Grauman's Egyptian Theatre facts for kids

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Egyptian Theatre
U.S. Historic district Contributing property

The Black Pirate premiere at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, 1926
Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location	1650–1654 McCadden Pl & 6706–6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Built	1922
Architect	Meyer & Holler
Architectural style	Egyptian Revival
Part of	Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District (ID85000704)
Designated CP	April 4, 1985

Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, also known as Egyptian Hollywood or the Egyptian, is a famous movie theater. It is located on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The theater opened in 1922. It was one of the first very fancy movie theaters. It is known for hosting the world's first film premiere. However, it became less popular when Grauman's Chinese Theatre opened five years later.

From 1998 to 2020, the American Cinematheque owned and ran the Egyptian Theatre. In May 2020, Netflix bought the theater. After a big restoration project, the theater reopened in November 2023. Now, Netflix shows movies Monday through Thursday. The American Cinematheque also shows movies Friday through Sunday.

History of the Egyptian Theatre
Architecture and Design
Influence and Legacy
Images for kids
See also

History of the Egyptian Theatre

The Egyptian Theatre's outside look in 1922.

How the Theater Started

The Egyptian Theatre was built by a showman named Sid Grauman. He worked with a real estate developer, Charles E. Toberman. They later built the nearby El Capitan Theatre and Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Grauman had already opened one of the first movie palaces in the United States. It was called the Million Dollar Theater in Downtown Los Angeles.

The Egyptian Theatre cost $800,000 to build in 1922. It took 18 months to finish. The architects Meyer & Holler designed the building. Their company, Milwaukee Building Company, built it.

The Egyptian Theatre hosted the world's first film premiere. This was for the movie Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood. It happened on October 18, 1922. The movie reportedly cost over $1 million to make. Because of this, tickets to the premiere were $5. You could reserve a seat up to two weeks ahead of time. Evening tickets cost 75¢, $1, or $1.50. This movie was not shown in any other Los Angeles theater that year. Other famous premieres at the Egyptian included The Ten Commandments in 1923. Also, The Thief of Bagdad in 1924, and The Gold Rush in 1925.

When the Theater Became Less Popular

In 1927, Grauman opened another movie theater. It was further west on Hollywood Boulevard. People were very interested in international themes at the time. So, he named his new theater the Chinese Theatre. This new theater became more popular than the Egyptian. This was probably because of the celebrity handprints and footprints in its front area.

After the Chinese Theatre opened, Fox West Coast Theaters used the Egyptian. They showed movies that had already been released. In 1944, the theater started showing new movies again. It became the only Hollywood place to see MGM films. But in 1949, a court case stopped big studios from owning movie theaters. So, MGM had to give up the Egyptian and its other theaters. United Artists then ran the Egyptian from 1949 to 1992. From the 1970s onward, it mainly showed 20th Century Fox films.

In 1955, a large curved Todd-AO screen was added. Much of the theater's original arch around the stage was removed for this screen.

In 1984, the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was added to a list of historic places. This list is called the National Register of Historic Places. The Egyptian Theatre was included as an important building in this district. In 1992, the theater closed and started to fall apart. In 1993, it was named a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.

American Cinematheque Helps Revive the Theater

The theater in 2008.

In 1996, a Los Angeles agency sold the theater to the American Cinematheque. They sold it for only $1. The agreement was that the building had to be fixed up. It needed to look like its original grand design. Then it would reopen as a movie theater.

The Egyptian Theatre's marquee sign.

The Cinematheque raised $12.8 million for the restoration. The theater reopened to the public on December 4, 1998. The original theater had one large room with 1,760 seats. The restored Egyptian added a second, smaller theater. The main theater now had 616 seats. It was named after Lloyd Rigler, a generous person from Los Angeles. The second theater had 78 seats and was named after Steven Spielberg. During these changes, the Egyptian's front courtyard was also restored. It was made to look like it did in 1922. Palm trees and plant boxes were added too.

Netflix Takes Over

In April 2019, it was announced that Netflix wanted to buy the theater. They planned to use it for special events. This would help their films qualify for Oscar nominations. They also wanted to show their movies and TV shows to Oscar and Emmy voters. The American Cinematheque would still hold events on weekends. After this news, people started a petition. They asked for a public meeting about the sale.

On May 29, 2020, Netflix announced they would buy the theater. They also said they would invest in more renovations. The theater's purchase price was reported to be $14.4 million. The renovations cost more than $70 million. These changes included making the building safer in an earthquake.

In August 2023, the Los Angeles Times reported on the restoration. Netflix had made the theater look like its original design. This meant bringing back the neon blade sign over Hollywood Boulevard. The original hieroglyphics and artwork on the courtyard walls were also restored. The lobby was renovated, and the inside was fixed up. Parts of the 1990s restoration were removed. These included courtyard palm trees and acoustic panels. The entire balcony section was also removed. This lowered the seating capacity by 100, to 516 seats. Modern lighting and sound systems were also added.

In October 2023, Netflix announced the theater would reopen on November 9. The first screening was The Killer. A question-and-answer session with director David Fincher followed. Netflix also released a short documentary film. It was called Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre. It included interviews with famous people like Guillermo del Toro and Rian Johnson.

On February 24, 2025, Netflix held the world premiere of The Electric State at the theater.

Architecture and Design

The theater seen from Hollywood Boulevard in 1924.

The outside of the Egyptian Theatre looks like Egyptian Revival architecture. This style was popular because people were very interested in ancient Egypt. This was due to Howard Carter's search for the tomb of Tutankhamun. However, the roof panels above the main entrance are in a Mediterranean style. The theater was first planned to have a Mediterranean design. A story says these roof panels were used because they were already bought when the style changed.

The building's outside walls have Egyptian-style paintings and hieroglyphs. The front courtyard is about 45 feet by 150 feet. It was designed to use Southern California's sunny weather. It was also a place for the theater's red-carpet events. Shops along the east side of the courtyard had an "Oriental look." They sold imported goods. The Pig 'n Whistle restaurant was on the west side. It had a direct entrance from the restaurant to the courtyard.

Originally, the courtyard was also the theater's "entrance hall." The front doors used to open right into the main seating area. The four columns at the main entrance are 4.5 feet wide. They rise 20 feet high.

People waiting in line for an event at the Egyptian.

Inside, the theater originally had Sphinx sculptures. It also had special boxes for singers and a pit for an orchestra. There was a large arch around the stage. It had a winged scarab beetle with a medallion and snakes in the middle. The most important part of the theater was a huge sunburst design on the ceiling. This also served as a grille for the organ. Many of these features were removed when movies with sound came out. Much of the stage arch was taken down to make room for a bigger screen. This happened when the theater upgraded to Todd-AO.

In 1997, the design studio Hodgetts + Fung renovated the theater. They updated its technology for American Cinematheque programs. The outside was restored. The projection, sound, seating, and other systems were improved. In 2000, this project won a National Preservation Award.

The Egyptian was renovated again from 2020 to 2023. This time, the focus was on changing things from the previous renovation. New additions like palm trees and a second-floor balcony were removed. The ceiling in the main room and the Egyptian scarab at the stage arch were restored. The theater's technology was modernized again. The entire renovation process, from the 1990s to the 2020s, is seen as a "case study in reversibility." This means changes can be undone to bring back original looks.

Influence and Legacy

The Egyptian Theatre's layout, design, and name were copied by other movie theaters. These theaters were built across North America. Some examples include those in Bala Cynwyd, Boise, Concord, Coos Bay, DeKalb, Delta, El Dorado, Hanover, Montreal, Ogden, Park City, Pasadena, and Seattle.