Lights, Camera, Action!

Since opening in 1927, Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California has developed a reputation as one of the most distinguishable theaters in the world.

Building the Chinese Theater was the dream of owner Sid Grauman who already owned Los Angeles's Million Dollar Theater and Egyptian Theater. Grauman's conceptual ideas for the theater were developed by architect Raymond Kennedy. The theater's exterior features a thirty foot carved stone dragon protecting the entrance from two giant heaven dogs. The interior contains an array of imported artifacts from China such as temple bells, pagodas and stone heaven dogs.

At the grand opening in 1927, thousands of spectators flocked to the theater to catch a glimpse of their favorite Hollywood stars as the premier of Cecil B. DeMille's "The King of Kings" was shown.

Throughout the years, the theater has been the site for numerous Hollywood movie premieres. Whether it was "Wizard of Oz" (1939) or the recent "A-Team" (2010) premier, Gruaman's has built a reputation as a place for Hollywood's top performers.

The theater has been the host of the Academy Awards Ceremony on three occasions. More than four million tourists visit the eighty-three year old theater each year. The forecourt of the theater features cement handprints and footprints from some of Hollywood's biggest stars throughout the years.

Podcast Written by Wes Meiss, Public History Student at the University of West Florida.