21st Century Digital #18
Jimmy Stewart’s hand and footprints, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles, California. 2006. July 3.
The grand opening of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on May 18, 1927, was the most spectacular theatre opening in motion picture history. Thousands of people lined Hollywood Boulevard and a riot broke out as fans tried to catch a glimpse of the movie stars and other celebrities as they arrived for the opening. The film being premiered that night was Cecil B. DeMille’s The King of Kings,’ which was preceded by “Glories of the Scriptures,” a live prologue devised by master showman Sid Grauman. A Wurlitzer organ and 65-piece orchestra provided music for the prologue. The theatre opened to the public the following day, May 19, 1927. Protected by its 40-foot high curved walls and copper- topped turrets, the theatre’s legendary forecourt serves as an oasis to the stars of yesterday and today. Ten-foot tall lotus-shaped fountains and intricate artistry flank the footprints of some of Hollywood’s most elite and welcome its visitors into the magical world of fantasy and whim known as Hollywood. (Library of Congress)
Photographer: Carol M. Highsmith
Medium: 1 photograph : digital, TIFF file, color.
Retrieved from the Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2010630039/. (Accessed March 02, 2017.)
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