BGuthrie Photos: CA -- Hollywood -- TCL Chinese Theatre (Grauman's)

CA -- Hollywood -- TCL Chinese Theatre (Grauman's):

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. GRAUMN_150706_001.JPG: Nicholas Cage Aug. 14, 2001
2. GRAUMN_150706_003.JPG: Anthony Hopkins Jan. 11th 2001
3. GRAUMN_150706_005.JPG: Rock Hudson [part of the GIANT 56 block]
4. GRAUMN_150706_007.JPG: GIANT 56 Elizabeth Taylor
5. GRAUMN_150706_011.JPG: George Stevens [part of the GIANT 56 block]
6. GRAUMN_150706_013.JPG: Thanks Sid Betty Grable My leg USA USN USMC 2-15-43
7. GRAUMN_150706_015.JPG: Thank-you Sid Thumbs-up Edward Arnold Jan-6-1942
8. GRAUMN_150706_017.JPG: Thanks Sid "We Dood It" Red Skelton June 18th 42
9. GRAUMN_150706_019.JPG: To Sid In sincere appreciation Jean Harlow ?-29-33
10. GRAUMN_150706_021.JPG: To Sid Honest, me? Bob Hope 2-5-43
11. GRAUMN_150706_026.JPG: To Sid -- Happy Days! Dorothy Lamour 2-5-43
12. GRAUMN_150706_028.JPG: To our pal Sid Grauman from Ritz Brothers Al ... Jimmi ... Harry Sept. 22, 37, our-hand and foot prints
13. GRAUMN_150706_030.JPG: Cary Grant July 16, 1951
14. GRAUMN_150706_032.JPG: 11/15/11 West Side Story Russ Tamblyn (Riff) Rita Moreno (Anita) George Chakiris (Bernardo) 11-15-11
15. GRAUMN_150706_034.JPG: Natalie Wood 12-5-61
16. GRAUMN_150706_037.JPG: To Sid A great guy Henry Fonda July 24 42
17. GRAUMN_150706_040.JPG: Jane Fonda! 4/27/13
18. GRAUMN_150706_041.JPG: Jack Nicholson June 17, 1974
19. GRAUMN_150706_043.JPG: Susan Sarandon 1/11/99
20. GRAUMN_150706_045.JPG: God Bless! Denzel 1/15/98 Washington
21. GRAUMN_150706_047.JPG: Michael Keaton 6-15-1992
22. GRAUMN_150706_049.JPG: To Sid -- The Prince of Hollywood Edward G. Robinson
23. GRAUMN_150706_051.JPG: Thank you Sid Jimmy Stewart Fri - 13 Feb 1948
24. GRAUMN_150706_055.JPG: Love to Mr. Grauman from Margaret O'Brien Aug. 15-1946
25. GRAUMN_150706_057.JPG: To Sid Grauman A great guy -- and a great showman Gene Autry -- Champ. Dec-23 1949
26. GRAUMN_150706_059.JPG: Jerry Maren 9/18/13 Jerry Maren From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Gerald Marenghi (born January 24, 1920), known as Jerry Maren, is an American former actor and the only confirmed surviving dwarf Munchkin of the classic 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz, in which he portrayed a Munchkin member of the Lollipop Guild. He became the last survivor of the original dwarf Munchkin cast (there are some other actors that appeared in the film that are living, including some child Munchkins) following the death of fellow Munchkin Ruth Duccini on January 16, 2014.
27. GRAUMN_150706_061.JPG: Emma Thompson 11-7-13
28. GRAUMN_150706_063.JPG: Ben Stiller 12/3/13
29. GRAUMN_150706_065.JPG: Kevin Costner 9-6-06
30. GRAUMN_150706_067.JPG: John Goodman 11/14/13
31. GRAUMN_150706_069.JPG: Jerry Lewis 4/11/14
32. GRAUMN_150706_071.JPG: Kim Novak 4/14/12
33. GRAUMN_150706_073.JPG: Mickey "Loki" Rourke (Joe) I [heart] Grauma [sic] 10-31-11
34. GRAUMN_150706_075.JPG: Johny [sic] Grant WOW! 5-13-97 Johnny Grant (radio personality) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Johnny Grant (May 9, 1923 – January 9, 2008) was an American radio personality and television producer who also served as the honorary mayor of Hollywood, in which capacity he was often present at Hollywood community functions, including the unveiling of new stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. An intersection just north of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue is designated "Johnny Grant Way."
35. GRAUMN_150706_077.JPG: Jennifer Aniston July 7, 2011
36. GRAUMN_150706_081.JPG: "... I used to go to Grauman's Chinese Theatre and try to fit my foot in a celebrity impression, it really meant to me that anything is possible... almost." -- "Marilyn Monroe" This is Marilyn's remembrance of her experiences at our theatre during her stay at Hollygrove in her youth. Founded in 1880 as the Los Angeles Orphans Home Society, Hollygrove has served over 15,000 orphaned, abused and neglected children. Their mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment where each child can heal and develop emotionally, intellectually and physically in order to join healthy families and become contributing members of society. In support of their efforts, the Grauman's Chinese Theatre will donate all monies collected from this fountain to Hollygrove. As you toss in your coin and make a wish, know that you are helping to make a child's dream come true.
