Showman Sid Grauman and real estate developer Charles E. Toberman collaborated to construct the Egyptian theater. Later, they also built the El Capitan Theatre and Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. It’s also worth noting that Grauman had previously opened one of the United States’ first movie palaces, the Million Dollar Theater, on Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles in 1918.
The Egyptian cost $800,000 to build and took 18 months to construct. Architects Meyer & Holler designed the building, and The Milwaukee Building Company built it.
On Wednesday, October 18, 1922, the Egyptian hosted the first Hollywood premiere of Robin Hood, featuring Douglas Fairbanks. Later in 1927, Grauman opened another cinema on the western side of Hollywood Boulevard, which he named the Chinese Theatre. This theatre became more popular than the Egyptian due to its collection of celebrity handprints, footprints, and signatures in the cement of its forecourt, which remains a popular tourist attraction today.
The Egyptian theater was shut down in 1992 and deteriorated over time. However, in 1996, the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles sold the theater to the American Cinematheque for a nominal fee of $1. The condition was that the historic building and theater must be restored to its former glory.
The Cinematheque raised funds for the restoration and renovation of the Egyptian theater. The renovated theater now served as a home for the public exhibition of films. The theater reopened on December 4, 1998, after a $12.8 million renovation. The original auditorium could seat 1,760 people, but the restored Egyptian now has a second screening theater, and the main theater can accommodate 616 people. These theaters are named after Lloyd E. Rigler and Steven Spielberg, respectively. Although the theater’s interior was redesigned to modern cinema amenity standards, some original decorative elements were retained. The exterior was fully restored to its original 1922 appearance.
In April 2019, Netflix expressed interest in buying a theater owned by the American Cinematheque to use as a venue for special events. This move was seen as a way for Netflix to boost its chances of winning prestigious awards like the Oscars and Emmys. It was also announced that the American Cinematheque would still hold events on weekends. However, after the announcement, a petition was created to stop the sale and call for a public meeting to answer questions about the sale and the status of the Attorney General’s investigation. Despite this, on May 29, 2020, Netflix officially acquired the theater and plans to renovate it. As of now, the theater has yet to open to the public.
Update: The Egyptian Theatre reopened after a $70 million renovation under Netflix in March 2025!!
If you know of a theater that deserves recognition in our “Sacred Houses” series, please contact us and provide details about its location, name, and significance to you or your community. We are passionate about supporting local theaters and believe they should be celebrated alongside the more well-known historic venues.
The Other Cinema 