Walk like An Egyptian
While we have this gorgeous picture of the Grauman's Egyptian Theater up, we thought we might supply a little history to go with it. It was designed by architects Meyer & Holler for Sid Grauman. It was example of the Egyptian Revival Style. The original emergence of the style was in the 1850s but it became a fad in the 20s, inspired by the discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1922. In fact, originally, the plans were for a Spanish style theater, but when King Tut's tomb was discovered, the plans were changed.The Theater cost $800k and took 18 months to build. The first movie shown there was Robin Hood, starring Douglas Fairbanks. It opened on October 18, 1922 and the movie wasn't shown anywhere else. Grauman abandoned the theater for the more famous Grauman's Chinese in 1927.
In 1996, The American Cinematheque purchased the Egyptian from the city of Los Angeles, for $1 and a promise to restore it to it's original glory. It reopened the theater in 1998. To check showtimes click here.
Unlike it's unsubtle brother, the Grauman's Chinese, The Egyptian is set back from the street. You just might miss it if you aren't paying attention. It's a delicate place, a secret from the roar of Hollywood. Instead of being taken over by some mall, it has been carefully restored. You can feel the past of the city there.
posted by kuaptic. @ 11:39 AM
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