Premieres

The tradition of grand Hollywood premieres was pioneered by master showman Sid Grauman. The very first gala premiere took place in 1922 with the grand opening of Grauman's Egyptian Theater and the spectacular premiere of "Robin Hood," a silent screen version starring Douglas Fairbanks. That first premiere at the Egyptian featured all the bright lights and hoopla which we've now come to associate with movie premieres - and the basic form has been repeated ever since. Five years later, in 1927, Grauman topped himself by opening his new Chinese Theatre with the star-studded premiere of DeMille's "King of Kings." Over the years, Hollywood premieres grew more and more elaborate. When "The Wizard of Oz" premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theater in 1939, over ten thousand spectators showed up to greet Judy Garland, the entire Oz cast, and other MGM stars. The studio even recreated the Yellow Brick Road and a small cornfield in the famous Grauman's courtyard, and populated it with a scarecrow and several Munchkins in full costume. Three years later, in 1942, fear of enemy attack during World War II led to all Hollywood premieres (and their bright lights) being banned for the duration. The last pre-war premiere was held on August 19, 1942, for "Pride of the Yankees" at the Pantages Theater, and was attended by (among others) Bob Hope, Ginger Rogers, Ronald Reagan, Jack Benny, Mickey Rooney, Ava Gardner, Charles Boyer, Rita Hayworth, Victor Mature, Hedy Lamarr, Irene Dunne, Dorothy Lamour and Sam Goldwyn. But once the war was over, the Hollywood premieres resumed. And many of the modern movie premieres are still exciting events. And occasionally, there's still a a jolt of Hollywood public excess. Today, new movies open every week in Hollywood, of course, but often the big studios decide to pull out all the stops and throw an old-fashioned, full-blown Hollywood premiere (sometimes called "special screenings"). High-intensity searchlights criss-cross the night sky. Movie stars dressed in tuxedos and evening gowns arrive in stretch limousines in front of the theatre, to the applause of an adoring crowd. An emcee, with microphone in hand, interviews the celebrities going inside to watch the film... It's quite a sight. And a quintessential Hollywood experience. Other premieres were held at Pantages Theater.  Look at hand and footprints ceremonies at the Chinese Theater