Oh, perhaps Asheville in the long run. Depends. For now, Marion (my sister’s just built a house there), but I feel like I’ll like being in Asheville better, and I’m sure you know why — whoever you are.
Yeah, 2001’s prices were probably higher than PLANET’s because of the 70mm presentation on the former, but I’ll bet PLANET’s prices varied too depending on what section you wanted to sit in.
By the way, the color images in the ad are merely cloned and pasted over the B&W ad in photoshop from a scan of the film’s original “Half-sheet” color poster, which is basically the same as that ad in design. Oh, the things you can do digitally these days!
I’m glad they didn’t have that problem when I was there — I’d have gone ape and hurt somebody. I think there are different crews working at different times, and if this manager guy has no more respect for how the “used” to do it correctly than that, then he should go f@#k himself and go manage a McDonald’s or something. It’ll be quite some time before I consider going back to the Ziegfeld too — but that’s because I’ll be living in North Carolina!
Actually I know for a fact, since I looked up the premiere ad in The New York times on microfilm at the library, that at the Capitol Theatre “Planet of the Apes” had seven performances during the day, starting at 10 am, and ending with 10:50 pm performance. I’ll also bet that the ticket price was more than $3. I’ll have to look into that.
Most of the original “paper” on it, pressbooks, stills, etc., etc., but I know other fans with much more. Anyway, when I went to NYC earlier this week, my friend drove into the city from NJ and he parked down on 42nd St. after just getting out of the Lincoln tunnel. We then walked up Broadway to get to the Ziegfeld where “Planet of the Apes” is currently playing. We stopped in front of where the Capitol once stood, and I said how I wish I had Taylor’s time machine. Not Taylor from “Apes,” but Rod Taylor’s time machine from the movie of the same name. Oh, to be able to get in it and turn the lever back to 1968!
The worst reviewer at that time was Renata Adler at The New York Times. She gave bad reviews to nearly every film she saw, many of which are now regarded as classics, and she only lasted a year at the Times. She’s still alive too.
No, I already knew there wouldn’t be showings on Sunday and Wednesday. Today, April 3rd, is the last day for APES at the Ziegfeld — and it is in fact the 40th anniversary of the day in 1968 that PLANET opened wide in the NYC area and across the country. I got copies of ads from The New York Times someplace. MLK was assassinated on this day too. 1968 was some year!
OK, I’ve been to the “Planet of the Apes” at the Ziegfeld and come back, here’s my comments… First thing, I went on a rainy Monday night to the 8PM showing. Disappointed the lobby didn’t have a poster from the movie. The title wasn’t even on the marquee. That’s not right.
The audience for the show eventually numbered around fifty, give or take, which really wasn’t bad for a rainy Monday night at a theatre showing a forty-year-old movie. They were a subdued audience, but still laughed at this and that, and applauded when Taylor finally spoke again.
About the Ziegfeld…. it dates from 1969 and looks not to have been remodeled since then, but it’s been well maintained. It wasn’t as big as I thought it would be (I’ve been in bigger theatres with bigger screens), and I thought it could use upgraded seating, but other than that, you could sit in there and imagine you were seeing the movie back in the late sixties, which is good.
About the print… It was not a restored print as I’d hoped, but it was a new print. However, it was probably printed from an interpositive copy made in either the late eighties or early nineties. There was a lot of dirt during the main titles, for example. The image was darker than what you see on the DVDs, with blocked up shadows, and it was no where near as sharp as what you can get on your monitor at home. I thought the color was generally good throughout the entire film. That never bothered me at all, but the overall “murky” quality of the print disappointed, however I thought there was actually more image around all the edges than you can see on the DVDs and that was appreciated. After the film, a friend and I agreed that although the print we just saw was too dark, we now think the image on the 35th Anniversary DVD is too bright. The interiors of the lab, Dr. Zaius' office at night, the night escape (shot “day for night”), and the interior of the cave, all had greater atmosphere in the print at the Ziegfeld than they do “opened up” on the DVD.
One thing that did not disappoint was the sound. It was stereo and fully dynamic, with details that are either not there or hard to hear on the DVDs. It was was only front speaker stereo from behind the screen, but that’s probably all it ever was.
