2010isananniversaryyearforHollywood.ExactlyonehundredyearsagoanAmericanfilmdirectorDavidWarkGriffithshottherethefilmInOldCaliforniawhichbecamethefirstHollywoodmovie.Butthehistoryoftheplaceitselfhadbegunmuchearlier.ThefirstSpanishconquerorsappearedontheWestCostexactlyinthisregion.TheybanishedtheIndiansfromtheirlandandsettledranchosonthatterritory.Thenneartheranchosawholevillagegrew.ItwascalledinthehonorofthelocalfloraWoodandHolly,akindofbushwithsharpleaves,anditcoversthehills.MoviecamethererepresentedbyN.ZelingwhointhebeginningoftheXXcenturypurchasedthepartofthelandforhisChicagofilmcompany'sbranch.
Andoffitwent.Thefilmcompaniesbecamemoreandmore,first,thankstotheimmigrantswhofloodedtheUSA.So,theHungarianAdolphZukor,whobeganhiscarrierasanapprenticeoffurrier,foundedParamount.TheGermanCarlLaemmle,whosoldclothes,createdUniversal.BrothersWarner,whoadvertizedbicyclesintheirnativePoland,foundedWarnerBros.AndLuisB.MayerfromMinsk,whoearnedalivelihoodbyresellingofscrapmetal,becametheheadofMetro-Goldwin-Mayer.
FromthatmomentHollywoodasaranchostoppedtoexistandstayedinthepast.Banks,restaurants,clubsandmanyotherplaceswhichadevelopingfilmindustryisinterestedinappearedthere.Hollywoodwasspokenaboutallovertheworld.Everyonewantedtogoalongitsstreetsandtotakepartintheshootingprocess;andthemostdesirablewishofanyladywastobecomeanewstar.Initsturn,Hollywoodhadnotbeenabletokeepitsindependenceforalongtime,becausethelackofwatermadeitbecameapartofLosAngeles.
AfamoussignHOLLYWOODwithitshugelettersappearedin1923ontheSouthslopeofMountLeeataheightof491meterswithanadvertisingpurposeexclusively.ItwasthewaytoannouncepubliclyaboutitselfoftheHollywoodlandConstructionCompany.Itwasplannedthatthesignwouldbethereforabout1.5years,however,owingtothedevelopingoftheAmericanDreamFactoryanditsfameitwasdecidedtoleaveit.
TheinscriptionwasassociatedwithamovieindustrysomuchthatinSeptemberof1932actressPegEntwistlecommittedasuicide:shejumpeddownfromtheletter"H"asasignofprotestagainstHollywoodwhichhadrepudiatedher.
Whentheinscriptionwasconstructednobodyplanneditslonglifethatiswhythelettersmadeofwoodandmetallicplateswerelosingtheirgoodstate.Duringanotherrestorationin1949itwasdecidedtotakeoffthepartoftheword?LAND?.Butinspiteoftherestorationworksthesign'sstatecontinuedworsening.Finally,thefirstletter?O?tumbleddownandbecamesimilartothecapitalletter?u?andthethirdletter?O?wascompletelydestroyedandthesignbecame?HuLLYWOD?.
In1978thedestroyingsignwascompletelychanged.Thepresentlettershavethefollowingsize:14mheightand9-12mwidth.Thissizeislittlelessthanintheoriginalversion.
Nowtheinscriptiononthehillisguardedbythelawandit'sforbiddentomakeunauthorizedchanges.However,therewerecaseswhenithappened.So,inJanuaryof1976thesignbecameinthestateof?HOLLYWEED?asaprotestofthepublicagainstnewCalifornianlawaboutmarihuana.InMayof1987thestudentsofCalifornianTechnologicalUniversitychangedthesignfor?CALTECH?withcoveringthepartofitsletters.Andin1993beforetheAmericanFootballmatchbetweenCalifornianUniversityinLosAngelesandSouthCalifornianUniversitythesignwaschangedfor?GOUCLA?.
In2000LosAngelesPoliceDepartmentinstalledasecuritysystemequippedwithmovementdetectorsandvideosurveillancedevices.Nowifsomebodyapproachestothesignlessthan50yards(45.72meters),thealarmsystemisonandpolicecomes.
It'scurious,butnowHollywoodisoneofthepoorestdistrictsofLosAngeles.Itsinhabitantsearninaverage20-30%lessthanthosewholiveinotherdistricts.Besides,therecordnumberofunhappypeoplelivethereandit'squitesimpletobeexplained,becausehundredsandthousandsofsuffererscomethereinarushforfame,butonlyselectfewcanachieveit.
AlthoughatpresenttimeHollywoodisformallytheheartofAmericanmovieindustry(nowthereisonlyonelargemoviestudio-Paramount,whenWarnerBros.,Universalandothercompaniesmovedlongtimeago),however,thisdistrictismorethanjusta"land"orageographicalpoint.TheworditselfbecameacommonnounanditisoneofthesymbolsofAmericanDreamaswellasapeculiarstandardforthefilmcreatorsallovertheworld.
