Comments about Ziegfeld Theatre in New York, NY

owenspierre81 on January 11, 2008 at 10:37 pm

The Ziegfeld is my most favorite movie theater in NYC today and since it opened on December 17, 1969, its still the best movie house in the world and its still standing strong.

owenspierre81 on January 11, 2008 at 10:35 pm

ZIEGFELD movie list from 2000-07

TBA 2000- American Beauty
5/5/00- Gladiator
6/16/00- Titan A.E.
6/30/00- Me, Myself & Irene
7/14/00- X-Men
10/13/00- The Contender
11/10/00- Men of Honor
12/22/00- Cast Away
2/9/01- Hannibal
3/2/01- The Mexican
3/16/01- Enemy at the Gates
4/6/01- Along Came A Spider
4/27/01- Driven
5/18/01- Moulin Rouge
6/13/01- Atlantis: The Lost Empire
6/22/01- Dr. Dolittle 2
6/29/01- A.I. Artificial Intelligence
7/27/01- Planet of the Apes
9/28/01- Don’t Say A Word
10/12/01- Bandits
11/2/01- Monsters Inc
12/7/01- Ocean’s Eleven
1/18/02- Brotherhood of the Wolf
2/15/02- Return to Never Land
3/1/02- We Were Soldiers
3/15/02- Ice Age
4/5/02- High Crimes
4/26/02- Life or Something Like It
5/16/02- Star Wars: Episode II-Attack of the Clones
7/12/02- Road to Perdition
10/18/02- The Ring
11/1/02- The Santa Clause 2
11/27/02- Solaris
12/27/02- Chicago
5/2/03- X2: X-Men United
5/16/03- Down with Love
6/6/03- 2 Fast 2 Furious
6/20/03- The Hulk
7/11/03- The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
7/25/03- Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
8/15/03- Open Range
10/24/03- Brother Bear
11/14/03- Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
12/5/03- The Last Samurai
12/25/03- Cold Mountain
1/23/04- Mystic River
2/6/04- Miracle
3/5/04- Hidalgo
4/9/04- The Alamo
4/23/04- Man on Fire
5/28/04- The Day After Tomorrow
6/18/04- The Terminal
7/16/04- I, Robot
7/30/04- The Village
8/6/04- Collateral
9/1/04- Vanity Fair
10/1/04- Shark Tale
10/22/04- Surviving Christmas
11/10/04- The Polar Express
12/10/04- Ocean’s Twelve
12/22/04- The Phantom of the Opera
2/18/05- Constantine
3/11/05- Robots
4/8/05- Sahara
4/29/05- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
5/19/05- Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith
6/29/05- War of the Worlds
7/22/05- The Island
8/12/05- The Great Raid
8/26/05- The Baxter
9/23/05- Flightplan
10/14/05- Elizabethtown
11/23/05- Rent
12/16/05- The Producers
1/13/06- Tristan & Isolde
3/31/06- Ice Age: The Meltdown
4/14/06- Scary Movie 4
5/5/06- Mission: Impossible III
5/19/06- Over the Hedge
6/9/06- Cars
7/7/06- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
8/9/06- World Trade Center
10/20/06- Flags of Our Fathers
11/17/06- Casino Royale
12/15/06- Dreamgirls
3/2/07- Zodiac
3/30/07- Meet the Robinsons in DISNEY DIGITAL 3-D
5/4/07- Spider-Man 3
5/25/07- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
6/29/07- Ratatouille
7/20/07- Hairspray
10/19/07- Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in DISNEY DIGITAL 3-D
11/2/07- Bee Movie
11/21/07- Enchanted
12/21/07- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

erandall on January 2, 2008 at 10:39 pm

Someone above listed all the movies that played at the Ziegfeld in the 90’s. Can somebody do the same for the 2000s? Love this kind of information. Thanks!

Mike (saps) on December 28, 2007 at 9:43 pm

Saw Sweeney on Thursday at 7pm, noticed the projectionist in the lobby (nice guy, silver hair, can’t remember his name) and I asked “Any curtain action tonight?” and he said “Nope — it’s broken.”

Astyanax on December 28, 2007 at 9:33 pm

Saw Sweeney Todd today. The Zieg was at its best. Clean, comfortable with extremely polite staff. The movie was okay, but the sound system was awesome. Only disappointment was that the curtains were not used, which would have served as a formal break from the endless commercials and previews.

