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50-578: The first Egyptian Theatre to be constructed in the US – which inspired many of the identically-named theatres that followed it – was Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California . For several years, Hollywood developer Charles E. Toberman attempted to convince Sid Grauman to locate in Hollywood. During a meeting, Sid told Mr. Toberman of his desire to build a theatre of Egyptian design. Mr. Toberman then secured

100-748: A business deal. Zukor agreed to buy the San Francisco theaters from the Graumans and also to assist them with financing in beginning their theater business in Los Angeles. Grauman introduced film shows to San Jose, California . On February 7, 1903, Sid Grauman opened the Unique Theatre at 20 East Santa Clara Street in San Jose. The theatre presented movies, stock theater companies, amateur nights, and vaudeville acts. The most notable amateur to develop his talent there

150-524: A destroyed church, he set up on the site where the Unique once stood. The Graumans posted a sign outside of their makeshift theater that said: "Nothing to fall on you but canvas if there is another quake." The family received a commendation from the City of San Francisco for their help in boosting citizens' morale during the trying times. They operated their tent theater for two years; by that time David Grauman had opened

200-485: A dollar each. Grauman told a story about a store owner who purchased a newspaper from him for $ 50. The shopkeeper then read the paper aloud in his store, charging admission to local miners. In the Yukon, the young Grauman learned a lesson which would serve him the rest of his life: that people would willingly pay handsomely for entertainment. Sid and his father began organizing events like boxing matches, which paid them well. It

250-526: A large restoration project, the theater re-opened in November 2023, with Netflix handling the programming Monday through Thursday and the American Cinematheque overseeing Friday through Sunday. The Egyptian was built by showman Sid Grauman and real estate developer Charles E. Toberman , who subsequently built the nearby El Capitan Theatre and Chinese Theatre . Grauman had previously opened one of

300-566: A movie theatre showcasing the organization's celebrated public programming." The Eldorado Theatre located in Eldorado Amusement Park , Weehawken , New Jersey opened in 1891 and featured 'Egypt Through Centuries' each evening. The creators of the park, Palisades Amusement and Exhibition Company , published a book titled "Egypt Through the Centuries" in 1892. Many of the other theatres that copied Grauman's Egyptian Theatre were part of

350-458: A piece of property on Hollywood Boulevard, just east of McCadden Place. The architectural firm of Meyer & Holler were hired to design the theatre. The result was Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, with a seating of 1770. The approach to the theatre was through a courtyard in an ornate style evoking ancient Egypt, while inside, the stage was flanked by carved columns and models of the Sphinx. The theatre

400-426: A re-run house. The theater returned to first-run premieres in 1944, when it became the exclusive Hollywood showcase for MGM , but due to 1949's United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. , which barred major studios from operating movie theaters, MGM was forced to relinquish this and all its other theaters. United Artists operated this theater from 1949 to 1992, with the theater showcasing 20th Century Fox films from

450-565: A second movie theater further west on Hollywood Boulevard . In keeping with the public's fascination with international themes, he named his new theater the Chinese Theatre . Its popularity surpassed the Egyptian because of its celebrity handprints, footprints, and signatures in the concrete of its forecourt. Following the opening of the Chinese, Fox West Coast Theaters operated the Egyptian as

500-690: A second-floor balcony were removed, the auditorium ceiling and Egyptian scarab at the proscenium were restored, and the theater technology was modernized again. The entire renovation process, from the 1990s to 2020s, is considered a "case study in reversibility" by Los Angeles city staff. The layout, design, and name of the Egyptian Theatre was emulated by other movie palaces across North America, including those in Bala Cynwyd , Boise , Concord , Coos Bay , DeKalb , Delta , El Dorado , Hanover , Montreal , Ogden , Park City , and Seattle . The Egyptian

550-599: A theater called the New National Theater. The Graumans expanded their theaters within a short period of time, opening the Imperial and the Empress in San Francisco, and branching out further to other Northern California cities. By 1917, the Graumans decided they would relocate to Los Angeles and build theaters there. They approached Adolph Zukor , who would go on to be the owner and founder of Paramount Pictures , regarding

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600-662: A theater. With the Unique Theater gone and the Lyceum unable to be occupied by the Graumans until 1907, father and son appeared to be temporarily out of business when the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 destroyed both the Unique and Lyceum theaters. Sid was able to save one of the theater's movie projectors from the ruins. He was also able to get a tent from an evangelist preacher in Oakland . Putting those together with some pews from

