TCL Chinese Theatre
6925 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
6925 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
159 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 1,670 comments
Hello-
Escott N.-
L.A. with the Chinese and the Westwood must be one of the very very few cities in the U.S. with 2 grand old movie theaters that were built as 1st run venues from the get go and have continued to operate as such since the day they opened. Manhattan doesn’t have any.
I am puzzled by RogerA’s comment, there are quite a few “good” theatres left in Los Angeles, and in my opinion, some magnificent ones, like the Chinese, El Cap, Hollywood Legion, United Artists, Palace, Los Angeles, United Artists, Orpheum, Million Dollar, etc. I was just at the Westwood Village for Last Remaining Seats and it seems well maintained with good sound and picture, clean throughout, and an attentive staff. not sure about the curtain, but that would be low on my list, very few theatre even HAVE curtains any more, sadly.
As for bigjoe59’s query, I agree with silver that the Westwood Village should be included, it was built as a first run theatre, and still shows the biggest first run films. The exterior of the theatre is almost all original, including the marquee which has changed very little. It is probably one of the oldest original marquees still being used in Los Angeles.
The Village theater was once a premier venue. Current management hasn’t done any real maintenance for years. The curtain has been broken for a while. Are there any good theaters left in Los Angeles? The Million Dollar in downtown, one of the oldest theaters in Los Angeles, is running movies again.
Reply to: bigjoe59 May 2, 2022 comment . How about the Westwood Village Theater? (now run by Regency). Opened 1931 with 1489 seats (currently has 1341). Info from its page: cinematreasures.org/theaters/246 . It has a huge lobby, & outstanding sound & projection. And many of us consider it to be the best old theater in Los Angeles (the overpriced Chinese notwithstanding), but that’s subjective, of course.
Hello-
since discovering this wonderful site I decided to see what grand old theaters built in the U.S. between 1914-1941 were still alive and well. there is of course the Castro in San Francisco but that was built from the get go as a 2nd/3rd run neighborhood theater. I was interested in what grand old movie theater(s) built from the get go as a 1st run venue had continued to operate as such since the day it opened. the only one I have found so far in my research is this theater.
Wow, I’ve noticed that the web address for this entry ends in “theaters/1”, which seems to indicate that the Chinese Theatre was the very first cinema to be listed on Cinema Treasures.
And this comment of mine is #1650 (or #1642 according to the tally in the comments section), going back 20 years… : )
CBS Saturday Morning news segment, “The History of the Forecourt of the Stars,” from April 30th, 2022:
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/the-history-of-the-forecourt-of-the-stars-the-tcl-chinese-theatre/#x
Says that the tradition of leaving imprints in the courtyard began 95 years ago today when actress Norma Talmadge accidentally stepped in freshly poured cement, then Sid Grauman who was giving her, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks a tour of the theater asked them to put their footprints, handprints and autographs. Also mentions the imprints have aged well due to a top secret cement recipe.
Los Angeles Times link with multiple photos of various stars placing hand prints in the forecourt.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-chinese-theatre-handprints-celebrity-20170518-htmlstory.html
The line added to the description is badly phrased. The new zoning code was not aimed at the Chinese Theatre, but is simply a provision to allow housing to be built on land that was previously reserved exclusively for commercial use. Nobody is going to knock down one of the city’s most successful tourist attractions to put up apartments, especially when the same code change opens up many thousands of acres of lower value commercial properties (and their parking lots) for residential use.
The Chinese is NOT, I repeat NOT in danger of being torn down for housing. A local preservation group took something out of context and starting this scare campaign to boost attention to their org. The LA City Planning Dept responded that the theatre is not in any danger. The rezoning is part of a citywide effort to promote more housing opportunities, allowing areas that previously couldn’t build housing to have the option.
If you are right that last paragraph needs to be rewritten because it makes it sound like the theater is in danger of being torn down.
I read somewhere else they’re working on tearing it down and if you read the last paragraph here it doesn’t talk about the surrounding area it’s talking about the theater specifically. Also it seems landmark status means little today.
The Chinese Theater has landmark status I doubt they will tear it down to build housing. Everything around it maybe.
So it’s in the works to tear the place down for residential use. I’m just hearing about it and now I see it’s in the overview. Was never in it though walked in the forecourt. Now I never will.
“Is This the End Of the Movies?” Following news commentary could apply to any cinemas still operating. Click here
Hello-
to bad a remastered blu-ray disc of WSS wasn’t issued for the 60th
Anni. last October 2021. the currently available blu-ray from say 10? years ago contains a huge mistake that did not occur on any previous home video version of the film.
Passing along the link to my 3-page 60th anniversary retrospective on WEST SIDE STORY, which includes a historian interview and reference listing of its roadshow engagements. The Chinese gets several mentions.
Passing along the link to a 12-page 40th anniversary RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK retrospective which features a historian Q&A and 70mm playdate chronology. The Chinese is mentioned several times.
That is so awesome! Thanks for sharing that amazing memory. Unfortunately I was too young to see Star Wars when it was first released, I was three going on four, but I have fond memories of seeing Return of the Jedi during its initial release. (I also missed The Empire Strikes Back when it first came out.)
May 2017 Chicago Tribune article with about the 90th anniversary images.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-chinese-theatre-20170518-htmlstory.html
On 11/7/1977 Herbie(The Love Bug) along with other immortals of the silver screen, placed it’s wheel marks in cement outside the Chinese Theatre, before people to watch a screening of the movie, “Herbie goes to Monte Carlo”.
Moviegoing as practiced for more than a century appears over. This could be the “new normal.” The following New York Times article does not mention Grauman’s Chinese specifically, but the theatre would be affected if it ever re-opens. Click here
“Movies and Museums Are Coming Back. Should You Go?” asks The New York Times in a controversial article displayed here
Great story
That was back when the Chinese had carbon arcs three Norelco’s in the main booth and they could go from 35 to 70 mm on a changeover and it was impressive. To go from a small 1:85 picture for the trailers in mono to a full Todd-AO picture with six channels of a great six channel mix an experience that only comes once in a while
Hi Bill_Lonee, and welcome! Great story! I remember my first viewing of Star Wars, also at the Chinese, and it also changed my life! I remember events in my life as pre- and post-Star Wars!
I hope when theatres reopen eventually that you come back and watch a movie at the Chinese, I go all the time (well, until it has to close) and the theatre is still magic, and in my opinion one of the best places to see a big movie!