Luis Vazquez on December 27, 2007 at 1:56 pm

Nor I! That’s what I mean about the Ziegfeld’s audience enthusiasm and that is what made Dreamgirls such an incredible movie going experience that I will never forget; seeing a film with a thousand other strangers that are truly excited to be there.

I attended the Radio City Xmas show last night and it brought a tear to my eye when they did a little history montage noting how close this theater came to actually closing its doors for good. I’m so glad that we still have Radio City and, more importantly, that future generations will have it as well.

I would hope that The Ziegfeld would be spared as well. It’s coming up on its 40th anniversary and I believe that that is the minimum age for a structure to be landmarked by the City of New York. There is so much movie history in this building and it is worth saving the last true movie palace built in New York. Especially, since we know that they will never be built this way again.

Bill Huelbig on December 27, 2007 at 12:45 pm

Come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I heard anyone applaud in a multiplex, even for a “Star Wars” or “Harry Potter” movie. The Ziegfeld really is a special place.

Bill Huelbig on December 27, 2007 at 12:32 pm

I usually choose to sit on the side at the Ziegfeld (the sight lines are still excellent from there), but the center section was almost completely full right up to the front on Friday night.

The audience applauded at the end of the “Mamma Mia” trailer. They also applauded big time for Sondheim’s on-screen credit.

Luis Vazquez on December 27, 2007 at 11:31 am

Um, yeah! The sides and the balcony were nearly filled. I arrived 40 minutes before showtime and had to sit on the side because the center section was nearly filled. At 4:00 PM on Xmas day!

It shoudn’t be a surprise. Sweeney Todd is a musical masterpiece starring one of the best actors, ever….Jonny Depp. In addition, Stephen Sondheim has a very devoted following as was evidenced when a round of applause erupted when his name appeared on the opening credits. The Ziegfeld’s incredible sound system, large screen and a generally enthusuastic audience make it worthwhile to spend a little more money and go out of your way to attend a film here. The enthusiasm was reflected in the bursts of applause after some of the musical numbers.

Though this experience does not compare to the blockbuster presentation of Dreamgirls last year (I don’t think anything ever will) it was still a much better experience than I would have had going to the local multiplex.

Next Ziegfled musical…..Mamma Mia! Summer, 2008. They showed the trailer and it looks like it’ll be fun!

HowardBHaas on December 27, 2007 at 10:45 am

I’m a bit skeptical that with more than 1100 seats and Sweeney Todd playing on many other Manhattan screens, that the Ziegfeld “nearly sold out” per Christmas Day comment. Most seats even on the sides, the raised section at the back, etc. were full? With a few hundred people in there, it can look like a lot, but “nearly sold out”?

Why not ask the staff to use the curtain? If I attend, I hope it is used.

Bill Huelbig on December 25, 2007 at 9:34 pm

I agree with Luis. I saw it on Friday night and the lack of curtains was the only thing wrong with the show. The music sounded incredible. The opening organ chords during the WB logo got a big round of applause as they shook the place to the rafters. If anyone in the New York area is planning to see “Sweeney Todd”, do yourself a favor and make the trip to the Ziegfeld.

Luis Vazquez on December 25, 2007 at 7:33 pm

Just saw Sweeney Todd at the 4:00 PM showing on Christmas Day. It was nearly sold out and a very fun audience. The sound was spectacular. My only disappointement was that the didn’t use the curtains. Why is this so complicated? Especially for shows that get very high turnouts. Other than that, it was a great holiday outing!

Luis Vazquez on December 25, 2007 at 7:33 pm

Just saw Sweeney Todd at the 4:00 PM showing on Christmas Day. It was nearly sold out and a very fun audience. The sound was spectacular. My only disappointement was that the didn’t use the curtains. Why is this so complicated? Especially for shows that get very high turnouts. Other than that, it was a great holiday outing!

Ed Solero on December 11, 2007 at 2:13 pm

Of course, couldn’t the filmmaker’s have done their own in-camera masking to fill the unused portion of the scope screen with projected blackness – a virtual masking, if you will?

HowardBHaas on December 11, 2007 at 8:24 am

Saturday December 8, I saw the 1:30 PM “Enchanted” movie in its 3rd week at the Ziegfeld. Sweeney Todd posters & little photos are in the exterior display cases and staff told me that movie starts December 21. There’s a poster for the digital concert, too.
For “Enchanted” as usual, film presentation & surround sound were outstanding.

4 COSTUMES designed for the movie’s main characters (Prince, Princess, lawyer & his girlfriend) are on display in a large display case in the upstairs Foyer, a display appropriate for a flagship theater. Looking at flickr, the movie’s stars appeared at the Ziegfeld for a premiere. Flickr photos show a premiere at El Capitan in Hollywood, and a world premiere in London.

After the digital preshow, two curtains closed for a few minutes, a touch that I greatly enjoy. The see thru white curtain was present. NEW CURTAIN? I’m sure if the front curtain is the same curtain as before, as it looked white, with a red border at its bottom. After the preshow ended, the theater wasn’t exceptionally well lit, so I’m not sure.

“Enchanted” began with the animated scenes, but in “flat” or something less than full scope, and showing the screen (not curtained or matted). Several minutes later, the animated scenes end and real people in New York City are depicted. As soon as real people are seen, the movie becomes scope, using the entire screen. It was puzzling to see exposed screen to the left & right for the 1st few minutes. In other theaters, sometimes entire movies are presented that way. Do multiplexes mat that over, for this film, or do the same? Since the change is very sudden, and the animated time is short, I don’t fault the theater for doing it this way. I’m just curious.
Regardless, kudos to the Ziegfeld for maintaining an overall quality presentation.

chip26 on November 30, 2007 at 8:50 pm

I just saw on movietickets.com that the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus concert in Disney Digital 3D will be playing here starting on February 1st. Tickets go on sale tonight(Nov. 30th) at midnight.

Michael Furlinger on November 14, 2007 at 9:08 am

Hey woody nice pics ………………

woody on November 14, 2007 at 7:53 am

TheaterBuff1 on November 14, 2007 at 1:58 am

You’re sitting in a beautiful movie palace watching a magnificent rescreening of David Lean’s LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. There’s the special moment when Peter O'Toole (playing Lawrence) watches as the sun slowly comes up over the Sahara Desert and then, almost as if a mirage, it’s immediately followed by a camel-riding Bedouin decked in black who appears approaching in the distance from the silence of that sunrise. Or what is SUPPOSED to be a silent moment, other than the soft whispers of sand we hear in the wind. Add to this that there’s a quiet over the whole audience that’s entranced as that scene plays. Now in that moment to have a cell phone ring from somewhere in the theater? No, sorry, that just doesn’t wash. Cell phones belong outside. But not there in that moment, or during a zillion other cinematic moments I can think of.

And that, in my opinion, is the ONLY WAY TO look at this matter. We CANNOT let art be compromised by the iconoclasts with their cell phones. Legal rulings or otherwise, it just isn’t done. End of story.

Michael Furlinger on November 13, 2007 at 11:23 pm

Enchanted is not a perfect movie for the Ziegfeld this theater does not always do well with kids movies!

William on November 13, 2007 at 5:24 pm

True

Al Alvarez on November 13, 2007 at 5:23 pm

Pre-release screening cell phones only need to be checked in if they have image recording. It is a piracy issue.

moviebuff82 on November 13, 2007 at 4:49 pm

oh that sucks….as for next year’s movies I think Indiana Jones will play at this theater and so will the new Batman movie. The last time Batman and Indy faced off was in 1989. Indy played at the Ziegfeld I think, and then Batman played at the astor. Guess which movie won.

ErikH on November 13, 2007 at 4:43 pm

A couple of followup comments to the above:

The Ziegfeld’s “nut.” Years ago, Variety listed weekly grosses for Manhattan theaters as well as the estimated weekly “nut” for each. The Ziegfeld’s “nut” was among the highest, and was, if memory serves, in the $15k to $20k range in the Variety listings during the 1980s. It’s reasonable to assume that the “nut” would be much higher today.
“Sweeney Todd” release pattern. As discussed in the trades, a limited release was initially announced for December 21 with an expansion in early January. Those plans have been changed; a broader national release beginning on December 21 is planned (I believe to a minimum 1,000 screens). If those reports are accurate, I assume that means that the Ziegfeld will not have a Manhattan exclusive (and no “Dreamgirls”-style roadshow).

Bill Huelbig on November 13, 2007 at 2:54 pm

“Enchanted” is coming in, the day before Thanksgiving (11/21). A perfect movie for the Ziegfeld, although “Beowulf” is too, probably.

Ziegfeld Theatre

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

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