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76-518: The TCL Chinese Theatre , commonly referred to as Grauman's Chinese Theatre (its official name for much of its history), 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

152-535: A Lux presentation. Fred Allen , Jack Benny (with and without his wife, Mary Livingstone ), and George Burns and Gracie Allen were also among the other radio stars who were invited to do Lux presentations. Lux Radio Theatre once presented an adaptation of the film version of a radio series, The Life of Riley , featuring William Bendix as the Brooklyn-born, California-transplanted, stumbling but bighearted aircraft worker he already made famous in

228-651: A classic radio anthology series , was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company , later predecessor of American Broadcasting Company [ABC] in 1943–1945); CBS Radio network ( Columbia Broadcasting System ) (1935–54), and NBC Radio (1954–55). Initially, the series adapted Broadway plays during its first two seasons before it began adapting films. These hour-long radio programs were performed live before studio audiences. The series became

304-642: 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

380-508: 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

456-484: A fantasy environment to attract moviegoers and involved a type of social engineering, distraction, and traffic management, meant to work on human bodies and minds in a specific way. Today, most of the surviving movie palaces operate as regular theaters, showcasing concerts, plays and operas. This is a list of selected movie palaces, with location and year of construction. See also Lux Radio Theatre Lux Radio Theatre , sometimes spelled Lux Radio Theater ,

532-445: 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

608-534: A full-hour adaptation of the 1922–24 Broadway production by Austin Strong. The host was the show's fictional producer, Douglass Garrick (portrayed by John Anthony). Doris Dagmar played another fictional character, Peggy Winthrop, who delivered the Lux commercials. Each show featured a scripted session with Garrick talking to the lead actors. Anthony appeared as Garrick from the premiere 1934 episode until June 30, 1935. Garrick

684-473: A partnership headed by Sid Grauman over 18 months beginning in January 1926, 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

760-409: A variety of referenced visual styles collided wildly with one another. French Baroque, High Gothic, Moroccan, Mediterranean, Spanish Gothic, Hindu, Babylonian, Aztec, Mayan, Orientalist, Italian Renaissance, and (after the discovery of King Tut 's tomb in 1922) Egyptian Revival were all variously mixed and matched. This wealth of ornament was not merely for aesthetic effect. It was meant to create

836-403: 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

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912-462: 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

988-1140: Is now the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre . Many of the leading names in stage and film appeared in the series, most in the roles they made famous on the screen. They included Abbott and Costello , Lauren Bacall , Wallace Beery , Ingrid Bergman , Humphrey Bogart , James Cagney , Ronald Colman , Joan Crawford , Adriana Caselotti , Bing Crosby , Bette Davis , Irene Dunne , Deanna Durbin , Henry Fonda , Ava Gardner , Judy Garland , Betty Grable , Cary Grant , Rita Hayworth , Katharine Hepburn , William Holden , Bob Hope , Betty Hutton , Gene Kelly , Hedy Lamarr , Carole Lombard , Myrna Loy , Jeanette MacDonald , Fredric March , Robert Mitchum , Dennis Morgan , Paul Muni , Laurence Olivier , Robert Preston , Tyrone Power , Edward G. Robinson , Ginger Rogers , Mickey Rooney , Frank Sinatra , Red Skelton , Barbara Stanwyck , James Stewart , Gloria Swanson , Elizabeth Taylor , Robert Taylor , Shirley Temple , Spencer Tracy , Lana Turner , John Wayne , and Orson Welles . An Australian Lux Radio Theatre

1064-562: The Chicago firm of Rapp and Rapp , which designed the Chicago , Uptown , and Oriental Theatres . S.L. "Roxy" Rothafel , originated the deluxe presentation of films with themed stage shows. Sid Grauman , built the first movie palace on the West Coast , Los Angeles' Million Dollar Theater , in 1918. Following World War II movie ticket sales began to rapidly decline due to the widespread adoption of television and mass migration of

1140-469: 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 the public as

1216-649: 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,

1292-853: The atmospheric theatre , which has an auditorium ceiling that resembles an open sky as a defining feature; and the Art Deco theaters that became popular in the 1930s. Paid exhibition of motion pictures began on April 14, 1894, at Andrew M. Holland's phonograph store, located at 1155 Broadway in New York City , with the Kinetoscope . Dropping a nickel in a machine allowed a viewer to see a short motion picture, devoid of plot. The machines were installed in Kinetoscope parlors, hotels, department stores , bars and drugstores in large American cities. The machines were popular from 1894 to 1896, but by

