Grauman's Chinese Theatre

Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre, by Carol Highsmith fixed & straightened.jpg

The front of the Hollywood landmark.
Type Indoor movie theatre
Built 1926
Opened May 18, 1927
Location 6931 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, California
Owner W.F. Cinema Holdings
Renovated 2001-2005
Capacity 1152
Website Grauman's Chinese Theatre

Grauman's Chinese Theatre is a movie theater located at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is located along the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Chinese Theatre was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre which opened in 1922. Built over 18 months, beginning in January 1926 by a partnership headed by Sid Grauman, the theater opened May 18, 1927 with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's film The King of Kings.[1] It has since been home to many premieres, birthday parties, corporate junkets and three Academy Awards ceremonies. Among the theater's most distinctive features are the concrete blocks set in the forecourt, which bear the signatures, footprints, and handprints of popular motion picture personalities from the 1920s to the present day.

Contents

History

Interior of the Chinese Theatre.

After his success with the Egyptian Theatre, Sid Grauman turned to C.E. Toberman to secure a long term lease on property located at 6925 Hollywood Blvd. Mr. Toberman contracted the architectural firm of Meyer & Holler (who also designed the Egyptian) to design a "palace type theatre" of Chinese design. Grauman's Chinese Theatre was financed by Grauman, who owned a one-third interest, and his partners: Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Howard Schenck.[1] The principal architect of the Chinese Theatre was Raymond M. Kennedy, of Meyer and Holler.

During construction, Grauman hired Jean Klossner to formulate an extremely hard concrete for the forecourt of the theatre. Klossner later became known as "Mr. Footprint," performing the footprint ceremonies from 1927 through 1962.

There are many stories regarding the origins of the footprints. The theater's official account in its books and souvenir programs credit Norma Talmadge as having inspired the tradition when she accidentally stepped into the wet concrete. However, in a short interview during the September 13, 1937, Lux Radio Theatre broadcast of a radio adaptation of A Star Is Born Grauman related another version of how he got the idea to put hand and footprints in the concrete. He said it was: "pure accident. I walked right into it. While we were building the theatre, I accidentally happened to step in some soft concrete. And there it was. So, I went to Mary Pickford immediately. Mary put her foot into it." Still another account by Jean Klossner (the construction foreman at the time) recounts that Klossner autographed his work next to the right-hand poster kiosk and that he and Grauman developed the idea then and there. His autograph and hand-print, dated 1927, remain today. The theater's third founding partner, Douglas Fairbanks, was the second celebrity, after Talmadge, to be immortalized in the concrete.

Sid Grauman sold his share to William Fox's Fox Theatres chain in 1929, but remained as the theater's Managing Director until his death in 1950.

In 1968 the Chinese Theatre was declared a historic and cultural landmark, and has undergone various restoration projects in the years since then. It was purchased in 1973 by Ted Mann, owner of the Mann Theatres chain, and husband of actress Rhonda Fleming. From 1973 through 2001, the theatre was known as Mann's Chinese Theatre, owing to its acquisition by Mann Theatres in 1973. In the wake of Mann's bankruptcy, the theatre, along with the other Mann properties, were sold in 2000 to a partnership of Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures, who also acquired the Mann brand name.[2] In 2002 the original name was restored to the cinema palace, although the other theatres in the attached Hollywood and Highland mall retain and continue to operate under the name Mann's Chinese 6 Theatre.[1]

In 2008, the land the theatre sits on was sold to the CIM Group for an undisclosed price. Mann Theatres continues to have a long-term lease on the venue for movie premieres and will continue to operate it as a film house. The land was sold to CIM by the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation of New York and Barlow Respiratory Hospital of Los Angeles. CIM Group also owns the Hollywood and Highland retail mall next door to the Chinese Theatre, as well as numerous other residential and commercial properties in Hollywood.[3]

The exterior of the theater is meant to resemble a giant, red Chinese pagoda. The architecture features a huge Chinese dragon across the front, two Authentic Chinese Ming Heavens dogs guard the main entrance, and the silhouettes of tiny dragons up and down the sides of the copper roof. To the dismay of many fans of historic architecture, the free-standing ticket booth was removed (which was not original to the theatre, but rather installed in the 1930s), along with the left and right neon marquees—but their absence brings the theatre back closer to its original state. The auditorium has recently been completely restored along with much of the exterior, however, the wear and tear on the physical structure over the years has caused some of the external décor to be removed, rather than repaired.

In 1944, 1945, and 1946 the Academy Awards ceremonies were held at the Chinese Theatre; they are now held at the adjacent Kodak Theatre.[4]

Grauman's Chinese Theatre continues to serve the public as a first-run movie theater. Many Hollywood films have had their premieres at the Chinese Theatre throughout its history. Today its premiers are attended by celebrities and large throngs of fans as they have been since 1927.

Footprints

Many older entries contain personal messages to Sid Grauman, such as Myrna Loy's 1936 contribution. Loy's first job was as a dancer at the theater in the 1920s.

There are nearly 200 Hollywood celebrity handprints, footprints, and autographs in the concrete of the theater's forecourt.

Variations of this honored tradition are imprints of the eye glasses of Harold Lloyd, the cigars of Groucho Marx and George Burns, the magic wands of Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, the legs of Betty Grable, the fist of John Wayne, the knees of Al Jolson, the ice skating blades of Sonja Henie, and the noses of Jimmy Durante and Bob Hope.

Western stars William S. Hart and Roy Rogers left imprints of their guns. The hoofprints of "Tony", the horse of Tom Mix, "Champion", the horse of Gene Autry, and "Trigger", the horse of Rogers, were left in the concrete beside the prints of the stars who rode them in the movies.

During World War II the theater discontinued installing concrete handprints and footprints. The tradition resumed after the war in 1945 with Gene Tierney: Her star was on the rise at the time with Laura and the release of Leave Her to Heaven.

The only person not associated with the movie industry to have a signature and handprint in front of the theater is Grauman's mother. Additionally, Charles Nelson, the winner of a "Talent Quest," had his handprints and footprints embedded in the "Forecourt of the Stars."

Full list of footprint and handprint ceremonies

1920s

Despite claims by some that he did and that they were later removed during blacklisting in the 1950s, Charlie Chaplin never placed his handprints in the concrete at the theatre.

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

Steve McQueen's hand and footprints, placed upside down at his request.

1970s

Jack Nicholson's prints from 1974.

1980s

1990s

2000s

Culture references

Grauman's Chinese Theatre (below the miniature of Griffith Park)

In video games

In music

In film

On television

In novels

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Mann Theatres - Grauman's Chinese". Mann Theatres. http://www.manntheatres.com/chinese/index.php. Retrieved April 17, 2007. 
  2. ↑ "Business - Chicago Sun-Times". Chicago Sun-Times. January 12, 2000. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20000112/ai_n9600152. Retrieved April 17, 2007. 
  3. ↑ Vincent, Roger (February 28, 2004). "Trizec Completes Sale of Multiuse Complex". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2004/feb/28/business/fi-holly28. Retrieved 2008-12-18. 
  4. ↑ "IMDb: Academy Awards, USA". IMDb. http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Academy_Awards_USA/. Retrieved April 17, 2007. 

External links

Preceded by
The Ambassador Hotel
Los Angeles		 Venues of Oscars
1944 - 1947		 Succeeded by
Shrine Auditorium
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