Now, if I had known what the quality of the print was going to be would I have still traveled to NYC at great expense? The truthful answer is… NO! However, I’m glad I got to see “Planet” in a theatre again with an audience, and that I can now say the last time I saw it was in a huge screen theatre in the middle of Manhattan, and not in a little mutiplex shoebox in 1974 with a tattered print old print (as had been the case with me until last Monday night). And I also enjoyed walking through Times Square again after not having been to NYC in nearly thirty years. I love Manhattan and I wish I could have spent more time there. I even love the subways!
So that’s it from me. Was it worth it? Yeah, it was worth it.
Movie534 wrote: Now all you have to hope is that there is no clown in the projection room running the print, or else, so much for that new print.
What’s this? Is it very noticable when there are reel changes during “Planet of the Apes”? I guess that means the “mark” in the upper right corner every ten minutes or so? Well, just as long as the print isn’t scratched to hell by the time I get up there to see it, I’ll be happy. I’m not expecting to be floored by it. The camera negative film stock, and protection dupes, from the era is going to look old no matter what.
Anyone here know what the first “CinemaScope” film was to play the Capitol Theatre, and if the screen was curved or not? I think the Capitol was a premiere theatre for MGM films, so I’ll bet it was one of their’s instead of Fox.
“I found out the screen was on a curve and measured 25x60, the full widith of the Capitol’s proscenium opening.”
25x60 certainly would have been OK for displaying early “CinemaScope,” but the curved part intrigues me. I know that “Cinerama” required a curved screen, and Fox promoted CinemaScope as being a curved screen attraction, but wasn’t CinemaScope, like today’s “Panavision,” actually meant to be projected on a flat screen? I also have read that early CinemaScope had distortion problems, which can be noticed if you watch letterboxed DVDs of such films as “The Robe.” I wonder if a slightly curved screen helped with those?
I’m still not sure we ever got it firmly stated what the size of the screen was in the thirties and forties. When a wider screen was installed in the early fifties what would have been its size and aspect ratio? I assume we’re talking about something that could properly display “CinemaScope.” Then, I understand, even a larger screen was installed in the early sixties. I don’t have the time right now to review the large number of posts here, so is the anyone who can summarize the Capitol’s screen history in a future post? Thanks.
There’s this Yahoo group devoted to the POTA series and it has many members in the NYC area. Many of them plan to attend the 8 PM Saturday Night showing of APES. I’ll let them know that this “Ziegfeld Man” dude will be doing somekind of introduction. I won’t be seeing the new print until Monday night, but they’ll let me know what you had to say. That Yahoo groups' home page is: http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/pota/ and the email address of the owner, James, who lives in Brooklyn, is
If you want to get in contact with him, I’m sure he’ll be interested in what you will have planned.
By the way, not only is this the 40th Anniversary of PLANET OF THE APES, but it’s also the 40th of my second favorite film, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. Isn’t it a damn shame they’re not both at the Ziegfeld next week, right, Bill?
I was going to say I thought the theatre was in Syosset, so you may be right. All I can remember was that the theatre was big, round, and my siblings and I, with my mother, sat at the front of the balcony and really enjoyed the movie. I remember that when the “Erie Canal” song was played, my siblings and I sang the words and our mother was surprised we knew them — but they taught you that in school back in those days! Anyway, the best way to check these things (where films played in the NYC area) is if the local library has The New York Times on microfilm (all of which should be on the web) but even then it takes some hunting.
By the way, Ziegfeld Man, what is your connection to the Ziegfeld? Will you be saying anything about APES, probably on the first night of the showings? — which I wish I could be there for!
I also just ead today at www.thedigitalbits.com that Fox has “Planet of the Apes” in the works for a possible late 2008 release on Blu-ray. I wonder if this new print that will be shown at the Ziegfeld will reflect true restoration efforts?
I just moved to North Carolina from Ft. Lauderdale, Fl (originally from New York — state that is), however I still have stuff in storage in Ft. Lauderdale, so on March 28th I drive down to there. I’ll be flying round trip from Ft. Lauderdale to Newark (I have a friend that lives in Saddle Brook and he’ll be taking me into the city. By the way, this friend is one of the co-authors of “Planet of the Apes Revisited” (see Amazon.com), has a huge “Apes” collection and I’ve know him since we were pen-pals (remember those pre-email days?)through an ad he placed in the mid-seventies in ‘Famous Monsters of Filmland’ looking for someone to talk “Apes” with. Anyway, then I fly back to Florida and get my stuff out of storage and drive a U-Hual back to N.C.
