Grauman's Chinese Theatre facts for kids

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TCL Chinese Theatre
Construction
The forecourt entrance, Hollywood Boulevard
Former names	Mann's Chinese Theatre (1973–2001) Grauman's Chinese Theatre (1927–1973; 2001–2013)
Address	6925 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, California 90028
Coordinates	34°6′7″N 118°20′27.5″W / 34.10194°N 118.340972°W / 34.10194; -118.340972
Owner	Chinese Theatres, LLC
Type	Indoor movie theater
Capacity	932 (as of 2013)
Broke ground	January 9, 1926
Built	January 16, 1926
Opened	May 18, 1927
Renovated	2001–04 2013 (Digital IMAX conversion) 2014 (70mm IMAX installation for Interstellar) 2015 (IMAX with Laser installation)
Architect	Raymond M. Kennedy Donald Wilkinson

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
Designated:	June 5, 1968
Reference #:	55

The TCL Chinese Theatre is a famous movie theater in Hollywood, California. It's known for its unique Chinese-style look. This theater is on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame. Many people still call it Grauman's Chinese Theatre, which was its name for most of its history.

The idea for this theater came after the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, which opened in 1922. Both theaters were built in a special style called Exotic Revival. Sid Grauman led the building of the Chinese Theatre. Construction started in January 1926 and took 18 months. The theater opened on May 18, 1927. The first movie shown was The King of Kings.

Since then, the theater has hosted many big movie premieres. One famous premiere was Star Wars in 1977. It has also held private events and three Academy Awards ceremonies. A special feature of the theater is its front courtyard. Here, you can find concrete blocks with the signatures, footprints, and handprints of famous movie stars. These prints date from the 1920s to today.

The theater was first called Grauman's Chinese Theatre. In 1973, its name changed to Mann's Chinese Theatre. It went back to its original name in 2001. Then, in 2013, a Chinese electronics company called TCL Corporation bought the right to name the theater. They paid $5 million for this.

In 2013, the Chinese Theatre worked with IMAX Corporation. They changed the main theater into a special IMAX cinema. The newly updated theater can seat 932 people. It also has one of the biggest movie screens in North America.

History of the Chinese Theatre
Architecture and Design
- Outside the Theater
- Inside the Theater
Handprints of the Stars
IMAX Conversion
Recreations of the Theater
Images for kids
See also

History of the Chinese Theatre

Building a Hollywood Landmark

In March 1923, a group of people met to plan a new theater. This group included Sid Grauman, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks. They wanted to build a theater for plays, with movies shown only sometimes. The plan was put on hold for three years. During that time, movies became much more popular. So, the plan changed to make it a movie theater instead.

Sid Grauman was a well-known theater owner. He had already built the Million Dollar Theater and the Egyptian Theatre. In 1925, he moved forward with plans for his new theater. He leased the land where actor Francis X. Bushman's house stood. A plaque was put on the theater to thank Bushman.

The architecture firm Meyer & Holler designed the Chinese Theatre. They had also worked with Grauman on the Egyptian Theatre. Raymond M. Kennedy was the main architect. Early reports said the theater would cost $5 million. It was also supposed to have a "tropical garden" with special plants and fish. In the end, the theater cost $2.1 million to build. Grauman owned the theater with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and others.

Groundbreaking and Famous Prints

The building of the Chinese Theatre officially started on January 5, 1926. This public event was called the start of "the world's most unusual playhouse." Many celebrities were there. These included Grauman, Charlie Chaplin, Norma Talmadge, and Anna May Wong. Talmadge and Wong used a gold shovel to turn the first dirt. Wong also put the first rivet into the theater's structure.

During construction, Grauman hired Jean Klossner. Klossner made a very hard concrete for the theater's front courtyard. He later became known as "Mr. Footprint." He did the footprint ceremonies from 1927 to 1957.

There are many stories about how the handprint tradition started. The theater's official story says Norma Talmadge accidentally stepped into wet concrete. But Grauman himself told a different story. He said he accidentally stepped in wet concrete. Then he asked Mary Pickford to put her foot in it too.

Another story says the first accidental prints were made on the sidewalk. They stayed there until 1958. Klossner also said he signed his work next to a poster stand. He and Grauman then came up with the idea for the prints. Klossner's autograph and handprint from 1927 are still there. Douglas Fairbanks was the second celebrity to leave his prints.

Changes in Ownership and Style

In 1929, Grauman decided to retire. He sold his part of the theater to William Fox's Fox Theatres. But a few months later, Howard Hughes asked Grauman to come back. Hughes wanted Grauman to produce the premiere of his movie Hell's Angels. Grauman stayed as the theater's manager for a while. He retired again but came back on Christmas Day 1931. He managed the theater until he died in 1950.

The Chinese Theatre is known for its grand look. In 1952, John Tartaglia became the main interior decorator. He continued the work of Jean Klossner. Tartaglia did his first footprint ceremony for Jean Simmons in 1953. This was for the premiere of The Robe. This was the first movie shown in Cinemascope. Tartaglia continued this work for 35 years. His last ceremony was for Eddie Murphy in 1987.

