The Grauman's Chinese pages:
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1955 - Thanks to Todd Hamilton for this postcard view of the theatre taken by William Graham during the run of "The Racers." Arnold Darrow spotted it in Todd's collection. The film had a three week run beginning February 18.
Todd has the photo on Flickr where he gives us the copy on the back: "The famous theatre is one of the outstanding attractions in Hollywood and has been the scene of many spectacular premieres. In the Floor of Fame in the palm studded forecourt are the hand and foot prints of famous stars past and present."
1955 - A postcard shot taken by Mike Roberts during the engagement of "The Racers." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this for a post on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.
1955 - A detail from the copy of the Mike Roberts card that's in Kevin Walsh's collection.
1955 - "Untamed" with Tyrone Power and Susan Hayward. It opened March 11. Thanks to Don Sherman for locating the photo for a post on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.
1955 - A wider "Untamed" shot. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Ethereal Reality for spotting the slide on eBay and including it in his Noirish post #507771.
1955 - The crowd lines up for "A Man Called Peter," an April engagement. The photo is from the Kurt Wahlner collection, appearing with his article on projection and sound at the Chinese in the section "Cinemascope at the Chinese."
1955 - Pre-opening ballyhoo next door at Toff's Coffee Shop for Jean Negulesco's "Daddy Long Legs." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the photo for a post on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.
1955 - The May 4 premiere of "Daddy Long Legs" starring Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron. The shot is from the newsreel footage of the event that's included on the film's DVD.
1955 - A postcard view taken during the run of "Daddy Long Legs." Thanks to Sean Ault for locating the card.
1955 - 24' high cutouts of Marilyn grace the front of the Chinese for "Seven Year Itch," which opened June 17 for a six week run. Thanks to Richard Wojcik for sharing the photo on the Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles. Also see another color shot of the signage for "Seven Year Itch" in Kurt Wahlner's section on "Cinemascope at the Chinese."
1955 - A wider look at the Chinese taken by Phillip Glendeau during the run of "Seven Year Itch." It's from Corbis, now folded into Getty Images.
1955 - "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing" opened at the Chinese August 19. This slide is one that appeared on eBay.
1955 - A sidewalk sale view. Theatre detective Kurt Wahlner took a look at the art in the display case on the right and determined that the shot was taken during the run of "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing." Thanks to Hector Acuna -- he had this one posted on the private Facebook group Mid Century Modern Los Angeles.
1955 - A look north on Orange Dr. toward the theatre. Thanks to Alison Martino for sharing the photo on her Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles.
1955 - A shot of the theatre running "The Tall Men" with Clark Gable and Jane Russell. Thanks to The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit for the post on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page. The film opened September 22 for a six week run.
1955 - "The View From Pompey's Head" with Richard Egan and Dana Wynter opened November 4 for a six week run. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Ethereal Reality for finding the photo on eBay for his Noirish post #53667.
1955 - "The Rains of Ranchipur" with Lana Turner and Richard Burton opened December 16. The film had a four week run ending January 12, 1956. It's a photo from the Adsausage Los Angeles Photo Archive.
1956 - The Metro Library and Archive on Flickr has this look at the Chinese during the run of Frank Tashlin's "The Lieutenant Wore Skirts." It opened January 13 for a five week engagement.
1956 - Renaming the street "Carousel Blvd." The side of the theatre was still painted to advertise "The Lieutenant Wore Skirts," running until February 15. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the photo for a post for the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group.
1956 - The Los Angeles Public Library collection includes this Ralph Morris photo of the February 16 premiere of "Carousel," filmed in Cinemascope 55 but shown with a 35mm print. It was presented with 6 track sound, run on separate dubbers synched to the projectors. It got an eight week run.
1956 - "Carousel" cast members Cameron Mitchell and
Barbara Ruick check out a Walk of Fame mockup that had recently been unveiled. It's a photo from Kurt Wahlner's GraumansChinese.org collection. He assumes the photo was taken the day of the premiere, February 16, and notes: "This design concept was
submitted to the L.A. City Council and approved, but Charles Toberman nixed it, as
he didn’t like the color scheme. It was also decided not to use
drawings of the honorees as it would be an unnecessary expense."
1956 - The rainy April 12 premiere for "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit." It went on to a seven week run. It's a photo by Sid Avery that's in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.Want more? They have a total of nineteen "Gray Flannel" premiere shots by Mr. Avery.
1956 - A great "Flannel Suit" shot from the Richard Wojcik collection that appeared on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page.
1956 - Need another "Flannel Suit" shot? Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this one. The signage on the east wall was for "D-Day the Sixth of June," a film that opened May 29. Also see a view from the west taken the same day by the same photographer. And Ken also located a straight-on black and white shot.
1956 - "The King and I," filmed in CinemaScope 55 but exhibited in 35mm, had its world premiere June 28. A nine week run began June 29. Thanks to Eric Lynxwiler for sharing this great photo from his collection on Flickr. And also thanks to Arnold Darrow for spotting it in Eric's collection.
1956 - "Hollywood Home of CinemaScope 55." A fine look at the signage from the east. Thanks to Kurt Wahlner for spotting this on eBay. Ken McIntyre also has a version cropped a bit on the right as a Facebook post on Ken's Movie Page.
Glen Norman comments: "Note that the street lights flanking the theatre have sprouted shades. Looking through the 1956 shots, I'm thinking
that the shaded lights were concurrent with the mock-up Walk of
Fame squares. We first see them for 'The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit,' and they are gone by the time of 'Giant.' It would be instructive to see a wide view during 'Carousel' to confirm my suspicions. Maybe testing some options for the Walk of Fame that wasn't too far in the future? If that's the case, I'm glad that neither of these prototypes were adopted."
1956 - "Bus Stop" played four weeks beginning August 29. Thanks to Richard Wojcik for the photo from his collection -- it was a post on Vintage Los Angeles.
1956 - We're looking at the demolition of the Hollywood Hotel with Grauman's in the distance. It's an amazing shot posted by Mark Donnell on Vintage Los Angeles.
c.1956 - Two charming ladies ready to hit the town. Thanks to James K. Chun for posting this one on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles. We're a block south of the Chinese -- that's the top of the pagoda in the upper right corner of the photo.
1956 - The crowd in the bleachers east of the theatre for the premiere of "Giant." It had a ten week run from October 17 through December 24. The photo from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Margaret Herrick Library is on display outside the Academy Museum's Ted Mann Theatre. Thanks to Martin Turnbull for getting this shot of it for a post on his Hollywood's Garden of Allah Novels Facebook page.
1956 - The entrance for the October 17 "Giant" premiere. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this one for a post on the Ken's Movie Page Facebook group. Getty Images has color footage of the premiere from this angle.
1956 - "Giant" was the only non-Cinemascope film to play the theatre while the big sign was across the entrance. Thanks to Bill Gabel for locating this photo for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.
1957 - A March view from the great site Card Cow with the Chinese running "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison." And, of course, the site has many more Chinese Theatre postcards for you to browse.
