in Hollywood, CA for a special screening of one of my favorite films...Sunset Boulevard!
I've lived in SoCal most of my life and yet I've never been to this glorious movie-palace of old until now!
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| Double-leopard action just as a tribute to the film, I promise! |
Graumans Egyptian has a wonderful history, and its foremost claim to fame is that the first-ever Hollywood movie premier was held here.
The Egyptian theme was all the rage back then, and they did it up nicely with murals, faux sandstone walls, and imposing columns.
Inside are somewhat-creepy Anubis dog statues and lots of other fab details.
Above is the best shot I could achieve of the glorious ceiling with my little point & shoot camera. You just have to trust me...it's breathtaking!
The film was being screened as part of a Film Noir festival put on by
American Cinematheque
Anyone who knows me knows that I love me some films noir, but my absolute fave is Sunset Boulevard. Wait, I lied! First Double Indemnity, THEN Sunset Boulevard.
If you haven't seen it, run-run-run to your Netflix queue and hook this baby up! You'll thank me.
Honestly, it's not just because of the plethora of leopard prints in the film that draw me to it, though that's a perk :-)
There are SO many quotable, classic lines in this film, and it's had such an incredible impact on the history of movies.
We were treated with a newly-restored digital copy of the film and it was like seeing it for the first time again!
"...and all you wonderful people out there in the dark!"
Are any of you Noir fans? What's your favorite film? I'd love to hear!
I've never even been to Hollywood and I grew up in So Cal also. My husband and father-in-law have photographed a lot of the classic Hollywood theaters and they are gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteWe walk by almost every time we visit Hollywood and have still never been in that theater. After seeing your photos we will have to make sure to actually get in to check it out one of these trips! Love Sunset Boulevard as well ;-)
ReplyDeleteHow FUN!
ReplyDeleteI'm from LA and have lived in SoCAl most of my life as well, yet have never been in Grauman's. But I was lucky enough to see a film at the El Capitan which is also very impressive.
Husband and I are Film Noir fans as well and LOVE Sunset Boulevard! Didn't Gloria Swanson look fab at 50?
A Film Noir piece that I saw not long ago and loved was Undercurrent with Katharine Hepburn, Robert Taylor and Robert Mitchum. It was directed by Vincente Minnelli in 1946 and was Mitchum's first film. It had a great, post war, modernist look to it. Guess it didn't receive the best reviews, but I liked it.