With the Unique Theater gone and the Lyceum unable to be occupied by the Graumans until 1907 , father and son appeared to be temporarily out of business when the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 destroyed both the Unique and Lyceum theaters . Sid was able to save one of the theater 's movie projectors from the ruins . He was also able to get a tent from an evangelist preacher in Oakland . Putting those together with some pews from a destroyed church , he set up on the site where the Unique once stood . The Graumans posted a sign outside of their makeshift theater that said : " Nothing to fall on you but canvas if there is another quake . " The family received a commendation from the City of San Francisco for their help in boosting citizens ' morale during the trying times . They operated their tent theater for two years ; by that time David Grauman had opened a theater called the New National Theater . The Graumans expanded their theaters within a short period of time , opening the Imperial and the Empress in San Francisco , and branching out further to other Northern California cities . By 1917 , the Graumans decided they would relocate to Los Angeles and build theaters there . They approached Adolph Zukor , who would go on to be the owner and founder of Paramount Pictures , regarding a business deal . Zukor agreed to buy the San Francisco theaters off the Graumans and also to assist them with financing in beginning their theater business in Los Angeles
San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Sid Grauman