08.27.06
The Egyptian Theater in Hollywood
The second World 3D Film Expo begins in just a couple weeks, on Friday Sept. 8. As I’ve mentioned before, the ten-day festival packs some 25 features and even more shorts all in dual-projector “interlock” Polarized projection — pretty much the best (and only) way to see these films.
The festival is being held in Hollywood at the legendary Egyptian Theater, one of the grandest and most storied movie theaters in all the world. Built by Sid Grauman and developer Charles E. Toberman. It cost $800,000 and took 18 months. When it opened in October 1922, the sumptuous Egyptian Theater hosted the first classic Hollywood film premiere, for Douglas Fairbank’s Robin Hood. Graumann would not open his landmark Chinese Theater until 1927.
The architecture by Meyer and Holler includes a 150 foot open forecourt with columns and I dunno, you pretty much just have to see the pictures to believe it. The Egyptian, in disrepair, closed in 1992 and laid dormant and decaying for several years, which included the 1994 Northridge quake that caused significant damage.
American Cinemateque then stepped up to the plate and took over the space. A capital campaign was launched to finance a $12 million complete restoration, apparently even saving the organ.