(I’m sure this is all very interesting to everyone reading this!)
Also, I don’t mind that the Ziegfeld is only showing PLANET, since I don’t think the sequels are that good, but my friend was hoping to see at least a “Planet”/“Beneath” double feature (But I’m glad I’ll not be!)
I heard about HTWWW thing. Saw that in, I think, a 1969 or ‘70 reissue on Long Island someplace. I remember the theatre was big, we sat in the balcony, so if the theatre is still there, I’m sure it’s long multiplexed!
Well, my reservations have been made, but I won’t be about to get to the Ziegfeld until Monday, March 31st. Not having seen my favorite movie, PLANET OF THE APES, theatrically since the 1974 “Go Ape” reissue, and unfortunately in a small-screen, six-theatre multiplex and with a tattered print of PLANET that probably dated back to 1968, this 40th anniversary screening at the Ziegfeld is incredible. I literally don’t care what I’m spending to see it (and they better take tending loving care of that brand new print!). I really feel this could be the last hurrah. Someone said to me about this, “Why don’t you wait until the 50th anniversary?” but the way things are going, will there even be theatres in another ten years, let alone ones as big as the Ziegfeld?
A brand new print of PLANET OF THE APES (1968) and seeing it on a big screen in a Manhattan theatre. It’s a dream come true! Yes, I am very happy — AND very eager to make my plane reservations (before the price of jet fuel forces them up any further!)… however, I NEED TO KNOW THE THEATRE SCHEDULE! Are they just showing PLANET? If I knew that for sure I’d go ahead and get my reservations, BUT will they also be showing the sequels, and which ones, on which days? Don’t dare make plans ‘til I know for sure. I hope info will be available in the next couple days!
By the way, just what is the size of the screen at the Ziegfeld?
Clearview is saying that the March 28th thru April 3rd gig at the Ziegfeld is a “GO APE WEEK.” Does that mean PLANET OF THE APES will be shown with all or some of its sequels, or will it just be the 1968 original?
Can anyone here tell me for certain that the print of PLANET OF THE APES that will be shown between March 28 thru April 3 will be a good one? I’m going to fly to New York to see this — because it’s my favorite movie, and I missed seeing it in Manhattan in ‘68 because I was only eight and didn’t know better (saw BENEATH at Loew’s State 2 though in '70 — but I really want to make sure I’m going to all this expense to see a good print.
Can anyone here tell me for certain that the print of PLANET OF THE APES that will be shown between March 28 thru April 3 will be a good one? I’m going to fly to New York to see this — because it’s my favorite movie, and I missed seeing it in Manhattan in ‘68 because I was only eight and didn’t know better (saw BENEATH at Loew’s State 2 though in '70 — but I really want to make sure I’m going to all this expense to see a good print.
Someone PLEASE list the showings for PLANET OF THE APES and its sequels as soon as possible! This is the must-see event for me and I’ll be spending a lot to travel to NYC to see it. Thanks!
30' x 39.9' is a 1.33:1 aspect ratio? Mmmmm… I know I’m bad at figuring these things, but that don’t seem right. Anyway, I’ve checked and the correct aspect ratio for early films of the sound era is 1.37:1. The 1.33:1 was adapted as the TV standard based on the original Academy ratio for silent films going back to whenever.
But listen, this is the thing I want to know…. It’s 1935, you arrive late on the opening night of CHINA SEAS at the Capitol Theatre, it’s packed and you have to sit in the back row — of a 5000 plus seat auditorium — now, are you seriously telling me that at that distance one was paying to view a screen that was only something like 15x20 feet! Talk about the Depression!
Oh, perhaps Asheville in the long run. Depends. For now, Marion (my sister’s just built a house there), but I feel like I’ll like being in Asheville better, and I’m sure you know why — whoever you are.
Thanks for posting the images, Bill.
Yeah, 2001’s prices were probably higher than PLANET’s because of the 70mm presentation on the former, but I’ll bet PLANET’s prices varied too depending on what section you wanted to sit in.
