If you've ever spent time in Los Angeles, you probably visited Hollywood and the famed Grauman's Chinese Theatre, an icon that hasn't changed much on the outside, other than sporting a name change. The TCL Chinese Theatre is turning 90 this year, and the venue has big plans to celebrate the anniversary. The Chinese Theatre has plans to project iconic scenes from the theatre's 90-year history on the outside of the building as part of the big celebration.
The projections are anticipated to run on the building on Monday, and will begin at 8 p.m. PT, per the LA Times. So, if you are anywhere near Hollywood tonight, it may be worth checking out. That is, if you can deal with the throngs of people and weirdo costumed characters trying to make a buck or 5.
The TCL Chinese Theatre, formerly Grauman's, has been a Hollywood institution for a long time. The doors first opened at the theatre in May of 1927 after Sid Grauman had it built on land he didn't own himself. Meyer and Holler originally created the building and it went up on leased land. The front of the theater soon became as iconic as the theater itself, when stars Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford pushed their hands and footprints into wet concrete, preserving them for the masses to enjoy. In the years that followed, the Forecourt of the Stars became an iconic stop in Los Angeles, even for those who don't opt to actually step inside the theatre.
Recent years have seen updates to the theatre, including a change in name and a renovation that added digital IMAX capacity. The theatre still maintains most of its old school glamour, however, with an opulent interior and a very memorable exterior, shown above. Throwing iconic movie clips on the side of the building should only make it more memorable this evening.
The news comes just a few days after another iconic theater has opened to the public for the first time. Earlier this month, the White House announced that First Lady Melania Trump had decided to open the White House movie theater for the first time to the public during tours. That theater has a long history and an opulent interior, as well, and you can learn more here.
If you'd like more of a Chinese Theatre experience, there are movie showings quite frequently. In addition, TCL puts on walking tours where you can learn more about the 90-year-old property and take in the opulence, as well. We'll let you know if anything more celebratory happens related to the anniversary. In the meantime, keep an eye out in Hollywood or on social media for the big movies presentation this evening.
