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| HOUSTON LIFE MAY | 27 ERNIE GUZMAN HYUNDAI 27309 Southwest Frwy | Rosenberg, TX 77471 Sales: 281-344-1010 | Fax: 281-344-1012 ernieguzman.com It’s a symbol of power. Of fresh energy. Of new life. It all starts with this. Who says all luxury cars must cost luxurious amounts of money? All the options you want, including America’s best warranty: 10 year /100,000 mile power-train warranty. A new beginning. THE NATION’S FIRST FROM COAST TO COAST SILENCE | On April 23, 1896, New York City opera house Koster & Bials Music Hall hosted the first public exhibition of motion pictures in the US. The New York Times reported “vociferous cheering” by audiences well before the short film was even over. However, the first theater to exclusively show films was Vitascope Hall in New Orleans, which opened later that year in June. A classic film favorite is the world famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Opening in 1927 with the premiere of silent film The King of Kings, the theater has since been the venue for thousands of star-studded movie premieres. Next time you’re in LA, opt for a walk-through tour for a modest fee of $5. Car and movie enthusiast Richard Hollingshead combined his two passions— cars and movies—and patented Drive-In Theater in 1933. In Camden, New Jersey, patrons enjoyed movies at 25 cents per car and per person. Texas wasn’t too far behind, opening up the third drive-in in the country—and the first in Texas. The Galveston Drive-In Short Reel Theater opened in 1934, which had hitching posts next to the audio speakers for those on horseback. After more than a decade of a silent film lull, John Hampton opened The Silent Movie Theater in 1942 in Los Angeles—the only one in the US—which showcased a smorgasbord of films staring legendary silverscreeners Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Laurel & Hardy and Rudolph Valentino. In ’97, the new owner Laurence Austin was shot and killed by a hitman—hired by Austin’s business partner who plotted to seize the inheritance. Closed the following year and reopened in ’99, the theater continues to attract a series of silent film enthusiasts and well- known actors—David Bowie, Johnny Depp and Bruce Springsteen to name a few. If that doesn’t impress you, tales of ghost sightings might. The first megaplex movie theater, AMC Grand 24, was built in Dallas in ’95, wowing families with larger than life silver screens, plush stadium seating and surround sound. This later set the trend for paid parking and never-ending popcorn lines. 4 Grauman’s Chinese Theatre 6925 Hollywood 323.461.3331 Los Angeles, California manntheatres.com/chinese 5 The Silent Movie Theater 611 North Fairfax 323.655.2510 Los Angeles, California silentmovietheatre.com 4 ELEMENTS_52_H_18to32.indd 27 4/27/08 7:13:17 PM
