TCL Chinese Theatre
6925 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
6925 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90028
160 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1,326 - 1,350 of 1,675 comments
IN the Sunday LA times it appears that the Chinese and Chinese 6 get the new Ridley Scott film next Friday with Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, so I guess there is some life left.
I waded through the tourists and the lame celebrity impersonators today to take these photos. One tourist was overheard complaining that “I didn’t see one famous person here today”. I didn’t want to tell him that celebrities don’t generally spend their Sunday afternoons hanging out at the Chinese.
http://tinyurl.com/3vjk5b
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I’ll throw in a few shots from the mall next door:
http://tinyurl.com/4c8gls
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Here is a January 1928 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/4hx4kc
Someone needs to start up Fox West Coast Theatres again and bring in stage shows at the Chinese with the movies like Disney is doing across the street. The place went down when they got rid of the neon dragons out front! The theatre is so dark and cold out front. Mann needs to add some color lights to the front. If they can’t get good first run films then book some 70mm classics and open up the big curved screen to it’s full width. Have some movie stars that are still around for the showing. Let’s get Doris Day to fly down and show Pillow Talk! or Kim Novak with a new 70mm print of Vertigo! The tourists will come in the doors not just stand out front and take photos. Lets get some SHOWMANSHIP back at the Fox Graumans Chinese Hollywood. The Place To Go!
Someone needs to start up Fox West Coast Theatres again and bring in stage shows at the Chinese with the movies like Disney is doing across the street. The place went down when they got rid of the neon dragons out front! The theatre is so dark and cold out front. Mann needs to add some color lights to the front. If they can’t get good first run films then book some 70mm classics and open up the big curved screen to it’s full width. Have some movie stars that are still around for the showing. Let’s get Doris Day to fly down and show Pillow Talk! or Kim Novak with a new 70mm print of Vertigo! The tourists will come in the doors not just stand out front and take photos. Lets get some SHOWMANSHIP back at the Fox Graumans Chinese Hollywood. The Place To Go!
Here is a November 1972 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/429jcr
Thanks GrauMann. Would love to see the pictures of the Chinese Twin when you get them up. I went there only once before it was demolished, but have wanted to see it again out of curiosity. Please make an announcement when you get them up.
Granted Arclight will get more bookings because of the reputation it has established. But the Chinese would get a fair share of “A” titles and would get some of the blockbusters. Recently, pretty much this year the don’t get big bookings. Now they are pretty much getting what Arclight rejects, the 6 plex is mostly used for rentals and move overs (much of the time from Arclight) or more of a explotation theme of films. It is sad. At least the Village still pretty much gets the blockbuster films.
If I remember correctly, I think Mann only has 13 locations to book for. That’s not the industry pull that they had in the 1980s when they one of the top operators in the country. I would say the only reason they still get any attention AT ALL is because they still operate the Chinese, Village, and Bruin.
The truth is that Arclight just has more to offer. For example, when Dark Knight opened, the Arclight had 13 sold out shows starting at midnight. Same thing with Indiana Jones. The Chinese just physically can’t offer that to a studio. Arclight probably has somewhere in the neighborhood of 6000-7000 seats to offer a studio. Mann can probably only offer half that.
The Chinese complex really needs to be transformed into something spectacular but it’s too late for that now. Mann entered a 21st century theater market using a 20th century complex. They were wrong. I think the very best option would be for Pacific to take it over use both complexes (Dark Knight might be in the main Chinese, but with a few smaller screens over the Arclight and vice-versa). Cause any other chain is going to be up against the same challenges that Mann is dealing with right now.
It seems to have been a dreadful summer there.
Are they deliberately letting it go or can they simply not compete for bookings, even with the most recognizable theatre on the planet?
I do not know the mechanations of the booking process or how last-moment changes can happen, but I have noticed at least 2 films lately, “Lakeview Terrace” and “Nights in Rodanthe” were not listed on the early week pre-sale page for Arclight Hollywood (but WERE for Arclight Sherman Oaks) then suddenly on Friday they are playing at the Arclight Hollywood. Is it possible that the Arclight can look at the performance of its slate over a weekend, make some last minute changes, and pull films slated for the Chinese/Chinese 6? This seems to be whats happening.
Mann seems to be heavily renting the Chinese 6 for press screenings and film festivals.
I sad as it sounds, I still wish some other chain would buy Mann (even AMC!!) just so the Chinese could get some films that people actually want to see.
They’re playing Ghost Town… I guess it’s somewhat appropriate.
Mann is slowly but surely withering on the vine. I agree with others that the six-plex was a horrible idea. Pacific thought it through and created two monsters with the Arclight and the Grove. Mann could have done something really spectacular with their expansion, but instead created six 1990s style auditoriums that are no different than something you’d find in any neighborhood multiplex. I love the Chinese, but what I’d love more is something decent to see at the Chinese. That hasn’t happened in a long time.
What is going on with the bookings? Is Mann just purposely just letting th Chinese go? Virtually every release this week and next is booked into Arclight. Will it just become a venue mainly for premieres?
OK, thanks Don. I don’t imagine the space has been used as a restaurant for years.
Ken, that part of the building is intact. The added screens are in the building next door. See the first photo Hollywood90038 posted on April 30, 2008 under “Iron Man Premiere.”
Here is the LA Times obituary for Bill Hertz, who was involved in the hand and footprint ceremonies at Grauman’s for years:
http://tinyurl.com/6z7ttl
I was wondering about the restaurant on the right side of the postcard of 8/16/08. Has that part of the building been converted regarding the extra screens that were added?
I like the idea of the “ghosts”. Too bad the house isn’t haunted. Maybe they could “adopt” a couple ghosts for Halloween.
Here is an undated postcard from the NYPL:
http://tinyurl.com/6bozqy
No, it’s a re-creation of a crime involving some shooting back and forth.
Here is a new addition from the LA Library. Looks like an early episode of CSI:
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics53/00076438.jpg
I liked seeing the Mr. Moto ad with Keye Luke’s name displayed, since he painted the beautiful murals in the Chinese Theater’s lobby.
if Pacific had both the Dome and Grauman’s, would they open the big tentpole releases like Indy and Batman in both of them?
I think the adjoing Chinese 6 are a liability to Grauman’s Chinese. Arclight may be stronger because the theatres are nicer and have more seating. Most big films are booked for the main theatre while the 6 plex is used for spillover or move-overs.
I think the logical choice would be for Pacific to take over the Chinese. There is not much left to the once powerful Mann theatre chain. The Chinese main theatre should have its choice of bookings like they did in the past. The Chinese use to host the best from Warner Bros and Paramount. Pacific has more clout than the current Mann theatre chain.brucec
Superman was playing on Christmas day, according to the LA Times.