That’s a shame. I wonder if a theatrical run of CE3K will happen at all for the anniversary. Perhaps the strong numbers for the “Blade Runner” engagement at the Ziegfeld will encourage a booking. Perhaps even via Digital Cinema Presentation (though I know Spielberg is a big proponent of film). Better still would be a 70MM run, but I doubt we’ll be so lucky..
Warren… Howard and others here are merely interested in providing the sort of informative and comprehensive introductory description that this great and storied theatre deserves at the top of this page. Information about performances and movie premieres are some of the details they’d like to recap and include in an effort to update and improve that introduction.
Howard… the revision you submitted is a vast improvement over the inadequate blurb that had been in place previously. Many thanks for that and for your continued efforts to provide an even better introduction!
Hey Bloop! Thanks for another trip down memory lane, courtesy of a CT member! Never been to the Hauppauge, but I do recall the movie “The Silent Scream.” Pretty sure I saw that on 42nd Street, but it might have been at the Midway in Forest Hills. It was definitely on a double bill! I don’t remember caring for it much and remember finding it hard to take comedian Avery Schrieber seriously as a cop. Cameron Mitchell played his partner and was in a number of low budget horror/sci-fi flicks found at local grinders in the early ‘80’s. Yvonne DeCarlo also shows up in that one as the kooky old lady who owns the beach house where all the action takes place.
Hey Bill… I guess I was so excited about the $2 discout coupon that I didn’t take better notice of your posting the schedule!
I am very much looking forward to making it back to the Ziegfeld (at the right time!) and finally taking in the show. I only hope that the curtain is part of that show!
Craig? You out there? Any thoughts on our suggestions here that proper volume levels and curtain shows be made a mandatory part of every Ziegfeld presentation?
The original State closed as a twin. A NY Times “Going Out” feature (a precursor to the weekend guide currently featured in the Friday paper) dated February 19th, 1987, makes note of the theatre’s closing (on that very day) and confirms that it was a “twin” at the time. The final attractions were Richard Pryor’s “Critical Condition” in State 1 and Eddie Murphy’s “The Golden Child” in State 2. Admission price: $6 bucks.
Let’s face it, the $15 admission gets you access into the entire theatre – which is to say that it allows you access to the pornographic entertainment that is the raison d'etre for the Fair. The Bollywood attractions being advertised on the website are little more than a means to allow the Fair to continue operating and serving its core constituency of porn enthusiasts. Not only does it render it compliant with the 60/40 rule but the added touch of the website is probably a ploy to give the appearance of innocuity and appease neighbors – like the church at the end of the block.
I’m sure the next step (to be taken reluctantly by management I’m sure and only as last resort) will be to adopt a split-price policy in the event there are complaints from folks who are actually interested in attending the Bollywood films (or should I say videos) at the Fair.
I went to the Ziegfeld this afternoon to catch the 1pm show, only to find that as of today, the weekday schedule has been modified to three showings (2PM, 5:30 and 8:30). Unfortunately, my schedule today didn’t permit me to wait for the 2pm show, so I’ll have to come back another day. There was one other person waiting outside the box office (which was closed with a sign indicating “We’ll be back at 1:30”). Looking ahead at the schedule, seems that Friday – Sunday will remain on a four-a-day schedule (1, 4, 7 and 10pm).
I discovered this drive-in while attending a family reunion this past weekend in Lake George, NY. Driving along Route 9, I passed the roadside marquee, which currently reads “SEE YOU IN ‘08” for the off-season. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera on me to snap a photo.
This website, however, features a few recent images of the Glen Twin. Also, if you click on the “map” link at the top of this page and select a “Satellite” view, you’ll get a decent overhead image of the two outdoor theatres with which you can zoom in and out. I don’t know if this was originally built as a twin, but one of the screens has a notably larger lot than the other.
The name of the theatre obviously refers to the area of Glens Falls, NY, but the address seems to map as Queensbury, NY.