650-601: A time. His parents settled in San Francisco and Grauman joined them there in 1900. David and Sidney Grauman decided to open a vaudeville theater in San Francisco. Their first venture was on Market Street near Mason called the Unique Theater. Before long, they added motion pictures to the vaudeville shows, and another theater called the Lyceum. As the theater manager, though Sid Grauman had seen just about every type of performance, there were some that startled and amazed him, turning down an offer to learn how to swallow swords. The Graumans were also instrumental in establishing

700-601: Is estimated that up to 100 of these theatre types were constructed across the US. Many of them no longer exist, but there are many fine examples of this style still in use today. Conrad Schmitt Studios has played a big part in the restoration of these atmospheric theatres, including Egyptian Theatres in Park City, Utah ; Ogden, Utah ; Boise, Idaho ; Delta, Colorado ; and DeKalb, Illinois . Sorted by date of first opening. Grauman%27s Egyptian Theatre Grauman's Egyptian Theatre , also known as Egyptian Hollywood and

750-459: The Los Angeles Times reported that Netflix had restored the theater to its original appearance. This entailed restoring the original neon blade theater sign over Hollywood Boulevard and the original hieroglyphics and artwork on the courtyard walls; renovating the lobby and restoring the interior; and removing elements of the '90s restoration, including courtyard palm trees, acoustic panels in

800-607: The Chinese Theatre and the Egyptian Theatre . Grauman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1879, the son of David Grauman (1851–1921) and Rosa Goldsmith (1853–1936). Grauman's parents were theatrical performers on show circuits. They were both Jewish . Grauman and his father went to Dawson City, Yukon , for the Gold Rush when he was a young man. He worked there as a paperboy. Since newspapers were scarce, they could command

850-535: The 1970s onwards. In 1955, a large curved Todd-AO screen was added to the theater, with much of the theater's original proscenium arch demolished to make room for the screen. In 1984, the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was added to the National Register of Historic Places , with the Egyptian Theatre listed as a contributing property in the district. In 1993,

900-521: The Egyptian , is a historic movie theater located on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles , California. Opened in 1922, it is an early example of a lavish movie palace and is noted as having been the site of the world's first film premiere . From 1998 until 2020, the Egyptian was owned and operated by the American Cinematheque , and in May 2020, Netflix bought the theater. Following

950-496: The Egyptian Theatre , which features interviews from Guillermo del Toro , Rian Johnson , Lynette Howell Taylor , Autumn Durald Arkapaw and the theater's restoration architect Peyton Hall . The exterior of the Egyptian features Egyptian Revival architecture. However, the roof panels above the main entrance are in a Mediterranean, not ancient Egyptian, style. The theater was designed with an Egyptian theme due to public fascination with Howard Carter 's expeditions searching for

1000-438: The Egyptian's forecourt was restored to its original 1922 appearance, and palm trees and planters were also added. In April 2019, it was announced that Netflix was seeking to purchase the theater to use as a special events venue, qualify its films for Oscar nominations, screen its films and television shows for Oscar and Emmy voters, and that the American Cinematheque would still hold events on weekends. Immediately after

1050-536: The Egyptian, the Hollywood Boulevard of yesteryear will reappear some great day in the future. When that happens, the Egyptian Theatre, jewel that it is, will be there to herald in the new age of film town."" United Artists was the last owner of the Egyptian Theatre before it closed in 1992. The American Cinematheque purchased the theatre from the city for $ 1 with the provision "that this historical landmark would be restored to its original grandeur and re-opened as

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1100-487: The Graumans knew people like Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford, as the stars had performed at one of the Grauman theaters when they were on their way up. David Grauman was the originator of Pickford's "America's Sweetheart" nickname. Grauman, who never married, was devoted to his mother. She was the only non-celebrity whose imprints were taken for display; after Rosa's death, Grauman kept all of her personal effects. Grauman

1150-762: The Northwest Vaudeville Company, which stretched from San Francisco to Minneapolis and Portland , Oregon. The association brought quality live entertainment at reasonable prices to the Northwest area of the United States. David Grauman tried his hand at expanding his theater business in New York City and the East Coast, where he was far from successful; for a time, Sid worked in Scranton, Pennsylvania , at one of

1200-492: The Unique Theater. The building had been purchased by the president of the Orpheum Theater circuit and Grauman's rent was doubled by the new owner. The structure was able to house a theater only because Grauman had established one there before a fire ordinance prohibiting it was passed. Before his tenancy was over, Grauman hired a crew of men with axes to demolish the interior of the Unique, so it could not be re-built for use as

1250-692: The United States's first movie palaces, the Million Dollar Theater , part of the Broadway Theater District in Downtown Los Angeles . The Egyptian cost $ 800,000 and took 18 months to construct. Architects Meyer & Holler designed the building, and it was built by The Milwaukee Building Company . The Egyptian was the location of world's first film premiere, Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood , on Wednesday, October 18, 1922. As

