TCL Chinese Theatre
6925 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
6925 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
160 people
favorited this theater
Showing 926 - 950 of 1,676 comments
“I don’t know how much the stage shows at the El Cap contribute to the gross.”
I don’t think it’s an issue of contributing to the gross, it’s about contributing to the experience. Once people perceive the added value, they’re willing to pay a premium ticket price.
Without a doubt the Chinese is the World’s most famous theatre. Period.
Rebuilding the stage would be ideal, but costly. I don’t know how much the stage shows at the El Cap contribute to the gross.
Anyway the Chinese needs a person or company that knows how to market it. Yes, they need more event films, and more Hollywood Premieres.
This is hard to do with Hollywood product since studios just seem to want to get the next tentpole to video as soon as possible.
They should start with reserved seats, opening up the small balcony as a VIP venue with food and drink.
They need to seek out a top rated resturant to cater the food and fine wine.
It can be done. They need someone with vision to do it.
Disney is not trying to “dump” the El Cap. They sold the building yes, but have a long term lease. As others have noted, the El Capitan is the highest earning single screen theater in the country. The only reason it’s not really profitable is because Disney had to spend so much to restore it. But considering how high profile that place is, they’re quite happy with it.
Grauman’s has already been restored, so anyone turning it into a similar “event” theater would not incur all those costs. Assuming they wanted to do shows, they would have to redo the stage however.
Big theaters just don’t make money any more Disney is quietly trying to dump the El Capitan too.
What difference would that make?
They better not close it as a movie theater. What they should do is get rid of the freaks in costumes in front.
Honestly, I cannot see it not being used for some type of theatre. Mann is probably going to walk away from the lease and take a loss. Historically, it is a landmark and I would imagine the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will take the steps to preserve the status of being a theatre. It just needs someone to actually get excited about it. Mann has been just letting it run on auto pilot, let’s face it Mann has been slowly closing shop and does not care.
I would think the Chinese 6 would perhaps close and turn into retail space. It has been nothing really but a move over venue.
Did Mann ever own the Chinese? As William says, they have a long term lease and they’ve been trying to sell the remaining years on the lease for the past three years.
Mann got rid of the Criterion in Santa Monica as well which wasn’t a loser at all, but something must have been up for renewal and they opted not to continue. Truly shows they are slowly closing down by letting things fall away as they leases are up etc. The whole chain must not have been attractive enough to unloaded as a whole to another exhibitor.
The current owners of the land are CIM, Mann’s lease expires 2023.
Roger A. did you work at the Chinese/Vogue in the 90’s?
The details are not known the rumors are they will use the Chinese as a different type of venue. Mann sold the theater years ago. They just lease the site. I’m not sure when their lease is up. Mann has been getting rid of its losers like the theaters in Westwood, it looks the Chinese is next. After all it hasn’t made money in years. The overhead is too high.
yes, where did you hear that Roger?
Closed as a movie theater and used as a live venue maybe?
or closed as a first run house but still used for premiers?
or Mann theaters is closing down and the Chinese would be dark until someone buys it?
More info please.
rumor source?
the latest rumor is that the Chinese is going to be closed as a theater so enjoy it as a movie theater as it wont be a movie theater much longer
Page 13 of the December/January Reminisce Magazine, has a half page 1953 photo of Grauman’s exterior. Depicting the Cinemascope showing of “The Robe”. A special Cinemascope marquee appears to have been built spanning the front entrance.
It might be available for viewing at Reminisce.com
If not, someone would have to scan it and properly credit the owner/source.
It appears to have been sent from a personal collection.
This page covers Grauman’s and the six-plex next door, just as the Cinerama Dome page covers it and the Arclight.
I attended the 10:10P Saturday screening of “Warrior’s Way.” 20 of us in the most impressive and historic movie theater on the planet. How sad. I also support the Chinese 6: Nutcracker 3D and The Next Three days were better than the reviews. I appreciate that an indie film which I also saw there, “Cool It, was booked.
I don’t see a listing for the Chinese 6-can anyone set up a page? Thanks.
As one who contributes annually 200 paid admissions to L A movie theater economy please let me point out the Hollywood High School auditorium just a block south of Hollywood Blvd on Highland.
The auditorium is frozen in the 1950s-absolutely no updates, with all wood seats. Their open to the public productions are only $5 seniors $8 general. I am going tonight at 7PM to see their production of “Black Orpheus”, which runs through Sunday. I attended their November dance production three times; as a former dancer I found the choreography very good and entertaining. Disadvantaged students are giving a chance to perform. When was the last time you saw a 250 lb male dancer-he gamely perservered in many numbers.
For my money the Hollywood High productions are great value.
If the full vertical height was used, the film could not be any wider, so as to maintain the film’s correct aspect ratio — it’s simple geometry… 78.7% of the available width would have been used.
Danny, the full vertical height was used, but only about 40% of the available width.
A retraction and my apologies to Brad: This week I saw “I Love You Phillip Morris” and “The Black Swan” in two different lower level auditoriums at Arclight Hollywood. The sound, presentation and comfort was everything you claimed. At 64 I am losing some hearing and fairly frequently miss dialogue at other theaters; however, at the Arclight I heard virtually every word of dialogue!
In the future I will visit the Hollywood and Sherman Oaks locations for hard to find movies. I hadn’t eaten, so the chicken sausage baguette at the concession counter was a welcome change from hotdogs and the Illy coffee was good. P.S. The Beverly has excellent Starbucks and the Silent Movie Thater the best coffee of all to go with their gourmet cupcakes.
So you are saying the full vertical height of the screen was not used? In that case, I would assume the movie was projected from some sort of LCD projector off of a DVD or Blu-Ray, and that format would be the fault of the program’s organizers, not the ArcLight.
Chas: At least half the Dome screen was not used. I’ve seen 1940s movies at the Aero, Egyptian,Beverlyand Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer that had more screen width than what “Bullitt” was projected. The movie was lost in the Dome’s dimensions.
Bullitt was shot at 1.85:1 so it would not fill a Cinemascope/Panavison type screen. Most theaters would mask off the unused part of the screen.
I am not taking about the Dome. I’m taking about the adjacent 14 screens. It is always flawless in my opinion. The Dome itself I prefer not to patronize because I do feel it is not always a great presentation; my visits are always at the Arclight screens.
Brad, the night of the Steve McQueen tribute at ArcLight Dome, the presentation was NOT flawless. Clips did not appear on cue and the organizers said this was the first time they ever had problems.
Also, I’m not sure why the movie “Bullitt” was projected only in the middle of the screen. I’m sure at the Chinese it would have been given the full screen effect.