1368-630: 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

1444-412: 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

1520-545: 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,

1596-703: 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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1672-516: The Minor on Lux Radio Theatre . When Joseph Cotten read the names of the next week's cast, he supposedly said, with a mixture of shock and astonishment, that listeners would hear "that new, talented personality... Sonny Tufts ?!" However, this never happened. The legend began as a fake segment on one of Kermit Schafer 's popular "Bloopers" albums, which have been criticized for their recreations, fabrications, and lack of accuracy. In actuality, Tufts

1748-449: The United States. The nickelodeons were like simple storefront theatres, but differed in the continuous showings and the marketing to women and families. The movie house, in a building designed specifically for motion picture exhibition, was the last step before the movie palace. Comfort was paramount, with upholstered seating and climate controls. One of the first movie houses was Tally's Broadway Theater in Los Angeles. The movie palace

1824-675: 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

1900-475: 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

1976-407: 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

2052-474: The country as empty storefronts were equipped with chairs, a Vitascope projector, a muslin sheet on which the motion picture was exhibited, darkened windows, and a box by the door to service as a ticket office (literally, the "box office".) Storefront theatres, supplied with motion pictures made in Chicago and New York, spread throughout America. These theatres exhibited a motion picture at a specific time during

2128-518: The day. Air domes also became popular in warm climates and in the summertime in northern climates. With no roof and only side walls or fences, the air domes allowed patrons to view motion pictures in a venue that was cooler than the stifling atmosphere of the storefront theatre. In 1905, the nickelodeon was born. Rather than exhibiting one program a night, the nickelodeon offered continuous motion picture entertainment for five cents. They were widely popular. By 1910, nickelodeons grossed $ 91 million in

2204-577: The fictitious Norman Maine's footprints. A building known as the Oriental Theater, which is based on the Chinese Theater, makes an appearance in the 2013 videogame Grand Theft Auto V . The theater also makes an appearance in the 2001 game, S.W.A.T. 3, Game Of The Year Edition . Movie palace There are three architectural design types of movie palaces: the classical-style movie palace, with opulent, luxurious architecture;

2280-681: 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

2356-454: The following year, eventually choosing William Keighley as the new permanent host, a post he held from late 1945 through 1952. After that, producer-director Irving Cummings hosted the program until it ended in 1955. For its airings on the U.S. Armed Forces Radio Service (for which it was retitled Hollywood Radio Theater ), the program was hosted by Don Wilson in the early 1950s. During its years on CBS in Hollywood, Lux Radio Theatre

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2432-413: 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 ,

2508-419: The highest-grossing first-run films for which they were no longer viable exhibition venues. They became second-run theaters or specialized in showing art house films . By 2004, only about a quarter of U.S. movie theaters still had only one screen, and the average number of screens per theater was 6.1. Eberson specialized in the subgenre of "atmospheric" theatres. His first, of the 500 in his career,

2584-519: The hour-long radio formats. Many of the early episodes were direct rebroadcasts of the Australian programs. Lux Radio Theatre was the most enduring show on Springbok Radio, running from the first night of the network's broadcasting life until six months before it went off the air. On October 2, 1950, Lux Video Theatre began as a live 30-minute Monday evening CBS Television series, switching to Thursday nights during August 1951. In September 1953,

2660-542: The house into a custom-designed IMAX theater. The newly renovated theater seats 932 people and features one of 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

2736-558: 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

2812-565: 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

2888-468: The long-running radio series (and eventual television hit) of the same name. At least once, Lux Radio Theatre offered a presentation without any known performers; its adaptation of This Is the Army during World War II featured a cast of American soldiers. A famous urban legend claimed that actor Sonny Tufts was slated to appear as a guest alongside Joan Fontaine for a production of The Major and

2964-420: The major studios and were forced to close. Many were able to stay in business by converting to operate as race or pornography theaters . The death knell for single-screen movie theaters (including movie palaces) arrived with the development of the multiplex in the 1980s and the megaplex in the 1990s. Some movie palaces were able to stay in business only by getting out of the way, at least with respect to