1957 - A wonderful view looking west from Tyler St. Mark on Vintage Los Angeles. "Boy On A Dolphin," an April 1957 release with Alan Ladd, Clifton Webb and Sophia Loren, is the film advertised on the south wall of the Chinese. The El Capitan, at this point called the Paramount, is in the lower left. Note the absence of a vertical sign.
Kurt Wahlner comments: "What is interesting about these shots is the fact that the metal canopy is under construction in them. There is a string of electric lights hanging over the area to guide customers at night. So now, we have a date for the metal canopy going in. So there is a progression of exterior changes which took place from 'Anastasia' through to 'Windjammer' - it all happened gradually."
1957 - A lovely shot from the Kurt Wahlner / GraumansChinese.org collection. He comments that this is one of the best night views available of the Cinemascope signage with all the neon working.
1957 - Another "Desk Set" photo from the Matt Spero collection. Thanks, Matt!
1957 - A "marvelous color" view from the Richard Wojcik collection on Vintage Los Angeles. It was taken during the run of "Island in the Sun" which opened at the Chinese in June. Check out the bottom line of neon which advises us that the presentation is in "marvelous color, Cinemascope and 'Hi-Fi' Stereophonic sound." IMDb lists this one as a mono release, however. Perhaps they made a mag print just for the Chinese.
Note that we have an upgraded hard-top version of the canopy installed with a more elaborate presentation out at the sidewalk.
1957 - An "Island in the Sun" shot looking west. Thanks to Dave Urov on Vintage Los Angeles for the photo. And to Kurt Wahlner for some color correction.
1957 - "Island in the Sun" is still playing but they're repainting the sign for the next attraction -- Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr in "An Affair To Remember," opening July 19. Thanks to Kurt Wahlner for the photo from his collection. It appears on "What's playing at the Chinese, anyway?," his survey of signage at the theatre. See another color "Island in the Sun" shot on Facebook from Ken McIntyre on Ken's Movie Page.
1957 - The dragon marquees nearing completion during the run of "An Affair To Remember." It opened July 19 and ran through August 27. Kurt Wahlner spotted this terrific photo when it was offered for sale online but Kathy Kikkert outbid him. Thanks to Kathy for including it on page 38 of her 2023 Angel City Press book "Hollywood Signs: The Golden Age of Glittering Graphics and Glowing Neon."
1957 - There are photos of the arched Cinemascope sign going up in 1953. And lots of shots of it in action. But we had none of it coming down until historian Kurt Wahlner, curator of the site GraumansChinese.org, acquired this rare snapshot. On the back it's dated August 22.
Kurt notes that the new dragon marquees probably had just been up for a few days. The readerboard copy is for "An Affair To Remember" and the photo's date puts it in the final week of the run. Don't miss Kurt's lists of Every Film to Ever Play the Chinese and the great page Grauman's Chinese Marquees and Signage.
1957 - A photo published in the Valley Times on September 9 that's now in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. The Library also has another "Sun Also Rises" shot from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce that was taken from a bit to the east. The copy that ran with the Times photo:
"Famous Hollywood landmark, Grauman's Chinese Theatre today is flashing a brand new face lift - its second since the film palace opened 30 years ago. The entire facade has been revamped at a cost of $30,000 - with twin marquees installed on both sides. Also a $13,000 carpet, hand-loomed by artisans, is in the process of being installed at the theater."
1957 - A panoramic view from Cezar Del Valle's Theatre Talks collection taken during the run of "The Sun Also Rises" which had opened August 28. Thanks, Cezar!
1957 - Thanks to Roloff de Jeu on Flickr for this "My Man Godfrey" postcard. The film, with June Allyson and David Niven, opened October 17. Roloff has a great collection to browse titled "Cinema Postcards from the Americas."
1957 - The Chinese running "Kiss Them For Me" with Cary Grant and Jayne Mansfield, a film that premiered November 15. It appeared as a post from Richard Wojcik for the private Facebook group Mid Century Modern Los Angeles. The photo also appears in the Classic Los Angeles Photos section of the Kingsley Collection, a terrific group of photos from the estate of Barbara Harlen. Note that exciting new construction in the center of the photo rising on the Hollywood Hotel site.
1957 - The December 1 Christmas parade. "Kiss Them For Me" was still playing. Thanks to Martin Turnbull for locating the photo.
1957 - Thanks to the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection for this Christmas parade image, their #P-008-77. See the site's Parade Gallery for over a hundred shots of various Hollywood parades.
1957 - "A Farewell to Arms" opened December 18 for a seven week run. This postcard view from the Gary Essert collection appears on page 403 of Ronald Haver's 1980
book "David O. Selznick's Hollywood." Thanks to Victor Ver for sharing the image on the Lost Angeles Facebook page.
1957 - Another card using the same "Farewell To Arms" photo. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this one for a post on Photos of Los Angeles. The copy on the back: "Top Left: a fabulous structure representing an oriental pagoda. Internationally famous for its brilliant Hollywood Premieres. This theatre attracts thousands of tourists daily. Bottom Right: 'Meet me at the corner of Hollywood and Vine' is the standard expression in the film capital."
1957 - A fine marquee end view from John Lee via the Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles. He credits it to Vintage Everyday and says that a "reliable source" told him that "A Farewell to Arms" was on the marquee. John also calls our attention to the fact that we don't have the "Walk of Fame" installed yet.
1958 - The Chinese closed for the extensive renovations necessary to show "Windjammer" in the three projector Cinemiracle process. The photo from the Richard Wojcik collection appears on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page. Also see a later shot taken before the reopening.
1958 - Roland Lataille's In Cinerama page about the Chinese includes this postcard view of the action at the April 8 "Windjammer" premiere. The Cinemiracle process was like Cinerama except all three projectors were in the same center booth, using mirrors to bounce the left and right images. It ran at the Chinese in the three-projector "Cinemiracle" process for 37 weeks, then moved over to what was then called the Fox [the Music Box/Fonda] for another 15 weeks in a single projector 'scope format. Thanks, Roland!
1958 - Another postcard view from Chinese Theatre page on Roland Lataille's In Cinerama site. Here we get a daytime view of the signage for "Windjammer."
1958 - Another "Windjammer" view, this one from the Kingsley Collection, which features photos from the estate of Barbara Harlen.
1958 - A photo from Roland Lataille's In Cinerama collection taken during the run of "Windjammer."
more "Windjammer" photos: from across the street - Los Angeles Public Library | from slightly to the west - photographer unknown | another color shot in traffic - Richard Wojcik - Vintage Los Angeles
1958/59 - "Auntie Mame" at the Chinese. And they've decorated a bit for Christmas. The film opened December 17 and ran until April 7, 1959. Thanks to Sean Ault for finding the photo.
1959 - Looking west with "Auntie Mame" art visible on the east wall of the Chinese. Thanks to Bill Gabel for sharing this one as a post the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group. He also did a re-post.
1959 - Thanks to Will Markland for this view looking east that he shared on the private Facebook group Mid Century Modern Los Angeles. The artwork we see is for "Auntie Mame." Across the street in the shadows, the Paramount had "Imitation of Life" which premiered March 20.
