Wednesday 19th March 2014 -7 Hours GMT ­ Los Angeles, California, USA: Footprints in Concrete & Hollywood Walk Of Fame

TCL Chinese Theatre is a cinema on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard.  Originally Grauman's Chinese Theatre the current name of the theatre became official in January 2013, after TCL Corporation purchased the naming rights.

Again Wikipedia tells us that the original Chinese Theatre was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, which opened in 1922. Built by a partnership headed by Sid Grauman over 18 months starting in January 1926, the theatre opened May 18, 1927; with the premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's film The King of Kings. It has since been home to many premieres, including the 1977 launch of Star Wars as well three Oscar ceremonies. Among the theatre's most distinctive features are the concrete blocks set in the forecourt, which bear the signatures, footprints, and handprints of popular motion picture personalities from the 1920s to the present day.

Many stories exist to explain the origins of the footprints. The theatre's official account in its books and souvenir programmes credit Norma Talmadge (An actress and film producer of the silent era) as having inspired the tradition when she accidentally stepped into the wet concrete. Later, however, in a short interview during September 1937, Grauman related another version of how he got the idea to put hand and foot prints in the concrete. He said (See Wikipedia) it was "...pure accident. I walked right into it. While we were building the theatre, I accidentally happened to step in some soft concrete. And there it was. So, I went to Mary Pickford immediately. Mary put her foot into it." 

Still another account by the construction foreman, Jean Klossner, recounts that Klossner autographed his work next to the right-hand poster kiosk and that he and Grauman developed the idea then and there. His autograph and handprint, dated 1927, remain today.

I have justt shown a few of the imprints.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame comprises more than 2,500 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street, so immediately before and adjacent to the TCL Chinese Theatre. The stars are permanent public monuments to achievement in the entertainment industry, bearing the names of a mix of actors, musicians, directors, producers, musical and theatrical groups, fictional characters, and others.

According to Wikipedia, of all the stars on the Walk to date, 47% have been awarded in the motion pictures category, 24% in television, 17% in audio recording, 10% in radio, and less than 2% in the live performance category.