1300-538: The announcement, a petition campaign called on the American Cinematheque board, the California Attorney General , and Los Angeles City Council to hold a public meeting about the proposed sale. On May 29, 2020, it was announced that Netflix would acquire the theater and invest in renovations. The theater's purchase price was reported to be $ 14.4 million, and the renovations, which included a seismic retrofit, totalled more than $ 70 million. In August 2023,

1350-443: The auditorium, and the entire balcony section, lowering the seating capacity by 100 to 516 seats. Additionally, modern lighting and sound upgrades have been implemented. In October 2023, Netflix announced that the theater would reopen on November 9 with a screening of The Killer , followed by a Q&A session with director David Fincher . Netflix also announced the release of the documentary short film Temple of Film: 100 Years of

1400-425: The auditorium. The four columns that mark the theater's main entrance are 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 feet (1.4 m) wide and rise 20 feet (6 m). Inside, the theater originally featured Sphinx sculptures, singer's boxes, an orchestra pit, and a proscenium arch with a winged scarab surmounted by a medallion and snakes at its center. Additionally, the theater's centerpiece was its massive stylized sunburst device on

1450-484: The building was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument . The Egyptian closed in 1992 and fell into disrepair. In 1996, the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles sold the theater to the American Cinematheque for a nominal $ 1 with the provision that the building be restored to its original grandeur and reopened as a movie theater. The Cinematheque raised $ 12.8 million to pay for

1500-470: The ceiling, which doubled as an organ grille. Several of these features, including the sculptures and orchestra pit, were removed when the theater transitioned to sound, and much of the proscenium arch was demolished to make room for an enlarged screen when the theater upgraded to Todd-AO . In 1997, architecture and design studio Hodgetts + Fung renovated the theater and updated its technology to accommodate American Cinematheque programming. The exterior

1550-489: The completion of the Egyptian Theatre which opened the year after his death. Now working on his own, Sid Grauman began building his last theater, the Chinese Theatre in 1926. It was opened for a premiere on May 18, 1927. There was a crush of onlookers eager to have a glimpse of both the stars attending and the splendor of the building. Many of the fittings were imported from China and Chinese artisans were brought in to create works of sculpture which were originally located in

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1600-503: The film reportedly cost over $ 1 million to produce, the admission price to the premiere was $ 5. One could reserve a seat up to two weeks in advance for the daily performances. Evening admission was 75¢, $ 1 or $ 1.50. The film was not shown in any other Los Angeles theater that year. Premieres that took place at the Egyptian after Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood include The Ten Commandments in 1923, The Thief of Bagdad in 1924, and The Gold Rush in 1925. In 1927, Grauman opened

1650-557: The hospital to sleep. Grauman received an honorary Academy Award in 1949 for raising the standard for film exhibition. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6379 Hollywood Blvd. He was one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ). Grauman died of a coronary occlusion at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on March 5, 1950, twelve days shy of his 71st birthday. He

1700-510: The investment. Grauman was well-known to Hollywood's leading stars and was considered to be a close friend to many, including Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle . It was in Grauman's office at the Million Dollar Theatre that Arbuckle called the San Francisco police to turn himself in. Arbuckle began working for Grauman as a singer at his San Francisco Unique Theater as R. C. Arbuckle. The San Francisco theater connections of father and son meant

1750-525: The most important people in roller skating's history. Grauman's non-entertainment ventures turned out as badly as his father's. He formed the Black Hills Exploration Corporation in a gold mining effort near Deadwood , South Dakota. Grauman had convinced others such as entertainer Al Jolson and many movie company executives to join him in investing in the company. The company was not successful, and Grauman advised everyone to get out of

1800-520: The other credits Norma Talmadge with the misstep. Grauman decided it was a wonderful way to have a permanent record of the stars, and began inviting selected film personalities to put their hand and footprints in concrete. Grauman himself made the choices; the tradition continued after his death using a secret system for choosing celebrities. Grauman was not the sole owner of the Chinese Theatre, even though it bears his name. His business partners in

1850-420: The restoration, and the theater was reopened to the public on December 4, 1998. The original theater seated 1,760 patrons in a single auditorium, while the restored Egyptian added a second theater. The main theater accommodated 616 patrons and was named after Los Angeles philanthropist Lloyd E. Rigler , while the second theater accommodated 78 was named after Steven Spielberg . In addition to these renovations,

1900-405: The theater's forecourt and are now housed inside the theater. The forecourt still contains the celebrity hand and footprints in cement. The tradition began by accident, while the finishing touches were being put on the Chinese Theatre. Two versions of the story have been published; one has Mary Pickford as the actress who stepped in the wet cement on her way to see Sid Grauman's new building, and