37. GRAUMN_150706_083.JPG: TCL Chinese Theatres
38. GRAUMN_150706_085.JPG: Jack Valenti 12/6/04
39. GRAUMN_150706_087.JPG: Robin Williams carpe diem 12/22/98
40. GRAUMN_150706_090.JPG: Leo MGM 90th 1-22-14
41. GRAUMN_150706_095.JPG: From in front of and behind the cameras ... thank you Ron Howard 3-23-99
42. GRAUMN_150706_097.JPG: Arnold Schwarzenegger "I'll be back" 7.14.94
43. GRAUMN_150706_100.JPG: Thanks Charlton Heston 1/18/62
44. GRAUMN_150706_103.JPG: Solo per sempre [Only Forever] 7-26-62 Sophia Loren
45. GRAUMN_150706_105.JPG: Robert DeNiro 2/14/13
46. GRAUMN_150706_107.JPG: Sean Connery 13th/4th/99 [barefoot]
47. GRAUMN_150706_109.JPG: Richard Gere 7-26-99
48. GRAUMN_150706_111.JPG: Johnny Depp 16-1X-05
49. GRAUMN_150706_115.JPG: 3/21/61 Steve McQueen Thanks!!
50. GRAUMN_150706_118.JPG: Dreams to come true Anthony Quinn 12-21-68
51. GRAUMN_150706_120.JPG: I-am-grateful to all who have made these hand and foot-prints-possible Sid Grauman Jan. 24th 1946
52. GRAUMN_150706_122.JPG: Frank Sinatra 7-28-65
53. GRAUMN_150706_124.JPG: Julie Andrews 3-26-66
54. GRAUMN_150706_127.JPG: In commemoration The 100th anniversary of Hollywood Mann Chinese Theatre 60th Anniversary May 14, 1987
55. GRAUMN_150706_129.JPG: Chinese Heaven Dogs Ming Dynasty 1403-1643 Heaven Dogs were believed by the Chinese to ward off evil spirits and were widely used to guard the sacred Ming tombs in the interior of China. They were first introduced in the reign of Huo Pin in 117 BC and achieved their greatest vogue in the dynasties of Tang and Sung.
56. GRAUMN_150706_136.JPG: Chinese Theatre 50th Anniversary Time capsule
57. GRAUMN_150706_138.JPG: All Los Angeles Congratulates Ted Man and the Chinese Theatre May 18 1977 Tom Bradley Mayor for 50 great years
58. GRAUMN_150706_142.JPG: Greetings to Sid 1927 Mary Pickford Hand and foot prints of
59. GRAUMN_150706_144.JPG: Greetings to Sid from Cecil B. deMille Aug-7-1941 Hand and boot prints
60. GRAUMN_150706_147.JPG: Auntie Mame was here Rosalind Russell Feb 19 '59
61. GRAUMN_150706_149.JPG: Many Thanks Debbie Reynolds 1/14/65
62. GRAUMN_150706_151.JPG: Robert Downey Jr. 12-7-09
63. GRAUMN_150706_153.JPG: Dear Sid rain or shine I love you Anne Baxter Dec-15th 1949
64. GRAUMN_150706_155.JPG: To my friend Sid "Mr. Hollywood" Gregory Peck Dec. 15th 1949
65. GRAUMN_150706_157.JPG: Michael Caine Thank You 7.11.08
66. GRAUMN_150706_159.JPG: Hugh Jackman 4/21/09
67. GRAUMN_150706_161.JPG: Sid there are not enough words John Wayne Jan 25 1950
68. GRAUMN_150706_164.JPG: Chris Walken 10/8/04
69. GRAUMN_150706_166.JPG: Meryl Streep Sept. 25 1994
70. GRAUMN_150706_168.JPG: Steven Seagal 7/10/95
71. GRAUMN_150706_171.JPG: Robert Zemeckis 7-8-97 M.E.-b-day
72. GRAUMN_150706_173.JPG: Ted, 6/2/80 It's great to be here, thanks! John Travolta
73. GRAUMN_150706_174.JPG: Bless-you-SId Georgia Jessel March 1st 49
74. GRAUMN_150706_177.JPG: Love to Sid Alice Faye 3-20-38
75. GRAUMN_150706_180.JPG: Yul Brynner, The King
76. GRAUMN_150706_182.JPG: Mel Brooks Sept. 8 2014
77. GRAUMN_150706_184.JPG: Christopher Plummer 3-27-15
78. GRAUMN_150706_186.JPG: Vince Vaughn 3/4/15
79. GRAUMN_150706_188.JPG: Sidney Poitier 6/23/67
80. GRAUMN_150706_190.JPG: Shirley MacLaine MeanTime 6/29/63
81. GRAUMN_150706_196.JPG: Sid may you never die till i kill you Humphrey Bogart Aug. 21 46
82. GRAUMN_150706_200.JPG: To Sid Many-happy-trails Roy Rogers & Trigger [including gun and horse shoe imprints] April-21-1949
83. GRAUMN_150706_203.JPG: Paul Newman Joanne Woodward Thanks! His ... Hers May 25 1963 [more bare feet]
84. GRAUMN_150706_204.JPG: God bless you Sid Van Johnson 3-25-48
85. GRAUMN_150706_206.JPG: Thanks to Sid Esther Williams in honor of G.I. Joe 9-1-44 Pvt. Joe Brai
86. GRAUMN_150706_208.JPG: Too Stumped for Words Thanks To Sid Grauman from Edgar Bergen Charlie McCarthy July 20th 1938
