Grauman's Chinese Theatre
TCL's Chinese Theatre (colloquially referred to as the Grauman's Theatre) is a movie palace on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States.
The forecourt entrance, Hollywood Boulevard | |
| Former names | Mann's Chinese Theatre (1973–2001) Grauman's Chinese Theatre (1927–1973; 2001–2013) |
|---|---|
| Address | 6925 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, California 90028 |
| Coordinates | 34°6′7″N 118°20′27.5″W |
| Owner | Chinese Theatres, LLC |
| Type | Indoor movie theater |
| Capacity | 932 (as of 2013) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | January 9, 1926 |
| Built | January 16, 1926 |
| Opened | May 18, 1927 |
| Renovated | 2001–04 2013 (Digital IMAX conversion) 2014 (70mm IMAX installation for Interstellar) 2015 (IMAX with Laser installation) |
| Architect | Raymond M. Kennedy Donald Wilkinson |
| Website | |
| www | |
| Designated | June 5, 1968 |
| Reference no. | 55 |
The original Chinese Theatre was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, which opened in 1922. Both were built as Exotic Revival style architecture. Built by a partnership headed by Sid Grauman over 18 months beginning in January 1926, the theater opened May 18, 1927, with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's The King of Kings. It has since been home to many premieres, including the 1977 launch of George Lucas' Star Wars, as well as birthday parties, corporate junkets, and three Academy Awards ceremonies. Among the theater's features are the concrete blocks set in the forecourt, which bear the signatures, footprints, and handprints of popular motion picture personalities from the 1920s to the present day.
Originally named Grauman's Chinese Theatre, it was renamed Mann's Chinese Theatre in 1973, and reverted to its original name in 2001. On January 11, 2013, Chinese electronics manufacturer TCL Corporation purchased the facility's naming rights.
In 2013, the Chinese Theatre partnered with IMAX Corporation to convert the house into a custom-designed IMAX theater. The newly renovated theater seats 932 people and features one of the largest movie screens in North America.