I wonder if Craig from Clearview is monitoring these comments with respect to the curtain show for “Blade Runner” and their policy of acquiescing to one or two complaints about sound level. Is the inconsistency due to different projectionists being on duty from one night to another? If so, perhaps an admonishment to whoever was working the booth Friday and Sunday. I think it should be a matter of pride for Clearview that the Ziegfeld never offer anything but the very best of showmanship in their presentations. A policy should be put into effect at the Zieg mandating the proper use of both curtains at ALL showings… Even if during a regular engagement where they’d have to close the curtain after the slideshow for a few moments before presenting the trailers and/or feature presentation.
Somehow, Lost, I knew you’d be the one person to respond to that last post… and pretty much in the precise manner I imagined! There’s great comfort in that. Thanks! ;–}
I checked a map of upstate NY and found that Monroe, NY, is quite a way from Walton. Then, the town of Roscoe sort of leapt off the map at me. Lo and behold, I found a page for the Roscoe Theatre which I believe to be the site of the “Blues Brothers” screening I mentioned above. No deal to anyone reading this (so why post it) but I have a pathological compulsion to complete open threads!
I’m wondering if this is the theater where I saw “The Blues Brothers” for the 2nd or 3rd time in the late summer or early fall of 1980. I was up from NYC with my friend Matthew and his Dad visiting their 2nd home in Walton, NY, and I remember taking a long drive to another small town in order to see the movie. It was either a Friday or Saturday night and I recall going to a local pizza place on the small commercial strip just down the block from the theater. I also remember being surprised at seeing so many people dressed up for dinner in the very informal restaurant. It never occured to me that what might be considered a casual fast-food establishment in NYC would represent a place to get dolled up for couples on a Friday night dinner date or families taking a rare respite from the home kitchen and dining room table. There was a certain charm in that notion that almost seemed from an older and more innocent time.
Still… I really have no idea if it was the Roscoe Theatre, but I was poking around a map of upstate NY and the town of Roscoe jumped out at me and jogged some part of my mind. I guess there’s no real way to verify, but I’m leaning heavily towards this being the right place! Anyone remember a pizza-place/Italian Restaurant on the strip near the theater?
Hey Wally… The shape of the building is exactly the same, curve and all. It was completely gutted and windows were added, but the exterior shape is intact.
Bill… I think that would be a long shot over in Montclair, eh? Ha ha. Nope, I think the only way I’ll ever see true Cinerama is to book myself a flight out west to Seattle or LA when something of interest is screening. Sigh.
Hey Joe… I’m sure the Parthenon run 35mm CinemaScope, but are you positive that it had 70mm capabilities? That would have been rather out of the ordinary for a 2nd run nabe back in the days before saturation releases.
Also, if you’re absolutely sure about the 70mm, I would contact the site administrators at the fromscripttodvd website to include in their “70mm in New York” feature.
Hey Howard… The links in my first post were broken when I reorganized my entire Photobucket album some time ago. However, my Hollywood Theatre photo album is still alive and well.
I included the new link in a latter post, but it’s probably easy to sail past that brief comment.
Anyway, love the black & white shots in that first set of flickr photos!
This was a gem on Long Island, Bloop, no doubt. Rather amazing that it survived intact for as long as it did. With its demise went the our best hopes of ever seeing Cinerama in the New York area again!
I hear you, Howard. Just seems to me a real shame that we seldom get the opportunity to see classic films in pristine form on the big screen where they belong. I’m not saying that the studios should book classics on a large scale to replace new titles, but I sure would like to see them help make a wider selection of titles available for certain engagements at theaters like the Ziegfeld. Just a giveback to cinema enthusiasts and a nod to the past. I understand it would have limited appeal but it should be marketed and targeted appropriately.
I imagine the entire economic model would have to change – and perhaps when the day comes that more and more films are released digitally, upload/dowload costs will come down and level out and classic titles might be made available so that even neighborhood multiplexes might be able to offer a weekly classic (as many now do with tacky DVD projection) at an affordable cost.
Wow. Another blast from my youthful past courtesy of CT! Thanks for the link to the official website, Lost!
My grade school pal Matthew (or rather Matthew’s parents) had a vacation home up on Walton Mountain and I used to go up with his family once or twice a year every summer from around 1976 through 1980. Mostly, I recall going up for the Delaware County Fair (and the Demolition Derby run during the fair), but we did attend at least one movie here at the Walton Theater in the ‘70’s. I remember Matt’s dad dropped the two of us off for a showing of the 1968 live-action Disney flick “Blackbeard’s Ghost” with Peter Ustinov and Dean Jones – must have been Disney’s summer re-release for that year.
