Oscars 2015 at The Dolby Theater February 22nd

Hollywood Boulevard is currently closed down between Orange and Highland, which means we are just days away from Oscars 2015.  Since 2002, The Academy Awards have taken place at The Dolby Theater (formally The Kodak Theater).  DiscoverLosAngeles.com has compiled a great article on past locations.  Following are some key excerpts:

The first Academy Awards honored the best films of 1927 and 1928 and were presented at a private dinner on May 16, 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Named for President Theodore Roosevelt, the hotel opened in 1927 and was financed by a group that included Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Sid Grauman. The ceremony was held in the hotel’s Blossom Ballroom, where 270 guests each paid $5 per ticket to attend the dinner and watch the presentation.

Academy Awards at The Roosevelt Hotel 1929

Between 1930 and 1943, the Academy Awards alternated between the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Downtown, and the now-demolished Ambassador Hotel, where the second Oscar ceremony took place inside the famed Cocoanut Grove nightclub.

The 16th Academy Awards took place in 1944 at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (now known as TCL Chinese Theatre) in Hollywood, the first time the ceremony was held in a large public venue.  The TCL also hosted the Oscars in 1945 and 1946.

The Oscars moved back to Downtown for the 19th Academy Awards, which took place in 1947 at the Shrine Auditorium.

In 1949, the Oscars were held for the only time at the Academy Award Theatre.

Pantages Theatre in Hollywood

In 1950, the Academy Awards were held for the first time at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. Located at the iconic intersection of Hollywood and Vine, the Pantages Theatre was designed by architect B. Marcus Priteca and was the last theater built by vaudeville impresario Alexander Pantages.

For the 33rd Academy Awards in 1961, the ceremony moved west to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

In 1969, the Oscars returned to Downtown for the 41st Academy Awards, which were held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

From 1988 to 2001, the Academy Awards alternated between the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Shrine Auditorium, which hosted the ceremony eight times between 1988 and 2001. The 70th Academy Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in 1998, the year that Titanic won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture and James Cameron for Best Director.

Best of luck to all those nominated for Oscars 2015!

Many of these historic venues can be seen during private Hollywood tours with Glitterati Tours.