1959 - Billy Wilder's "Some Like It Hot" opened April 8 for an 11 week run. Thanks to Virgina Weidler for locating the photo.
1959 - A postcard with a photo taken during the run of "Some Like It Hot." Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for sharing this one from her collection. A card using the same photo we see on the left, but in more standard size, is on Flickr from Roloff de Jeu. It's part of his Cinema Postcards from the Americas album.
1959 - A look at the Chinese with signage on the wall for "The Blue Angel." It opened August 28 for a six week run. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the photo for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group. At the Paramount it was "The Nun's Story" with Audrey Hepburn and Peter Finch, a July release.
1959 - A view during the run of "The Blue Angel." Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting the photo when it was for sale online. Also see another "Blue Angel" shot.
1959 - Jean Negulesco's "The Best of Everything" opened October 9 for a six week run. The film starred Hope Lange, Stephen Boyd and Suzy Parker. Thanks to Kevin Walsh for sharing this card from his collection. Kevin's copy had a 1966 postmark.
1959 - Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Ethereal Reality for this "Beloved Infidel" shot he found on eBay and shared on his Noirish post # 52066. The film, starring Gregory Peck and Deborah Kerr, opened November 20 for a four week run. That's the manager's 1956 Cadillac in front.
1959 - Looking across toward the Paramount during the run of "Beloved Infidel." Again thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor Ethereal Reality for finding the photo.
1959 - A postcard view by Reed White of the December 17 premiere of Stanley Kramer's film "On the Beach." This version of the card was on eBay. Another appears with Mary Mallory's Daily Mirror article "Lighting the Way on Santa Claus Lane." It's also on "The Story of Hollywood's Christmas Parade," a 2018 story Mary wrote for the Hollywood Partnership website. The copy on the back: "Christmas Tree Lane - Hollywood, California - Spectacular night view of world-famous Hollywood Blvd. and Grauman's Chinee Theatre as it is decorated during the Xmas season. "
1959 - A look along the west marquee from footage taken at the L.A.
premiere of Stanley Kramer's "On the Beach." The shot is from the trailer that appears
on IMDb. Thanks to Jonathan Raines for spotting it. The film had a fourteen week run.
1959 - A view during the run of "On The Beach." Thanks to Michael Fusske for locating the photo for a post on the private Facebook group Mid Century Modern Los Angeles.
1960 - Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting this "Who Was That Lady?" photo. It played six weeks starting March 25.
1960 - "The Fugitive Kind" enjoyed a seven week run beginning May 6. This photo from the Kurt Wahlner collection can be seen on his page "What's playing at the Chinese, anyway?," a survey of the theatre's changing signage over the decades.
The shot also appears in Kathy Kikkert's 2023 Angel City Press book "Hollywood Signs: The Golden Age of Glittering Graphics and Glowing Neon." It was featured with "'Hollywood Signs' shines a light on LA's forgotten visual landmarks," an August 7, 2023 article in the Orange County Register. The Pasadena Star-News also had the story.
1960 - The theatre during the run of "The Apartment," a film that opened June 22 for a five week run. It's a photo from the Kurt Wahlner collection. Visit his site GraumansChinese.org for an extensive history of the theatre.
1960 - Ken McIntyre came up with this look at the facade during the run of "Esther and the King" with Joan Collins. It opened November 23 for a three week run. It was a post for the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.
1960 - The December 15 premiere for "The World of Suzie Wong" starring William Holden and Nancy Kwan. It had a thirteen week run. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the shot for a post on the Ken's Movie Page Facebook group.
1960 - 61 - A look at the Chinese during the run of "The World of Suzie Wong." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for sharing this on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles. A version of the photo is in the Richard Wojcik collection. It also appears on the Noirish Los Angeles post #21616.
1961 - A Mott Studios shot taken during the run of "The World of Suzie Wong." It's in the California State Library collection, their #001431401. On the right the Paramount is seen running "Cimarron," a film that began its reserved seat engagement December 25, 1960.
1961 - Thanks to Sean Ault for finding this "Suzie Wong" shot. The side of the theatre is advertising "The Absent Minded Professor" which would open March 17 for an 8 week run.
1961 - A better look at the signage for "The Absent Minded Professor." Thanks to John Davis for locating the photo for a post on the Southern California Nostalgia private Facebook group. Robert Dorch had also shared a version of it on the Mid-Century in Color private Facebook group.
At the time of the photo the theatre was still running "The World of Suzie Wong." Also see an "Absent Minded Professor" shot from Bruce Kimmel's collection on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles. He also has it on his L.A. Now and Then Facebook page.
1961 - Looking west at the Chinese during the run of "By Love Possessed" in a shot from Gorillas Don't Blog. It was a five week run beginning June 14. Note that this stretch of the Walk of Fame was then not in its present location due to a setback for access to underground parking for the First Federal Building. The parking lot on the other side of Toff's Coffee Shop was later the site of Mann's Chinese 2 & 3. The photo has also been seen on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page where it garnered many comments.
1961 - A fine look at Lana Turner on the poster advertising "By Love Possessed." The film opened June 14. Thanks to Alison Martino for sharing the photo on her Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page.
1961 - "Goodbye Again" with Ingrid Bergman and Yves Montand opened July 19 for a six week run. Thanks to Richard Wojcik for sharing this July photo from his collection on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page.
1961 - An August view from the Richard Wojcik collection appearing on the page for the private Facebook group Mid-Century Modern Los Angeles. Thanks, Richard!
1961 - "The Young Doctors" had a seven week run beginning August 30. Thanks to Kurt Wahlner for sharing the photo from his collection. It also made an appearance on Martin Turnbull's Hollywood's Garden of Allah Novels Facebook page.
1961 - Another "Young Doctors" shot, this time with a look at "Breakfast at Tiffany's" on the east wall. Thanks to the theatre for sharing this photo from their collection as a post on the TCL Chinese Theatres Facebook page.
1961 - A lovely October 17 "Breakfast at Tiffany's" view. Thanks to Tom Anderson for including the photo as one of 21 shots in a "Los Angeles After Dark" post on the Facebook group Lost Angeles. The film played eight weeks beginning October 18 and running through December 11.
early 60s - A fine view from above. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it for a post for the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.
1961 - "West Side Story" opened December 13 and had a 57 week run -- in 70mm and 6 track sound, of course. Thanks to the Chinese Theatre for sharing this photo from their collection as a post on the TCL Chinese Theatres Facebook page.
1962 - An April look at the Chinese running "West Side Story" after the film had won its 10 Academy Awards. The photo is on the Mid Century Modern Los Angeles private Facebook group from the collection of Richard Wojcik.
1962 - Another "West Side Story" view. Thanks to Augie Castagnola for finding the photo for a post for the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.
1962 - Another take looking a bit farther east. It was included in Augie Castagnola's post for the Photos of Los Angeles group. Also on that group's page see a view from above that was posted by Bill Gabel. The film ran until January 17, 1963.
1963 - "Son of Flubber" followed "West Side Story" with a five week run beginning January 18. "Fantasia," seen on the side wall, was up next. Thanks to the TCL Chinese Theatres Facebook page for sharing three "Fantasia" images in a 2023 post to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the engagement.