By the way, the color images in the ad are merely cloned and pasted over the B&W ad in photoshop from a scan of the film’s original “Half-sheet” color poster, which is basically the same as that ad in design. Oh, the things you can do digitally these days!
I’m glad they didn’t have that problem when I was there — I’d have gone ape and hurt somebody. I think there are different crews working at different times, and if this manager guy has no more respect for how the “used” to do it correctly than that, then he should go f@#k himself and go manage a McDonald’s or something. It’ll be quite some time before I consider going back to the Ziegfeld too — but that’s because I’ll be living in North Carolina!
Actually I know for a fact, since I looked up the premiere ad in The New York times on microfilm at the library, that at the Capitol Theatre “Planet of the Apes” had seven performances during the day, starting at 10 am, and ending with 10:50 pm performance. I’ll also bet that the ticket price was more than $3. I’ll have to look into that.
Bill Huelbig:
Check this out: View link
Also, could you email me at: ? I want to send you an image of something.
Rory
Most of the original “paper” on it, pressbooks, stills, etc., etc., but I know other fans with much more. Anyway, when I went to NYC earlier this week, my friend drove into the city from NJ and he parked down on 42nd St. after just getting out of the Lincoln tunnel. We then walked up Broadway to get to the Ziegfeld where “Planet of the Apes” is currently playing. We stopped in front of where the Capitol once stood, and I said how I wish I had Taylor’s time machine. Not Taylor from “Apes,” but Rod Taylor’s time machine from the movie of the same name. Oh, to be able to get in it and turn the lever back to 1968!
The worst reviewer at that time was Renata Adler at The New York Times. She gave bad reviews to nearly every film she saw, many of which are now regarded as classics, and she only lasted a year at the Times. She’s still alive too.
Yeah, I’m the one that found that on YouTube and forwarded to Cinema Retro. He’s never used stuff I sent him on APES though.
No, I already knew there wouldn’t be showings on Sunday and Wednesday. Today, April 3rd, is the last day for APES at the Ziegfeld — and it is in fact the 40th anniversary of the day in 1968 that PLANET opened wide in the NYC area and across the country. I got copies of ads from The New York Times someplace. MLK was assassinated on this day too. 1968 was some year!
OK, I’ve been to the “Planet of the Apes” at the Ziegfeld and come back, here’s my comments… First thing, I went on a rainy Monday night to the 8PM showing. Disappointed the lobby didn’t have a poster from the movie. The title wasn’t even on the marquee. That’s not right.
The audience for the show eventually numbered around fifty, give or take, which really wasn’t bad for a rainy Monday night at a theatre showing a forty-year-old movie. They were a subdued audience, but still laughed at this and that, and applauded when Taylor finally spoke again.
About the Ziegfeld…. it dates from 1969 and looks not to have been remodeled since then, but it’s been well maintained. It wasn’t as big as I thought it would be (I’ve been in bigger theatres with bigger screens), and I thought it could use upgraded seating, but other than that, you could sit in there and imagine you were seeing the movie back in the late sixties, which is good.
About the print… It was not a restored print as I’d hoped, but it was a new print. However, it was probably printed from an interpositive copy made in either the late eighties or early nineties. There was a lot of dirt during the main titles, for example. The image was darker than what you see on the DVDs, with blocked up shadows, and it was no where near as sharp as what you can get on your monitor at home. I thought the color was generally good throughout the entire film. That never bothered me at all, but the overall “murky” quality of the print disappointed, however I thought there was actually more image around all the edges than you can see on the DVDs and that was appreciated. After the film, a friend and I agreed that although the print we just saw was too dark, we now think the image on the 35th Anniversary DVD is too bright. The interiors of the lab, Dr. Zaius' office at night, the night escape (shot “day for night”), and the interior of the cave, all had greater atmosphere in the print at the Ziegfeld than they do “opened up” on the DVD.
One thing that did not disappoint was the sound. It was stereo and fully dynamic, with details that are either not there or hard to hear on the DVDs. It was was only front speaker stereo from behind the screen, but that’s probably all it ever was.
