HOLLYWOOD! There are a handful of historic movie palaces
dotted along Hollywood Boulevard, where the screenings take
place as they did decades ago.
Grauman’s Chinese Theatre stands out as one of the most iconic
images of Hollywood’s past. Built in 1927, under the direction of
theater mogul Sid Grauman, it boasts authentic Chinese artifacts
including temple bells, pagodas, artwork and 2 original giant haven dogs which guard the entrance. Grauman’s famous forecourt
is filled with the hand and footprints, and signatures of stars of
yesteryear, immortalized in cement. Every day, tourists from
around the world compare their own hands and feet to some of
the over 100+ imprints; from Marilyn Monroe, Joan Crawford,
Douglas Fairbanks, and Harrison Ford to Roy Rogers and even
his horse Trigger.
During the TCM Film Festival, the Chinese Theatre is the hub
of excitement. A red carpet gala screening takes place on the
first night to kick off the festivities. This year, The Sound of
Music (1965) was presented on the theatre’s big screen, as it was
meant to be seen. In celebration of the film’s 50th anniversary,
the film’s stars Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer were
in attendance. They walked the red carpet along with festivalgoers and then shared trivia and memories of making the film
prior to the screening. Not only was Christopher Plummer
present for the screening of The Sound of Music, the following
day he was honored with a hand and footprint ceremony at the
famous Grauman’s forecourt. His friends Shirley MacLaine and
William Shatner, spoke before the ceremony, sharing their own
special stories about Plummer. Still handsome and magnetic,
the 86-year-old Plummer waved to fans that had been waiting
for hours to catch a glimpse of him. He spoke humbly about his
career and the occasion.
During previous TCM Film Festivals, actors Peter O’Toole,
Jerry Lewis and actress Jane Fonda have also left their imprints
in the Grauman’s forecourt. Watching this Hollywood tradition
unfold before your eyes is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Actor
Peter O’Toole passed away a few months after the 2013 TCM
film festival, and I cherish the memory of seeing one of cinema’s
most iconic actors grin with happiness as he stepped in the wet
cement and proudly scrawled his autograph.
The Wurlitzer at the El Capitan.
Just across the street from
Grauman’s Chinese Theatre,
stands another famous
movie palace: the breathtaking El Capitan Theatre.
The theatre was built in
1926 and went through
several incarnations until
Disney purchased it in
1989. Disney painstakingly
and lovingly restored the El
Capitan to its former glory.
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre entryway.
Stepping through the doors of this theatre, you feel transported
back in time, taking in breathtaking East Indian design while
being serenaded by a working 1928 Wurlitzer Pipe Organ. There
was so much excitement flowing through the audience for the
screening of Disney’s animated classic Pinocchio (1940), that
applause erupted the moment the credits began to roll. I think
we all felt like kids again.
For as much as I enjoy attending screenings at both Grauman’s
Chinese and the El Capitan, I get the biggest thrill being in
the audience at Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre. It is the oldest of
the theatres used during the festival, and is truly a Hollywood
history jewel. It was constructed in 1922, shortly after King
Tut’s tomb was discovered. A craze for all things Egyptian was
sweeping across the nation, so Sid Grauman and architect
Charles E. Toberman seized the moment. The design mimics an
Egyptian temple, complete with hieroglyphics along the walls of
the forecourt. The most impressive site inside the theatre is when
you look up – the incredibly ornate ceiling features what looks
like a winged golden scarab surrounded by a burst of iridescent
streaks of blue, orange, green and gold. I have had some of the
most memorable festival experiences at the Egyptian Theatre.
Each festival I have attended featured a full restoration of a silent
film. According to the Library of Congress, nearly 75% of silent
films made have been “lost.” Silent films were either destroyed by
the highly volatile Nitrate film stock, used to create them or were
simply discarded by the studios, never dreaming they woul