Before the marquee was installed to announce films, props relating to the theme of a film were commonly placed in the forecourt to draw passerbys into the theater from the street.  At the Egyptian Theatre, every threshold crossed admitted the theater-goer to a world closer to the screen.  Having moved through the 150-foot deep forecourt, one crossed the next threshold by passing between the massive, four-and-one-half-feet wide, Egyptian style columns.