Egyptian turns 85
HOLLYWOOD, CA — The Egyptian Theatre (or what many would say what’s left of it) celebrated its 85th yesterday.
The term “Hollywood” conjures myriad images — many of them contradictory. But before Hollywood was a state of mind or a brickbat, it was a place. Not much remains of the original Hollywood now, but a few landmarks still command respect, even reverence. Among the oldest is the Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. Less storied and glamorous than the Chinese, its younger sibling a few blocks west, it almost didn’t live to celebrate its 85th birthday this month.
Yet about a decade ago, some determined and enterprising folks decided the save the then-bedraggled Egyptian, preserving it as the oldest functioning cinema on Hollywood Boulevard. Not a commercial house, it instead serves as the locus of the American Cinematheque.
Read more in Variety.
Comments (1)
My wife and I went to the final screening before the Egyptian closed as a real movie theater, which was later destroyed beyond all help.
At the shows conclusion, the audience begged the manager to bring up the house lights for one last look and a photograph… sadly, he didn’t give a damn, so we were all deprived of actually seeing that stunning stage and auditorium.
Thank you Sid and I thank God for early photographs!