1950-409: The theaters in which he and his father were interested. David Grauman suffered enough financial loss to have the need to take a business partner in his Lyceum Theater, and to accept an offer from the partner to buy him out in 1905. He later arranged to take over the lease of the Lyceum, which would then evict his former partner from the theater in 1907. By early 1906, the Graumans had lost their lease of

2000-492: The tomb of Tutankhamun . Previously, the theater was to have a Mediterranean-styled design, with the unconfirmed but plausible story being that Mediterranean-styled roof panels were used because they had already been delivered and paid for when the style was changed. The building's exterior walls contain Egyptian-style paintings and hieroglyphs . The front courtyard (45 ft × 150 ft (14 m × 46 m))

2050-516: The venture were Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Howard Schenck. Two years after its opening, he sold his share of the theater to Fox West Coast Theatres, but remained its Managing Director for the rest of his life. Over four million people visit the Chinese Theatre yearly. In addition to his theater, and Hollywood energies, Sid Grauman built the Hollywood Roller Bowl which led to the 'discovery' of Gloria Nord , who would become one of

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2100-415: The wave of Egyptian Revival architecture that occurred after the November 1922 discovery of King Tut 's tomb by Howard Carter . Unlike the many theatres that followed in its wake, Grauman's Egyptian Theatre was designed, built, named and opened before the 1922 discovery of King Tut's tomb. The news of the tomb's discovery reached the US a few weeks after the theatre opened. Early in the 20th century, it

2150-629: Was Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle . The 1906 earthquake demolished the Unique Theatre, and Grauman moved on to Los Angeles, founding the Princess Theatre and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. By 1918, the first of three Grauman movie palaces in downtown Los Angeles was open for business: the Million Dollar Theatre . The others, Grauman’s Rialto and Grauman's Metropolitan Theater , opened in 1919 and 1923, respectively. In 1921 in Los Angeles, David Grauman died suddenly, never able to see

2200-620: Was also in the Yukon that Grauman saw his first motion picture. A failed prospector in the Klondike gold rush , David Grauman initially took his young son to the Klondike with the idea of building a theater there. Though they did not strike gold, both of the Graumans gained considerable wealth by their Klondike entertainment activities. When his father's sister became ill and he left the territory to care for her, young Grauman remained in Dawson City for

2250-488: Was designed to capitalize on Southern California 's sunny weather and to host the theater's red-carpet ceremonies. Storefronts along the east side of the courtyard had an "Oriental motif" and sold imports, while the Pig 'n Whistle was located west and included a side entrance direct from the restaurant to the courtyard. Originally, the courtyard was also the theater's "entrance hall", as the front doors formerly opened directly into

2300-517: Was featured in episode 712 of Visiting... with Huell Howser . The theater is the location of a gunfight during the conclusion of a case in the video game L.A. Noire . The theater appears in Jonathan Franzen's 2021 novel Crossroads . Sid Grauman Sidney Patrick Grauman (March 17, 1879 – March 5, 1950) was an American entrepreneur and showman who established two of Hollywood 's most recognizable and visited landmarks,

2350-681: Was interred in the Sanctuary of Benediction alcove in the Memorial Terrace section of the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale , California. After Grauman's death, a woman named Carrie Adair came forward with claims of being his common-law wife and the mother of his child. Adair produced a copy of a will and a letter naming her as Grauman's childhood sweetheart. Adair's sister, Agnes Gerlich, gave testimony that her sister

2400-739: Was opened on October 19, 1922, with the grand premiere of "Robin Hood" starring Douglas Fairbanks . In a 1983 article in Hollywood Studio Magazine , Mike Hughes wrote of the Egyptian: "A survivor of the decay that unfortunately characterizes the Hollywood Boulevard of today, the Egyptian is a reminder of the glamour that once made the Boulevard famous. Perhaps through the dedicated efforts of such citizens as Bruce Torrence, author of Hollywood: The First 100 Years and grandson of Mr. Charles Toberman, who built

2450-532: Was restored while projection, sound, seating, mechanical systems, and circulation were improved to 21st century standards. In 2000, the project won the National Preservation Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation . The Egyptian was further renovated from 2020 to 2023, with a focus on updating the changes made in the previous renovation. Non-original additions such as palm trees and

2500-492: Was very closely connected with the motion picture industry and appeared in several cameo appearances that nodded to his fame in Hollywood and further afield in the Gold Rush. Living for 35 years at Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel , Grauman spent the last six months of his life at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center , but not because of illness. Grauman liked being at Cedars and would leave to eat at various premier restaurants and return to

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