Built in 1918, this was Sid Grauman's first movie house. He went on to build the Chinese and Egyptian theaters in Hollywood. In the 1930s and 1940s the Million Dollar Theatre was a venue for popular big bands and live acts that included the Nat King Cole Trio. In the 1950s it became America's premier venue for Spanish-language variety shows including Dolores Del Rio, Jose Feliciano and Celia Cruz. For a time it was the most prominent Spanish language cinema in the United States.