30July2010
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hiteshgupta,India
hellooo....I'mfromIndonesia.Ifoundthewebsitebybrowsingontheinternet.I'mveryinterestedtovisitthiswebsite.anditturnsoutafteritopened,thewebsiteisveryniceandveryhelpful.mixofcolormatchingandverycreative.Iwassoinspiredtoworklikethiswebsite.thankyouwww.sttgarut.ac.id
adewinda,Indonesia
ThiswhyweloveHollywoodCAit'samazingplacetoliveLosAngelesCAisoneofthemustcreativeplaceintheworldwithmoviesindustryandmanyCaliforniadreamsthanksforbeautifulphotoswww.directorylocksmith.com
BryanShultz,USA
ItotallyagreewithKenHoffman'commentsabove.Hollywoodisagreatdisappointment.WevisitedmysoninVenturaandhadadrivethroughLoseAngelesbeforewelefttocomehome.Wewerereallysodisappointedandshockedathowtackyandrun-downHollywoodis.Allthefamousstreetsarestilltherebutitlooksdown-at-heelandscruffy,quitethereverseofwhatisportrayedonthescreen.I'msurprisedanyfamouscelebsstilllivetheretoday.Itgets2outof10inmybook.
LynnHarding,SouthAfrica
Thepanoramaisbeautiful,nodoubt.Butthearticleisequallygood,inasense,thatitisveryentertainingathesametimeeducatingthereadersthroughouttheworldaboutthehistoryofHollywood.Manythanksforthewritersandpanoramagraphers!!!
shripadAmbekar,India
KenHoffman,USA
AreyousearchingforaveryquickLoanAtanaffordableinterestrateHaveyoubeenturneddownconstantlybyyourBanksandotherfinancialinstitutionsThegood-newsishere!!!WeOfferLOANSrangingfrom1,000.00Min.to5,000,000.00Max.at3%interestrateperannul.contactustodayat(texcoloan24hours@fengv.com)
MONICALEE,USA
Subrata&MonideepaChakraborty,India
Greatidea-lotsofmemoriesasIwastherein2000for4months.Nothinghaschanged.Itwasmyfirstjourneyabroadandwillberememberedforyears
JustynaGaska,Poland
Itsgood
SamandarYourmahmadov,Tajikistan
nice,
rogerdewolf,TrinidadandTobago
AnitaWhite,Canada
hellofromatinycountryintheSouthPacific!beautifulpresentation!thankyouforsharing!lookingforwardtobeingthereinafewweekstime!
fredlynkalulu,Vanuatu
hollywoodI
thalialesleymylynngoodwin,Peru
VerynicePresentation.Thankyouverymuch.Welikethis.
TharakadSundaresanMuralikrishnan,India
MartyFriedman,USA
ThepanoramicviewsofNewYorkarefabulous,oneofmyfavoritecitiestovisit.Whatabrilliantthingtodo.Welldone.SusanxEngland
SusanMcKenzie,UnitedKingdom
DoesanyoneagreethatthereshouldaMuseum/LiveVenuecomplexcelebratingthehistoryofthemostimportantartforminhistorybuiltabovetheHollywoodsign
WilliamBergmann,USA
good,more...
m.k.,Iran
tanks.itwasverygood.
pejmanpurtagh,Iran
THISISFANTASTIC,YOUHAVEDONEASUPERBJOBLOVEWHATIVESEENSOFARANDSHARINGITWITHFRIENDS.THANKYOUVERYMUCHCRAIG
CraigTatro,USA
JohnandEvelynWheeler,USA
alisohrabi,Iran
Thankssomuchforthebrilliantphoto.IwasabletopanandzoomandfindthehouseIgrewupinrightundertheHollywoodsignandoverlookingtheHollywoodreservoir.Thatwasbetween1950and1967.Wow,alotofmemories.Thanksagain!
SteveThoemmes,USA
JunUetake,Japan
Excellentview.nowordstothanktheAlmighty.
velusamygoundermanohargounder,India
annasaldana,USA
IwasraisedinHollywoodbutmovedawayin1938.ItwasacleantownbeforeWWIIandwasagoodfamilytown.DuringtheGreatDepressiontheentertainmentindustryfaredbetterthansomeindustries.IusedtoenjoyhikingintheHollywoodhillswithourdog.Once,about1935,Iclimbedupandstoodonthecrossbaroftheletter"A"whenithad"land"wasstillpartofthesign.Lookingforward,towardthedownhilldirectionwasscary,itseemedtobesohigh.ThetopofMt.Leewasjustaclearedoff,andleveleddirtarea.Therewasnoinfrastructure,andnosecurity.Lifewassimplerthen,onereasonbeingthattherewasonlyaboutonesixthasmanypeopleinHollywood,backinits"GoldenAge".
DaleBerkihiser,USA
Thanksalotforyourstory.
Varvara,AirPano
AWESOME!!!TOOGOOD.STAYBLESSED.
SDPATU,Fiji
GreatFilmingForAllThatYouHaveMadeWishICouldGetItOndvdJustWonderfulToSeeAllThePlacesIWillNeverBeAbleToSeeInRealLifeJohnCousinsGosportHampshireEngland
johncousins,UnitedKingdom
nice
krishnamurthy,India
InnaSuvorov,Canada
lovereadingthehistoryandthedetailsbesidesseeingthestunningpanoramas...goodworkguys..
mohdsho,UnitedArabEmirates
Greatjobshowingthissite.Godmadeit,Weenjoyallofit!
CurtisMcRee,USA
killeryyykilleryyyy,China
EDNELSON,USA
vahidpoursafar,Iraq
TheHollywoodhillsarebeautiful,lotsofgreathomesinthehills,TheflatsofHollywoodhasmadeacomebackItagreatplace,dontsellitshort.