Egyptian Theater

Hollywood's historic Egyptian Theater is a dusty, cavernous space, filled with restorers' scaffolding and the echoing of hammers. But Lloyd E. Rigler sees apparitions of Lana Turner and Humphrey Bogart. Standing in the courtyard of the dilapidated movie house, the 82-year-old entrepreneur and arts patron can recollect the waves of frenzied applause that followed stars like Marlon Brando and Rita Hayworth as they sauntered into a red-carpeted movie premiere.

Get your gangster fix with a double feature of Martin Scorsese's lauded life-of-crime classic "Goodfellas" and the Coen Brothers' equally classic mob tale, "Miller's Crossing. " Bloody and bold, these two films will have you cocking your fedora and dusting off your spats in no time. The Egyptian Theater, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., L.A. Sat. 7:30 p.m. $11. (323) 466-3456; http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com.

All glamour fades. In Hollywood, there are few greater sins. But only those who accept the fact of decay are able to transform it. In the design for the renovation of Sid Grauman's once-fashionable Egyptian Theater, the L.A.-based architectural firm Hodgetts & Fung has avoided the false nostalgia that marks many restoration projects today. Nor did it erase the original vision by forcing the movie palace into the present.

"Is this really happening?" Nicholas McCarthy asked as he stepped carefully along an icy sidewalk toward the theater. An evening full of red carpets and party people was fading. It was almost midnight on the first Friday at the Sundance Film Festival. His moment had come at last. After more than a decade of pursuing his Hollywood dream, McCarthy, 41, was on his way to the premiere of his first feature film, "The Pact. " His wife, Alexandra, walked beside him. He held her hand. FULL COVERAGE: Chasing the dream A year ago, an 11-minute version of "The Pact" played at Sundance.

Get your gangster fix with a double feature of Martin Scorsese's lauded life-of-crime classic "Goodfellas" and the Coen Brothers' equally classic mob tale, "Miller's Crossing. " Bloody and bold, these two films will have you cocking your fedora and dusting off your spats in no time. The Egyptian Theater, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., L.A. Sat. 7:30 p.m. $11. (323) 466-3456; http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com.

I was saddened and aggravated by Paul Brownfield's story about the comedy shows at Hollywood's Killer Burger ("No Celebs, No Scouts, No Problem," Dec. 17). The writer describes the beloved neighborhood that surrounds this establishment as "seedy" and a place where you won't be able to "leave your Range Rover with the valet. . . ." Why is there an assumption that all readers of The Times drive SUVs, require valet service and are afraid of areas as benign as central Hollywood? After all, the beautifully renovated Egyptian Theater is less than a block from this spot.

On Friday night, the Egyptian Theater returns. Hollywood VIPs will flow through the forecourt and portico for her grand reopening, not as eager, perhaps, to see Cecil B. De Mille's silent version of "The Ten Commandments"--which premiered 75 years ago on the same date--as to view a movie palace with some historical character.

A pair of serpents coil around a gold disc, ready to strike from above the stage. Mounted eagles stare from jet-black eyes. Massive busts of goddesses watch regally over patrons. If archeologists in the third millennium were to stumble on the ruins of this magnificent site at the unlikely intersection of Hollywood and Sunset boulevards and mistake it for a long-lost tomb of Ramses, who could blame them?

The Capri. Decades ago, it was one of the city's premier film palaces, a glitzy showcase where San Diegans queued up for a chance to see exclusive runs of Hollywood classics: "Around the World in 80 Days," "My Fair Lady," "Funny Girl." Then came a spate of checkered years, beginning in the mid-1970s, and the reputation of the formerly elegant Hillcrest theater began to tarnish as its fare shifted from boffo hits to porno splits such as "The Devil in Miss Jones" and "Deep Throat."

At one time the Egyptian theater was Los Angeles' leading movie palace, hosting world premieres for films ranging from Charlie Chaplin's "The Gold Rush" to "Ben Hur," and pioneering an architectural style that gave early Hollywood cachet. Today, the theater, built in 1922 and featuring a large gold scarab on the ceiling and sphinxes and hieroglyphics on the walls, is for sale and in disrepair, charging $1.50 for third-run movies at its three screens.

The American Cinematheque's Egyptian and Aero theaters are getting in the yuletide spirit this week with some venerable holiday movies and TV specials. Kicking off the festivities at the Egyptian this evening are the 1955 comedy "We're No Angels," starring Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov, and John Ford's sentimental 1948 western , "3 Godfathers," starring John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz and Harry Carey Jr. Two treasured musicals, 1954's "White Christmas" and 1944's "Meet Me in St. Louis " screen Friday at the theater.

THE Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. and the American Cinematheque have joined forces to present "The Films That Got Away," composed of nine movies that reviewers caught at previews or festivals but that either never received distribution or were not properly promoted. Not surprisingly, the selection is venturesome, at times demanding, but largely worth the effort. The series runs through Sunday at the Egyptian and Saturday and Sunday at the Aero with discussions after some screenings.

Driving around with strangers = bad. Being popular = good. Planning party games = good. Having a beer with friends = bad. Saying "no" to "petting" = good. Living outside the United States = bad. Welcome to the black-and-white world of "mental hygiene" films, a staple of high school classrooms from 1945 to 1970.

In recognition that the city's appreciation for its heritage is maturing, two venerable Los Angeles architectural landmarks and the local group that helped save them for posterity have been honored by America's chief preservation organization.

The digital revolution for the movie industry will begin at one of Hollywood's classic palaces, the Egyptian Theatre. Engineers, equipment makers, theater owners and even regular moviegoers will be pulled together to test prototypes of digital projection systems that are expected to become commonplace in movie houses in about five years. The creation of the Digital Cinema Lab will be announced today, and the project will be run by USC's Entertainment Technology Center.

A pair of serpents coil around a gold disc, ready to strike from above the stage. Mounted eagles stare from jet-black eyes. Massive busts of goddesses watch regally over patrons. If archeologists in the third millennium were to stumble on the ruins of this magnificent site at the unlikely intersection of Hollywood and Sunset boulevards and mistake it for a long-lost tomb of Ramses, who could blame them?

THE Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. and the American Cinematheque have joined forces to present "The Films That Got Away," composed of nine movies that reviewers caught at previews or festivals but that either never received distribution or were not properly promoted. Not surprisingly, the selection is venturesome, at times demanding, but largely worth the effort. The series runs through Sunday at the Egyptian and Saturday and Sunday at the Aero with discussions after some screenings.

I drove out to Hollywood the other day to see if B. Dalton's bookstore had a copy of "The Last Tycoon," F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished novel (they did), and stopped in to see the renovated Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Anyone who thinks that Hollywood Boulevard is dead should pay the Roosevelt a visit. It gleams with newness, and inspires with spacious vaulted rooms, period grandeur, and a haunting memory of Hollywood past.

I was saddened and aggravated by Paul Brownfield's story about the comedy shows at Hollywood's Killer Burger ("No Celebs, No Scouts, No Problem," Dec. 17). The writer describes the beloved neighborhood that surrounds this establishment as "seedy" and a place where you won't be able to "leave your Range Rover with the valet. . . ." Why is there an assumption that all readers of The Times drive SUVs, require valet service and are afraid of areas as benign as central Hollywood? After all, the beautifully renovated Egyptian Theater is less than a block from this spot.

On Friday night, the Egyptian Theater returns. Hollywood VIPs will flow through the forecourt and portico for her grand reopening, not as eager, perhaps, to see Cecil B. De Mille's silent version of "The Ten Commandments"--which premiered 75 years ago on the same date--as to view a movie palace with some historical character.