1963 - A view west during the "Son of Flubber" engagement. Photo: TCL Chinese Theatres
1963 - A February 23 photo by L. Mildred Harris that's in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. It's also been featured on the LAPL Photo Collection Facebook page. This version of "Fantasia" opened February 20 for a seven week run. Kurt Wahlner notes that it was in SuperScope and with stereo sound.
1963 - The east wall advertising Judy in "I Could Go On Singing," a film that opened April 10 for a three week run. It's a photo from the TCL Chinese Theatre collection that appeared on "Chinese Theatre at 90: Landmark Look Back," a story on the NBC Los Angeles website.
1963 - "Hud," with Paul Newman and Patricia Neal, opened May 24 for an eight week run. This snapshot is in the New York Public Library collection.
1963 - A view from Bruce Kimmel's collection that appeared as a post on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles. We're looking down on the Chinese (with, as Bruce notes, lots of space around it) during the run of Billy Wilder's "Irma la Douce" with Shirley MacLaine. The film opened July 3 and played sixteen weeks.
1963 - A street level shot from Bruce Kimmel's collection on Photos of Los Angeles that was taken during the run of "Irma la Douce." See two more street level "Irma" views from Ken McIntyre posted on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.
1963 - A lovely "Irma la Douce" view from the Richard Wojcik collection. It's one he shared as a Facebook post. Thanks, Richard!
1963 - Stanley Donen's "Charade" opened Christmas Day and went on to a ten week run. Thanks to the theatre for sharing the photo from their collection as a post on the TCL Chinese Theatres Facebook page.
1964 - "Seven Days In May" opened March 4 for a thirteen week run. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for spotting this photo when it was offered for sale online. He shared it as a Facebook post on Ken's Movie Page.
1964 - Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this "7 Days in May" card for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.
1964 - "The Carpetbaggers" opened June 4 for a twelve week run. Thanks to Frank Kirkland Santoyo for locating the photo for a post on the Images and Memories of Los Angeles Facebook page.
1964 - Painting the sign for "Mary Poppins." Thanks to the Classic Hollywood /Los Angeles/SFV Facebook page for finding the photo. The world premiere was August 27 with the regular engagement beginning the next day. It had a seventeen week run.
1964 - Thanks to Alison Martino on the Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles for this view of the August 27 premiere of "Mary Poppins." There's some "Mary Poppins" premiere footage on YouTube.
1964 - Thanks to Disney historian Bill Cotter for this "Mary Poppins" photo that he recently restored. And thanks to Stephen Russo for sending it along.
1964 - A view taken during the run of "Mary Poppins" appearing on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page. Thanks to Richard Wojcik for sharing the photo from his collection.
1964 - A Dick Whittington Studio view from the USC Digital Library collection taken during the run of "Mary Poppins." Also see a photo of a crowd lined up for the film on Photos of Los Angeles. The crowd shot also appears on "Chinese Theatre at 90: Landmark Look Back," a 2017 story on the NBC Los Angeles website.
1964-65 - "Goldfinger" at the Chinese -- running from December 25 until April 13. The photo is on Norish Los Angeles -- a find by Hoss C on eBay. He has it on his Noirish post #37514.
1965 - A great view from a 2009 post on the Neat Stuff Blog titled Vintage Los Angeles. The Chinese is running "How To Murder Your Wife" with Jack Lemmon. The film opened April 14. The photo has also popped up on the Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles in a Hollywood album.
1965 - An "Ipcress File" view of the Chinese. Thanks to Noirish Los Angeles contributor HossC who found it on Bay and included it in his Noirish post #25165. The film opened September 22.
1965 - A view from the west during the run of "The Ipcress File." It's an Associated Press file photo that appeared with Sandy Cohen's 2017 AP article "Chinese Theatre marks 90 years as a Hollywood glamour hotspot."
1965 - A night view with "Ipcress File" playing. It's a photo once used on a National General Corporation souvenir booklet about the theatre.
1965 - Thanks to Warren Beckerman for his shot taken during the seven week run of "King Rat." The film opened November 5.
1965 - "Thunderball" opened December 21 for a 21 week run. It's a photo from the TCL Chinese Theatre collection that appeared on "Chinese Theatre at 90: Landmark Look Back," a story on the NBC Los Angeles website.
1966 - "Fantastic Voyage" ran twelve weeks beginning August 16. Thanks again to Warren Beckerman for being there to take a photo.
1967 - A look across Orchid Ave. during the ten week run of "You Only Live Twice." The film opened June 14. The photo is one located by Martin for a post on his Hollywood's Garden of Allah Facebook page.
1967 - The day of the October 18 "Jungle Book" premiere. The image, on display at Disney's Hollywood Studios attraction in Florida, appeared in a 2011 article in Attractions magazine that compared the theatre with the facsimile facade in Florida.
1967 - "Jungle Book" went on to a nine week run. Thanks to Roloff de Jeu for sharing this card on Flickr. It's part of his "Cinema Postcards from the Americas" collection. The card also appears as a post for the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group. Also there's a re-post.
1968 - "No Way To Treat a Lady," a photo from from page two of the Classic Los Angeles section of the Kingsley Collection, featuring photos from the estate of Barbara Harlen.
1968 - "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" played fourteen weeks in a 70mm engagement that opened December 19. It's a photo that appears, uncredited, in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. Also see a wider shot taken during the engagement that's in the Historic Hollywood Photographs collection for the image, their #T-017-46.
1968 - A dragon view taken during a trip to L.A. Thanks to Bruce Glawson for sharing his photo in a post for the Lost Angeles Facebook group.
1969 - "The Love Bug" played eleven weeks from March 26 until June 12. Thanks to Eric Lynxwiler for sharing this photo from his collection on Flickr.
1969 - The west marquee during the run of "True Grit." The film had a ten week run between June 13 and August 19. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the image for a post for the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.
1969/1970 - "Hello, Dolly!" had a 40 week reserved seat engagement that opened December 19 and ran until September 24. Thanks to Kevin Miller for sharing this photo as a post on the Mid Century Modern Los Angeles private Facebook group. See Michael Coate's "'Hello, Dolly!': The North American Roadshow and 70mm Engagements" on the site In70mm.com.
1969-70 - A "Hello, Dolly!" shot by an unknown photographer. It's in the Los Angeles Public Library collection.
1970 - Thanks to Richard Wojcik for this January view, a post on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page.
1970 - A look west late in the year. "The Great White Hope" would open December 23 for an eight week run. Thanks to the Historic Hollywood Photographs collection for the image. It's their #HB-366, included as one of 226 photos in their gallery Hollywood Boulevard 1941-1990.
1971 - A "Valdez Is Coming" snapshot on Vintage Los Angeles from Chris Amouroux.
1972 - Peter Bogdanovich's "What's Up, Doc?" opened March 15 for a 14 week run. Thanks to Eric Lynxwiler for posting this card from his collection on Flickr. And also thanks to Michelle Gerdes for including this in the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation Group Pool on Flickr.
