnight” (500+), “Rollercoaster” (400+), “Smokey And The Bandit” (300+), and “The Spy Who Loved Me” (200+).
Star Wars is a post-Jaws release so it did not have months of exclusive runs. Opening May 25, 1977 the first weekend was 43 national engagements, a few more were added in the next weeks, and 100 new theaters were added in the fourth week. By August and September there were just over 1,000 theaters showing it.
Interesting site with a lot of detail here.
The Selwyn Theatre was restored and renovated by the Roundabout Theatre company and re-opened on July 27, 2000 with a production of “The Man Who Came To Dinner” starring Nathan Lane. It was renamed for its generous benefactor, American Airlines.
I’ll be here Wednesday night for An American in Paris.
Kind of bittersweet…
Wow thanks a lot buddy
Jo, how do you get italics into your comment?