3040-450: The middle class regularly began to attend the nickelodeons by the early 1910s the upperclass continued to attend stage theater performances such as opera and big-time vaudeville. However, as more sophisticated, complex, and longer films featuring prominent stage actors were developed, the upperclass desires to attend the movies began to increase and a demand for higher class theaters began to develop. Nickelodeons could not meet this demand as

3116-576: The most popular dramatic anthology series on radio, broadcast for more than 20 years and continued on television as the Lux Video Theatre through most of the 1950s. The primary sponsor of the show was Unilever through its Lux Soap brand. Broadcasting from New York, the series premiered at 2:30 pm, October 14, 1934, on the NBC Blue Network with a production of Seventh Heaven starring Miriam Hopkins and John Boles in

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3192-654: 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

3268-668: 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

3344-538: The original radio programs, the cast are all dressed formally, and those purchasing audience tickets were also encouraged to wear their best clothes. Many famous plays, particularly some Agatha Christie mysteries are being performed. A South African version of Lux Radio Theatre ran on Springbok Radio between 1950 and 1985. While having the same name and sponsor, it departed from the American show in that, additionally, British and Australian works were adapted into

3420-411: 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

3496-408: The population from the cities, where all the movie palaces had been built, into the suburbs. The closing of most movie palaces occurred after United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. in 1948, which ordered all of the major film studios to sell their theaters. Most of the newly independent theaters could not continue to operate on the low admissions sales of the time without the financial support of

3572-717: The program began to emphasize adaptations of films rather than plays. The first Lux film adaptation was The Legionnaire and the Lady , with Marlene Dietrich and Clark Gable, based on the film Morocco . That was followed by a Lux adaptation of The Thin Man , featuring the movie's actual stars, Myrna Loy and William Powell . Though the show focused on film and its performers, several classic radio regulars appeared in Lux Radio Theatre productions. Jim and Marian Jordan , better known as Fibber McGee and Molly , appeared on

3648-542: The project called for immediate construction, it 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

3724-467: 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

3800-495: 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

3876-416: The show twice and also built an episode of their own radio comedy series around one of those appearances. Their longtime costar, Arthur Q. Bryan (wisecracking Doc Gamble on Fibber McGee and Molly ), made a few Lux appearances, as well. Bandleader Phil Harris , a longtime regular on Jack Benny 's radio program and his wife Alice Faye , who became radio stars with their own comedy show in 1948, appeared in

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3952-458: 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

4028-460: The signatures, footprints, and handprints of popular motion picture personalities from 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

4104-480: 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

4180-502: 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

4256-430: 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

4332-539: 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

4408-424: The turn of the century had almost disappeared as Americans rejected the solitary viewing experience and boring entertainment. Around 1900, motion pictures became a small part of vaudeville theatres. The competitive vaudeville theatre market caused owners to constantly look for new entertainment, and the motion picture helped create demand, although the new form of entertainment was not the main draw for patrons. It

4484-562: The union, thus a ban from appearing on the air, DeMille was finished in radio (because he also refused to let anyone else pay the dollar for him). In his 1959 autobiography, DeMille alleged that a former member of the American Communist Party later confided to him that the party had consciously orchestrated these circumstances of his exclusion from radio, as they considered him to be one of their two foremost enemies in radio. Lux Radio Theatre employed several hosts over

4560-410: The upperclass feared the moral repercussions of intermingling between women and children with immigrants. There were also real concerns over the physical safety of the nickelodeon theaters themselves as they were often cramped with little ventilation and the nitrate film stock used at the time was extremely flammable. The demand for an upscale film theater, suitable to exhibit films to the upperclass,

4636-542: 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

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4712-574: 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

4788-576: 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

4864-485: 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

4940-640: Was broadcast from the CBS Radio Playhouse at 1615 North Vine Street in Hollywood , one block south of the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine. The theater was owned by aviator, industrialist, and film producer Howard Hughes in the early 1930s. When it was purchased in 1954 by philanthropist Huntington Hartford , it was briefly called the Huntington Hartford Theater and then the Doolittle Theater. It

