The Carthay Circle Theatre was one of the most famous movie palaces of Hollywood's Golden Age . Located on San Vicente Boulevard in Los Angeles , California , it opened in 1926 and was demolished in 1969.
57-506: The auditorium itself was shaped in the form of a perfect circle, extended vertically into a cylinder, set inside a square that fleshed out the remainder of the building. It seated 1,150. Initially developed by Fox , it was called the Fox Carthay Circle Theater for its unique floorplan. The Carthay Circle Theater opened at 6316 San Vicente Boulevard on May 18, 1926, with a showing of The Volga Boatman (1926), and
114-738: A parapet visible from the outside that resembled a circus tent. "Simple, massive and dignified, the building stands out for its intrinsic beauty," raved The Architect and Engineer . Pacific Coast Architect wrote that it was a theatre "masked as a cathedral". There was a drop curtain that featured an homage to the pioneer Donner Party that perished crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains . Bronze busts of Native American leaders and photographs of Edwin Booth , Herbert Beerbohm Tree , Sarah Bernhardt , Eleanora Duse , Ellen Terry , Lillie Langtry , and other 19th century actors adorned
171-510: A dragon on the central wall between the columns. Two Ming dynasty -era guardian lion statues flank the venue's entrance. The U.S. government granted permission for the statues, as well as temple bells and other artifacts, to be imported from China. Moon Quon, a Chinese poet and filmmaker, traveled to the United States to oversee a team of Chinese artisans tasked with creating the theater's traditional decoration. Xavier Cugat painted
228-445: A few months later, Howard Hughes convinced Grauman to return to the theater, because he wanted Grauman to produce the world premiere of his aviation epic Hell's Angels , which would also feature one of Grauman's theatrical prologs before the film. Grauman remained as the theater's managing director for the entire run of Hell's Angels , retiring once again after its run finished. Unsatisfied with retirement, though, Grauman returned to
285-432: A few, high-quality, high-resolution prints (often "wide gauge"), to literally thousands, or even several thousands of average-quality, lower-resolution prints (usually "standard gauge"). The theater was demolished in 1969 by its owner, NAFI Corporation , which erected its headquarters and main computer operations center in its place; today, two low-rise office buildings and a city park occupy its former site. In July 1994,
342-695: A smaller-scale pastiche of the facade of the theatre (primarily the octagonal tower) was opened as the "Once Upon a Time" gift shop on the Sunset Boulevard section in Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The store now sells clothing items for men and women. In June 2012, a fanciful larger-scale replica of the theater building was opened in the Buena Vista Street section of Disney California Adventure Park at
399-405: A very high budget for a movie theater at the time. The exterior's most notable feature is the 90 foot (27 m)-tall pagoda centered in the middle of the forecourt. The pagoda's upright structure is supported by two prominent red pillars and its roof is plated in bronze. The design features numerous traditional Chinese ornamentations, including a 30 foot (9.1 m)-tall stone-carved mural of
456-670: A widespread "conspiracy to milk Fox Theatres Corporation of assets worth many millions of dollars, in derogation of the rights of its creditors and stockholders." The complaint named the issuing judge, indicted on unrelated federal charges in the intervening years, as collusive with some "thirty-odd named respondents" including "Chase National Bank, Bender, Van Kleeck and Aumack, individually and as co-partners doing business as Bender & Co., American Express Company, General Precision Equipment Corporation, National-Simplex-Bludworth Corporation, Inc., Skouras Theatres Corporation, Randforce Amusement Corporation, Rinfriss Corporation, Samuel Rinzler, and
513-530: Is a movie palace on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles , California, United States. The original Chinese Theatre was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre , which opened in 1922. Both were built as Exotic Revival style architecture. Built by a partnership headed by Sid Grauman over 18 months beginning in January 1926,
570-463: Is curved and can be masked for premieres and screening events of non-IMAX films. To accommodate better sightlines and a taller screen, seating was re-arranged in stepped rows, descending from street level to the floor of the former basement. The auditorium's decorative walls and ceiling remain unaltered, the existing curtain was extended, decorative lighting effects were added and TCL added digital signage. The theater reopened on September 20, 2013, with
