TCL Chinese Theatre
6925 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
6925 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
161 people
favorited this theater
Related Websites
Chinese Theatres (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Fox West Coast Theatres, Grauman, Mann Theatres, United Artists Theater Circuit Inc.
Architects: Phillip W. Holler, Raymond M. Kennedy, Mendel Meyer
Firms: BB Architects, Behr Browers Architects, Meyer & Holler
Functions: Movies (Film Festivals), Movies (First Run)
Styles: Oriental
Previous Names: Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Mann's Chinese Theatre
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
323.461.3331
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Sep 18, 2013 — TCL Chinese renovation unveiled
- Jul 31, 2013 — Pantages shops naming rights
- Apr 12, 2013 — IMAX coming to the TCL Chinese
- Feb 9, 2013 — Renovations loom for the TCL Chinese Theatre
- Jan 12, 2013 — China firm buys naming rights to Grauman's Chinese Theatre
- May 23, 2012 — Celebrating the Original STAR WARS on its 35th Anniversary
- Dec 29, 2011 — Movie star prints' futures not set in cement
- Oct 18, 2011 — Happy 50th, "West Side Story"
- Jun 12, 2011 — New Photo Page!
- Jun 1, 2011 — We've added over 1,500 movie theater photos
- Apr 29, 2011 — Grauman's Chinese Theatre sold
- Aug 26, 2010 — "Windjammer" screening at Cinerama Dome
- Aug 12, 2009 — Grauman's Chinese for sale
- Jan 23, 2009 — D-BOX scores deal to bring rumbling chairs to Mann Theatres
- Dec 5, 2008 — Mann's Chinese gets "3-D sound" system
- Dec 4, 2008 — 3D sports could be next big thing
- Oct 10, 2008 — Remembering Cinerama (Part VI)
- Sep 5, 2007 — Hollywood's Famous Grauman's Chinese Theater sold
- Jul 9, 2007 — TRON...Happy 25th!
- May 25, 2007 — Happy 30th, Star Wars!
- Nov 17, 2006 — Five L.A. area showcase theaters go NEC Digital
- Apr 5, 2005 — Cinema Treasures Adds Google Maps
- Sep 2, 2004 — The Movie Palace Series: Gallery (Part Two)
- Mar 22, 2004 — Barbie Loves Cinema Treasures?
- Jan 9, 2004 — Sid Grauman and the Courtyard Theatres Event at the Egyptian
- Nov 25, 2003 — Southern California Cameos
The Chinese Theatre is arguably the most famous movie theatre in the world. It opened as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on May 18, 1927 with Cecil B. DeMille’s “The King of Kings” starring H.B. Warner and a stage prologue “Glories of the Scripture” which had a cast of 200. Seating was provided for 2,200, all on a single sloping floor (apart from a private box located at the rear, to the left of the projection box overhanging the rear orchestra seating). The theatre was equipped with a Wurlitzer 3 manual 17 ranks theatre organ which was opened by organist Frederick Burr Scholl, and accompanied the 65-piece symphony orchestra conducted by Constantine Bakaleinikoff. The Chinese Theatre has been the site of thousands of movie premieres and the destination of millions of tourists. Scores of celebrities have left their footprints, hand prints and hoof prints on the walkways near and on the theatre’s courtyard.
In 1973, Mann Theatres bought the Chinese Theatre. Two auditoriums, each seating 750, were added next to the Chinese Theatre, turning the theatre into a triplex operation from April 12, 1979. In 2000, the two added auditoriums were razed to make way for the construction of the Kodak Theatre – the new site of the annual Oscar presentations.
In 2001, the original 1927 built Chinese Theatre underwent a renovation to return its exterior to its original design and Mann Theatres, in late-2001, also added an adjoining 6-screen multiplex theatre, designed by the architectural firm Behr Browers Architects of Westlake, CA. Seating capacities in the six new screens are: 459, 177, 177, 177, 177, 279.
Still opulent in red tonality and Asiatic influences, the main original auditorium of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre remains the ultimate movie palace experience, and now seats 1,162.
In August 2009, Mann Theatres announced they were planning to put the Chinese Theatre up ‘For Sale’, and it was sold to an independent operator in April 2011. In January 2013, the naming rights were sold to television manufacturer Television China Ltd., and it was renamed TCL Chinese Theatre.
