A hundred years ago, the global capital of cinema was an agricultural province. It was during this time that the iconic Hollywood sign, which had no connection to the film industry, appeared on the hills.
1. The first film shot in Hollywood was a silent movie called “In Old California“ directed by David Wark Griffith. The main character, a Mexican girl named Perdita Arguello, rejects the patronage of a wealthy Spanish senor. The plot of the debut Hollywood film bears some resemblance to “The Slave Isaura,“ but the movie never saw any success.
2. Hollywood translates to “holly grove“ or “sharp-leaf grove“ in English. Interestingly, the wand of Harry Potter was made from holly wood.
3. The first film studio, known as the Nestor Studio, was founded by the Centaur Company. In the autumn of 1911, an abandoned roadside cafe transformed into something completely different. Today, the famous Hollywood Digital Laboratory stands in its place.
4. The giant letters that later became the symbol of Hollywood appeared on the south slope of Mount Lee in 1923, thanks to the initiative of investor Harry Chandler. The “HOLLYWOODLAND“ sign, located 491 meters above sea level, was meant to advertise new residential neighborhoods. Each letter was 9 meters wide and 15 meters tall.
5. During World War II, to conserve precious metal, the Oscar statuettes were made of plaster. After the war, the Oscars were once again made of a metal alloy called britannia and coated with gold.
6. The first eight stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame were unveiled simultaneously on February 8, 1960. Many consider Joan Woodward’s star to be the very first.
7. In 1939, the premiere of one of the highest-grossing films in cinema history, “Gone with the Wind,“ took place. On that night, 300,000 people gathered near the movie theater, hoping to catch a glimpse of the actors in person.
8. The idea to create the Hollywood Walk of Fame emerged in 1953 as a marketing move to attract tourists. However, it took almost seven years to realize the project.
9. Jim Carrey’s iconic yellow suit in the movie “The Mask“ was specially made at his request to honor his mother’s memory. A woman had previously made a similar outfit for his early screen tests.
10. In the original script for the movie “Alien,“ the main character was a man. Ridley Scott found the idea of a gender change revolutionary at the time since science fiction films typically featured strictly masculine heroes. This twist of “a woman in distress“ led Ripley to save herself.
11. British actress Peg Entwistle, who failed to achieve recognition in Hollywood, tragically ended her life by jumping from the letter “H“ of the Hollywood sign.
12. In 1978, time had taken a toll on the famous sign, leaving it in a pitiful state that read “HuLLYWO D“ instead of “HOLLYWOOD.“ It was decided to restore the sign, and Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine, held an auction for the letters. Each letter found its own sponsor.
13. In 2013, the Hollywood Sign Trust convinced Google to remove any mention of the viewpoint in residential areas on Mulholland Drive from their maps. The narrow and winding roads in the area cannot handle the amount of traffic attracted by the sign.
14. Music performer and Hollywood legend Gene Autry is the only person to have stars in all five categories on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
15. The term “Hollywood smile“ was coined by French dentist Charles Pincus in the 1930s. To allow Hollywood actors to flaunt perfectly straight and white teeth on screen, Pincus invented a technology called Hollywood Laminates. These were ceramic veneers attached to the actors’ teeth using a special adhesive powder used for denture fixation.
Thanks to his clientele, Pincus earned the nickname “the dentist to the stars.“ His patients included Judy Garland, Shirley Temple, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck, Fred Astaire, and many others.
