Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn iconic Hollywood movie palace and tourist landmark recognized for its Chinese-inspired architecture, film premieres, and celebrity handprints and footprints.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Grauman's Chinese Theatre is a historic movie palace on Hollywood Boulevard in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Although the venue is commonly called the Chinese Theatre, its formal commercial name has changed several times. It opened as Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1927, became Mann's Chinese Theatre in 1973, returned to the Grauman's name in 2001, and later adopted the sponsored name TCL Chinese Theatre. The venue remains associated with the original Grauman identity as well as with Hollywood's film-premiere culture. The theater was developed by showman Sid Grauman after the success of his Egyptian Theatre, which had opened nearby in 1922. The project evolved from an early concept for a venue focused on live drama into a large cinema palace as motion pictures became increasingly profitable. Construction began with a public groundbreaking ceremony in January 1926 and lasted approximately eighteen months. The theater opened on May 18, 1927, with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's The King of Kings. Grauman developed the project with partners including Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Howard Schenck, and West Coast Theatres. Designed by Meyer & Holler, with Raymond M. Kennedy as principal architect, the building uses an Exotic Revival interpretation of Chinese architectural motifs. Its exterior includes a tall pagoda, red columns, a large dragon relief, guardian lion statues, temple bells, and other decorative elements. Chinese artisans and artists contributed to the decoration, while the interior was conceived as an elaborate movie-palace environment with dragon imagery, bronze and gold details, a lantern-like chandelier, and concealed technical systems. The original auditorium had a very large stage and included early air-conditioning and a concealed Wurlitzer organ, although the organ was later removed. The forecourt is the theater's most famous feature. Beginning in April 1927, screen personalities placed their signatures, handprints, and footprints in wet concrete. The tradition has continued across generations and includes unusual impressions connected with particular performers and fictional characters, including props, eyewear, footwear, vehicles, and animals' hoofprints. Nearly two hundred celebrity imprint slabs have been associated with the forecourt according to reference descriptions, making it both an entertainment landmark and an informal archive of Hollywood celebrity culture. The theater has hosted premieres and special events for major motion pictures, including Star Wars in 1977 and The Hangover Part II in 2011. It also hosted Academy Awards ceremonies in 1944, 1945, and 1946. In the twenty-first century the venue has combined landmark preservation with modern exhibition technology. A restoration and modernization program begun in 2002 addressed seismic protection, projection, sound, concessions, and signage. In 2013, the theater was converted in collaboration with IMAX into a custom-designed IMAX venue with 932 seats and one of North America's largest cinema screens at the time. TCL obtained naming rights in January 2013, creating the TCL Chinese Theatre branding used for sponsorship purposes. The theater's identity therefore spans several roles: first-run cinema, premiere venue, architectural monument, Hollywood Walk of Fame destination, and paid visitor attraction. It was designated a Los Angeles historic and cultural landmark in 1968, and it contributes to the historic Hollywood Boulevard commercial and entertainment district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its long-term significance rests less on a conventional consumer product portfolio than on the combination of film exhibition, celebrity ritual, architectural spectacle, and place-based tourism.
History
The theater's origins lie in Sid Grauman's expansion of the Hollywood movie-palace circuit. In 1923, Grauman, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and other industry figures discussed a major venue initially associated with live dramatic performance. The plan was postponed and later reshaped around motion-picture exhibition. Grauman secured a Hollywood Boulevard site that had been occupied by actor Francis X. Bushman's mansion, with real-estate developer Charles E. Toberman helping arrange the lease. The architectural commission went to Meyer & Holler, the Los Angeles firm that had also worked on Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, with Raymond M. Kennedy serving as principal architect. A public groundbreaking took place on January 5, 1926. The construction program was ambitious but the completed cost was reported at approximately $2.1 million, below some early newspaper estimates. The building was completed in about eighteen months and opened on May 18, 1927, with The King of Kings. Its design transformed a cinema into a theatrical destination: a tall pagoda dominated the forecourt, while dragons, lions, murals, imported decorative objects, and Chinese-inspired detailing created an Exotic Revival spectacle. The auditorium included a large stage, concealed organ, early air-conditioning, and elaborate decorative finishes. The concrete forecourt became the theater's defining cultural institution. Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks were among the earliest stars to leave imprints in April 1927, and the practice developed into a continuing ceremony. Accounts differ about the precise origin of the idea, but the tradition is consistently associated with wet concrete, celebrity signatures, and the theater's opening period. Later ceremonies expanded beyond ordinary handprints and footprints to include distinctive objects and impressions connected to entertainers, characters, vehicles, and animals. Jean Klossner helped establish the early concrete work and ceremonies, while John Tartaglia later performed the role of master mason for many decades. Grauman briefly attempted retirement in 1929 after selling his interest to Fox Theatres, but Howard Hughes persuaded him to return for the premiere run of Hell's Angels. Grauman resumed management in 1931 and remained connected with the theater until his death in 1950. The venue continued to function as a major premiere house and hosted the Academy Awards in 1944, 1945, and 1946. Ownership and branding changed during the postwar and modern studio eras. Ted Mann acquired the property in 1973, producing the Mann's Chinese Theatre name. Mann Theatres later became linked with Gulf+Western, Warner Communications, WestStar Holdings, and a Warner Bros.–Paramount partnership through successive transactions involving the theater business. The building was recognized as a Los Angeles historic and cultural landmark in 1968, and in 1985 it became a contributing property within the National Register-listed Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District. Preservation and modernization efforts in the early 2000s sought to retain the movie palace's appearance while improving safety and exhibition infrastructure. The program included seismic work, new projection and sound systems, expanded concessions, vending facilities, and updated signage. The Grauman's name was restored in 2001. CIM Group acquired the land in 2007, and Chinese Theatres LLC acquired the theater and adjacent Mann Chinese 6 in 2011. The venue was sold in 2013, the same year that TCL's naming-rights agreement and an IMAX conversion linked the historic building to contemporary premium cinema. The auditorium was reported after renovation to seat 932. Today the theater continues to serve as a first-run cinema, premiere venue, event location, and one of Hollywood's best-known visitor attractions.
