A Hollywood Journey

1. TCL Chinese Theatre

Hollywood, CA

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Get up close and personal with nearly 2000 celebrity handprints, footprints and autographs in the concrete outside of Grauman's Chinese Theatre (now called TCL Chinese Theater). Visitors can step into prints of famous actors such as The Marx Brothers, Shirley Temple, and Humphrey Bogart, as well as stumble upon some variations of imprints including the cigar of Groucho Marx, the fist of John Wayne, and the magic wands of "Harry Potter" stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. This ethereal Hollywood tradition began in 1927 after showman Sid Grauman's success with the Egyptian Theatre. In 1968, The Chinese Theatre was declared a cultural and historical landmark. The owner of the Mann Theatres chain, Ted Mann, purchased it in 1973 and renamed it the Mann's Chinese Theatre until 2001. Mann's theatres filed for bankruptcy in 2000 and this theatre was sold to a partnership of Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures, who also acquired the Mann brand name. Still serving the public as a first-run movie theatre, this giant Chinese themed theatre hosts many ceremonies and movie premiers. Some of the theatre's main highlights include the red Chinese pagoda, a Chinese dragon, two authentic Chinese Ming Heavens dogs guarding the main entrance, and silhouettes of tiny dragons on the sides of its distinct copper roof. Fans of historic architecture were disappointed when the freestanding ticket booth was removed, originally installed in the 1930s, along with the right and left neon marquees.