Last month, I posted a circa-1925 photo of a pair of locomotives parked in the forecourt of Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre. In the comments, someone posted a November 14, 1922 full-page article from the Exhibitors Herald about the opening of Sid Grauman’s new theater, which opened on October 19, 1922 with Douglas Fairbanks Sr’s Robin Hood. That article included this photo, which shows the eastern side of the Egyptian’s huge forecourt filled with moviegoers. A brass band dressed in what looks to be WWI-era military uniforms forecourt fills right side seems to be filled with. According to a Vanity Fair article I read, Hollywood’s first red carpet was unfurled that night. I wonder what happened to it.
Bix on Twitter said: “That’s Hollywood American Legion Post 43’s band. It would take a few more years before they could afford band uniforms, so they performed in their old WWI uniforms.”
Advertisement in Holly Leaves, dated Friday, February 3, 1933 for the upcoming Robin Hood playing at Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre.
This is a photo I took of the forecourt of the newly renovated Egyptian Theatre when I was there on November 28, 2023. You can see more photos I took that night here.
That would be Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., not Jr.
And there is a definite military essence to the goings on. Besides the band, the crowd on the left is filled with ‘dough boys’, and yet the War had been over for about four years. Perhaps because this was three days after Armistice Day??
Thanks for the correction, Mary! Obviously it was Sr not Jr! I hadn’t thought about the Armistice Day factor, which back then would still been a very big deal, I’d imagine.
I wonder why when the renovation began on this court they did not have any palm trees like it had originally? When renovating these places I think they should make them look exactly like they did when new. In this case they need palm trees.
John, I asked a friend about this and he said “I talked to restoration architect Peyton Hall about landscaping and he indicated that previous drainage issues made him hesitant to add palms – or any plants.”
The big question would be whether this Legion band was designed to work as a marching band or not? If so, then there might have been some sort of parade involved on the boulevard either coming or going from the court as part of the “festivities”. Gut feeling…those strapped drums say yes. No $$$ will be wagered on it though.