Hollywood Sign

The Hollywood Sign (“ sign ” indicating a sign in English) is a monumental sign forming the word “HOLLYWOOD” in letter S capital, set up on a Colline overhanging the district same name, in the city California of Los Angeles, with the the United States.

Presentation

Intended for the beginning to market a new real estate scheme, the letters, high and broad, 15 9 m m were equipped with light bulbs. In fact famous Québécois Mack Sennett (Founder of Keystone Studio) had bought grounds on this site. Completed the July 13rd 1923, the sign, indicating at the Hollywoodland origin, was intended to last only one year and half. Left with the abandonment during years, it slowly worsened and maintenance took officially fine in 1939.

In 1949, the Chamber of commerce intervened to withdraw the four last letters (LAND) and to repair the remainder. It decided in same time the shrinking of the bulbs, the City wanting to impose the load of lighting to him. In 1978, the Room undertook the complete replacement of the letters, too strongly degraded, thanks to a national subscription sponsored by stars of the rock'n'roll allowing the collection of 27 000 $ of gifts. It is Alice Cooper which is at the origin of the repair. It made a point of financing last O. the new letters, made out of Australian steel, are guaranteed to last of many years. The new version of the sign was revealed the day of the 75e birthday of Hollywood, the November 14th 1978, at the time of a ceremony retransmise on television in front of 60 million spectators. A new maintenance action began in November 2005.

Site

The sign, located on the Southern slope of the Mount Lee at Griffith Park, at an altitude of 478 m, is now a Registered trademark and cannot be used without the permission of the Chamber of commerce of Hollywood, which also manages celebrates it Walk off Famed .

The best place to admire the site is to take Gower Street starting from Hollywood Boulevard, to follow the Northern direction and to continue by Beachwood Drive. One is located at this level in a perimeter of 90 m of the mythical sign.

“Cursed” artists

A romantic tradition pushed some artists, who felt cursed and crushed by the media system, to throw top of the Hollywood Sign , vis-a-vis the city of the angels. The year 1932 thus saw the first Suicide of a celebrity, that of the actress Peg Entwistle, who threw top of the letter H.

In the popular culture

The Hollywood Sign makes frequent appearances in films, televised series and video games whose action is at Los Angeles:

In Simpson , it is parodied by the sign SPRINGFIELD, of the name of the fictitious city where is held the action.
In the film Shrek 2 , the HOLLYWOOD letters is replaced by FAR FAR AWAY (“very, very far”).
In the film the Day according to , it is destroyed by a Tornade.
In the film Demolition Man , the action begin with a back zoom from the Hollywood Sign in fire.
In the film Earthquake of 1974, the letters fall from the Lee Mount during an earthquake.
In the film 1941 , the four last letters LAND are destroyed by a pilot of P-40, Wild Bill, played by John Belushi.
On the cover of the album Toxicity , of System off has down . The letters are replaced by SYSTEM OFF has DOWN .
In the Video game AWG San Andreas, one of the cities east Los Santos, a copy of Los Angeles, and the district of the studios, Vinewood, also contains its own Vinewood Sign.
In its film Bowling for Columbine of 2002, the realizer Michael Moore notes that the sign is not visible since the district of South Central (with the angle of Florence and Normandy which occurred) because of atmospheric pollution.
In the series Fires of the love , the Hollywood sign in the open air makes an appearance during a turning.
In the series Bonkers it is the residence of the insane Chapelier and the Lièvre of Mars resulting from the film Alice with the Country of the Wonders (1951)

Modifications

It is strictly prohibited and highly dangerous to try to modify the letters. Although the City in the past gave its agreement in certain advertizing occasions , this is not allowed any more, following accidents. The residents in particular are opposed to it firmly. Among the occasions where the sign was modified illegally, one can nevertheless retain the following cases:

PEROTWOOD : in support of the candidature of Ross Perot during the presidential campaign of 1992
USCWOOD: in autumn 1987, at the time of the match of annual American football opposing the universities USC and UCLA
HOLLYWOOD: for the arrival of the pope Jean-Paul II in September 1987 (“ holy ” meaning “crowned”)
OLLYWOOD: in July 1987, during hearings Iran-Countered
CALTECH: in May 1987, at the time of the birthday of Hollywood
FOX: in April 1987, for the promotion of the television channel
HOLLYWOOD II: in April 1986, to mark the Re-dynamization of the district
RAFFEYSOD: in January 1985, by the group The Raffeys
HOLLYWEED: in December 1983, for the needs for a film
GO NAVY: in November 1983, for the match opposing American Navy and Army to the Pink Bowl stadium
HOLLYWEED: in January 1976, marking a new law anti-marijuana

Imitations

Various cities throughout the world imitated celebrates it Californian sign, such as:

Fontoy, in France
Braşov, in Romania
Machynlleth, with the Wales
Mosgiel, in New Zealand
Dingle, in Ireland
Reykjanesbær, in Iceland
Cullera, in Spain

The Disney parks of Disneyland (California) and Tokyo Disneyland have an imitation in their Mickey' S respective Toontown in the form of one

See too

External bonds *

Official site of the '' Hollywood Sign ''
Plane and satellite sight:

Random links: