Ziegfeld Theatre

Hey, Howard. I used to live on the next block from the Worldwide, even while it was being built. Those cinemas were nice, albeit too out of the way and low-profile to get much notice. Never crowded when I was there. Now they’ve been gutted and adapted to off-bway legit houses.

I do remember the Ziegfeld back inthe old days, most of the time opening/closing the title curtain just a beat apart so you always saw them both. I always thought it was neat but didn’t know why. However I think I saw them use the title curtain as such for THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT 2. I remember the overture presented normally, and the beginning of the picture looking quite clear on the title curtain as it opened.

I remember thinking when CIneplex played the overture through the sheer curtain that they had a notion it would sound better if it weren’t firing through the main curtain. (I knew a director who did four roadshows and he specifically decided to have onscreen overtures for that reason) However overtures were usually put on the soundtrack at a higher volume to compensate for the curtain, and today’s digital sound can blast through Kryptonite..

I think if they can avoid revealing the blank screen through it, it would be nice to use the title curtain for it’s intended purpose. Any Ziegfeld staff who are interested in presentation, see if lights on the title curtain will wash out the outline of the screen behind it… I would guess from recent pictures that you have removed or disabled the center curtain lights to enable the cheesy slide shows. Can the curtain lights be put back on for classic presentation?

The restored Spartacus was in 1991 with Cineplex Odeon as operator. I’ve seen many great classics especially at the Uptown in DC, but I missed this one there & at Ziegfeld. I caught up with it at the Cineplex Odeon Worldwide, in one of the large auditoriums with 40 feet wide scope screen, and a perfect presentation of Spartacus in 70 mm restored version, with proper use of the curtain. Whereas C.O. opened the main curtain 1st at Ziegfeld, and on a featured movie’s title/opening, opened the see thru white curtain, current operators open both curtains together.

Bob: I actually noticed back then that the studio logos were just about the right legnth for opening a curtain. So much so that it seemed normal to me for them to play over a curtain. However, studios today are very picky. When I worked screenings at Paramount the projectionists were told the curtains had to be fully opened for the studio logo… But have you noticed pretty much every studio now has a very long reveal before the actual name comes on the screen (stars flying up to the mountain, searchlights and a turnaround to the Fox logo, etc.)? Just enough of a stretch that the curtain can be opened on the long reveal in time to see the studio name on the screen.

I’d like to state my question again. Does anyone recall no logo at the beginning of Porgy and Bess? I recall a “curtain” on the screen.

How about Paramount? They’re logo was cool looking when Vistavision came along, and then when Panavision came, it made the Mountain more surreal. Even though some CGI made the mountain more real, it still is a cool looking logo, as much as the Universal globe and the Warner Shield.

Justin is absolutely correct, it was on day 1 of Star Wars, when I heard that music come from the screen, I was in shock to hear it again! It’s great that it’s being reused on current Fox titles, but it’s been re-recorded by a different orchestra and is not the original music. It is still however Alfred Newman’s creation.

That logo looks good on a widescreen tv if you watch any of the many Cinemascope movies that Fox produced before they switched to Panavision in the mid to late 1960’s. The music from that logo would not be heard in its entirety again to a wide audience until the release of “Star Wars” in 1977, with the cinemascope tag replaced by the Lucasfilm title and later logo with the future re-releases of the film. It would be also re-used in the 1990’s with a flyover of the logo, which is pretty cool. Has every major movie studio played movies at the Ziegfeld? It seems so. It would be nice if the theater showed the Super Bowl if the Giants make it next year!!!

It should take just under 10 seconds to open the curtain on even a very large screen. That’s just enough time to have the screen clear for the opening titles.

Did you ever notice how the old studio logos were just about that length? I discovered that from timing my curtain pulls when we used to do that at the Loew’s Jersey.

The classic-style showmanship rule of thumb was to NEVER show a blank screen.

I like to see the curtain just finish opening as the studio logo and fanfare fades from the screen.

Circa 1954, here is the text from 20th Century Fox instructions on opening curtains for a CinemaScope film:

“The curtain is to be opened very slowly and in such a manner that when the title of the feature appears on the screen it is just uncovered. The travelling curtain should continue at the same speed until it is completely opened.”

With proper use of stage curtains; to open when the Overture ends… and no lighting is fabulous showmanship! We always did that at the Castro in San Francisco!

Bill, thanks most kindly, I am aware of that overpriced ticket. But, catching that train depends upon the movie starting exactly on time, and Penn Station is a little hike to walk or depend upon the frequency at that time of subway or cab. “Conceivably” isn’t good enough when I could miss the last transport home. Fortunately, most new movies and classics at the Ziegfeld do have weekend showings.

This is the biggest complaint I have about the Ziegfeld, the inconvenient show times. Not just this engagement, but many of the others. They are giving no regard or consideration for “out of towners” who might like to see this.