627-580: The Disneyland Resort in Anaheim , California. Although this replica is larger than the Orlando version, it is still slightly smaller than the 1926 original, and has a modified exterior footprint and interior floorplan. While there is no actual theatre inside, the building houses the "Carthay Circle Lounge" and the members-only "Club 1901" on the first floor, with the "Carthay Circle Restaurant" on
SECTION 10
#1732773149020684-458: The Hollywood and Highland shopping center, as well as numerous other residential and commercial properties in Hollywood. On May 27, 2011, Chinese Theatres LLC, a partnership owned by producer Elie Samaha and Donald Kushner , purchased both Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the adjacent Mann Chinese 6. Grauman's Chinese Theatre was sold for $ 25 million in 2013, and today it continues to serve
741-652: The St. Finbar Church in Burbank . A concession stand was not in the theater's original plans, because Grauman thought it would detract from the theatrical experience. The theater began to sell concessions in the 1930s. Nearly 200 Hollywood celebrity handprints, footprints, and autographs are in the concrete of the theater's forecourt. Fairbanks and Pickford were the first, done on April 30, 1927. Variations of this honored tradition are imprints of Harold Lloyd 's eyeglasses, Groucho Marx 's cigar, Whoopi Goldberg 's dreadlock,
798-634: The 13th . The Chinese Theater has appeared in multiple films set in Los Angeles, including Speed , Austin Powers in Goldmember , and Iron Man 3 . Janet Gaynor visits the courtyard and a number of the signatures and footprints are seen in the 1937 movie A Star is Born - including Harold Lloyd 's glasses, Joe E. Brown 's "mouthprint", Jean Harlow 's handprints, Eddie Cantor 's "eyes", Shirley Temple 's "Love to you all" message, and
855-552: The 1920s to the present day. Originally named Grauman's Chinese Theatre, it was renamed Mann's Chinese Theatre in 1973, and reverted to its original name in 2001. On January 11, 2013, Chinese electronics manufacturer TCL Corporation purchased the facility's naming rights for $ 5 million. In 2013, the Chinese Theatre partnered with IMAX Corporation to convert the house into a custom-designed IMAX theater. The newly renovated theater seats 932 people and features one of
912-543: The Central Christian Church. The financial pressures of the Great Depression compelled William Fox to declare bankruptcy. Initiated circa 1929, bankruptcy receivership court proceedings spanned "over a period of twenty-five or more years." The matter culminated in a final suit brought in 1954 by the trustees to vacate the "corrupt" November 17, 1933, settlement order. The trustees alleged
969-413: The Chinese Theatre occurred on the evening of January 5, 1926. Newspapers advertised the public event as the founding of "the world's most unusual playhouse". Celebrities at the ceremony included Grauman, Charlie Chaplin , Conrad Nagel , Norma Talmadge , and Anna May Wong . Talmadge and Wong turned the first spadeful of earth using a gold-plated shovel. Wong also put the first rivet into the structure of
1026-550: The IMAX 3D version of The Wizard of Oz . Although it opened with only a digital projection system, a 70 mm IMAX projection system was temporarily installed for the runs of Interstellar and Oppenheimer in 2014 and 2023 respectively. Because of the success of the Oppenheimer run, the 70 mm projection system was kept in 2024 for the re-release of Tenet and the release of Dune: Part Two . In April 2015,
1083-705: The IMAX system was upgraded to use the new dual- 4K IMAX with Laser projector system for the premiere of Furious 7 . A full-scale recreation of the Chinese Theatre's exterior facade and lobby exists at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida . The recreation originally housed The Great Movie Ride which opened with the park on May 1, 1989, and closed on August 13, 2017. Its replacement attraction, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway , opened on March 4, 2020. It also has concrete handprints inside
1140-550: The Reading, Pennsylvania-based Fox Theaters, founded by Richard Allen "Dick" Fox in 1957 and primarily based on the East Coast. Many of these grand " movie palaces " were built with a mishmash of architectural styles drawn from Asian , Indian , Persian , and Moorish influences. Fox theaters surviving today share almost identical histories of decline and fall into disrepair as demographics and movie-going habits changed in
1197-699: The Talking Mule as the first recipient of the award that honored animal actors. Although the Carthay Circle Theater had hosted the first-run " roadshow ", reserved-seat engagements of a great many aesthetically- and economically important films, by the 1960s the "roadshow" concept, and, indeed, the Carthay Circle Theater itself, was considered an anachronism , overshadowed by modern multi-screen cinemas. Its customer base had also been sapped by suburbanization , and many other economic factors, as film print runs increased almost exponentially from
SECTION 20
