An ornate fantasy of chinoiserie, the theater was commissioned by showman Sid Grauman. Opened in 1927 with a gala premiere for Cecil B. DeMille's King of Kings, the theater has hosted more premieres than any other Holliwood theater, a tradition that continues today. A mansard roofed pagoda topped by stylized flames and flanked bay whitemarble dogs dominates the exterior; the ornate interior took its inspiration from Chinese Chippendale furniture. The U-shaped cement forecourt features the footprints and signatures of more than 170 Hollywood celebrities.