I remember the place seemed like a barn to me… a big, boxy, rectangular space with a very high ceiling with a decor that even at the time seemed to me sort of Yankee-rustic. The photos on the official website confirm those memories. The showing we attended was a midday matinee and there were only a handful of other patrons in the building.
I know on at least one other occasion, Matt and I saw another movie while up visting in Walton – and that was to see “The Blues Brothers” in 1980. Matt’s dad was with us for that one, but I don’t think it was here at the Walton Theatre. It was another big and spacious barn of a place in a nearby town (maybe Monroe, NY)?
Anyway… It was fun strolling back to those times! That’s the sort of buzz that I get ONLY from this website!
Which store currently occupies the former cinema’s space in the mall? My mother worked for Rugoff back in the early ‘70’s. I was quite young at the time and only ever visited their offices once (to get our free passes to see the revival of the Marx Brothers’ “Animal Crackers” at the Sutton Theatre in Manhattan). I wish I had been a bit older and a bit more aware so I could have made sure my mom got her hands on some good memoribilia (like ads, lobby cards, etc.)!
I drove by not that long ago… Seems like the building is taller. Did they add a story on top of the original footprint when they gutted this for the gym, or is my mind playing tricks on me?
Thanks for the info, REndres. Very encouraging. And I agree, Roadshow. The upload/download costs need to come down in order to establish digital cinema as a viable way to present classic revivals. If you ask me, I really think that the INDUSTRY (meaning the studios) should consider underwriting some of that expense in an effort remind the public of the tremendous cinematic heritage we have relegated to Turner Movie Classics and DVD viewing. A lot of the fodder that is released as “new” product deserves a straight-to-video fate so that screens might be cleared for occasional digital re-releases of films like “Casablanca,” “Best Years of Our Lives,” “Ben Hur,” “2001: A Space Oddyssey,” “The Godfather”…. the list could go on and on. Not to mention “How the West Was Won.” Or how about digitally perfect 3-D re-releases of “House of Wax” and “Dial M for Murder?”
But what would that profit the studios, right? Sigh… For now, its all just a pipe dream.
Thanks, Howard. It is safe to assume, however, that as digital technology improves, we might yet see a the format capable of capturing the resolution of 70MM in the not-too-distant future. It seems to me that – given the expense of striking new prints and the reluctance of cinemas to ditch the platter – digital format might be the most viable way of presenting large format classics down the road. In fact – assuming data storage and download costs come down – it might open up the revival of classics for a wider selection of titles.
Glad to know you’re alive and kicking (and changing reels), Bob! Too bad, however, that you’re not practicing your craft on the general public anymore! Worse that general audiences, by and large, do not know what they’re missing!
Focusing back on the Ziegfeld… I’m looking forward to the upcoming engagement of “Blade Runner.” I won’t be around this weekend, but I do plan on checking it out before its 2-week engagement comes to an end. Aside from enjoying a pristine version of Ridley Scott’s excellent film, I’m also keen to seeing what kind of a curtain show will be run with the digital presentation. Does the Ziegfeld have a 2K or 4K projector?
Last night TCM ran “2001: A Space Oddyssey” and – while I didn’t catch the whole movie – I found myself wondering what it would be like to see a digital presentation of the incredibly sharp and vivid print TCM ran last night. I’ve always that that digital cinema would be an awesome way of presenting classic films – particularly large format restorations such as “2001” or “Spartacus.” With the platter system scaring off owners of restored 70MM prints, I would think that the digital format would be the next best thing to preserve the experience of seeing a Super Panavision, Todd AO or Camera 65 movie. Perhaps even – dare I say it – three strip Cinemara in cities (like NYC) where actual three strip projection no longer has a proper venue. Surely a temporary curved screen could be installed for such a presentation at a theatre like the Ziegfled – or perhaps the Nokia Theatre – for special extended festivals.
