Grauman's Egyptian Theatre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Egyptian Theatre |
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| Location | 1650–1654 McCadden Pl & 6706–6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California |
| Built | 1922 |
| Architectural style(s) | Egyptian Revival |
| Governing body | Private |
| Owner | Netflix |
| Designated | 1993 |
| Reference no. | 584 |
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The Grauman's Egyptian Theatre is a famous movie theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It first opened in 1922. This theater is known as one of the first very fancy "movie palaces." It was also the place where the first-ever Hollywood film premiere (first showing) happened.
From 1998 to 2020, a group called the American Cinematheque owned and ran the theater. In May 2020, Netflix bought the theater. After a big restoration project by Netflix, the theater reopened in November 2023. Netflix now handles the movie showings from Monday to Thursday. The American Cinematheque uses the theater from Friday to Sunday.
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History of the Egyptian Theatre
The Egyptian Theatre was built by a showman named Sid Grauman. He worked with a real estate developer, Charles E. Toberman. They also built the nearby El Capitan Theatre and Chinese Theatre. Sid Grauman had already opened another big movie theater in Los Angeles in 1918.
The Egyptian Theatre cost $800,000 to build. It took 18 months to finish. The architects Meyer & Holler designed the building.
First Hollywood Premiere
The Egyptian Theatre hosted the first-ever Hollywood film premiere. This was for the movie Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood. It happened on October 18, 1922. The movie cost over $1 million to make.
Tickets for the premiere cost $5. You could reserve a seat up to two weeks early. Evening tickets for regular showings were 75¢, $1, or $1.50. This movie was not shown in any other Los Angeles theater that year. Other famous movies also had their first showings here. These included The Ten Commandments in 1923. Also, The Thief of Bagdad in 1924, and The Gold Rush in 1925.
In 1927, Sid Grauman opened another movie theater. He called it the Chinese Theatre. People loved this new theater. It became even more popular than the Egyptian. This was because of the many celebrity handprints and footprints in its front courtyard.
American Cinematheque Takes Over
The Egyptian Theatre closed in 1992. It started to fall apart. In 1996, the city of Los Angeles sold the theater. They sold it to the American Cinematheque for a very low price. The deal was that the Cinematheque would fix up the building. They would reopen it as a movie theater.
The Cinematheque raised money for the restoration. They planned to use the theater for public film showings. The Egyptian Theatre reopened on December 4, 1998. The renovation cost $12.8 million. The original theater had one large room with 1,760 seats. After the restoration, it had two screening rooms. The main theater had 616 seats. It was named after Lloyd Rigler. A smaller theater had 78 seats. It was named after Steven Spielberg. The outside courtyard was fully restored to how it looked in 1922.
The American Cinematheque also shows films at other theaters. These include the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. They also use the Los Feliz 3 theater in Los Feliz.
Netflix Buys the Theater
In April 2019, Netflix announced it wanted to buy the theater. Netflix wanted to use it for special events. This might help their films qualify for awards like the Oscars. The American Cinematheque would still hold events on weekends.
On May 29, 2020, Netflix officially bought the theater. They also planned more renovations. In August 2023, the Los Angeles Times reported on Netflix's restoration. They brought the theater back to its original look. This included fixing the neon sign and the hieroglyphics on the courtyard walls. They also updated the lobby and inside of the theater. Some parts from the 1990s restoration were removed. This included palm trees in the courtyard. The seating capacity was reduced to 516 seats. Modern lighting and sound systems were also added.
In October 2023, Netflix announced the theater would reopen. It reopened on November 9 with a showing of their film The Killer. A documentary about the theater, Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre, also came out.
Architecture and Design
The outside of the theater looks like ancient Egyptian buildings. This style is called Egyptian Revival. However, some parts of the roof above the main entrance do not look Egyptian. The first plans for the theater were for a Spanish-themed building. But these plans were changed to an Egyptian style.
This change likely happened because people were very interested in Tutankhamun's tomb. Archaeologist Howard Carter was searching for it. He found the tomb on November 4, 1922. This was just two weeks after the Egyptian Theatre opened. When the style was changed, the Spanish-style roof parts had already been bought. So, they were used in the building.
After an earthquake in 1994, the theater needed repairs. An architecture studio helped design a new cinema inside. They updated the technology for the American Cinematheque's programs. The outside was restored to its original look a year later. The inside was updated with modern projection, sound, and seating. In 2000, the project won a national award for preservation.
The outside and inside walls have Egyptian-style paintings and hieroglyphs. Four huge columns mark the main entrance. They are about 4.5 feet wide and 20 feet tall.
The theater has a large courtyard in the front. It is about 45 by 150 feet. It has a fountain. This courtyard is like an "entrance hall." It was made to host the theater's famous red-carpet events.
Influence and Legacy
The Egyptian Theatre's design and name inspired other movie theaters. For example, Peery's Egyptian Theatre in Ogden, Utah, which opened in 1924, looks similar.
The Egyptian Theatre has also appeared in popular culture. It was shown in an episode of Visiting... with Huell Howser in 1999. It is also the setting for a scene in the video game L.A. Noire. The theater also appears in Jonathan Franzen's 2021 novel, Crossroads.
See also
In Spanish: Grauman's Egyptian Theatre para niños
- Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in Hollywood
- Grauman's Chinese Theatre
- Egyptian Theatre (disambiguation)