Now, if I had known what the quality of the print was going to be would I have still traveled to NYC at great expense? The truthful answer is… NO! However, I’m glad I got to see “Planet” in a theatre again with an audience, and that I can now say the last time I saw it was in a huge screen theatre in the middle of Manhattan, and not in a little mutiplex shoebox in 1974 with a tattered print old print (as had been the case with me until last Monday night). And I also enjoyed walking through Times Square again after not having been to NYC in nearly thirty years. I love Manhattan and I wish I could have spent more time there. I even love the subways!
So that’s it from me. Was it worth it? Yeah, it was worth it.
Movie534 wrote: Now all you have to hope is that there is no clown in the projection room running the print, or else, so much for that new print.
What’s this? Is it very noticable when there are reel changes during “Planet of the Apes”? I guess that means the “mark” in the upper right corner every ten minutes or so? Well, just as long as the print isn’t scratched to hell by the time I get up there to see it, I’ll be happy. I’m not expecting to be floored by it. The camera negative film stock, and protection dupes, from the era is going to look old no matter what.
Anyone here know what the first “CinemaScope” film was to play the Capitol Theatre, and if the screen was curved or not? I think the Capitol was a premiere theatre for MGM films, so I’ll bet it was one of their’s instead of Fox.
“I found out the screen was on a curve and measured 25x60, the full widith of the Capitol’s proscenium opening.”
25x60 certainly would have been OK for displaying early “CinemaScope,” but the curved part intrigues me. I know that “Cinerama” required a curved screen, and Fox promoted CinemaScope as being a curved screen attraction, but wasn’t CinemaScope, like today’s “Panavision,” actually meant to be projected on a flat screen? I also have read that early CinemaScope had distortion problems, which can be noticed if you watch letterboxed DVDs of such films as “The Robe.” I wonder if a slightly curved screen helped with those?
I’m still not sure we ever got it firmly stated what the size of the screen was in the thirties and forties. When a wider screen was installed in the early fifties what would have been its size and aspect ratio? I assume we’re talking about something that could properly display “CinemaScope.” Then, I understand, even a larger screen was installed in the early sixties. I don’t have the time right now to review the large number of posts here, so is the anyone who can summarize the Capitol’s screen history in a future post? Thanks.
Ziegfeld Man:
There’s this Yahoo group devoted to the POTA series and it has many members in the NYC area. Many of them plan to attend the 8 PM Saturday Night showing of APES. I’ll let them know that this “Ziegfeld Man” dude will be doing somekind of introduction. I won’t be seeing the new print until Monday night, but they’ll let me know what you had to say. That Yahoo groups' home page is: http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/pota/ and the email address of the owner, James, who lives in Brooklyn, is
If you want to get in contact with him, I’m sure he’ll be interested in what you will have planned.
By the way, not only is this the 40th Anniversary of PLANET OF THE APES, but it’s also the 40th of my second favorite film, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. Isn’t it a damn shame they’re not both at the Ziegfeld next week, right, Bill?
Ziegfeld Man:
I was going to say I thought the theatre was in Syosset, so you may be right. All I can remember was that the theatre was big, round, and my siblings and I, with my mother, sat at the front of the balcony and really enjoyed the movie. I remember that when the “Erie Canal” song was played, my siblings and I sang the words and our mother was surprised we knew them — but they taught you that in school back in those days! Anyway, the best way to check these things (where films played in the NYC area) is if the local library has The New York Times on microfilm (all of which should be on the web) but even then it takes some hunting.
By the way, Ziegfeld Man, what is your connection to the Ziegfeld? Will you be saying anything about APES, probably on the first night of the showings? — which I wish I could be there for!
I also just ead today at www.thedigitalbits.com that Fox has “Planet of the Apes” in the works for a possible late 2008 release on Blu-ray. I wonder if this new print that will be shown at the Ziegfeld will reflect true restoration efforts?
I just moved to North Carolina from Ft. Lauderdale, Fl (originally from New York — state that is), however I still have stuff in storage in Ft. Lauderdale, so on March 28th I drive down to there. I’ll be flying round trip from Ft. Lauderdale to Newark (I have a friend that lives in Saddle Brook and he’ll be taking me into the city. By the way, this friend is one of the co-authors of “Planet of the Apes Revisited” (see Amazon.com), has a huge “Apes” collection and I’ve know him since we were pen-pals (remember those pre-email days?)through an ad he placed in the mid-seventies in ‘Famous Monsters of Filmland’ looking for someone to talk “Apes” with. Anyway, then I fly back to Florida and get my stuff out of storage and drive a U-Hual back to N.C.