That’s a shame. I wonder if a theatrical run of CE3K will happen at all for the anniversary. Perhaps the strong numbers for the “Blade Runner” engagement at the Ziegfeld will encourage a booking. Perhaps even via Digital Cinema Presentation (though I know Spielberg is a big proponent of film). Better still would be a 70MM run, but I doubt we’ll be so lucky..
Warren… Howard and others here are merely interested in providing the sort of informative and comprehensive introductory description that this great and storied theatre deserves at the top of this page. Information about performances and movie premieres are some of the details they’d like to recap and include in an effort to update and improve that introduction.
Howard… the revision you submitted is a vast improvement over the inadequate blurb that had been in place previously. Many thanks for that and for your continued efforts to provide an even better introduction!
Hey Bloop! Thanks for another trip down memory lane, courtesy of a CT member! Never been to the Hauppauge, but I do recall the movie “The Silent Scream.” Pretty sure I saw that on 42nd Street, but it might have been at the Midway in Forest Hills. It was definitely on a double bill! I don’t remember caring for it much and remember finding it hard to take comedian Avery Schrieber seriously as a cop. Cameron Mitchell played his partner and was in a number of low budget horror/sci-fi flicks found at local grinders in the early ‘80’s. Yvonne DeCarlo also shows up in that one as the kooky old lady who owns the beach house where all the action takes place.
Hey Bill… I guess I was so excited about the $2 discout coupon that I didn’t take better notice of your posting the schedule!
I am very much looking forward to making it back to the Ziegfeld (at the right time!) and finally taking in the show. I only hope that the curtain is part of that show!
Craig? You out there? Any thoughts on our suggestions here that proper volume levels and curtain shows be made a mandatory part of every Ziegfeld presentation?
The original State closed as a twin. A NY Times “Going Out” feature (a precursor to the weekend guide currently featured in the Friday paper) dated February 19th, 1987, makes note of the theatre’s closing (on that very day) and confirms that it was a “twin” at the time. The final attractions were Richard Pryor’s “Critical Condition” in State 1 and Eddie Murphy’s “The Golden Child” in State 2. Admission price: $6 bucks.
Let’s face it, the $15 admission gets you access into the entire theatre – which is to say that it allows you access to the pornographic entertainment that is the raison d'etre for the Fair. The Bollywood attractions being advertised on the website are little more than a means to allow the Fair to continue operating and serving its core constituency of porn enthusiasts. Not only does it render it compliant with the 60/40 rule but the added touch of the website is probably a ploy to give the appearance of innocuity and appease neighbors – like the church at the end of the block.
I’m sure the next step (to be taken reluctantly by management I’m sure and only as last resort) will be to adopt a split-price policy in the event there are complaints from folks who are actually interested in attending the Bollywood films (or should I say videos) at the Fair.
I went to the Ziegfeld this afternoon to catch the 1pm show, only to find that as of today, the weekday schedule has been modified to three showings (2PM, 5:30 and 8:30). Unfortunately, my schedule today didn’t permit me to wait for the 2pm show, so I’ll have to come back another day. There was one other person waiting outside the box office (which was closed with a sign indicating “We’ll be back at 1:30”). Looking ahead at the schedule, seems that Friday – Sunday will remain on a four-a-day schedule (1, 4, 7 and 10pm).
I discovered this drive-in while attending a family reunion this past weekend in Lake George, NY. Driving along Route 9, I passed the roadside marquee, which currently reads “SEE YOU IN ‘08” for the off-season. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera on me to snap a photo.
This website, however, features a few recent images of the Glen Twin. Also, if you click on the “map” link at the top of this page and select a “Satellite” view, you’ll get a decent overhead image of the two outdoor theatres with which you can zoom in and out. I don’t know if this was originally built as a twin, but one of the screens has a notably larger lot than the other.
The name of the theatre obviously refers to the area of Glens Falls, NY, but the address seems to map as Queensbury, NY.
I wonder if Craig from Clearview is monitoring these comments with respect to the curtain show for “Blade Runner” and their policy of acquiescing to one or two complaints about sound level. Is the inconsistency due to different projectionists being on duty from one night to another? If so, perhaps an admonishment to whoever was working the booth Friday and Sunday. I think it should be a matter of pride for Clearview that the Ziegfeld never offer anything but the very best of showmanship in their presentations. A policy should be put into effect at the Zieg mandating the proper use of both curtains at ALL showings… Even if during a regular engagement where they’d have to close the curtain after the slideshow for a few moments before presenting the trailers and/or feature presentation.