1972 - "Butterflies Are Free" played a four week engagement beginning October 13. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this shot for a Facebook post on Ken's Movie Page.
early 1970s - A postcard view shared by Bill Gabel on Photos of Los Angeles. We're looking east from the Chinese up Hollywood Blvd. Note the Christmas decorations strung across the street.
1973 - The west side of the building. Thanks to Hollywood Historic Photographs for preserving the image. It's their #HB-433.
1973 - "Live and Let Die" with Roger Moore and Yaphet Kotto opened June 27 for a five week run. Thanks to Steve Randisi for sharing the photo he took as a post for the Facebook group Lost Angeles.
1973 - A "Live and Let Die" view from the Kurt Wahlner collection. He comments: "This was the first movie booked as Mann's. It wasn’t until November, during the run of 'Executive Action,' that the trees were pulled out, and during the summer of 1974 that the Forecourt was revamped to get rid of the roots." Kurt's listings for all the films that played in 1973: GraumansChinese.org/1973
1973 - "Enter the Dragon" with Bruce Lee opened August 24 for an eight week run. Thanks to the UCLA Film & Television Archive for sharing this photo on their Facebook page to promote a 2023 screening of the film plus an appearance by Lee's daughter Sharon.
Kurt Wahlner comments: "I recall that dragon over the canopy. More of Warner Bros. PR guy Marty Weisner’s genius. I think it was sculpted out of styrofoam somehow, and then was, of course - stolen. I do believe that this was the very first time someone had hung up a replica of the key art to go between the pillars at the Chinese, so this started that trend, and if you notice, it is really only for Warner Bros. films that it was done initially - 'Main Event,' 'A Star Is Born,' 'Superman, the Movie' and so on." See Kurt's pages for Every Film to Ever Play the Chinese, indexed both by year and title.
1973 - A detail from a "Enter the Dragon" postcard. Thanks to Phillip Anthony Aguirre for sharing this on on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.
1973 - An "Enter the Dragon" card from Cezar Del Valle's Theatre Talks collection. Thanks, Cezar! See the Forecourt page for several more views taken during the run of "Enter The Dragon."
1973 - A "Magnum Force" postcard from the collection of Roloff de Jeu on Flickr. The back of the card reads: "Santa Claus Lane Parade. Passing in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the famous parade marches down Hollywood Blvd. with the Stars of Hollywood." Over on the far right notice the vertical for the El Capitan -- at this time saying "Loew's." The film ran six weeks beginning Christmas Day.
1974 - From Kurt Wahlner's collection comes this great image of an iconic Los Angeles film, "Chinatown," playing the Chinese in June. It's also on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page as a post by Richard Wojcik.
1974 - A look at the line out front for "Earthquake" in Sensurround. The film opened November 15. Thanks to Kurt Wahlner for the photo from his collection. It appears in the Sensurround chapter of his epic tale of sound and projection systems at the Chinese. Another version of the photo appears as a post from Bill Gabel on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.
1974 - "Earthquake" from across the street. The photo appeared as a post on the Facebook page Vintage Los Angeles from Donna Bailey-Taylor who credited it to the Ava Gardner Museum.
1974 - Another shot taken during the run of "Earthquake." Thanks to Chas. Smith for posting the photo on Cinema Treasures. It's also been seen on the Classic Hollywood Facebook page.
c.1975 - Checking out one of Dinah Shore's three stars on the Walk of Fame. It's a shot by an unknown photographer. Thanks to Kevin Fleming for sharing it with the Southern California Nostalgia private Facebook group.
1975 - A February "Earthquake" view on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page from the Richard Wojcik collection.
1975 - Thanks to Roloff de Jeu on Flickr for this "Funny Lady" postcard, part of his collection "Cinema Postcards from the Americas." The film opened March 14 for a fifteen week engagement.
1975 - Another "Funny Lady" card. Also see a version of the card with stars instead of the title from the Kevin Walsh collection. It uses the same photo by L. Bradley and was published by Mitock.
1975 - Thanks to John Stewart for his photo taken during the run of "Beyond the Door." It's one of 25 shots appearing in his Los Angeles Theaters set on Flickr. John is the long-time projectionist at the Austin Paramount. Thanks also to Mike Hume for advising of John's collection.
1975 - Another John Stewart photo taken while the theatre was running "Beyond the Door." Thanks, John!
1976 - A "Bad News Bears" shot accompanying a Digital Bits 40th anniversary article by Michael Coates about the film's opening.
1976-77 - "A Star Is Born" with Barbra and Kris opened December 19, 1976 for a ten week run. Thanks to Carl Alvarez for the photo taken by his grandfather. It was a post on Vintage Los Angeles. The first version of the film, with Janet Gaynor, played the theatre in 1937.
1977 - "Black Sunday" opened April 1 for a ten week run. Thanks to Bill Gabel for locating this photo by Loren Jones for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.
1977 - A nice look west during the run of "Star Wars." It opened May 25 at the Chinese and the Avco Cinemas in
Westwood. Both theatres ran it in 70mm with 6 track Dolby sound. Thanks to Stephen Russo for posting the photo on the LAHTF Facebook page. Another version of the image is on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page where Alison Martino credits it to David Swift on Boing Boing.
1977 - Much to the displeasure of 20th Century Fox, "Star Wars" got moved over to the Hollywood Theatre due to a previous six-week commitment to run William Friedkin's "Sorcerer" starring Roy Scheider. The film ran from June 24 until August 2. It's a photo by Jim Ober in the Herald Examiner Collection at the Los Angeles Public Library.
1977 - The August 3rd "Star Wars" footprint ceremony. And this was also the date of the film's return to the Chinese. It had moved over to the Hollywood to make room for the "Sorceror" booking. Note the banners up celebrating the theatre's 50th anniversary. The photo appeared on the LAHTF Facebook page. It also appears with Michael Coate's "A Force To Be Reckoned With," his extensive 2015 article for the site The Digital Bits about the "Star Wars" engagements. It's also been seen on Vintage Los Angeles.
1977 - A fine "Star Wars" view from Alison Martino on her Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page. The photo appears courtesy of Marius Kontrimas.
1977 - A "Star Wars" shot on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group from Bill Gabel.
More "Star Wars": opening week engagements - In70mm.com | west marquee - Photos of Los Angeles | looking west - Photos of Los Angeles | looking west - larger version - Vintage Los Angeles | funk king Bootsy Collins on street - Vintage LA | John Margolies - Library of Congress |
1977 - Thanks to the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection for this Christmas parade image, their #P-008-162. See the site's Parade Gallery for over a hundred shots of various Hollywood parades. Also from the 1977 parade see #P-008-160 and #P-008-163.
1978 - "Superman the Movie" with Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman had its U.S.
premiere at the Chinese on December 14 (in 70mm) and went on to a 17
week run. In this view from the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection, #T-017-81, you can look down the block at the framing going up for the Mann Chinese II and III. T Also see their #T-017-80 for a shot from an upper floor across the street.
1979 - Thanks to Sean Ault for sharing this "Superman" photo from his collection.
1979 - A shot taken by Bruce Glawson during an April visit to Los Angeles. It's one of four photos of the Chinese that he shared in a post on the Lost Angeles Facebook group.
