Sidney Patrick Grauman

 Sidney Patrick Grauman (March 17, 1879 – March 5, 1950)

He created one of Southern California's most recognizable and visited landmarks, Grauman's Chinese Theatre as well as Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre, the home of the first Hollywood movie premiere. The film was Robin Hood starring Douglas Fairbanks and the premiere was the opening night of the theatre, October 18, 1922. His Chinese theatre opened for a premiere on May 18, 1927. There was a crush of onlookers eager to have a glimpse of both the stars attending and the splendor of the building. Many of the fittings were imported from China and Chinese artisans were brought in to create works of sculpture which were originally located in the theater's forecourt and are now housed inside the theater. The forecourt still contains the now-famous celebrity hand and footprints in cement. The tradition began by accident, while the finishing touches were being put on the Chinese Theatre. Two versions of the story have been published; one has Mary Pickford as the actress who stepped in the wet cement on her way to see Sid Grauman's new building, and the other credits Norma Talmadge with the misstep. Grauman received an honorary Academy Award in 1949 for raising the standard for film exhibition. Grauman died of a coronary occlusion at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on March 5, 1950. He is interred at Forest Lawn-Glendale.