(I’m sure this is all very interesting to everyone reading this!)
Also, I don’t mind that the Ziegfeld is only showing PLANET, since I don’t think the sequels are that good, but my friend was hoping to see at least a “Planet”/“Beneath” double feature (But I’m glad I’ll not be!)
I heard about HTWWW thing. Saw that in, I think, a 1969 or ‘70 reissue on Long Island someplace. I remember the theatre was big, we sat in the balcony, so if the theatre is still there, I’m sure it’s long multiplexed!
Well, my reservations have been made, but I won’t be about to get to the Ziegfeld until Monday, March 31st. Not having seen my favorite movie, PLANET OF THE APES, theatrically since the 1974 “Go Ape” reissue, and unfortunately in a small-screen, six-theatre multiplex and with a tattered print of PLANET that probably dated back to 1968, this 40th anniversary screening at the Ziegfeld is incredible. I literally don’t care what I’m spending to see it (and they better take tending loving care of that brand new print!). I really feel this could be the last hurrah. Someone said to me about this, “Why don’t you wait until the 50th anniversary?” but the way things are going, will there even be theatres in another ten years, let alone ones as big as the Ziegfeld?
Well, someone in a POTA Yahoo group just posted this:
“Zeigfeld showtimes so far for Friday, March 28 and
Saturday March 29….
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Rated (NR) • 1 hr. 52 min.
BUY TICKETS – 2:00pm, 5:00pm, 8:00pm
actually Planet is listed for Friday, Saturday,
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday….
Sunday and wed. don’t have a listing….
this is all from the Purchase Advance tickets link on
the Ziegfeld coming soon page….you can pick a date
and it tells what’s showing…."
So, looks like they’ll only be showing PLANET.
A brand new print of PLANET OF THE APES (1968) and seeing it on a big screen in a Manhattan theatre. It’s a dream come true! Yes, I am very happy — AND very eager to make my plane reservations (before the price of jet fuel forces them up any further!)… however, I NEED TO KNOW THE THEATRE SCHEDULE! Are they just showing PLANET? If I knew that for sure I’d go ahead and get my reservations, BUT will they also be showing the sequels, and which ones, on which days? Don’t dare make plans ‘til I know for sure. I hope info will be available in the next couple days!
By the way, just what is the size of the screen at the Ziegfeld?
Clearview is saying that the March 28th thru April 3rd gig at the Ziegfeld is a “GO APE WEEK.” Does that mean PLANET OF THE APES will be shown with all or some of its sequels, or will it just be the 1968 original?
Can anyone here tell me for certain that the print of PLANET OF THE APES that will be shown between March 28 thru April 3 will be a good one? I’m going to fly to New York to see this — because it’s my favorite movie, and I missed seeing it in Manhattan in ‘68 because I was only eight and didn’t know better (saw BENEATH at Loew’s State 2 though in '70 — but I really want to make sure I’m going to all this expense to see a good print.
Can anyone here tell me for certain that the print of PLANET OF THE APES that will be shown between March 28 thru April 3 will be a good one? I’m going to fly to New York to see this — because it’s my favorite movie, and I missed seeing it in Manhattan in ‘68 because I was only eight and didn’t know better (saw BENEATH at Loew’s State 2 though in '70 — but I really want to make sure I’m going to all this expense to see a good print.
Someone PLEASE list the showings for PLANET OF THE APES and its sequels as soon as possible! This is the must-see event for me and I’ll be spending a lot to travel to NYC to see it. Thanks!
30' x 39.9' is a 1.33:1 aspect ratio? Mmmmm… I know I’m bad at figuring these things, but that don’t seem right. Anyway, I’ve checked and the correct aspect ratio for early films of the sound era is 1.37:1. The 1.33:1 was adapted as the TV standard based on the original Academy ratio for silent films going back to whenever.
But listen, this is the thing I want to know…. It’s 1935, you arrive late on the opening night of CHINA SEAS at the Capitol Theatre, it’s packed and you have to sit in the back row — of a 5000 plus seat auditorium — now, are you seriously telling me that at that distance one was paying to view a screen that was only something like 15x20 feet! Talk about the Depression!