1979 - A photo taken by John Margolies that's in the Library of Congress collection.
1979 - A view of the April 12 premiere of "Hurricane" as well as the opening of the Chinese Twin. At the twin it was "Superman: The Movie," which had been playing in the main theatre, and "Old Boyfriends." Thanks to Bill Gabel for locating the photo for a post on Photos of Los Angeles.
1979 - Thanks to Tom Zimmerman for this photo of the west marquee during the run of "Hurricane." It appeared on the 2013 Indiegogo fundraising appeal by the Museum of Neon Art. The goal is to restore the sign for display at MONA in Glendale.
1979 - A great shot from Nigel Hailwood-Cooke's collection with an angle that gives you a good idea of the size of the stagehouse. "Hurricane" ran three weeks.
1979 - A fine view down from the Roosevelt during the under-performing June 8 to 21 run of "Players" with Ali MacGraw and Dean-Paul Martin. This shot by Raul Vega appears at the end of Ronald Haver's 1980 book "David O. Selznick's Hollywood." Thanks to Kurt Wahlner for sharing it. He notes that this was taken after the first weekend as there are no yellow banners under the marquees advertising late shows. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post about the 1980 film "Don't Answer the Phone" for two images from footage shot during the first weekend.
1979 - Getting ready for the November Christmas Parade. Thanks to the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection for this shot, their #T-017-88. Check out an additional 100 Christmas images on the site. On the right it's the new Chinese II and III, with one house running "Sleeping Beauty."
1979 - A fine "Star Trek" view from Olaf Reinhard Weyer on Vintage Los Angeles. The film opened December 7 for an eight week run.
1980 - "Free Validated Parking." Thanks to the now-vanished American Classic Images website for the photo. "Where the Buffalo Roam" opened April 25 for a two week engagement. Steve Piotrowski also has a shot taken during this run on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page.
1980 - Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" opened May 23 for a ten week run. Thanks to Pat Lopez for sharing this photo as a post for the Kubrick Society Facebook group.
1980 - Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this "Shining" view for a post on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.
1981 - A June "Raiders of the Lost Ark" photo by David M. Hunter appearing on page three of Kurt Wahlner's terrific "The Dream Machines," an epic history of projection and sound at the Chinese. It's in the section on Dolby Stereo.
1981 - A wider view taken during the run of "Raiders." The film opened June 12 for a fifteen week run. Thanks to Scott Collette for sharing this one on the Forgotten Los Angeles Facebook page. He notes that it appeared with a Rolling Stone article and was credited to Getty Images. Also see a view at dusk that appears on the Chinese Theatre Facebook page. And there's also a nice July "Raiders" shot from Richard Lenoir on the private Facebook group Friends of 70mm.
1981 - An L.A. Times photo taken during Filmex that appeared with "A piece of L.A. history awaits a return to its neon glamour," a September 2013 article by Nita Lelyveld about restoring the dragon signage that was removed during the 2001 renovations. The photo also appeared with Susan King's May 2017 L.A. Times story "From Graumans to TCL: 90 years of Hollywood history on the Chinese Theatre's anniversary."
1981 - "Mommie Dearest" opened September 25 for a ten week run. Thanks to Stephen Stanton for sharing the photo he took when he worked on the management team at the Chinese.
also from 1981: on the sidewalk - Vintage Los Angeles
1981 - 1982 - A look at the Chinese during the run of "Reds." It's on Vintage Los Angeles from the collection of Richard Wojcik. The film opened December 4 for a six week run. Thanks, Richard!
1982 - Thanks to Sean Ault for this shot of the theatre during the run of Francis Ford Coppola's "One From The Heart." It opened January 14 for an 8 week run. Also see another "One From the Heart" shot, with a different bus in front, on a Facebook post from Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles.
1982 - Thanks to Sean Ault for this view of the main house running "One From The Heart" with "Personal Best" playing on one of the Chinese Twin's screens. See the Chinese Twin page for another shot taken the same week -- as well as more photos of that theatre, aka Chinese II and III. It was demolished to make way for the Hollywood & Highland mall.
1982 - "Annie" opened May 21 for a seven week run in 70mm. Thanks to the now-vanished American Classic Images website for the photo.
1982 - Another shot from the run of "Annie." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding the photo for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.
1982 - "The BeastMaster" opened August 20 for a big one week run. Thanks to Don Coscarelli for sharing his photo on a Facebook post.
1982-83 - A postcard shot during the run of "Tootsie" in the great collection of Roloff de Jeu on Flickr. "Tootsie" opened December 25 for a twelve week run.
1983 - A January "Tootsie" view from American Classic Images.
1983 - "Flashdance" opened April 15 for a four week run. It's a photo by Roy Hankey that's in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. Thanks to Stephen Russo for spotting the post on the LAPL Photo Collection Facebook page. The Library has another thirteen "Flashdance" photos if you're interested.
1983 - A photo from the from the run of "Superman III," running four weeks beginning June 17. Darren Paul-Vance posted it on Vintage Los Angeles.
1983 - A shot of the theatre from the Cezar Del Valle Theatre Talks collection taken during the run of "Staying Alive." It got a twelve week run beginning July 15. See some shots at the Orpheum and Philharmonic Auditorium from the film on the Theatres in Movies site.
1983 - The "Staying Alive" signage at night. Thanks to Richard Lenoir for sharing this photo he took. It appeared, along with a closer marquee view, as a post on the private Facebook group Friends of 70mm. Also see another "Staying Alive" photo on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page from Michael Toro.
1983 - The animated TV series "He-Man and the Masters of the
Universe" took over Hollywood Blvd. on
September 24. This view appears on the site Deviant Art, credited to Amazing Cool Stuff. Other shots from that day appear on the blog Cidade Fantasma, in a 2021 post on X from Kronoform, in a 2023 post from James Eatock, and in a 2024 post on the Classic Hollywood / LA / SFV Facebook page. This was just a daytime event. "Staying Alive" was still running in the big house until October 6.
1984 - Thanks to Roloff de Jeu on Flickr for this "Breakin'" postcard. The film ran three weeks beginning May 4. The back of the card reads: "Chinese Theatre, Hollywood California. A fabulous structure representing an oriental pagoda internationally famous for its brilliant Hollywood premieres. This theatre attracts thousands of tourists daily."
1984 - A November look at fans massing for Michael Jackson's star to be placed on the sidewalk. It's a find of Ken McIntyre's on the Facebook page Photos of Los Angeles. The photo also appears on Vintage Los Angeles.
also from 1984: "Purple Rain" - Gary Leonard - Los Angeles Public Library | "Oh, God" / Michael Jackson color view - Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page.
c.1984 - A lovely overhead shot on Vintage Los Angeles. On the lower right we're looking down onto the stagehouse and its smoke vents. To the left of the main theatre is the Chinese Twin. It's a Richard Wojcik collection photo. He notes: "A bus is parked at the lower left on Orchid Ave. close to where it meets Hollywood Blvd -- that section of Orchid Ave. was built over with the construction of the Dolby Theater/Hollywood Highland Center in 2001.
