Sidney Grauman (1879–1950) was the son of David and Rosa Grauman, Jewish theatrical performers on show circuits. In the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush, David took his teenage son Sid with him to Alaska. Grauman was one of 200 Jews who called the Dawson City area home during the Gold Rush.
![]()
His parents settled in San Francisco, Sid joining them in 1900. With the money the two men earned during the Gold Rush, David & Sidney decided to open a vaudeville theatre near San Francisco. Their first venture was the Unique Theatre in San Jose. Opening in Feb 1903, it presented films, amateur nights and vaudeville acts featuring performers like Al Jolson, Fatty Arbuckle and Sophie Tucker.
Alas in early 1906, the Graumans lost their lease of the Unique Theatre. And San Francisco's 1906 earthquake destroyed the Lyceum Theatre. Sid saved only one of the theatre’s movie projectors from the ruins, and got a tent and pews from a preacher from a destroyed church, setting up on the site where the Unique once stood. The family won a commendation from San Francisco for helping boost morale.
They operated their tent theatre for 2 years; by that time David Grauman had opened the New National Theatre. They soon expanded their sites, opening the art nouveau master-piece Imperial, and the Empress in San Francisco, and branching out further to Northern Calif cities.
They soon added motion pictures to the vaudeville shows at the Lyceum Theatre. And they established the N.W Vaudeville Co which stretched from San Francisco to Portland Or, bringing quality live entertainment at fair prices to the N.W
![]()
With the erection of the Chinese Theatre in 1927 in Los Angeles, Sid’s last theatre was designed like a Chinese pagoda/religious building. At the premiere, there were crowds eager to glimpse both the stars arriving and the splendid building. The fittings were imported from China, and the Chinese artisans were brought in to create sculptural works, originally in the theatre’s forecourt. The space to build the theatre upon was large, which allowed for an elaborate forecourt, spacious lobbies, an auditorium with seating all on one level, and a stage 12.2m deep!
![]()
![]()
![]()
Grauman showed Red Skelton
where to leave his prints, 1942
They didn't find any gold, but they made an income by entertaining miners. In the Yukon young Sid learned that people would willingly pay well for entertainment. So the men began organising events like boxing matches. It was also in the Yukon that Sid saw his first motion picture. David thought of building a theatre there, but he had to leave.
Charlie Chaplin, Sidney Grauman, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks
Jun 1920, Wiki
His parents settled in San Francisco, Sid joining them in 1900. With the money the two men earned during the Gold Rush, David & Sidney decided to open a vaudeville theatre near San Francisco. Their first venture was the Unique Theatre in San Jose. Opening in Feb 1903, it presented films, amateur nights and vaudeville acts featuring performers like Al Jolson, Fatty Arbuckle and Sophie Tucker.
Alas in early 1906, the Graumans lost their lease of the Unique Theatre. And San Francisco's 1906 earthquake destroyed the Lyceum Theatre. Sid saved only one of the theatre’s movie projectors from the ruins, and got a tent and pews from a preacher from a destroyed church, setting up on the site where the Unique once stood. The family won a commendation from San Francisco for helping boost morale.
They operated their tent theatre for 2 years; by that time David Grauman had opened the New National Theatre. They soon expanded their sites, opening the art nouveau master-piece Imperial, and the Empress in San Francisco, and branching out further to Northern Calif cities.
They soon added motion pictures to the vaudeville shows at the Lyceum Theatre. And they established the N.W Vaudeville Co which stretched from San Francisco to Portland Or, bringing quality live entertainment at fair prices to the N.W
Crowds waiting outside the Egyptian Theatre,
Los Angeles, 1922. Wiki
With the erection of the Chinese Theatre in 1927 in Los Angeles, Sid’s last theatre was designed like a Chinese pagoda/religious building. At the premiere, there were crowds eager to glimpse both the stars arriving and the splendid building. The fittings were imported from China, and the Chinese artisans were brought in to create sculptural works, originally in the theatre’s forecourt. The space to build the theatre upon was large, which allowed for an elaborate forecourt, spacious lobbies, an auditorium with seating all on one level, and a stage 12.2m deep!
Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles
opened 1927. Front entrance above; auditorium below
The Chinese Theatre’s forecourt still has c100 celebrity hand and footprints in cement. The tradition began by accident, while the finishing touches were being done. Was Mary Pickford the actress who stepped in the wet cement? Sid wanted to have a permanent record of stars, so he invited selected film personalities to add their prints. 4+ million tourists visit the Chinese Theatre yearly.
