The Hollywood Walk of Fame also leads to Grauman s Egyptian Theater
LOS ANGELES: Whether you are gambling in downtown Las Vegas at the Luxor Casino and Hotel or shopping on the other side of the world in Dubai at Wafi Mall, you are bound to be amazed by the buildings, restaurants, and shopping centers that memorialize the pharaohs and the ancient Egyptian.
One of the best examples of Egyptian paraphernalia far from home is The Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, which stands as a grand first-class motion picture theater like many other famous theaters in downtown Los Angeles. The theater was built by Sid Grauman who had migrated from San Francisco to build several movie theater palaces across Los Angeles and finally built one in Hollywood in the early 1920s.
Grauman was charismatic and fun, known for being an entrepreneur and a businessman with rare vision. With the aid of architects Meyer and Holler, Grauman was able to build the museum-like theater for $800,000 in 18 months. Why did Grauman choose an Egyptian theme?
“Well, it was originally going to be Spanish but Grauman decided on the Egyptian theme because it was the peak of the pharaoh explorations [in Egypt]. He decided on it after the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb by Howard Carter on November 26, 1922, said Margo Gerber, the marketing director of publicity for the theater.
Today the theater is a must-see for tourists walking down Hollywood Boulevard on that famous sidewalk decorated with the stars’ names. It is only a couple of blocks away from the Kodak Theater and the famous Chinese Theater, also built by Grauman, where thousands of tourists flash their cameras year round.
“We do have group tours for tourists, schools, and senior citizens during the day, added Gerber as she took us through a magical tour of the 150 foot-long massive courtyard decorated with drawings of Egyptian princesses and sphinxes drawn on the walls.
The entrance is also lined with gorgeous pillars and a proscenium arch decorated with hieroglyphic writing carved in bright colors. Grauman often used the open-air courtyard to display enormous props and animals from the films he screened, including pirate ships, elephants, and even an entire zoo.
As you walk into the elegant Lloyd E. Rigler Theater that seats over 600, you sense its historical significance right away as you tilt your head up to devour the rich sunburst ceiling, perfectly designed to give you the feeling that you are in an Egyptian temple. The entire auditorium is covered with wall-to-wall yellow drapes that add to the warmth.
The theater includes another auditorium, which seats 78 people (the Steven Spielberg Theater). Hollywood history comes alive in this legendary theater as you visit the old dressing rooms and singers’ boxes in addition to peeking at the state of the art projection booth used to display the films. The one hour tour, which only began in 1998, also features a 55 minute screening, which takes you back to the history of Hollywood through celebrity interviews, and 400 movie and archival Hollywood history clips narrated by Sharon Stone.
The theater is owned by American Cinematheque, a non-profit organization focused on screening all kinds of music videos and films: specialty film programming, documentaries, classic films, sneak previews, international films and even movies that have not been distributed yet, the latest example being the thriller “Limbo Room.
“If you want to meet stars, here is the place to be. We usually have discussions after the films are screened where the stars attend to talk about their films and promote them, said Gerber. Nicholas Cage, Nicole Kidman, and Kirk Douglas are just some of the stars that she remembers attending their movie premiers at The Egyptian.
During the silent era, some of the premiers screened at The Egyptian were Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush (1925), where he attended dressed in the exact clothes he wore in the film. The theater’s advertising slogan back then was: “Where the stars see the pictures, and it seems that the tradition has lived on until today.
In a fast-paced city like Los Angeles where businesses go through “makeovers all the time, its extremely fortunate that The Egyptian still stands today, which proves the supreme historic significance of the theater. Indeed, it is vital to mention that The Egyptian was home to the very first Hollywood movie premiere when the theater celebrated its grand opening on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 1922, with “Robin Hood starring Douglas Fairbanks. Grauman then selected the phenomenal Egyptian opera “Aida as the overture.
Look for the blue vertical signage “Egyptian surrounded by dozens of shiny lights then prepare for an unforgettable historical tour; and if you are lucky enough to catch a flick or two then you have caught two birds with one stone.
