Historic Hollywood Photographs

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Chinese Theatre 79 images Created 3 Oct 2019

One of the most famous theaters in the world, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, is located at 6925 Hollywood Blvd. After his success with the Egyptian Theatre, Sid Grauman, once again turned to real estate pioneer C.E. Toberman to secure a long term lease on the Hollywood Blvd. site and together they contracted the same architectural firm of Meyer and Holler to design a dramatic "palace type theatre" with decorative Chinese elements.

The theatre was constructed in 18 months and opened on May 18, 1927 with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's film “The King of Kings”. It's since hosted many premieres, special events and 3 Academy Awards ceremonies. In addition to its signature architecture, one of the site’s most distinctive features are the forecourt's concrete blocks which bear the signatures, hand and footprints of popular movie personalities.

Sid Grauman sold his share to William Fox in 1929, but remained the theatre's Managing Director until his death in 1950. In 1968, the Chinese Theatre was declared a historic cultural landmark, and has since undergone various restoration projects. In 1985, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

These 3 galleries comprise the largest collection of historic images of this iconic Hollywood landmark from 1927-1980:
View: 100 | All

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  • 1926 Early construction days of Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-1.tif
  • 1926 Early construction days of Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-3.tif
  • 1926 Early days of construction of the Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-4.tif
  • 1926 Early days of construction of the Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-5.tif
  • 1/5/1926 Groundbreaking ceremony for Grauman's Chinese Theatre. L to R: Sid Grauman, Charlie Chaplin, Norma Talmadge, Conrad Nagel, and Anna Mae Wong.
    T-017-0.jpg
  • 1927 Ushers at Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-6.tif
  • 1927 Usher points to a poster announcing the movie premiere of King Of Kings at Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-7.tif
  • 1927 Mary Pickford sits in an old bi-plane in the forecourt of the Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-8.tif
  • 1927 Ushers at Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-9.tif
  • 1929 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-20.tif
  • 1937 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-102.tif
  • 1950 Painting Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-108.tif
  • 1929 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-109.tif
  • 1957 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-110.tif
  • 1927 Chinese Theater under construction
    T-017-10.tif
  • 1927 Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-11.tif
  • 1927 Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-12.tif
  • 1927 Ushers with projectors at Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-13.tif
  • 1927 Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-14.tif
  • 1935? Sid Grauman stands in front of a Christmas tree in the forecourt of his Chinese Theater
    T-017-15.tif
  • 1929 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-16.tif
  • 1930 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-18.tif
  • 1930 Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-19.tif
  • 1931 Filming at Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-21.tif
  • 1932 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-22.tif
  • 1934 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-23.tif
  • 1936 John Holliday & Marsha Hunt in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-24.jpg
  • 1936 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-25.tif
  • 1937 Ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-26.tif
  • 1938 Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-27.tif
  • T-017-28.jpg
  • 1939 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-29.tif
  • 1939 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-30.tif
  • 1944 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-32.jpg
  • 1944 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-33.tif
  • 1949 Sid Grauman (center) at his Chinese Theater
    T-017-34.tif
  • 1953 Preparing for the premiere of The Robe at Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-35.tif
  • 1954 Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-36.tif
  • 1955 Snack bar at Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-37.tif
  • 1955 Auditorium at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-38.tif
  • 1955 Grauman's Chinese Theater interior
    T-017-39.tif
  • 1955 Chinese Theatre Lobby
    T-017-40.tif
  • 1955 Chinese Theater Lobby ceiling
    T-017-41.tif
  • 1961 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-42.tif
  • 1964 Mary Poppins at Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-43.tif
  • 1964 Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-44.tif
  • 1964 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-45.jpg
  • 1968 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-46.tif
  • 1972 Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-52.tif
  • 1975 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-54.jpg
  • 1975 Movie making at Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-55.jpg
  • 1979 Ted Mann places time capsule in forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-59.tif
  • 1977 Time caplsule being placed at the Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-60.jpg
  • 1977 Jerry Fairbanks places an item in the time capsule in the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-62.tif
  • 1977 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-67.jpg
  • 1978 Construction of Grauman's Chinese Theater #2 & #3
    T-017-75.jpg
  • 1978 Construction of Grauman's Chinese Theater #2 & #3
    T-017-76.jpg
  • 1978 Construction of Grauman's Chinese Theater #2 & #3
    T-017-77.jpg
  • 1979 Jesse Pizante, the official tourist photographer, at Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-79.tif
  • 1979 Superman movie at Grauman's Chinese Theatre
    T-017-80.jpg
  • 1979 Superman movie at Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-81.jpg
  • 1979, Jesse Pizante, the official tourist photographer at Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-82.jpg
  • 1979 Construction of Grauman's Chinese Theater #2 & #3
    T-017-84.tif
  • 1979 Construction of Grauman's Chinese Theater #2 & #3
    T-017-85.tif
  • 1979 Construction of Grauman's Chinese Theater #2 & #3
    T-017-86.tif
  • 1985 Tourists looking at the hand and footprints in the Chinese Theatre forecourt
    T-017-87.tif
  • 1979 Christmas at Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-88.jpg
  • 1979 Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-89.jpg
  • 1979 Jesse Pizante, the official tourist photographer, at Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-90.tif
  • 1979 Jesse Pizante, the official tourist photographer, at Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-91.jpg
  • 1979 Jesse Pizante, the official tourist photographer, at Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-92.jpg
  • 1979 Construction of Grauman's Chinese Theater #2 & #3
    T-017-93.jpg
  • 1979 Construction of Grauman's Chinese Theater #2 & #3
    T-017-94.jpg
  • 1979 Construction of Grauman's Chinese Theater #2 & #3
    T-017-96.jpg
  • 1979 Nearly complete construction of Mann's Chinese Theatres #2 & #3
    T-017-97.jpg
  • 1979 Construction of Grauman's Chinese Theater #2 & #3
    T-017-98.jpg
  • 1979 Construction of Grauman's Chinese Theater #2 & #3
    T-017-100.jpg
  • 1979 Grand opening of Grauman's Chinese Theater #2 & #3
    T-017-101.tif
  • 1979 Photographer, Jesse Pizante, at Grauman's Chinese Theater
    T-017-103.jpg