David Grauman tried to expand his theatre business in New York and the East Coast, where he was unsuccessful. So David had to accept an offer from his partner to buy him out in 1905. By 1917, the Graumans decided they’d relocate to Los Angeles and build theatres there. They approached Adolph Zukor, owner-founder of Paramount Pictures, regarding a business deal. Zukor agreed to buy the San Francisco theatres from the Graumans and assisted them financing their L.A theatre businesses.
Sid Grauman became a close friend to Hollywood's stars, especially Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Rudolph Valentino, Gloria Swanson, Dorothy & Lillian Gish, William S Hart, Mabel Normand, Marion Davies, Cecil B DeMille, DW Griffith. His many discoveries included Fatty Arbuckle, Al Jolson, Jackie Coogan, Charlie Chaplin and Myrna Loy.
![]()
Sid Grauman (left) with film producer Irving Thalberg & wife actress Norma Shearer
Grauman’s business partners in the Chinese Theatre venture were Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks & Howard Schenck. 2 years after opening, he sold his share of the theatre to Fox West Coast Theatres, but stayed Managing Director for life!
David Grauman tried to expand his theatre business in New York and the East Coast, where he was unsuccessful. So David had to accept an offer from his partner to buy him out in 1905. By 1917, the Graumans decided they’d relocate to Los Angeles and build theatres there. They approached Adolph Zukor, owner-founder of Paramount Pictures, regarding a business deal. Zukor agreed to buy the San Francisco theatres from the Graumans and assisted them financing their L.A theatre businesses.
Sid Grauman became a close friend to Hollywood's stars, especially Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Rudolph Valentino, Gloria Swanson, Dorothy & Lillian Gish, William S Hart, Mabel Normand, Marion Davies, Cecil B DeMille, DW Griffith. His many discoveries included Fatty Arbuckle, Al Jolson, Jackie Coogan, Charlie Chaplin and Myrna Loy.
1932, Wiki
By 1918, the first of the Grauman Los Angeles movie palaces was open for business: Million Dollar Theatre. Then Grauman tried some non-entertainment ventures, forming eg the Black Hills Exploration Corporation in a gold mining effort in Sth Dakota. He had convinced other entertainers and movie company executives to join him in investing in the company, but the project was unsuccessful.
In 1921, David Grauman died suddenly in L.A. Sid moved to Los Angeles where he built and operated movie theatres that bore his name over the marquees. The Egyptian Theatre was in Hollywood Bvd L.A, home of the first Hollywood film premiere: Robin Hood starringDouglas Fairbanks.
Grauman loved the new motion picture industry. He won an honorary Academy Award in 1949 for raising the standard for film exhibition, one of the few non-actors to win. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood Blvd and was one of the original founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He created the movie prologue, a stage show that he developed to precede his first-run silent films. Note how he blended his prologues with live actors and symphony orchestras, enhancing the “silents”. His sumptuous movie palaces had elaborate staging, and astonishing publicity popularised his events. He also invented the red-carpet premiere for silent films.
Always single, Sid lived for decades at Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel. He spent his last 6 months at Cedars Sinai Medical Centre L.A, only returning at night to the hospital to sleep. In Mar 1950 Grauman died of a coronary occlusion. His funeral was attended by 1,000+ Hollywood stars, many of whom Grauman had celebrated in the Chinese Theatre’s cement. He was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery Cal.
By 1918, the first of the Grauman Los Angeles movie palaces was open for business: Million Dollar Theatre. Then Grauman tried some non-entertainment ventures, forming eg the Black Hills Exploration Corporation in a gold mining effort in Sth Dakota. He had convinced other entertainers and movie company executives to join him in investing in the company, but the project was unsuccessful.
In 1921, David Grauman died suddenly in L.A. Sid moved to Los Angeles where he built and operated movie theatres that bore his name over the marquees. The Egyptian Theatre was in Hollywood Bvd L.A, home of the first Hollywood film premiere: Robin Hood starringDouglas Fairbanks.
Grauman loved the new motion picture industry. He won an honorary Academy Award in 1949 for raising the standard for film exhibition, one of the few non-actors to win. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood Blvd and was one of the original founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He created the movie prologue, a stage show that he developed to precede his first-run silent films. Note how he blended his prologues with live actors and symphony orchestras, enhancing the “silents”. His sumptuous movie palaces had elaborate staging, and astonishing publicity popularised his events. He also invented the red-carpet premiere for silent films.
Always single, Sid lived for decades at Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel. He spent his last 6 months at Cedars Sinai Medical Centre L.A, only returning at night to the hospital to sleep. In Mar 1950 Grauman died of a coronary occlusion. His funeral was attended by 1,000+ Hollywood stars, many of whom Grauman had celebrated in the Chinese Theatre’s cement. He was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery Cal.
where to leave his prints, 1942