Grauman's Chinese Theater

                                                                                         

It was once stated that, “To visit Los Angeles and not visit the Chinese [theater] is like visiting China and not seeing the Great Wall”. True to its reputation, the Grauman’s Chinese Theater is one of the most historic cornerstones of Hollywood.

Grauman’s Chinese Theater, located in the heart of Hollywood Boulevard, was built by a legendary showman, Sid Grauman. Grauman, along with his business partners Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, held the grand opening of the theater on May 18, 1927. The theater’s grand opening was also the premiere of the 1927 movie "The King of Kings". Grauman was also responsible for building The Egyptian Theater, just down the street from the Chinese Theater, and also the Million Dollar Theater in Los Angeles. The theater was built on a budget of two million dollars and took eighteen months to finish. Sid Grauman, who always had a flair for the dramatic, envisioned the Chinese Theater to be bigger, better, and more glamorous than his previous two theaters. It was this mindset that prompted Grauman to come up with the most fascinating part of the Chinese Theater: the cement foot-and-hand-prints located out front.

The large, foot-and-hand-print-covered courtyard is visited by over four million tourists from around the world each year. Here, visitors can see the cemented prints of many celebrities, past and present. It is considered a great opportunity to be selected to leave your tradition in stone in front of the theater. The courtyard is nearly full, but there are still a few spots left to be filled by upcoming stars. Some of the most well-known, and most visited, squares of cement include that of Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Adam Sandler, and Jack Nicholson.

Grauman’s Chinese Theater is still one of the highest in demand places to have a movie premiere, and has hosted more movie premieres than any other theater in history. Throughout the years, the theater has hosted premiers such as "The Wizard of Oz", in which 10,000 spectators lined the sidewalks on Hollywood Boulevard. The theater has also been featured in movies as well. It appeared in the musical "Singin’ In the Rain", the 90's thriller "Speed", and "Mighty Joe Young" in which the gorilla climbs atop the theater itself. It also made appearances in TV shows like "I Love Lucy" and "The Beverly Hillbillies".

When the theater isn’t booked with premieres, which is the majority of the time, tourists are welcome to tour the inside of the theater, of course for the price of a movie ticket. The inside of the theater is beautifully decorated in Chinese décor as well as complex and preserved Chinese artifacts. The auditorium features over 2,200 bright red seats along with plush red carpet. The auditorium section is extremely well-maintained and preserved. Above the majority of the auditorium seats, in place of what would be a balcony, are four sections of private opera boxes, intended for use by visiting celebrities.

Grauman’s Chinese Theater has come a long way since its first movie premiere in 1927. The theater has installed state of the art sound and film projection equipment. But still, the Chinese Theater remains one of the most beloved places in Hollywood.

About the author:
Sue Foley - Group Travel Coordinator - Adventure Student Travel
Educational Tours, Student Travel Group Tours, Group Cruises, Bus Tours

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