One of the biggest attractions in Los Angeles is the letters Hollywood. Those big letters, made for just one and a half years of publicity, today represent the English film world and the culture of a country. Those letters that were once bright in the light of a thousand bulbs were once again illuminated in the color of the birthday of a hundred.
How many people know that Hollywood was a private housing project. Hollywood came before movies started talking in America. Those capital letters did not appear to represent the film industry then. Even those who made it did not know that these characters would once become the kings of the global film industry.
In 1923, real estate developers Woodruff and Sholt started a private housing project in Los Angeles, which they named ‘Hollywood Land’. Advertising a part of the hills as ‘Hollywoodland’ was a way the owners found to advertise their housing project as much as possible, and that too at a low cost. So the American company Crescent Sign is building a 30 feet wide and 50 feet high white wooden Hollywood land. Hollywood was decorated with 4000 bulbs that day. Although those letters were made for only one and a half years, they have stood the test of time. Those letters rang across the ocean and on a global scale. The golden age of American cinema in Los Angeles is also popularizing the letters Hollywood.
After a hundred years, Hollywood has undergone various reconstructions during this time. It was damaged due to vandalism and weather changes. In 1933, the new owners turned off the light bulbs in Hollywood saying it was too expensive to provide light every day. With this, unlike other global landmarks, the Hollywood sign does not light up at night. Meanwhile, there were many controversies
In 1949, a group of people came forward claiming that the Hollywood landmark was a nuisance and nuisance to the community. and asked to destroy it. But the Chamber of Commerce, realizing they have a blockbuster trademark on their hands, is protesting the removal of the symbol. That’s how Hollywood is being rebuilt. The Chamber of Commerce’s agreement with the Los Angeles Parks Department stipulated that the “Land” be removed and that “Hollywood” represent the district and not the housing development. In 1932, British-born actress Peg Entwistle committed suicide by jumping from the top of Hollywood’s letter H.
After repeated reconstructions, Hollywood received a permanent structure in 1978. The new letters are constructed of a concrete-steel structure, 44 feet high and 31 to 39 feet wide. A new version of the sign was unveiled on November 11, 1978, the 75th anniversary of Hollywood’s incorporation as a city.
The Hollywood Letters are located on Mount Lee in the Beechwood Canyon area of the Santa Monica Mountains. The Hollywood signs are currently being preserved by the non-profit organization ‘The Hollywood Sign Trust’. Meanwhile the site of the letters and the surrounding area is part of Griffith Park.
Hollywood landmark turns 100; The story behind it.