The theater in 1964

In 1968, the Chinese Theatre was named a historic landmark. It has been restored many times since then. Ted Mann, who owned Mann Theatres, bought it in 1973. From then until 2001, it was called Mann's Chinese Theatre. Mann later sold his business, including the theater.

In 2000, a group of companies bought the theater. Behr Browers Architects then planned to restore and update it. This included making it safer in an earthquake. They also added new sound and projection systems. The original name, "Grauman's Chinese Theatre," was brought back. A new six-screen cinema was also added nearby.

In 2011, Chinese Theatres LLC bought both Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the nearby Mann Chinese 6. The Chinese Theatre hosted the Academy Awards in 1944, 1945, and 1946. Now, the awards are held at the nearby Dolby Theatre. The Chinese Theatre still shows new movies today.

Architecture and Design

Outside the Theater

Raymond M. Kennedy designed the Chinese Theatre. He worked for the firm Meyer & Holler. They had also designed the West Coast Theatre in Long Beach. The Chinese Theatre was planned to be very grand. It cost $2.1 million to build, which was a lot for a movie theater back then.

The most noticeable part of the outside is the 90-foot-tall pagoda. It is in the middle of the front courtyard. Two large red pillars support the pagoda. Its roof is covered in bronze. The design has many traditional Chinese decorations. There is a 30-foot-tall stone carving of a dragon on the wall. Two Ming dynasty-era guardian lion statues stand at the entrance. The U.S. government allowed these statues and other items to be brought from China. A Chinese poet, Moon Quon, came to oversee the Chinese artists. They created the theater's traditional decorations.

Inside the Theater

The main movie room has a 60-foot-wide decorated doily on its ceiling. It has silver dragon symbols and gold medallions. A bronze chandelier that looks like a lantern hangs from the center. The theater's main colors are different shades of red. Bronze, gold, stone, and silver add accents.

When it first opened, the main stage was very large. It was 150 feet wide and 46 feet deep. The stage could be lowered into a pit. This made it easy to change sets quickly for live shows. The theater even had its own power plant.

The theater could seat 2,258 people when it opened. This was about half the size of the biggest movie theaters at the time. It did not have a large general balcony. Instead, it had four private box suites.

The Chinese Theatre was the first movie theater to have air conditioning. The vents are hidden behind decorative pillars. The theater also had a hidden Wurlitzer organ. Its pipes were above the stage. The sound came through holes in the ceiling. This made the music sound like it was "descending from the heavens." In 1957, the organ was removed.

At first, there was no concession stand. Grauman thought it would take away from the movie experience. But the theater started selling snacks in the 1930s.

Handprints of the Stars

Many older entries include personal messages to Sid Grauman. This one is from Myrna Loy in 1936.

There are almost 200 handprints, footprints, and autographs of Hollywood celebrities. They are all in the concrete of the theater's front courtyard. Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford were the first to leave their prints on April 30, 1927.

Anthony Quinn's prints outside the Chinese Theatre

Some stars left unique imprints. Harold Lloyd left his eyeglasses. Groucho Marx left his cigar. Whoopi Goldberg left her dreadlock. The stars of Harry Potter—Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson—left imprints of their wands. John Barrymore left his facial profile. Betty Grable left her leg print. Marilyn Monroe left her earring.

Western stars William S. Hart and Roy Rogers left prints of their revolvers. John Wayne left his boot and fist prints. Herbie, a Volkswagen Beetle, left tire tracks. The hoofprints of famous horses are also there. These include Tom Mix's horse, Tony, Gene Autry's horse, Champion, and Roy Rogers' horse, Trigger. Their prints are next to their owners'.

Since 2011, there have been many more concrete ceremonies. Many are paid for by movie studios for publicity. One of the theater's owners, Donald Kushner, said these are sometimes "mock ceremonies." This increase has worried some film fans. But the special committee still chooses celebrities based on their contributions to Hollywood movies. Practice blocks are placed on the walls of the Chinese 6 Theatre lobby.

IMAX Conversion

In April 2013, the owners announced plans to change the main theater into an IMAX cinema. The new screen is 94 feet by 46 feet. It is curved and can be adjusted for premieres. To make the view better, the seats were changed. They now go down from street level to the basement floor.

The theater's decorative walls and ceiling were not changed. The existing curtain was made longer. New lighting effects were added. The theater reopened on September 20, 2013. The first movie shown was the IMAX 3D version of The Wizard of Oz. It first opened with a digital projection system. But a 70 mm IMAX system was added for movies like Interstellar and Oppenheimer. Because Oppenheimer was so popular, the 70 mm system stayed. It was used for Tenet and Dune: Part Two in 2024.

In April 2015, the IMAX system was updated. It now uses a new dual-4K IMAX with Laser projector system. This was first used for the premiere of Furious 7.

Recreations of the Theater

A full-size copy of the Chinese Theatre's outside and lobby is at Disney's Hollywood Studios. This is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. This copy used to house "The Great Movie Ride." It opened with the park in 1989 and closed in 2017. Its new ride, "Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway," opened in 2020. This recreation also has concrete handprints from 1988–1995.

A smaller copy of the Chinese Theatre, both inside and out, was built at Parque Warner Madrid. This theme park is near Madrid, Spain. This building shows movies from Warner Bros.. It has shown The Lego Movie and Storks. During Halloween, it shows horror films for guests over 18.