Hollywood producer Jeffery Katzenberg on Sept. 29 become the latest Hollywood luminary to have his hands molded in cement in the forecourt of the historic TCL Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Thanks to a recent social media campaign, his nor any other celebrities’ prints will be obscured by free standing objects.

(photo by Brent Giannotta)

On Sept. 30, documentarian Alison Martino posted a photo to her Facebook page, Vintage Los Angeles, showing a t-shirt vendor’s cart resting on top of some of the iconic cement blocks in front of the theatre.

“How incredibly disrespectful,” the post read. Nearly 750 comments and 530 shares later, a change.org petition signed by 2,700 supporters officially called for the removal of all cart vendors from the area out of respect for Hollywood history.

“Please don’t allow commerciality to overshadow the history contained there,” read the petition.

By Monday Oct. 3, Martino claimed victory and said all carts had been removed. “It’s unbelievable,” Martino said. “Power to the people.” She celebrated by posting photos of the clear forecourt on Facebook and Instagram.

Despite the swift action ostensibly taken by TCL Theatre management, it is unclear how binding the removal was, where the vender carts would go and if they would eventually return.

“We never got an official statement from the [TCL] theatre,” Martino said. “But it was obvious the petition and outcry on the Vintage L.A. page got back to them.”

The following day, Tuesday Oct. 4, the forecourt was again bustling with visitors yet still clear of small carts. The only freestanding object was an open-air photography tenj6t owned by a company called “Images Everywhere” who, according to a company representative, had signed a contract

Los Angeles set a record last year for tourism, and Angelenos want to make sure the experience is what they came for.
(photos by Brent Giannotta)

with TCL months before to be there. Their equipment was obscuring more than one cement block in the back left corner of the courtyard.

According to the representative, “Images Everywhere” was planning to move their equipment to another location but was unsure when the relocation would occur.

Originally opened in 1927, the Gauman’s Chinese Theatre has been the home to many Hollywood

premiers like “Star Wars” and three Academy Awards ceremonies. The theatre’s most distinctive feature is the cement bearing signatures, footprints and handprints of popular motion picture personalities from the 1920s to present day. Briefly named the Mann’s Chinese Theatre, Chinese electronics manufacturer TCL Corporation purchased the naming rights in 2013.

Street vending in Los Angeles is a $500 million industry, according to the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services, and comprises over 50,000 microbusinesses. Three-quarters sell merchandise like clothing and cell phone accessories. The rest sell food items like tamales, ice cream and bacon-wrapped hot dogs. Some activists argue street vending is a central part of Los Angeles culture and provides a necessary economic option for residents struggling to find full employment. The theatre forecourt however is private property, meaning any legal issue lies between Chinese Theatre, LLC and the street vendors.

“If you were to ask about vendors on the sidewalk, I would have an opinion,” said Tony Arranaga, communications director for councilman Mitch O’Farrell. “But this is a privately held company and business, so we have no control over what happens.”

TCL Theatres, and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce declined to offer a comment on the issue.