The main original auditorium was closed at the end of April 2013. Renovations by the architectural firm Blair Ballard Architects to turn the historic auditorium into a 986-seat IMAX theatre, with a 46 foot tall x 94 foot wide screen were completed on September 15, 2013 when the world premiere of the updated 1939 classic movie “The Wizard of Oz-3D” was screened on the giant IMAX screen. The other screens have a total seating capacity for 1,339-seats:448, 100, 174, 174, 174, 269.
On November 2, 2021 a vote was passed at a Planning and Management Land Use Committee (PLUM) meeting of the city council to re-zone the TCL Chinese Theatre for high to medium residential use.
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Recent comments (view all 1,690 comments)
I’d trust my friend Kurt’s site over Wikipedia any day. He shows every movie ever played at the Chinese. Here is the page on 1974: http://graumanschinese.org/1974.html. It shows Chinatown opening on Friday June 21, 1974. As I remember , opening days were usually Friday, until they started doing midnight shows on Thursday and sneaking earlier to make the opening weekend BO numbers look better.
Just because it was released on the 20th doesn’t mean it played at the Chinese on that date. I agree that it probably would have started on Friday the 21st that’s how things worked in those days. It could have run somewhere else on Thursday the 20th but new movies usually opened on Friday.
It cracks me up this m00se1111 person hiding behind a screen name thinks Wikipedia is a more credible resource than the guy who has written 1,000+ articles on the subject of motion picture distribution and exhibition. Anyway, you guys are forgetting/overlooking the fact CHINATOWN was released before nationwide saturation releases were common. Here’s an overview/breakdown of CHINATOWN’s release in the top North American markets and initial weeks of its release:
June 20th … New York City
June 21st … Los Angeles
June 26th … Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Des Moines, Detroit, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Louisville, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Rochester, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Toledo, Washington DC
June 27th … Dallas
June 28th … Albuquerque, Charlotte, Houston, Indianapolis, Memphis, Montreal, New Orleans, Toronto
July 3rd … Austin, Sacramento, San Antonio
July 10th … Omaha, Salt Lake City
July 12th … Chicago, Miami, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Vancouver
July 19th … Denver
August 21st … Honolulu
And on and on and on….
The foreground was blocked off today, The entrance had a mock up of the Roman coliseum in front, complete with statues.
Above the entry way was “Enter the Arena in IMAX”
Walking past the theatre this afternoon 1/27/25, I noticed that the exterior “gong” has suffered some visible damage. As I pass the theatre on a daily basis and hadn’t noticed the damage before, I assume this is very recent. Whether this is the result of age/deterioration, an accident, or the recent Santa Ana winds is unclear. Pictures added to the photo section.
CtCrouch, thanks for noticing. In case no one told them I’ve informed my contacts at the Chinese that it needs to be dealt with ASAP and will let you all know what I find out.
After a few days of cordoning off the area directly below the gong a repair was completed.
CT Crouch, thanks to your post I contacted the management and arranged to meet them the next day. The following day I brought in Signmakers, a company I have used for multiple theatre marquee jobs, they assessed the situation, and did the repairs early on Sunday using a special boom to prevent damage to the forecourt. The original gong is formed metal over wood, the original metal was bent back in place and any exposed wood was touched up. The gong is secure and not in danger.
20 photos from the August 15,1939 Los Angeles premiere of “The Wizard of Oz” via Facebook. Description courtesy Historic Retro Stardust:
“The L.A. premiere of "The Wizard of Oz” on August 15, 1939, marked a significant moment in film history, celebrated at Sid Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. This iconic event showcased the film’s star-studded cast and attracted attention from both Hollywood elites and fans. The widow of L. Frank Baum, the original author of the Oz books, attended the premiere, highlighting the deep connection between the film and its literary roots. Filming took place at MGM Studios in Culver City in 1938, where groundbreaking techniques were used, including the innovative use of Technicolor. The film’s production was a meticulous process, from casting to scoring, with Herbert Stothart composing the memorable score. Behind-the-scenes images capture this cinematic journey, reflecting the collaborative effort that brought this timeless classic to life."
https://www.facebook.com/100063638482927/posts/1183682163763055/?rdid=e74zajeOCVsMAUMF
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 448 Dolby Atmos and 35MM Equppped
Theatre 2 100
Theatre 3, 4 and 5 174
Theatre 6 269
TCL Chinese Theatre 986 IMAX LASER