87. GRAUMN_150706_212.JPG: Love to you all Shirley Temple 3-14-35
88. GRAUMN_150706_215.JPG: U.S. Christian Radio Star of the First Cinemiracle Production Louis de Rockemonts "Windjammer" World Premiere Chinese Theatre Aprl 8, 1958 the first Special Merit Award conferred by the Leif Erikson Foundation upon Elmer C. Rhoden whose foresight and leadership culminated in the development of the Cinemiracle process of motion picture photography and projection. September 10, 1958
89. GRAUMN_150706_217.JPG: Sid, I got here at last Gary Cooper 8-14-43
90. GRAUMN_150706_219.JPG: To Sid with all my sole Joe E. Brown My mouth print 3-5-36
91. GRAUMN_150706_222.JPG: "Skall" to Sid Grauman my dear friend Jean Hersholt 7-20-1949 Jean Hersholt From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jean Pierre Hersholt (12 July 1886 – 2 June 1956) was a Danish-born actor who lived in the United States, where he was a leading film and radio talent, best known for his 17 years starring on radio in Dr. Christian and for playing Shirley Temple's grandfather in Heidi. Asked how to pronounce his name, he told The Literary Digest, "In English, her'sholt; in Danish, hairs'hult." Of his total credits, 75 were silent films and 65 were sound films (140 total); he directed four.
92. GRAUMN_150706_225.JPG: I asked the kid to put his hands over Shirley's handprint. She was 7 when she did the print in the cement.
93. GRAUMN_150706_228.JPG: To Sid - You're "taps" with me Eleanor Powell Dec-23-37 Eleanor Powell From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Eleanor Torrey Powell (November 21, 1912 – February 11, 1982) was an American dancer and actress. Best remembered for her exuberant solo tap numbers in musical films in the 1930s and 1940s, Powell began studying ballet aged six and began dancing at nightclubs in Atlantic City before she was a teenager. From the age of sixteen, she began studying tap and started appearing in musical revues on Broadway, before making her Hollywood debut as a featured dancer in the movie George White's Scandals (1935). She was known as one of MGM's top dancing stars during the Golden Age of Hollywood in a series of musical vehicles tailored especially for her talents, such as Born to Dance (1936), Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937) and Rosalie (1937), believed to be equaled only by Fred Astaire in terms of dancing talent. In 1965, she was named the World's Greatest Tap Dancer by the Dance Masters of America.
94. GRAUMN_150706_230.JPG: The Blue of the Night to Sid Grauman from Bing Crosby 4-8-36
95. GRAUMN_150706_233.JPG: My [heart] belongs to Mary [Livingstone] but my feet belong to Grauman Jack Benny Jan-13-41
96. GRAUMN_150706_235.JPG: To Sid who is a Great Guy Clark Gable 1-20-37
97. GRAUMN_150706_237.JPG: To Sid Grauman that's all today see you tomorrow Louella O. Parsons Sept. 30th-1946
98. GRAUMN_150706_239.JPG: Thanks Two Million! Joan Blondell 2-10-37
99. GRAUMN_150706_242.JPG: To Sid Grauman Best always and all ways W. S. Van Dyke 1-20-37 W. S. Van Dyke From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Woodbridge Strong Van Dyke II (March 21, 1889 – February 5, 1943) was an American film director and writer who made several successful early sound films, including Tarzan the Ape Man in 1932, The Thin Man in 1934, San Francisco in 1936, and six popular musicals with Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. He received two Academy Award nominations for Best Director for The Thin Man and San Francisco, and directed four actors to Oscar nominations: William Powell, Spencer Tracy, Norma Shearer, and Robert Morley. Known as a reliable craftsman who made his films on schedule and under budget, he earned the name "One Take Woody" for his quick and efficient style of filming.
100. GRAUMN_150706_244.JPG: 12-5-91 William Shatner Leonard Nimoy DeForest Kelley James Doohan Walter Koenig N. Chelle Nichols George Takei
101. GRAUMN_150706_250.JPG: 1966 25th Anniversary 1991 Star Trek (R) Created by Gene Roddenberry
102. GRAUMN_150706_259.JPG: Donald Duck 5-21-84 C. [Clarence] Ducky Nash
Wikipedia Description: TCL Chinese Theatre
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

