Customer Reviews

Hollywood at Your Feet - The Story of the Chinese Theatre Footprints

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We bought this as part of our homeschool curriculum for middle school arts, and my daughter enjoyed it. I also watched it with her, as we are going to Hollywood in the Spring, and it will be fun to have this background knowledge before we go to the Chinese Theater.

For nearly 40 years, my Grandfather, Mr. Jean W, Klossner performed the footprint ceremony at Grauman's Chinese.
While the Book and documentary provide some history, they both fail to show the true inception of the idea, itself.
There are many, many untold stories reveled to family members, but not passed on to the general public ..
for example, Mr. Grauman's pet duck prints are there, the Marx Bros had a melee, which resulted in a re-make of their
ceremony. Mr. Klossners own handprint is there, as well as my Mother's (Joan of Arc), there is one set of prints which
is upside-down from all the rest, Charlie Chaplain's prints were removed, but remain buried in my Aunt's back yard in Hollywood.
Stories that were related to several of our family members, (only 4 of whom survive today), but were never told to the
general public .... we have never been asked, nor interviewed .... so sadly, these stories will probably die with us.

It's never a bad thing to obtain information. This documentary speaks about how actors began putting their footprints and signatures around Grauman's Chinese Theater. Raquel Welch narrates and I am glad she got this opportunity to do something new.
If you watch, you'll pick up facts. Lucille Ball doesn't have a square. Charlie Chaplin's square was lost. Whoopi Goldberg had some of her locks printed in her square. Michael and Kirk Douglas are the only father and son team to have squares.
Still, this work drags after awhile. It gets tired seeing Actor X make his mark, then Actor Y, then Z, ad infinitum. It is either thin on facts or the facts don't really take that much time to tell. The focus here is on old Hollywood. There is much more Rock Hudson and Marilyn Monroe than Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Perhaps this work will be enjoyed by seniors more younger viewers.