- 2013
TCL naming-rights agreement and IMAX conversion
[1]TCL obtained naming rights, and the theater completed a custom IMAX conversion with a reported 932-seat auditorium.
- 2011
Chinese Theatres LLC acquisition
[1]Chinese Theatres LLC acquired the theater and adjacent Mann Chinese 6 property.
- 2002
Restoration and modernization program
[1]A program addressing seismic protection, projection, sound, concessions, and signage began while preserving the historic character.
- 2001
Grauman's name restored
[1]The venue reverted from Mann's Chinese Theatre to Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
- 1985
National Register district recognition
[1]The theater was listed as a contributing property in the National Register's Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District.
- 1973
Mann branding begins
[1]The theater was renamed Mann's Chinese Theatre after Ted Mann acquired it.
- 1968
Historic and cultural landmark designation
[1]Los Angeles designated the building a historic and cultural landmark.
- 1944
First Academy Awards ceremony at the theater
[1]The venue hosted the Academy Awards, beginning a three-year sequence of ceremonies.
- 1927
Opening premiere
[1]The theater opened on May 18 with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's The King of Kings.
- 1927
First celebrity imprint ceremonies
[1]Early celebrity handprints, footprints, and signatures established the forecourt tradition associated with the venue.
Products and positioning
A premium entertainment and cultural landmark combining first-run cinema, Hollywood premiere prestige, Chinese-inspired movie-palace architecture, and celebrity tourism.
Movie theater · 1927
Main Chinese Theatre auditorium
The principal cinema auditorium presents first-run films, premieres, special screenings, and private events. Its historic movie-palace decoration is integrated with modern projection, sound, seating, and concession infrastructure. The auditorium's role has shifted from a primarily theatrical palace to a premium cinema while retaining its landmark identity.
Premium cinema format · 2013
TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX
Created through a 2013 collaboration with IMAX, this custom-designed installation modernized the theater's exhibition capabilities. The renovated house was described as seating 932 and featuring one of the largest cinema screens in North America at the time. It combines the venue's heritage architecture with large-format film presentation.
Tourism and cultural attraction · 1927
Historic forecourt imprint experience
The forecourt contains celebrity signatures, handprints, footprints, and special impressions created from the 1920s onward. It functions as both a free public landmark view and part of the theater's visitor experience, connecting the site to Hollywood history and celebrity ceremonies.
Venue services · 1927
Premieres and special events
The theater hosts film premieres, gala screenings, private functions, celebrity ceremonies, and other entertainment-industry events. Its architecture and location make it particularly suited to publicity-driven openings and culturally significant Hollywood occasions.
Brand decisions
2013
Custom IMAX conversionProduct launchBackground
The venue sought to combine landmark status with premium large-format movie exhibition.
Action taken
The theater collaborated with IMAX to convert the house into a custom-designed IMAX venue.
Aftermath
The renovated auditorium was reported to seat 932 and to have one of North America's largest movie screens at the time.
2013
TCL naming-rights sponsorshipOtherBackground
The theater pursued commercial sponsorship while continuing to operate as a historic Hollywood cinema.
Action taken
TCL acquired the facility's naming rights for a reported $5 million.
Aftermath
The venue adopted the TCL Chinese Theatre commercial name, while Grauman's Chinese Theatre remained the historic and commonly recognized identity.
Naming-rights payment. US$5 million (2013)
2002
Preservation-led modernizationStrategyBackground
The historic cinema required contemporary safety and exhibition systems while retaining its landmark architectural character.
Action taken
A restoration program introduced seismic upgrades, modern projection and immersive sound, expanded concessions, vending facilities, and updated exterior signage.
Aftermath
The project allowed the theater to continue operating as a modern cinema while preserving its historic identity and the restored Grauman's name.
Sources2 sources
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