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56-599: The station's entrance is located inside the Ovation Hollywood development which was built at about the same time as the station. The main entrances faces Hollywood Boulevard and is located in the center of the tourist area of Hollywood, near such attractions including the Dolby Theatre , El Capitan Theatre , TCL Chinese Theatre , Hollywood Museum and the Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum. The station

112-580: A Lucky Strike Lanes bowling alley, and a nightclub. The complex also houses 65,000 square feet (6,000 m ) of gathering spaces including the Grand Ballroom, used for the Oscars Governors Ball. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck operates his regional headquarters out of the complex. The center also includes television broadcast facilities that in 2004 included the studios for the daily talk show On Air With Ryan Seacrest . Currently,

168-510: 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

224-445: 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

280-522: A rate of $ 492,000 per year (with additional increases added every five years based on the Consumer Price Index) and four 11-year optional extensions. Leading up to the construction of the development the City of Los Angeles was persuaded, through its Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), to contribute at least $ 90 million in 1998 toward the site's initial construction. This was in addition to

336-405: 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

392-530: 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,

448-566: Is a shopping center and entertainment complex at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles , California , United States. The 387,000-square-foot (36,000 m ) shopping center also includes the TCL Chinese Theatre , a historic movie palace , and the Dolby Theatre , an auditorium that has been home to the Academy Awards since 2002. The historic site

504-422: Is a mezzanine with ticket machines while the bottom is the platform level. The station uses a simple island platform with two tracks. B Line trains run every day between approximately 4:30 a.m. and midnight. Trains operate every 12 minutes during peak hours. Early morning and night service is approximately every 20 minutes. As of July 28, 2024, the following connections are available: The K Line

560-463: 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

616-633: Is in Hollywood on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue . Its entrance is inside the Ovation Hollywood shopping complex, on the Hollywood Boulevard side of the building. Pacific Electric Red Car interurban trains stopped on the surface in the early 1900s; this marked the junction of the Hollywood Line with the San Fernando Valley lines to Owensmouth and San Fernando . The Ovation Hollywood

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672-690: Is proposed to connect to this station via a future northern extension from its current northern terminus at Expo/Crenshaw station , which would offer connections to West Hollywood , Beverly Hills , Crenshaw District , Leimert Park , Miracle Mile , City of Inglewood , and LAX . It will also allow connections to the E Line , D Line , and C Line as well as the LAX Automated People Mover . [REDACTED] Media related to Hollywood, California/Highland (Los Angeles Metro station) at Wikimedia Commons Ovation Hollywood Ovation Hollywood (formerly Hollywood & Highland )

728-548: Is the home of the Dolby Theatre , which has been the venue of the annual Academy Awards ceremony since 2002. Due to security concerns, the Hollywood/Highland station is generally closed on the day of the ceremony. The design of the station was created by three different firms. The designer of the station is Sheila Klein, and the constructor of the station is CannonDesign . The lighting, material and mechanical design are from HLB Lighting Design. The construction of

784-458: 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

840-652: 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,

896-634: 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

952-552: 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

1008-413: 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

1064-493: The Hollywood-area district and was elected mayor in 2013, supported extending this special permit. The design of the center has been criticized by multiple reporters and journalists. In 2007, Curbed L.A . , an online magazine, named Hollywood & Highland the "winner" of their Ugliest Building in Los Angeles contest. In selecting Hollywood & Highland, they cited its aesthetics, pedestrian unfriendliness (including

1120-550: 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,

1176-705: 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

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1232-676: 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

1288-477: 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

1344-410: 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

1400-466: The costs of constructing the Red Line subway station below the mall. Trizec Properties sold its interest in the development for over $ 200 million in 2004 to CIM Group . CIM rebranded Hollywood & Highland and repositioned the center with higher-end tenants. In 2005, the center underwent renovations to add additional features such as escalators leading visitors from Hollywood Boulevard directly to

