Located
at the foot of the Santa Monica mountains
this was once a small, sleepy community
that came into existence around 1903 when
it suddenly became “the place to
be” for movie makers. In the early
days of film it took a lot of light to
expose raw film stock, and while the rest
of the country’s light source (i.e.
the sun) was shaky, the state of California
(and Hollywood) had a never-ending supply
of sunshine. Large studios were created
to house stage reproductions of everything
form the Great Pyramids to the African
Jungles. The city was later swallowed
up by Los Angeles in 1910, but the area
manages to keep its unique identity.
As films began to incorporate sound (see
“talkies”) huge studio complexes
were created to mass-produce movies of
every kind. This became known as both
“The Studio Era” and “The
Golden Age of Hollywood”, and many
of the most legendary actors like Humphrey
Bogart and Judy Garland were created to
this era. The community of Hollywood has
come to signify the film industry in general-its
morals, manners, and characteristics.
As
time went on and things gradually changed
the Studio Era ended and the big production
houses broke up. They began to spread
out, first all over the city, then all
over the state, and eventually (as it
is today) all over the world. Most of
the major entertainment production houses
still have a home in Los Angeles, but
Hollywood itself is a mere shadow of its
former self. Despite these changes the
town of Hollywood is still the spiritual
home of the American (and some would say
the world’s) entertainment industry.
Millions of tourists flock to Hollywood
to see its attractions and perhaps get
a glimpse of what the area must have looked
like during the “golden Age of Film”.
Points of interest include Hollywood Blvd.,
Sunset Strip, Mann's (formerly Grauman's)
Chinese Theatre, and the Kodak Theatre
(site of the Academy Awards). In surrounding
hills are the Hollywood Bowl, Griffith
Park (with an observatory and planetarium),
and the homes of film celebrities.
Hollywood
Hills Travel Links |
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