5016-530: Was broadcast on the Major Broadcasting Network during the late 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. It was heard nationwide at 8.00 pm on a Sunday evening. Many U.S. theatrical, movie, television and radio personalities made the long flight to Australia, simply to appear on the Australian version of Lux Radio Theatre. On Sunday evening 3 September 1939 and as part of Lux Radio Theatre, the Major network

5092-597: Was broadcasting a performance of Leah Kleschna , which was suddenly interrupted by the voice of the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Robert Menzies , announcing that Australia was now at war with Germany. In 2018 and as recently as 2020 and 2021 (despite COVID-19 restrictions) a group of entrepreneurs has recreated the Lux Radio Theatre as a theatrical event which toured Australian cities and towns. As in

5168-437: Was developed as the step beyond the small theaters of the 1900s and 1910s. As motion pictures developed as an art form, theatre infrastructure needed to change. Storefront theatres and nickelodeons catered to the busy work lives and limited budgets of the lower and middle classes. Motion pictures were generally only thought to be for the lower classes at that time as they were simple, short, and cost only five cents to attend. While

5244-679: Was first met when the Regent Theater, designed by Thomas Lamb , was opened in February 1913, becoming the first ever movie palace. However the theater's location in Harlem prompted many to suggest that the theater be moved to Broadway alongside the stage theaters. These desires were satisfied when Lamb built the Strand Theatre on Broadway, which was opened in 1914 by Mitchel H. Mark at the cost of one million dollars. This opening

5320-401: Was initially based on the more traditional, "hardtop" form patterned on opera houses , but was no less ornate. His theaters evolved from relatively restrained neo-classic designs in the 1910s to those with elaborate baroque and Asian motifs in the late 1920s. The movie palace's signature look was one of extravagant ornamentation. The theaters were often designed with an eclectic exoticism where

5396-682: Was introduced by Cotten on the radio series Suspense , but Cotten's introduction was perfectly normal. A clash over closed shop union rulings favored by the American Federation of Radio Artists ended DeMille's term as host of Lux Radio Theatre . AFRA assessed members a dollar each to help back a campaign to enact closed-shop rulings in California. DeMille, an AFRA member but a stern opponent of closed shops, refused to pay because he believed it would nullify his opposition vote. When AFRA ruled those not paying faced suspension from

5472-451: Was often used as a "chaser"—shown as the end of the performance to chase the audience from the theatre. These theatres were designed much like legitimate theatres. The Beaux-Arts architecture of these theatres was formal and ornate. They were not designed for motion pictures, but rather live stage performances. In 1902, the storefront theatre was born at Thomas Lincoln Tally 's Electric Theatre in Los Angeles. These soon spread throughout

5548-429: Was out of town, he was temporarily replaced by various celebrities, including Leslie Howard and Edward Arnold . Lux Radio Theatre strove to feature as many of the original stars of the original stage and film productions as possible, usually paying them $ 5,000 an appearance. In 1936, when sponsor manufacturer Lever Brothers (who made Lux brand soap and detergent) moved the show from New York City to Hollywood ,

5624-538: Was portrayed by Albert Hayes from July 29, 1935, to May 25, 1936, when the show moved to the West Coast. Famed studio executive and film producer and director Cecil B. DeMille took over as the host on June 1, 1936, continuing until January 22, 1945. That initial episode with DeMille featured stars Marlene Dietrich and Clark Gable in The Legionnaire and the Lady . On several occasions, usually when he

5700-516: Was the 1923 Majestic in Houston, Texas . The atmospherics usually conveyed the impression of sitting in an outdoor courtyard, surrounded by highly ornamented asymmetrical facades and exotic flora and fauna, underneath a dark blue canopy; when the lights went out, a specially designed projector, the Brenograph, was used to project clouds, and special celestial effects on the ceiling. Lamb's style

5776-484: Was the first example of a success in drawing the upper middle class to the movies and it spurred others to follow suit. As their name implies movie palaces were advertised to, "make the average citizen feel like royalty." To accomplish this these theaters were outfitted with a plethora of amenities such as larger sitting areas, air conditioning, and even childcare services. Between 1914 and 1922 over 4,000 movie palaces were opened. Notable pioneers of movies palaces include

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