| Grauman's Egyptian Theatre |
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Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood , California is a world famous Movie Theatre that opened in 1922 . HISTORY The Egyptian was built by showman Sid Grauman , who subsequently built the nearby Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard and the Million Dollar Theater on Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles . The theatre cost $800,000 to build and took 18 months to construct. Architect s Meyer & Holler designed the Egyptian Theatre, and it was built by The Milwaukee Building Company . The Egyptian Theatre was the site of the first-ever Hollywood premiere. The film was '' Robin Hood '' starring Douglas Fairbanks . The grand opening premiere was on Wednesday, October 18 , 1922 . The film reportedly cost over $1 million. Tickets were $5.00 for the premiere of ''Robin Hood''. One could reserve a seat up to two weeks in advance for the daily performances. Evening admission was $.75, $1.00 or $1.50. The film was not shown in any other Los Angeles theater that year. In 1927 , Grauman opened a second movie theater further west on Hollywood Boulevard . In keeping with the public's then fascination with international themes, he named his second theater the Chinese Theatre. It eventually surpassed the Egyptian in fame. INSPIRATION FOR OTHER MOVIE THEATRES The layout and design of the Egyptian was emulated by other movie palaces in the US - with several being named after the original Hollywood Egyptian Theatre. Peery's Egyptian Theatre in Ogden, Utah, which opened in 1924, being a prime example The name ''Egyptian Theatre'' has become a popular name for other movie theaters to use [http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/Seattle/EgyptianTheatre.htm . ARCHITECTURE The exterior of the theatre is in the Egyptian Revival style. However, the attentive visitor will notice roof pans above the main entrance, items which are not in ancient Egyptian style. The original plans for the theatre show a Hispanic-themed theatre, but at some point these plans where changed to an Egyptian style. It is probable that this was due to public fascination with the expedition searching for the tomb of Tutankhamun by archaeologist Howard Carter . (Carter discovered the tomb on November 4th 1922 - two weeks after the Egyptian Theatre opened.) {Link without Title} At the time that the change in architectural style was determined, the pans had already been delivered and paid for - and they were kept and used in the building. The exterior and interior walls contain Egyptian-style paintings and Hieroglyphics . The four massive columns that mark the theatre's main entrance are 4 1/2 feet (1.3 m) wide and rise 20 feet (6 m). Capitalising on Southern California 's sunny weather is the large courtyard (45 feet wide {13.7 m} and 150 feet {45.7 m} long) in the front, complete with a fountain and Queen Palm trees. This is actually the "entrance hall" (the theatre doors used to open directly into the auditorium) and was specifically designed to host the famous red carpet ceremony. Guided tours are offered by American Cinematheque 's staff on weekends. CURRENT STATE In 1996 the City of Los Angeles sold the theatre to the American Cinematheque for a nominal one dollar with the proviso that the landmark building be restored to its original grandeur and re-opened as a movie theatre. The Cinematheque committed to raising the funds to pay for the restoration and to using the renovated theatre as home for its programs of public film exhibition The Egyptian Theatre was re-opened to the public on December 4 , 1998 after a $12.8 million renovation. The original theatre seated over 2,000 patrons in a single auditorium. In the restored Egyptian the building has been reconfigured to add a second screening theatre. The main theatre now accommodates 616 patrons and is named after Los Angeles philanthropist Lloyd E. Rigler. The smaller, 77-seat theatre is named for Hollywood Producer / Director Steven Spielberg . SEE ALSO
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