Concrete Proof of Success - April 30, 2009

Sid Grauman was a showman. In the Golden Age of Hollywood, patrons expected that a quarter would buy them a full evening's entertainment in lavish surroundings, and that's just what Grauman provided. Beginning in 1918, Grauman built a trio of movie palaces that put all others to shame.  The first was the aptly-named (for the amount it cost to build it) Million Dollar Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.  The second was the Egyptian Theatre, home of the first-ever "Hollywood premiere" -- Douglas Fairbanks's Robin Hood in 1922. The crown jewel, however, was Grauman's Chinese Theatre, built at a cost of $2,000,000 (approximately $24 million in 2009), and seating 2,000 patrons (and an orchestra of 65) in comfort and style. The most notable part of the Chinese Theatre (other than its Asian-inspired design) is its forecourt, paved with the footprints and autographs of more than 200 of Hollywood's greatest stars.  The tradition allegedly began when either Grauman himself or actress Natalie Talmadge stepped into a block of wet cement during the theatre's construction in mid-April, 1927.  Regardless, when the theatre officially opened, Fairbanks and his wife, Mary Pickford -- who were possibly the biggest stars the movies have ever known -- were the first to immortalize their feet in Grauman's concrete. In the 80 years since, millions of tourists have come from around the world to compare their shoe sizes with those of Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe -- or others whose stars didn't burn quite as brightly. If you go, though, don't expect to see Charlie Chaplin's prints; there's a rumor they were removed in the 1950s when Chaplin was accused of being a Communist. (If you must see them, though, they're about a half a mile away at his old studio on La Brea,) Suggested Sites... TCL Chinese Theatre - official site of the theatre and the most famous autograph collection in the world -- open 24 hours a day! Cinema Treasures - find a movie palace near you. Chinese Theatre Forecourt Map - from Doug and Mary to Hugh Jackman -- the who's-who of who's where. Discover the Historic Theatres on Broadway- if you're in Los Angeles anyway, you can't miss these movie palaces from the Golden Age of Movies. The Last Remaining Seats - see classic movies the way they were meant to be seen: in a giant dark room with 2,000 strangers.