World's most famous cinema turns 90

Los Angeles

SHIRLEY Temple did it barefoot. Mel Brooks wore an extra finger. Whoopi Goldberg buried her dreadlocks. Steve McQueen and actress wife Ali MacGraw did it facing the wrong way.

An old aphorism says that to visit Los Angeles and not see the iconic hand and foot prints of Hollywood's biggest stars in the imposing courtyard of the TCL Chinese Theatre is like going to the Middle Kingdom and not walking The Great Wall.

On Thursday, the world's most famous picture house celebrates 90 years at the epicentre of the movie business, the venue of many of Tinseltown's most glamorous showbiz moments through 16 presidents, a world war and three huge earthquakes.

The night before, veteran filmmaker Ridley Scott becomes the 304th star to sink his hands and feet into the cement squares in the theatre's forecourt - maintaining a tradition celebrated by Hollywood's finest, from Mary Pickford through John Wayne and Sophia Lo…