TCL Chinese Theatre is a cinema palace on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, United States. Originally known (and still commonly referred to) as Grauman's Chinese Theatre and renamed Mann's Chinese Theatre in 1973; the current name of the theatre became official January 11, 2013, after TCL Corporation purchased the naming rights. This resulted in the first affiliation of the Chinese Theatre with an actual Chinese corporation.

The original Chinese Theatre was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, which opened in 1922. Built by a partnership headed by Sid Grauman over 18 months starting in January 1926, the theatre opened May 18, 1927, with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's film The King of Kings. It has since been home to many premieres, including the 1977 launch of George Lucas' Star Wars, as well as birthday parties, corporate junkets, and three Academy Awards ceremonies. Among the theatre's most distinctive features are the concrete blocks set in the forecourt, which bear the signatures, footprints, and handprints of popular motion picture personalities from the 1920s to the present day.

The TCL Chinese Theatre has partnered with IMAX Corporation to create the single largest IMAX auditorium in the world. The new theatre seats 932 people, and hosts the third largest commercial movie screen in North America.

History

After his success with the Egyptian Theatre, Sid Grauman turned to Charles E. Toberman to secure a long-term lease on property at 6925 Hollywood Blvd. Toberman contracted the firm of Meyer & Holler, designer of the Egyptian, to design a "palace type theatre" of Chinese design. Grauman financed and owned a one-third interest in the Chinese Theatre; his partners—Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Howard Schenck—owned the remainder. The principal architect of the Chinese Theatre was Raymond M. Kennedy, of Meyer & Holler.

During construction, Grauman hired Jean Klossner to formulate an extremely hard concrete for the forecourt of the theatre. Klossner later became known as "Mr. Footprint", performing the footprint ceremonies from 1927 through 1957.

Many stories exist to explain the origins of the footprints. The theatre's official account in its books and souvenir programs credit Norma Talmadge as having inspired the tradition when she accidentally stepped into the wet concrete. However, in a short interview during the September 13, 1937, Lux Radio Theatre broadcast of a radio adaptation of A Star Is Born, Grauman related another version of how he got the idea to put hand and foot prints in the concrete. He said it was "...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." Still another account by the construction foreman, Jean Klossner, recounts that Klossner autographed his work next to the right-hand poster kiosk and that he and Grauman developed the idea then and there. His autograph and handprint, dated 1927, remain today. The theatre's third founding partner, Douglas Fairbanks, was the second celebrity, after Talmadge, to be immortalized in the concrete.

In 1929, Sid Grauman decided to retire and sell his share to William Fox's Fox Theatres chain. However, just a few months later, Howard Hughes convinced Grauman to return to the theatre because he wanted Grauman to produce the world premiere of his aviation epic Hell's Angels, which would also feature one of Grauman's famous theatrical prologues before the film. Grauman remained as the theatre's managing director for the entire run of Hell's Angels, retiring once again after its run finished. But, unsatisfied with retirement, Grauman returned to the theatre as managing director on Christmas Day 1931, and kept that position until his death in 1950.