On the site where the supermarket burned down or on the site of the theater? Or both?
Somehow, Lost, I knew you’d be the one person to respond to that last post… and pretty much in the precise manner I imagined! There’s great comfort in that. Thanks! ;–}
I checked a map of upstate NY and found that Monroe, NY, is quite a way from Walton. Then, the town of Roscoe sort of leapt off the map at me. Lo and behold, I found a page for the Roscoe Theatre which I believe to be the site of the “Blues Brothers” screening I mentioned above. No deal to anyone reading this (so why post it) but I have a pathological compulsion to complete open threads!
Ha ha ha ha. Did I just laugh out loud?
I’m wondering if this is the theater where I saw “The Blues Brothers” for the 2nd or 3rd time in the late summer or early fall of 1980. I was up from NYC with my friend Matthew and his Dad visiting their 2nd home in Walton, NY, and I remember taking a long drive to another small town in order to see the movie. It was either a Friday or Saturday night and I recall going to a local pizza place on the small commercial strip just down the block from the theater. I also remember being surprised at seeing so many people dressed up for dinner in the very informal restaurant. It never occured to me that what might be considered a casual fast-food establishment in NYC would represent a place to get dolled up for couples on a Friday night dinner date or families taking a rare respite from the home kitchen and dining room table. There was a certain charm in that notion that almost seemed from an older and more innocent time.
Still… I really have no idea if it was the Roscoe Theatre, but I was poking around a map of upstate NY and the town of Roscoe jumped out at me and jogged some part of my mind. I guess there’s no real way to verify, but I’m leaning heavily towards this being the right place! Anyone remember a pizza-place/Italian Restaurant on the strip near the theater?
Hey Wally… The shape of the building is exactly the same, curve and all. It was completely gutted and windows were added, but the exterior shape is intact.
Bill… I think that would be a long shot over in Montclair, eh? Ha ha. Nope, I think the only way I’ll ever see true Cinerama is to book myself a flight out west to Seattle or LA when something of interest is screening. Sigh.
Hey Joe… I’m sure the Parthenon run 35mm CinemaScope, but are you positive that it had 70mm capabilities? That would have been rather out of the ordinary for a 2nd run nabe back in the days before saturation releases.
Also, if you’re absolutely sure about the 70mm, I would contact the site administrators at the fromscripttodvd website to include in their “70mm in New York” feature.
Cool! Thanks so much, Bill. Will admission be set at Ziegfeld standard $11 for adults?
Hey Howard… The links in my first post were broken when I reorganized my entire Photobucket album some time ago. However, my Hollywood Theatre photo album is still alive and well.
I included the new link in a latter post, but it’s probably easy to sail past that brief comment.
Anyway, love the black & white shots in that first set of flickr photos!
This was a gem on Long Island, Bloop, no doubt. Rather amazing that it survived intact for as long as it did. With its demise went the our best hopes of ever seeing Cinerama in the New York area again!
I hear you, Howard. Just seems to me a real shame that we seldom get the opportunity to see classic films in pristine form on the big screen where they belong. I’m not saying that the studios should book classics on a large scale to replace new titles, but I sure would like to see them help make a wider selection of titles available for certain engagements at theaters like the Ziegfeld. Just a giveback to cinema enthusiasts and a nod to the past. I understand it would have limited appeal but it should be marketed and targeted appropriately.
I imagine the entire economic model would have to change – and perhaps when the day comes that more and more films are released digitally, upload/dowload costs will come down and level out and classic titles might be made available so that even neighborhood multiplexes might be able to offer a weekly classic (as many now do with tacky DVD projection) at an affordable cost.
Wow. Another blast from my youthful past courtesy of CT! Thanks for the link to the official website, Lost!
