Chinese 6 Theatres

6801 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028 | map |

The Grauman's Chinese pages: 
| Chinese overview | street views 1926 to 1954 | street views 1955 to present | forecourt | lobby | lounges | vintage auditorium views | recent auditorium views | upstairs boxes and offices | booth | stage | basement | attic and roof | Chinese Twin | Chinese 6 |

The Chinese 6 is a multiplex upstairs in the Hollywood and Highland mall that's just east of Grauman's Chinese. This street level boxoffice serves both the original Grauman's Chinese screen and the sixplex. Photo: Bill Counter - 2007

Phone: 323-461-3331   Website: tclchinesetheatres.com | the Chinese on Facebook |

Opened: 2001. The mall was built by the Canadian firm TrizecHahn who later got into difficulties with the property. The current owner of the complex is the CIM Group, a major Hollywood property owner. The theatres were opened by Mann Theatres as Mann's Chinese 6.  

The Chinese Twin that had been on the property east of Grauman's Chinese since 1979 was demolished for construction of the Hollywood and Highland project.  

Architects: Behr Browers Architects. See their website's Mann Theatre Hollywood and Highland page for a nice series of photos of the Chinese 6. They also did restoration work on the main theatre as well in 2001.

Seating: It's 1,467 total. The largest venue seats 470. There's one with 289 seats. The remaining 4 each have 177 seats. 

Film capability: While all the houses were running film when the complex opened, as of 2022 only screen 1 has film capability. Originally it was a 70mm installation but now it's just 35. General Manager Levi Tinker notes that there had been several discussions in recent years as far as putting 70 back in but the project wasn't pursued due to costs. 

Status: The operation (along with Grauman's Chinese) was purchased in May 2011 by nightclub operators/producers Elie Samaha and Don Kushner operating as Chinese Theatre, LLC. The Chinese 6 Theatres offer first run films as well as special events and private parties.

The Chinese 6 got a new landlord with the 2019 sale of the Hollywood and Highland Center to DJM, a San Jose real estate firm, and Gaw Capital USA, a branch of a Hong Kong private equity firm. The August 5 L.A. Times story "Hollywood and Highland center sold; renovations to start next year" noted that the deal excluded the Dolby Theatre, which previous H&H owner CIM will continue to manage. The Curbed L.A. story the same day "Hollywood and Highland shopping center sold..." also mentioned that the new team was planning renovations in 2020 and 2021. Those were pushed off to 2022 and 2023. The center is now known as Ovation.

Variety also covered somewhat the same material with their article "CIM Sells Hollywood & Highland, Retains Dolby Theatre." The Variety story mentioned that the deal also excludes the Chinese Theatre, a property where CIM owns the land but not the building. That's owned by Elie Samaha, Don Kushner and a consortium of other investors until 2023 at which time, if nothing is negotiated, it reverts to the property owner.

The front theatre entrance upstairs in the mall. There's also an entrance on the back side of the lobby/ballroom.  Photo: Bill Counter - 2007

The front entrance hall to the Chinese 6. The photos on the walls are of footprint ceremonies in the forecourt. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

A lobby view looking west. All the auditoria are off to the left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

Another lobby view looking west. It's now being used for parties and receptions and called "The Grauman Ballroom." The event was a tour of Grauman's Chinese organized by the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

The lobby with its original decorative scheme. Thanks to Behr Browers Architects for the photo. They were the designers of the project.

A 2006 VIP lounge area photo at the Chinese 6 by Cariberry on Flickr. Her album has a number of other nice photos of the complex.

 A shot of the VIP bar area of the Chinese 6 that was once on the Mann Theatres website.

Auditorium #1. All the added speakers are for the Dolby Atmos process. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

 
A look to the rear of auditorium #1. Photo: Bill Counter - 2018

Auditorium #1. Photo: Bill Counter - 2012

A view of auditorium #1 by Cinema Treasures contributor Hollywood 90038. It was once in the photos section of the site's TCL Chinese Theatre page but seems to have vanished from there.

Thanks to Hollywood 90038 for this auditorium #5 sidewall view once on the Cinema Treasures page about the theatre.

The rear of one of the auditoria. Photo: Behr Browers Architects

A photo by Rodrigo Mendez that appeared with a 2009 Live Design Online story about the "380 channel" experimental sound system getting tried out in auditorium 6. Note the array on the side wall.  It's also on the Electrosonic website.

A look toward the screen in auditorium #6. The Rodrigo Mendez photo appears on the Mann Chinese Theatre page of the website of the firm Electrosonic with an article on their experimental sound installation at the complex in in 2009.

The rear of auditorium #6. The Rodrigo Mendez photo appears on the Electrosonic Mann Chinese Theatre page. 

The Cinema Tour Chinese 6 Theatres page has many interior photos including this 2004 shot of an auditorium by Ken Roe. Also see his lobby photo.  Thanks, Ken!  

A screen view of one of the auditoria. Photo: Behr Browers Architects

More Information: See the Cinema Tour page for many photos of the complex including a number of fine lobby shots by Christopher Crouch. Wikipedia has an article on the Hollywood & Highland complex.

Cinema Treasures doesn't have a separate page for the Chinese 6 (or the now-demolished Chinese Twin). It's all together on a page called TCL Chinese Theatre.

The Grauman's Chinese pages: 
| Chinese overview | street views 1926 to 1954 | street views 1955 to present | forecourt | lobby | lounges | vintage auditorium views | recent auditorium views | upstairs boxes and offices | booth | stage | basement | attic and roof | Chinese Twin | back to top - Chinese 6 |

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