1985 - "A View To a Kill" with Roger Moore in his last outing as 007 opened May 24 for a two week run. Thanks to Richard DuVal for sharing his photo on the Images and Memories of Los Angeles Facebook group.
1985 - Paul Reubens and Eddie Murphy at the theatre for the premiere of "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" on August 1. The film didn't get a regular run at the Chinese. This was a Thursday event during the run of "Silverado." It's an Associated Press photo included with the July 31, 2023 Washington Post story "Paul Reubens, Pee-Wee Herman actor, dies at 70." Also see an obituary, with photos, from the Hollywood Reporter.
1986 - Stallone's "Cobra" opened May 26 for a three week run. Thanks to Bill Badzo for sharing this photo on Flickr. Also see a different "Cobra" shot on a postcard in the New York Public Library collection.
1986 - Thanks to Sean Ault for this "Crocodile Dundee" shot. The film opened September 26 for a six week run.
1987 - The Michael Ritchie film "The Golden Child" with Eddie Murphy and Charlotte Lewis opened December 12, 1986 for a five week run. Thanks to John A. Mozzer for his photo in an album of Hollywood vacation shots he took that's on Jamworks/Snugmug.
1987 - An entrance detail taken in January by John A. Mozzer. Thanks, John!
1987 - A James Ruebsamen photo in the Los Angeles Public Library collection taken in January for the Herald Examiner. It was published with the comment "I could never quite figure out all the fuss about the then-Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Why would this Sid guy want to build a theater that looked like China, then allow everyone to write and step in the cement in front?" Thanks to Eitan Alexander for spotting the "Critical Condition" photo in the LAPL collection. The film opened January 16 for a three week run.
1987 - Timothy Dalton as James Bond in "The Living Daylights." The film, also starring Maryam d'Abo, opened July 31 for a four week run. Thanks to Conor Holt for sharing this photo taken by his parents.
1988 - A nice angle on the dragon marquee. Roman Polanski's "Frantic" opened February 28 for a three week run. Thanks to Sean Ault for spotting the photo when it was for sale online.
1988 - "Crocodile Dundee II" opened May 25 for a two week run. Thanks to Knut Sømme for sharing this photo he took in a comment to a post on the TCL Chinese Theatres Facebook page.
1989
- A rainy evening during the run of "Accidental Tourist," a film that
opened January 6 for a three week run. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for
locating the photo for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook page.
1989 - "Her Alibi" ran for two weeks beginning February 2. Thanks to Bill Gabel for locating the shot for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.
1989 - A "Batman" photo from the theatre's collection. It appears in a 90th Birthday album on the TCL Chinese Facebook page. The film ran two weeks beginning June 23. The theatre also did a 2023 repost of the image.
1989 - "Casualties of War" opened August 18 for a 5 week run in 70mm. Thanks to David Kilderry for sharing the photo he took with the Friends of 70mm private Facebook group.
1990 - "GoodFellas" had a five week run beginning September 19. Thanks to Alan Light for sharing this photo he took on Flickr. Also see a daytime view he took from the Roosevelt. The Holiday Inn keeps going more upscale -- it was later the Renaissance and has now morphed into a Loew's. The restaurant at the top no longer revolves.
1990 - "The Rookie" had a run from December 7 through 24. Thanks to マル ジュンイチ for sharing this photo with the Lost Angeles Facebook group.
1991 - Thanks to Cezar Del Valle for this "Body Parts" postcard from his Theatre Talks collection. The film played for one week beginning August 2.
1991 - "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" played in 70mm beginning December 6. Thanks to Ian McLean for sharing this photo he took on a trip to L.A. as a comment to a post on the Lost Angeles Facebook group. Michael Coate's In70mm.com article "'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' The North American 70mm Engagements" notes an eight week run. Perhaps that was six weeks in the big house and then a move to the Chinese Twin. "Freejack" opened in the big house on January 17.
1992 - The Chinese during the run of "Memoirs of an Invisible Man." It opened February 28 and ran two weeks. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for the post on Photos of Los Angeles on Facebook.
1992 - A June snapshot in the Cezar Del Valle Theatre Talks collection. "Lethal Weapon III" opened May 15 and ran five weeks.
1992 - Thanks to Brian Wirt for sharing this "Batman Returns" photo he took as a post for the Lost Angeles Facebook group. The film opened June 19 for a seven week run.
1992 - The theatre's east wall when the area in the foreground was still a parking lot. Thanks to Eric Evans for posting his photo on Cinema Treasures. On the left that's the Mann Chinese Twin.
1993 - A look of the theatre during the exciting run of "Dead Again." It appeared on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles as a post from the indefatigable Ken McIntyre.
1994 - "Major League II" opened March 30 for a two week run. Thanks to Richard Wojcik for sharing this photo from his collection on the Vintage Los Angeles Facebook page.
1994 - Scaffolding up for facade repairs during the engagement of "The Specialist" with Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone. It ran in the big house from October 7 through 13 and then moved to the Chinese Twin. Thanks to Thomas Hauerslev for sharing the photos he took. His website, In70mm.com, chronicles the history of 70mm presentation around the world. See the In70mm newsletter about his 1994 U.S. 70mm promotion tour. There's also a photo gallery.
1994 - Another view during the run of "The Specialist." Photo: Thomas Hauerslev, In70mm.com. Also see his other photos of the Chinese from his visit: daytime forecourt view | night - west marquee detail | night - east marquee detail | night - toward the El Capitan | Thanks, Thomas!
1997 - The December 14 U.S. premiere for "Titanic." Thanks to the theatre for sharing the image on their TCL Chinese Theatres Facebook page. It's a photo from BEI/Shutterstock, #5135284q. Thanks to Kurt Wahlner for spotting the post.
1997 - "Titanic" ran eleven weeks following the public opening December 19. It's a photo from the TCL Chinese Theatre collection that appeared on "Chinese Theatre at 90: Landmark Look Back," a story on the NBC Los Angeles website.
1999 - An "Eyes Wide Shut" view by Gerald D. Tang. Thanks to Kurt Wahlner for sending it along for this page.
2000
- The Chinese Twins were gone by April 1999 and here we see steel going up for Hollywood
& Highland. Thanks to Warner Alas for sharing this photo as a post
for the private Facebook group Southern California Nostalgia. Kurt Wahlner notes that this was taken during the September 2000 run of "The Exorcist" and that you can barely see a poster.
2001 - Thanks to Eric Lynxwiler on Flickr for this photo of one of the dragon marquees during the run of "Original Sin." They would soon be removed as part of the 2001 restoration project. Also see his dragon detail and a look at the west end of the marquee.
2001 - The stripped down east dragon signage that was removed in the 2001 renovations. The photo by Larry Lytle appeared on the 2013 Indiegogo fundraising appeal by the Museum of Neon Art. The goal is to restore the sign for display at MONA in Glendale.
Eric's photo also appears on the signage page of Kurt Wahlner's extensive Chinese Theatre website. Also see a 2013 photo by Michelle Gerdes on Facebook of the dragon and the lettering after removal from the theatre.