#17327731490201254-579: The West Coast Theatres chain, to form the Fox West Coast Theatres chain. Fox West Coast went into bankruptcy and was sold to The National Theatres Corporation, led by Charles Skouras , on November 19, 1934, for $ 17,000,000.00. Eugene Klein later became CEO of National, and turned it into the conglomerate National General. Mann Theatres bought National General's theatres in 1973. This chain should not be confused with
1311-676: The auditorium to a "gigantic shrine at the time of the Five Emperors or the Dynasty of Hsia ". In its original configuration, the auditorium included a 150 foot (46 m)-wide, 46 foot (14 m)-deep, 71 foot (22 m)-high stage, one of the largest in the world. The stage was divided into sections, making it possible to recess it into a 20 foot (6.1 m)-deep pit below in order to quickly change sets during live productions. The theater used "its own power plant" and an "auxiliary dynamo system" to generate its electricity independent of
1368-477: The city power grid . Despite the grandiose nature and high construction cost of the theater, its original capacity of 2,258 was only about half of the seats that the largest movie palaces had at the time. The lack of a proper general-admission balcony partly contributed to its smaller size; instead, the auditorium features four private box suites . The Chinese Theatre was the first commercial movie theater to have air conditioning. The vents are concealed behind
1425-410: The concrete beside those of their owners. Since 2011, a surge of concrete ceremonies has occurred, many of which have been paid for by movie studios for publicity reasons. One of the theater'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
1482-604: The executors under the will of Louis Frisch." In a 1960 published opinion of the United States District Court S.D. New York, the matter was dismissed for the trustees' failing to plead the fraud in particulars; however, the record was left open for them to revitalize with evidence. See the following articles for information about specific theatres. Grauman%27s Chinese Theatre The TCL Chinese Theatre , commonly referred to as Grauman's Chinese Theatre (its official name for much of its history),
1539-682: The first premiere in CinemaScope . Although replacing Klossner was initially thought to be a temporary job for Tartaglia, his dedication resulted in a 35-year career in which he last performed as the master mason/concrete artist in honor of Eddie Murphy in May 1987. Tartaglia was formally recognized by the City of Los Angeles in October 2011. The Chinese Theatre was declared a historic and cultural landmark in 1968, and has undergone restoration projects in
1596-415: The head interior decorator of the Chinese Theatre, as well as the theater chain then owned by Fox West Coast Theatres. He later continued the work of Klossner, by recommendation of J. Walter Bantau, for the Hollywood footprint ceremonies. Tartaglia performed his first ceremony as what the City of Los Angeles termed "Hollywood's Master Mason" for Jean Simmons in 1953, for the premiere of The Robe ,
1653-806: The home of the Spokane Symphony on November 17, 2007; Tucson, Arizona , which reopened in January 2006 after being closed for thirty-two years; Hutchinson, Kansas , reopened in 1999; Oakland, California , reopened in February 2009; Aurora, Colorado reopened in 1986, and Fullerton, California , where a non-profit community project is restoring the theatre. The Fox theatres in Visalia, California , reopened in 1999, and Atlanta were shuttered for some time before restoration began. The Fox Theatre in Joplin, Missouri , built in 1930, has been adapted for use as
1710-559: The imported decorative pillars on the side walls of the auditorium. The interior design also features a concealed three-manual, 17-rank Wurlitzer organ; its pipes were above the proscenium with tone chutes directing the sound through holes in the ceiling to make the sounds "feel like they were descending from the heavens." In 1957, theater ownership removed the organ and gave it to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles , who in turn installed most of its parts at
1767-566: The increase of concrete blocks, the ones placed within the forecourt are still chosen by a special committee which selects celebrities based on their contributions to Hollywood cinema. Practice blocks, completed inside the theater before the ceremony, are placed on the walls of the Chinese 6 Theatre lobby, which is also used as an event space. In April 2013, owners announced plans to convert the original theater for IMAX . The new 94 ft × 46 ft (29 m × 14 m) silver screen
Carthay Circle Theatre - Misplaced Pages Continue
1824-479: The largest movie screens in North America. In March 1923, a meeting occurred at the offices of Fox West Coast Theatres where Sid Grauman , Mary Pickford , Douglas Fairbanks , and several other executives discussed plans for a new US$ 1 million venue that would be dedicated to "the spoken drama " with films only being screened on rare occasions. Although the project called for immediate construction, it