My grade school pal Matthew (or rather Matthew’s parents) had a vacation home up on Walton Mountain and I used to go up with his family once or twice a year every summer from around 1976 through 1980. Mostly, I recall going up for the Delaware County Fair (and the Demolition Derby run during the fair), but we did attend at least one movie here at the Walton Theater in the ‘70’s. I remember Matt’s dad dropped the two of us off for a showing of the 1968 live-action Disney flick “Blackbeard’s Ghost” with Peter Ustinov and Dean Jones – must have been Disney’s summer re-release for that year.
I remember the place seemed like a barn to me… a big, boxy, rectangular space with a very high ceiling with a decor that even at the time seemed to me sort of Yankee-rustic. The photos on the official website confirm those memories. The showing we attended was a midday matinee and there were only a handful of other patrons in the building.
I know on at least one other occasion, Matt and I saw another movie while up visting in Walton – and that was to see “The Blues Brothers” in 1980. Matt’s dad was with us for that one, but I don’t think it was here at the Walton Theatre. It was another big and spacious barn of a place in a nearby town (maybe Monroe, NY)?
Anyway… It was fun strolling back to those times! That’s the sort of buzz that I get ONLY from this website!
Which store currently occupies the former cinema’s space in the mall? My mother worked for Rugoff back in the early ‘70’s. I was quite young at the time and only ever visited their offices once (to get our free passes to see the revival of the Marx Brothers’ “Animal Crackers” at the Sutton Theatre in Manhattan). I wish I had been a bit older and a bit more aware so I could have made sure my mom got her hands on some good memoribilia (like ads, lobby cards, etc.)!
I drove by not that long ago… Seems like the building is taller. Did they add a story on top of the original footprint when they gutted this for the gym, or is my mind playing tricks on me?
Thanks for the info, REndres. Very encouraging. And I agree, Roadshow. The upload/download costs need to come down in order to establish digital cinema as a viable way to present classic revivals. If you ask me, I really think that the INDUSTRY (meaning the studios) should consider underwriting some of that expense in an effort remind the public of the tremendous cinematic heritage we have relegated to Turner Movie Classics and DVD viewing. A lot of the fodder that is released as “new” product deserves a straight-to-video fate so that screens might be cleared for occasional digital re-releases of films like “Casablanca,” “Best Years of Our Lives,” “Ben Hur,” “2001: A Space Oddyssey,” “The Godfather”…. the list could go on and on. Not to mention “How the West Was Won.” Or how about digitally perfect 3-D re-releases of “House of Wax” and “Dial M for Murder?”
But what would that profit the studios, right? Sigh… For now, its all just a pipe dream.
Thanks, Howard. It is safe to assume, however, that as digital technology improves, we might yet see a the format capable of capturing the resolution of 70MM in the not-too-distant future. It seems to me that – given the expense of striking new prints and the reluctance of cinemas to ditch the platter – digital format might be the most viable way of presenting large format classics down the road. In fact – assuming data storage and download costs come down – it might open up the revival of classics for a wider selection of titles.
Glad to know you’re alive and kicking (and changing reels), Bob! Too bad, however, that you’re not practicing your craft on the general public anymore! Worse that general audiences, by and large, do not know what they’re missing!
Focusing back on the Ziegfeld… I’m looking forward to the upcoming engagement of “Blade Runner.” I won’t be around this weekend, but I do plan on checking it out before its 2-week engagement comes to an end. Aside from enjoying a pristine version of Ridley Scott’s excellent film, I’m also keen to seeing what kind of a curtain show will be run with the digital presentation. Does the Ziegfeld have a 2K or 4K projector?
Last night TCM ran “2001: A Space Oddyssey” and – while I didn’t catch the whole movie – I found myself wondering what it would be like to see a digital presentation of the incredibly sharp and vivid print TCM ran last night. I’ve always that that digital cinema would be an awesome way of presenting classic films – particularly large format restorations such as “2001” or “Spartacus.” With the platter system scaring off owners of restored 70MM prints, I would think that the digital format would be the next best thing to preserve the experience of seeing a Super Panavision, Todd AO or Camera 65 movie. Perhaps even – dare I say it – three strip Cinemara in cities (like NYC) where actual three strip projection no longer has a proper venue. Surely a temporary curved screen could be installed for such a presentation at a theatre like the Ziegfled – or perhaps the Nokia Theatre – for special extended festivals.