Grauman's Chinese Theatre

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2007)
The quality of this article or section may be compromised by wording which promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information.
You can help Wikipedia by removing peacock terms or finding content which backs the claims.
The historic Hollywood mecca.
The historic Hollywood mecca.

Grauman's Chinese Theatre is an iconic movie theatre located at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. 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 theatre opened May 18, 1927 with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's The King of Kings.[1] It has since been home to many premieres, birthday parties, corporate junkets and two Academy Awards ceremonies. Among the theatre's most famous traits are the autographed cement blocks that reside in the forecourt, which bear the signatures and markings of many of Hollywood's most revered stars and starlets.

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, was sold in 2000 to a partnership comprising 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]

Contents

[edit] History

Interior of the theatre.
Interior of the theatre.

After his success with the Egyptian Theatre, Sid Grauman, once again, turned to C.E. Toberman to secure a long term lease on property located at 6925 Hollywood Blvd. Mr. Toberman contracted with the architectural firm of Meyer and Holler (who also designed the Egyptian Theatre) to design a "palace type theatre" of Chinese design. Grauman's Chinese Theatre was financed by a showman, Sid Grauman, who owned a one-third interest with his partners: Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Howard Schenck.[1] Upon completion of the plans, Mr. Toberman began construction of the theatre. The principal architect of the Chinese Theatre was Raymond M. Kennedy, of the firm Meyer and Holler. During construction, Sid Grauman hired Jean Klossner to formulate an extremely hard cement for the forecourt of the theatre. Klossner later became known as "Mr. Footprint", performing the footprint ceremonies from 1927 through 1962.

In a short interview at the end of the September 13, 1937 Lux Radio Theatre program (whose night's presentation was a radio adaptation of A Star Is Born) Grauman told Cecil B. DeMille how he got the idea to put hand and footprints in the cement. Grauman stated that it was by "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." The theatre's third partner, Douglas Fairbanks, was the next celebrity to be immortalized in the cement.

Sid Grauman sold his share to William Fox's Fox Theatre in 1929 but remained as the theatre's Managing Director until his death in 1950.

In 1968 it was declared a historic and cultural landmark, and has undergone restoration projects in the years since then. The theatre was purchased in 1973 by Ted Mann, owner of the Mann Theatres chain and husband of actress Rhonda Fleming, who renamed it Mann's Chinese Theatre. As of November 9, 2001, the original name was returned to the front of the theatre. To the dismay of many fans of historic architecture, the free-standing ticket booth was removed, 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 has been so pronounced that over the years some of the external decor has been removed, rather than repaired.

Grauman's Chinese Theatre continues to serve the public as a normal first-run movie theatre. Many film premieres are held at the Chinese Theatre, often attended by large throngs of celebrities.

The theatre was home to the 1944, 1945, and 1946 Academy Awards ceremonies and is adjacent to the Kodak Theatre, the Awards' current home.[3]

The exterior of the movie theatre is meant to resemble a giant, red Chinese pagoda. The architecture features a huge Chinese dragon across the front, two stone lion-dogs guarding the main entrance, and the silhouettes of tiny dragons up and down the sides of the copper roof.

[edit] 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 theatre in the 1920s.
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 theatre in the 1920s.

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

Steve McQueen's hand and foot prints
Steve McQueen's hand and foot prints

Variations of this honored tradition are imprints of the eye glasses of Harold Lloyd, the cigars of Groucho Marx and George Burns, 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 cement beside the prints of the stars who rode them in the movies.

During World War II the theatre discontinued installing cement 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 hand print in front of the theatre 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."

[edit] Full List of Footprint and Handprint Ceremonies

[edit] 1920s

[edit] 1930s

[edit] 1940s

[edit] 1950s

[edit] 1960s

[edit] 1970s

[edit] 1980s

[edit] 1990s

[edit] 2000s

[edit] Culture references

Mann's Chinese Theatre (below the miniature of Griffith Park)
Mann's Chinese Theatre (below the miniature of Griffith Park)
Jack Nicholson's prints from 1974
Jack Nicholson's prints from 1974

[edit] At amusement parks

  • A miniature replica of Grauman's Chinese Theatre made of LEGO bricks is located at Legoland California as Mann's Chinese Theatre.
  • An exact replica of the Chinese Theatre acted as the centerpiece and architectural icon of the Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida from its opening in 1989 until 2001. At that time a giant Sorcerer's Hat was erected in front of the theatre, effectively blocking the view of the theatre from the street, and replacing it as the park's official icon. This is apparently due to a licensing and copyright disagreement between the theatre's current owners and Disney. It is still there, however, and continues to serve as the entrance to the park's centrepiece attraction, The Great Movie Ride. Working from vintage reference material, builders included external decor on this replica that no longer exists on the "real" version in Hollywood.