One of the highlights of the Chinese Theatre has always been its grandeur and d�cor. In 1952, John Tartaglia, the artist of nearby Saint Sophia Cathedral, became the head interior decorator of the Chinese Theatre as well as the theatre chain then owned by Fox West Coast Theatres. He would later continue the work of Jean Klossner, by recommendation of J. Walter Bantau, for the Hollywood Footprint Ceremonies. Tartaglia performed his first ceremony as a Master Mason for Jean Simmons in 1953, for the premiere of The Robe, the first premiere in Cinemascope. Although replacing Klossner was initially thought to be a temporary job for Tartaglia, his dedication would result in a 35-year career in which he last performed as the Master Mason/Concrete Artist in honor of Eddie Murphy in May 1987, leaving behind one of the greatest legacies in Hollywood.

The Chinese Theatre was declared a historic and cultural landmark in 1968, and has undergone various restoration projects in the years since then. Ted Mann, owner of the Mann Theatres chain and husband of actress Rhonda Fleming, purchased it in 1973. From then until 2001 it was known as Mann's Chinese Theatre. In the wake of Mann's 2000-bankruptcy, a partnership of Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures acquired the theatre, along with the other Mann properties and the Mann brandname.

In 2000, Behr Browers Architects, a firm previously engaged by Mann Theatres, prepared a restoration and modernization program for the structure. The program included a seismic upgrade, new state-of-the-art sound and projection, new vending kiosks and exterior signage, and the addition of a larger concession area under the balcony. The program began in 2002 and restored the original name—"Grauman's Chinese Theatre"—to the cinema palace. As part of the upgrade, Behr Browers also designed a new Chinese-themed six-plex in the attached Hollywood and Highland mall that continued to operate under the name Mann's Chinese 6 Theatre.

In 2007, the CIM Group purchased the land on which the theatre sits for an undisclosed price from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation of New York and Barlow Respiratory Hospital of Los Angeles. Mann Theatres continued to hold a long-term lease on the venue for movie premieres and continued to operate it as a film house. CIM Group also owns the Hollywood and Highland retail mall, as well as numerous other residential and commercial properties in Hollywood. On May 27, 2011, Chinese Theatres, LLC, a partnership owned by nightclub owner/producer Elie Samaha and producer Donald Kushner, purchased both Grauman's Chinese and the adjacent Mann Chinese 6.

The exterior of the theatre is meant to resemble a giant, red Chinese pagoda. The design features a huge Chinese dragon across the fa�ade, with two authentic Ming Dynasty guardian lions ("heavenly dogs") guarding the main entrance and the silhouettes of tiny dragons along the sides of the copper roof. To the dismay of many historic architecture fans, the free-standing ticket booth, installed in the 1930s, and the left and right neon marquees have been removed—but their absence restores the theatre to its original appearance. The auditorium has been completely restored, along with much of the exterior; however, the wear and tear on the physical structure over the years has caused some of the external d�cor to be removed, rather than repaired.

The Chinese Theatre hosted the 1944, 1945, and 1946 Academy Awards ceremonies; they are now held at the adjacent Dolby Theatre, formerly known as the Kodak Theatre.

TCL Chinese Theatre continues to serve the public as a first-run movie theatre. Many Hollywood films have had their premieres at the Chinese Theatre throughout its history. Today, premieres are attended by celebrities and a large number of fans, just as they have been since 1927.

Handprints

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

Variations of this honored tradition are imprints of the eyeglasses of Harold Lloyd; the cigar of Groucho Marx; the wands used by Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint; the facial profile of John Barrymore (reflecting his nickname "The Great Profile"); the legs of Betty Grable; Western stars William S. Hart and Roy Rogers left imprints of their guns. Herbie, a Volkswagen Beetle, left the imprints of his tires. 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 concrete beside the prints of the stars who rode them in the movies.

Since 2011, there has been a surge of concrete ceremonies, many of which have been paid for by movie studios for publicity reasons. One of the theatre's current owners, Donald Kushner, acknowledged this and referred to them as mock ceremonies. This influx has been a matter of concern for film buffs and historians, as well as misleading for fans. However, despite the increase of cement blocks, the ones placed within the forecourt are still chosen by a special committee who selects celebrities based on their contributions to Hollywood cinema. Practice blocks, completed inside the theatre before the ceremony, are placed on the walls of the Chinese 6 Theatre lobby, which is also used as an event space.
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