2002 - A postcard view toward Highland Ave. using a photo taken during the run of "Ghost Ship." That film had a three week run beginning October 25. Thanks to Richard Wojcik for locating the card.
2002 - The Chinese during the run of "Harry Potter - Chamber of Secrets." The film opened November 15 for a four week run. Thanks to Don Solosan for his photo, taken for the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation.
The LAHTF works to preserve historic theatres in the L.A. area by
supporting events, offering tours and promoting awareness of the
architectural merit of these treasures. www.lahtf.org | on Facebook |
2003 - Thanks to Bill Heulbig for this great view, a contribution to the Cinema Treasures page on the theatre.
2006 - A view of the west wall mural from Christopher Dune on Flickr. It's now mostly peeled and gone -- and what's left is difficult to view as there's been a building added alongside the theatre in space that was a parking lot. In 1927 when the theatre opened it was a vegetable garden next door.
2007 - The current boxoffice just east of the theatre serving both the original theatre and the Chinese 6. It was added in 2001 as part of the Hollywood and Highland mall construction. Photo: Bill Counter
2008 - A fine view of the Chinese and what was then the Kodak Theatre. On the left of the Chinese note the crane and formwork for the new Madame Tussaud's building. Thanks to Sal Gomez for locating the photo. At the lower center it's the El Capitan.
2008 - Looking east with the mural on the west wall of the Chinese seen in the center of the image. The backstage wall of the Kodak Theatre is to the left of the Chinese. Thanks to Gary Palumbo for locating the image for a post on the Lost Angeles Facebook group.
2008 - A detail from the previous photo.
2009 - A view of the west vertical sign. The two were installed in 2001. That brown stuff on the left is the building housing Madame Tussaud's and other exciting tourist-based tenants. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF
2009 - The east vertical. "District 9" was the film at the time. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF
2009 - A magical view of the world's most photographed movie theatre. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF. Thanks, Don!
2010 - The theatre during the nine week run of "The Book of Eli," a film that opened January 15. Photo: Bill Counter
2010 - The Chinese during the run of "Repo Men." Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF
2010 - The theatre at sunset during "Repo Men." Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF
2012 - The theatre once stood alone but since the mall came along in 2001 it has been squeezed. Here we see it surrounded by new
construction. The brown building Madame Tussauds building this side of the theatre came along in 2008. Photo: Bill Counter
2012 - A view during the run of "Red Tails." Photo: Bill Counter
2012 - The after dark look during the three week "Red Tails" run that began January 20. Photo: Bill Counter
2012 - The Chinese during the April TCM Classic Film Festival. It's a photo from contributor Laurel Canyon Rider that he once posted on the Los Angeles Theatres Facebook page.
c.2012 - An view of the Hollywood and Highland area that was located
by Ken McIntyre for a post on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles. That's the El Capitan in the lower right.
2013 - Thanks to Ken McIntyre for catching the new TCL Chinese logo pattern displayed on the theatre's readerboards after the theatre had done a naming-rights deal. The shot was a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.
2014 - A look at the new 25' high readerboards above the boxoffice east of the theatre. It's a Stephen Russo photo originally appearing on the LAHTF Facebook page. Left to right it's David Keighley - Imax Corporation, Alwyn Hight Kushner - TCL Chinese Theatres CEO, and Councilman Tom Labonge.
c.2014
- A look down the block toward the glamorous Hollywood & Highland
mall. Thanks to Werner Alas for sharing this as part of his Southern California Nostalgia Facebook group post.
2015 - Thanks to David Israel for this great look up the boulevard. He added it as a comment to Brandon Tyler Williams' post of a 2017 photo on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.
2015 - The big truck at the Chinese in March for the middle-of-the-night unloading of the Imax laser projection equipment. It's a photo by Escott O. Norton on the official LAHTF Facebook page, part of a set of 39 images of the amazing installation project.
2015 - Unloading the laser projection gear. It's from the set by Escott O. Norton on the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation Facebook page. Thanks, Escott! Visit www.lahtf.org for more information about the organization.
2017 - Thanks to Rudy Serrano for sharing this February photo with the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group. He says: "Note to self; when you get up at 4AM to try and get some shots of a tourist attraction without people all over it, make sure Hollywood isn't having some event that causes them to put up barricades obscuring the all important sidewalk."
2017 - Thanks to Brandon Tyler Williams for this great shot on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group. We're looking west toward the theatre.
2017 - A view down on the theatre from the Roosevelt Hotel. Thanks to Shawn Dudley for the photo, originally appearing on the LAHTF Facebook page.
2020 - A deserted Hollywood with the theatres and stores closed due to the virus outbreak. Photo: Bill Counter - April 19
2020 - The National Guard comes to town after some individuals use the protests about police brutality as an excuse to indulge in vandalism, looting and setting fires. Thanks to Brian Donnelly for the May 31 photo, one in a set of eight he posted on Facebook with the heading "A Hollywood I've never seen."
2020 - Photo: Brian Donnelly - May 31
2020 - Photo: Brian Donnelly - May 31
2020 - While Hollywood Blvd. escaped damage, Fairfax and Melrose weren't so lucky. Photo: Brian Donnelly - May 31. Thanks, Brian!
2020 - A June 13 L.A. Times photo by Wally Skalij that appeared in the June 14 issue with this copy: "The Road to Equality - Volunteers helped paint 'All Black Lives Matter' in block letters along Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood as peaceful protests continued to unfold Saturday across L.A. County." Theatres in Los Angeles were closed due to Coronavirus concerns.
2022 - Christmas at the Chinese. But it's an April photo taken during a film shoot. Thanks to the Hollywood Partnership for sharing this on Facebook. See their post for three additional views of the action.
2023 - "Oppenheimer" opened it's 70mm IMAX film run with preview screenings on July 20. Thanks to Dave Hunter for sharing this shot in a Facebook post that he took on the official July 21 opening.
2024 - "Dune: Part 2" opened its 70mm IMAX run with preview showings February 29. Thanks to Dave Hunter for sharing this early morning March 1 shot in a Facebook post that also included several interior views and a discussion about the film.
2024 - A fine bit of old fashioned ballyhoo for "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," which opened May 9. It's a photo that appeared on the TCL Chinese Theatres Facebook page. Also see five great shots of the display in a Facebook post from Dave Hunter.
2014 - Why
go to Rome when Ridley Scott has brought the Colisseum to Hollywood?
"Gladiator II" and "Wicked" both open in the big house on November 22. Photo:
Bill Counter - November 16.
2024 - "Enter the Arena in IMAX." Photo:
Bill Counter - November 16. Also see: a look west along the facade | a look to the east | behind the facade |
2024 - Rome after dark. Photo:
Bill Counter - November 16. Also see: behind the facade after dark. A November 14 post on the TCL Chinese Theatres Facebook page showed four stages of the construction process: "Rome wasn't built in a day." Also see their November 16 "Rome is built!" post as well as a time-lapse video. The "Gladiator II" premiere was November 18. See a Facebook post by Marc Downing for several shots of the setup for the event.
The Grauman's Chinese pages:
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