1881-546: The lounges and lobbies. Murals of historic scenes 40 feet tall graced the walls, painted by Pasadena artist Alson S. Clark . The theatre hosted the official premieres of The Life of Emile Zola (1937), Romeo and Juliet (1936), Walt Disney 's first animated feature-length film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Gone with the Wind (1939), among many other notable films. For Disney's Fantasia (1940),
1938-458: The most elaborate audio system in use at the time, Fantasound , a pioneering stereophonic process, was installed at this theatre. For the glamorous world premiere of MGM 's Marie Antoinette (1938), with Norma Shearer and Tyrone Power , the gardens around the theater were restructured and enhanced to resemble the landscaping of the Palace of Versailles . In the 1930s and '40s, props from
1995-656: The original "accidental" slabs were made and stayed, at the curb, on the sidewalk, until 1958, when they were removed for the Hollywood Walk of Fame . When they stepped up off the curb, they accidentally walked on wet cement and left a trail of footprints from the street to the front doors of the theater ... The stars, seeing what they had done, grabbed a nail on the ground and signed their names next to their footprints, Pickford even dated it." — Marc Wanamaker, Hollywood Heritage Museum. Still another account by Klossner recounts that Klossner autographed his work next to
2052-670: 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 shopping center that continued to operate under the name Mann's Chinese 6 Theatre. In 2007, the CIM Group purchased the land on which the theater sits for an undisclosed price from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation of New York and Barlow Respiratory Hospital of Los Angeles. CIM Group also owns
2109-412: The other Mann Theatres properties. 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
2166-637: The post-World War II years. As many were located in urban centers, there have been subsequent campaigns to save, restore and preserve the architectural extravaganzas for other uses, especially the performing arts. The largest of the Fox Theatres is the Detroit Fox Theatre , which was fully restored in 1988 and is used as a performing arts center. Other Fox theatres which have been restored and adapted for drama and music include those in St. Louis ; also Spokane, Washington , which re-opened as
2223-470: The project. In October 1925, local newspapers published an artist's impression of the planned theater's facade. The accounts promised a US$ 5 million cost as well as a "tropical garden" in the forecourt, complete with imported flowers, trees, and fish in ponds. In contrast to early reports, the theater cost $ 2.1 million to construct. Grauman co-owned the venue with Pickford, Fairbanks, Howard Schenck, and West Coast Theatres. The groundbreaking ceremony for
2280-591: The public as a first-run movie theater. Raymond M. Kennedy , a Southern California architect of the firm Meyer & Holler , designed the Chinese Theatre at the behest of owner Sid Grauman . Prior to conceiving the Exotic Revival -style plan for the Chinese Theatre, Meyer & Holler had previously designed the similarly themed West Coast Theatre in Long Beach . Plans called for an ambitious venue that would cost US$ 2.1 million to construct, considered
2337-497: The right-hand poster kiosk and that Grauman and he developed the idea then and there. His autograph and handprint, dated 1927, remain today. (Note: In 1949, Klossner's story changed to say that Grauman had accidentally stepped into the wet concrete. ) The theater's third founding partner, Douglas Fairbanks, was the second celebrity after Talmadge to be immortalized in the concrete. In 1929, Grauman decided to retire and sell his share to William Fox 's Fox Theatres chain. However, just
Carthay Circle Theatre - Misplaced Pages Continue
2394-486: The second floor. The original's signature circular floorplan is absent from the replica building, and the circular parapet is squared off from the outside. 34°03′39″N 118°22′05″W / 34.0608°N 118.368°W / 34.0608; -118.368 Fox Theatres Fox Theatres was a large chain of movie theaters in the United States dating from the 1920s either built by Fox Film studio owner William Fox , or subsequently merged in 1929 by Fox with
2451-411: The sets of such premiered films as The Great Ziegfeld (1936), The Good Earth (1937), Captains Courageous (1937) and Gone with the Wind (1939) were displayed on the grassy median of McCarthy Vista, from Wilshire Boulevard south to San Vicente Boulevard. The premieres were red-carpet events, with the stars of the motion picture arriving in limousines at the entrance to the covered walkway to
2508-459: The sidewalks from the years 1988–1995. A sized-down recreation of the Chinese Theatre, both interior and exterior was built at Parque Warner Madrid theme park in San Martín de la Vega , near Madrid , Spain. The building shows films relevant to Warner Bros. , previously The Lego Movie and Storks . During Halloween, horror films for guests over the age of 18 are shown such as Friday