1456-631: 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

1512-415: 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 ,

1568-559: 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

1624-566: 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

1680-536: The lack of storefronts on the side facing Highland Ave.), confusing circulation, and "mish-mash of architectural styles". The center played a significant role in attracting development to other parts of Hollywood Boulevard. The TV Guide Hollywood Center (formerly owned by CIM Group) across the street reconstructed the ground floor and has attracted new tenants. Grauman%27s Chinese Theatre The TCL Chinese Theatre , commonly referred to as Grauman's Chinese Theatre (its official name for much of its history),

1736-479: 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

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1792-656: 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

1848-670: 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

1904-412: 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

1960-470: 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

2016-591: 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

2072-497: 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

2128-459: 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

2184-482: 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

2240-656: The southeast. The centerpiece of the complex is a massive three-story courtyard inspired by the Babylon scene from the D.W. Griffith film Intolerance . The developer of the shopping center built parts of the archway and two pillars with elephant sculptures on the capitals, just as seen in the film, to the same full scale. It gives visitors an idea of how large the original set must have been. The center has more than 70 shops and 25 restaurants. Major retail tenants that face Hollywood Boulevard include American Eagle Outfitters , Forever 21 , and Sephora . The complex also houses

2296-459: The station were to be made of equipments given by the Metro , which according to HLB, made it challenging. The lighting pillars of the station was to resemble like a flower, and it was carefully sized to match well with the smooth, curved ceiling which 'resembled a belly'. Sheila Klein named the architecture of the station, "Underground Girl". Hollywood/Highland is a two-story station; the top level

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2352-399: The studio is home to Revolt TV. The 637-room Loews Hollywood Hotel is also part of the site. The Metro B Line 's Hollywood/Highland station is beneath the structure. Also, Metro Local lines 212, 217, 222, 237, 656 and Metro Rapid 780 serve the complex. The site was the location of the 1902 Hollywood Hotel , in which many celebrities stayed in the early days of Hollywood. The hotel

2408-506: 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

2464-428: 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

2520-433: 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

2576-484: The third floor of the central courtyard, new signage, and new stores. In 2019, real estate investment firms DJM Capital Partners, Inc. and Gaw Capital partnered and purchase the mall for $ 325 million. They announced plans for a major renovation to include both rebranding and upgrading the retail levels and courtyard, adding office space in the upper floors, and removal of the Babylon themed decor. The renovations on this complex began work in 2020. The renovated complex

2632-540: 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

2688-543: 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

2744-577: 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

2800-578: 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

2856-553: 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

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2912-477: Was an example of joint development, in which a public agency leases the right to develop a parcel in exchange for improvements to the property, in this case, an enhanced portal to the Hollywood/Highland Metro B Line station and a 3,000 space underground parking lot. TrizecHahn leased 1.35 acres (5,500 m ) of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority land for 55 years at

2968-772: Was demolished in August 1956 and, despite initial plans for a high-rise hotel and a department store on the site, it was replaced by the twelve-story First Federal Building of the First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Hollywood; a shopping center; and parking lots. These stood until 1998. Developed by TrizecHahn and with funds from the Community Redevelopment Agency, the complex opened as Hollywood & Highland after three years of construction in November 2001. The project

3024-562: Was once the home of the famed Hollywood Hotel . Located in the heart of Hollywood, along the Hollywood Walk of Fame , it is among the most visited tourist destinations and shopping complexes in Los Angeles. The complex sits just across Hollywood Blvd. from the El Capitan Theatre and offers views of the Hollywood Hills and Hollywood Sign to the north, Santa Monica Mountains to the west and downtown Los Angeles to

3080-423: Was then renamed and rebranded to Ovation Hollywood in 2022. The complex opened in 2001 with a conditional use permit that enabled, among other things, for the center to have special exemptions of Los Angeles billboard ordinances. Despite objections of some residents and neighbors, in 2002 this agreement was amended and extended for an additional 20 years. L.A. City Councilman Eric Garcetti , who then represented

3136-493: 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

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