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CNN Saturday Morning News

Grauman's Chinese Theater Celebrates 75th Anniversary

Aired May 18, 2002 - 07:28   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: A Hollywood landmark is celebrating a milestone. Grauman's Chinese Theatre, marking its 75th year in and around show business. Our Anne McDermott is there.

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ANNE McDERMOTT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Good movie. But, a great theater. Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Maybe the most famous theater on earth. It opened 75 years ago, with Cecil B. DeMille's "King of Kings." And, get a load of that Mary Magdalene.

But tourists like Grauman's for its cement. Like the cement Eddie Murphy is sticking his feet in.

It all began in 1927, when Sid Grauman persuaded superstars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks to leave their paw prints outside his movie palace. The gimmick quickly became a staple of newsreels. Here Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell publicized "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," in which they play rivals. But not to worry.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Off stage are as friendly as sorority sisters.

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McDERMOTT: Right.

Also, immortalized at Grauman's: Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, Michael and Kirk, and Roy and Trigger. But, no, not Dale.

Some of the ceremonies are silly. John Barrymore, known for his great profile, imprinted his great profile.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Leave it to thespian John to make it unconventional.

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McDERMOTT: Johnny Grant, the honorary mayor of Hollywood, has presided over lots of cement ceremonies and loves this old theater, which was newly refurbished. But he says it wasn't always just a movie palace.

JOHNNY GRANT, UNOFFICIAL MAYOR OF HOLLYWOOD: This theater used to show the boxing matches, you know, that were...

McDERMOTT: But the movies made it. "Titanic," for one. It premiered here. Right, Leo?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEONARDO DI CAPRIO, ACTOR: I've never had to have such immense endurance in my entire life.

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McDERMOTT: Is he talking about making the movie, or sitting through it?

Meanwhile, back at the cement, some female stars would purposely wear shoes that were too small. Imagine that. Hollywood faking it!

And we love it.

Anne McDermott, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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