[edit] In video games

[edit] In music

  • In 1972, The Kinks recorded the song "Celluloid Heroes" and refer to Hollywood Boulevard and the concrete signatures of 7 movie stars at Grauman's.
  • In Kelly Rowland's song "Stole", the theatre is mentioned in the chorus along with Marilyn Monroe.
  • In 1997, the song "Mann's Chinese" was released by the alternative band Naked. The song highlights some events at the Chinese, such as the premiere of Batman Returns, in addition to an underlying criticism about the shallow and vain Hollywood culture. The song was a moderate radio hit and also appeared in an episode of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
  • The song "Walter Reed" from the album Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947 by Michael Penn contains the lyrics, "I've had my fill of palm trees and lighting up Grauman's Chinese. Tell me now what more do you need, take me to Walter Reed tonight" The contrast presented by these lines suggests that the song title refers not to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, but instead to the Walter Reade Theater in New York City.

[edit] In film

  • In the 1974 comedy spoof Blazing Saddles, a gunfight between the characters played by Cleavon Little and Harvey Korman takes place outside the theatre, which is depicted as screening the finished film.
  • In the Robert Zemeckis film Forrest Gump, the Chinese Theatre can be seen during Jenny's hippie days, playing the Stanley Kubrick film 2001: A Space Odyssey, which, in real life, is Tom Hanks' favorite film.
  • In the animated movie Cats Don't Dance, the theatre is featured on Danny's arrival in Hollywood, and also is the setting at the premiere of Darla's film. This is also where Danny has his big battle against Max on top of the theatre.
  • Star Wars premiered at this theatre on May 25, 1977. R2-D2, C-3PO and Darth Vader's footprints are also there.
  • As a publicity stunt for the movie Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, the first "star car" Herbie the Love Bug had his tire prints embedded in the cement but they are no longer there.
  • Also featured in the movie Rush Hour.
  • Also featured in the 1998 movie Mighty Joe Young.
  • Also features in the 2003 movie Hollywood Homicide.
  • Aerial view of the theatre is shown in the movie "The Godfather", just before Tom Hagen's visit to the director to get Johnny Fontane a part in the movie.
  • Also features in Austin Powers in Goldmember at the end when they watch the film version of the events that just occurred in the film.
  • Also features in Borat
  • Is destroyed in the film Earthquake when the Mulholland Dam, which is located in the Hollywood Hills just below the Hollywood Sign, breaks. (In fact, that probably wouldn't happen because the water would actually go down Holly Dr. and then reach Hollywood Blvd. about 8 blocks east of the theater, somewhere around Wilcox Ave. or N. Cahuenga Blvd.)

[edit] On television

  • In a classic episode of I Love Lucy, Lucy and Ethel visit the theatre and discover that the cement block that shows John Wayne's footprints is loose, and attempt to steal the block to take home as a souvenir. In the next episode, they meet John Wayne and try to get it replaced.
  • On the Simpsons episode "Beyond Blunderdome", they pass Mann's Chinese Theatre. It is next to Chinese Man's Theatre, which is noticeably more dilapidated.
  • In the Futurama episode, "That's Lobstertainment", the theatre appears in the 31st century as "Loew's Gaddafi's Mann's Grauman's Chinese Theatre."
  • In an episode of the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies the hillbillies perform the "public service" of filling in the footprints, handprints, writing, and even legprints that various "vandals" put in the sidewalk outside the theatre.
  • In an episode of the TV cartoon The Fairly Oddparents, The Crimson Chin lands on his buttocks right in the wet cement of the sidewalk in front of the theatre. He then signs his name in the wet cement, just like many real actors had done before.
  • In another The Fairly OddParents episode, there is a theatre called Dann's Chinese Theatre, an obvious reference to Grauman's Chinese Theatre. In another episode the Crimson Chin hits the sign Chinese, and the letters fall down so it's read Dann's Chin Theatre.

[edit] In novels

  • In the novel Three Days to Never by Tim Powers, the footprint slab made by Charlie Chaplin in 1928 forms part of a time machine built by Albert Einstein and his daughter. In fact, as in the novel, the Chaplin slab was removed from in front of the theatre in the 1950s, when accusations of communism turned much public opinion against the actor, and was moved to a family member's home in Eagle Rock and buried in the back yard where it remains today.
  • In the novel Summer on Wheels the main characters want to visit the famous theatre, but get lost and end up in some rough areas.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Mann Theatres - Grauman's Chinese. Mann Theatres. Retrieved on April 17, 2007.
  2. ^ Business - Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago Sun-Times (January 12, 2000). Retrieved on April 17, 2007.
  3. ^ IMDb: Academy Awards, USA. IMDb. Retrieved on April 17, 2007.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Coordinates: 34°6′7″N 118°20′27.5″W / 34.10194, -118.340972