2565-482: The site of actor Francis X. Bushman 's mansion in a deal brokered by real estate developer Charles E. Toberman . In appreciation, a plaque was installed on the front of the theater dedicating it to Bushman. Los Angeles-based architecture firm Meyer & Holler , which previously partnered with Grauman on the Egyptian, designed the "palace-type" Chinese Theatre. Raymond M. Kennedy served as principal architect on
2622-506: The theater as managing director on Christmas Day 1931 and kept that position until his death in 1950. 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. One of the highlights of the Chinese Theatre has always been its grandeur and décor. In 1952, John Tartaglia, the artist of nearby Saint Sophia Cathedral , became
2679-428: The theater opened May 18, 1927, with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille 's The King of Kings . It has since been home to many premieres, including the 1977 debut of Star Wars , as well as many private events and three Academy Awards ceremonies. Among the theater's features are the concrete blocks set in the forecourt, which bear the signatures, footprints, and handprints of popular motion picture personalities from
2736-556: The theater south from San Vicente and cheered by hundreds of fans in bleachers there, accompanied by searchlights scanning the sky. Only Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood also had such elaborate premieres in that era. In 1951 the first PATSY Award ceremony was held at the Carthay Circle. Presented by the American Humane Association , the event was hosted by Ronald Reagan , and honored Francis
2793-433: The theater. During construction, Grauman hired Jean Klossner to formulate an extremely hard concrete for the forecourt of the theater. 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 theater's official account credits Norma Talmadge as having inspired the tradition when she accidentally stepped into
2850-540: The trees and foliage between the pillars on the side walls and Keye Luke painted the Chinese murals in the lobby. The auditorium features a sixty-foot-wide ornate doily on its ceiling with various silver dragon emblems and gold medallions. A bronze chandelier fashioned to appear as a lantern hangs from the center of the doily. The theater's color scheme is primarily various shades of red – ruby, crimson, pale scarlet, and coral lacquer – with bronze, gold, stone, and silver providing accents. Author Charles Beardsley likened
2907-543: The wands used by Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe , Rupert Grint , and Emma Watson , John Barrymore 's facial profile (reflecting his nickname "The Great Profile"), Betty Grable 's leg, and Marilyn Monroe's earring. Western stars William S. Hart and Roy Rogers left imprints of their revolvers. John Wayne left his boot and fist prints, Herbie , a Volkswagen Beetle , left the imprints of his tires. The hoofprints of Tom Mix 's horse, Tony, Gene Autry 's horse, Champion , and Rogers' horse, Trigger , were left in
SECTION 50
#17327731490202964-577: 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." Another account, says that
3021-578: 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. Mann Theatres grew to become the largest independent chain in the country before Mann sold the business, including the Chinese Theatre, to Gulf+Western in 1986. In 1984, the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District
3078-553: Was added to the National Register of Historic Places , with the Chinese Theater listed as a contributing property in the district. In 1988, Time Warner predecessor Warner Communications Inc. bought a 50% stake from Gulf+Western for $ 150 million. The theater chain was eventually sold to WestStar Holdings in 1997. In 2000, a partnership of Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures acquired the theater, along with
3135-509: Was considered developer J. Harvey McCarthy's most successful monument, a stroke of shrewd thinking that made a famous name of the newly developed Carthay Center neighborhood in Los Angeles, California . (McCarthy's development was called Carthay Center—an anglicized version of his last name.) The Carthay Circle Theater became the focal point of Carthay Center, and Carthay Circle became the neighborhood's official name. The exterior design
3192-483: Was in the Spanish Colonial Revival style , with whitewashed concrete trimmed in blue, with a high bell tower and neon sign visible for miles. The architects were Carleton Winslow and Dwight Gibbs. The iconic octagonal tower was placed in the front corner spandrel space left between the circle and the square. The auditorium's cylinder -shaped wall was raised up above the roof line, to create
3249-493: Was ultimately shelved for three years. In that time, several of its aspects were altered, including a change in scope from play house to movie theater due to the increasing profitability of motion pictures. Grauman, a theater mogul who previously founded the Million Dollar Theater and Egyptian Theatre , moved forward with the plans for a new venue in 1925. Looking to build along Hollywood Boulevard, he leased
#19980