Hollywood
Hollywood is a neighborhood west of downtown Los Angeles, a place world-famous as the cradle of the American film industry.
Everything in Hollywood is connected to movie celebrities. You can visit the illustrious cemetery where many celebrities are buried, tour the homes of famous people, stroll down Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard, hit the stores along the world famous Rodeo Drive or take a stroll down the Walk of Fame. You can’t consider a trip a success if you haven’t visited the Hollywood Entertainment Museum or toured the Hollywood studios.
Video: From Los Angeles to Hollywood
ContentsHighlights
Nowadays, the meaning of the word “Hollywood” is known in every corner of the earth. The spectacles they put up on the screens attract all the movie buffs. Hollywood cinema is without doubt the leader among its “colleagues”. But often the concept of “American cinema” and “Hollywood” are combined.
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Hollywood cinema is by far the most popular in the world. Hollywood has a significant influence on the cinematography of other countries as well. It is no secret that it is Hollywood movies that set the fashion in many genres of movies. They are also decisive in the choice of plot, and in the selection of the ensemble of actors, and in the creation of the image of the movie for the advertising campaign. Today, this movie empire is really dictated by the fashion of the movie. Every year it releases thousands of movies. And that’s something!
.And it all started with a small plot of land in the vicinity of the small town of Los Angeles (now that it is far from small, it sounds quite funny). It was purchased in 1886 by a modest family of American immigrants, the Wilcoxes. Deida Wilcox suggested calling the place “Hollywood.” Why? From the words “holly” – sharpleaf and “wood” – forest. That’s how you get “Hollywood.” If only they had known then what this acquisition, neighboring German farmers and an Indian reservation, would lead to. Life floated on its own. Soon the Wilcoxes decided to lease the land, and somewhere by 1903 their ranch gradually sank into the depths of the new settlement, which was then honored to join Los Angeles as a suburb. At that time, born of the Lumière brothers, cinema was increasingly winning the hearts of romantics who dreamed of translating their world of illusions into a visible picture. It did not go unnoticed by Colonel William N. Zeling, who laid the first foundation stones for building a vast movie empire in Hollywood. He bought some land from the Wilcoxes for a branch of his Chicago film company.
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Although all of his actions were legal, he was not able to work on his favorite business without obstacles. However, as is always the case in life. In 1907, 1907 in America there was a wave of constant disputes over the ownership of projection equipment. The so-called “patent war” led to a ban on the opening of nickelodeons in Los Angeles and its environs. The reason was that in such semi-underground cinemas, where the entrance fee was 5 cents (in English “nickel”, “odeon” – theater), stolen films were playing on unlicensed equipment. So the municipality of Los Angeles had to fight against this disturbing phenomenon. But no matter how it was, interest in the movie did not decrease, but on the contrary increased. In the 20-ies in the south of California, in the area already familiar to us in the town of Hollywood was created and began to rapidly develop the film industry in America. At that time, interest in the movie in America developed in parallel with the population of the country with potential viewers. For example, in 1907, 1,285,000 people came to America from Europe alone, which gave a strong new impetus to the development of cinema. It was the immigrants who made an amazing contribution to the development of the country’s movie industry. Many of them became great directors and producers, who are well remembered by the history of cinema to this day, and their works have become classics of world cinema. Who are they? Some of them were the founders of the largest film studios in the country: Adolf Cukor (Hungary), who began his career as an apprentice at the furrier, founded “Paramount”, Carl Leml (Germany) – traded in clothing, founded “Universal”, the Warner brothers (Poland) – advertised bicycles, founded “Warner Brosers”, Louis B. Mayer (Russia, Minsk) – traded in the resale of scrap metal, founded “Metro-Goldwin-Mayer”. By the way, let’s stop at the last one. Why? Because for more than 30 years it was the leading studio in Hollywood. And that, you’ll agree, is worth a look.
But let’s start not with Mayer, but with a native of a Jewish family, Sachmuel Gelbfisz. This man was one of the luckiest refugees from Eastern Europe. He was born in Warsaw in 1892. He, very young, was forced by fate to leave his homeland, and fled first to London and then to New York. Circumstances were such that he even had to change his name to Samuel Goldfish.
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So in 1913 his life’s road to the American land and stopped in California, where he and learned a new profession related to the technology of moving film production.
.He began his filmmaking activities with two of his fellow filmmakers (Edgar and Archibald Selwyn – Edgar and Archibald Selwyn). Soon he changed his name again to the American name – Goldwyn (he combined the first syllable of his old surname GOLDfish with the last syllable of the surname of his partners SelWYN). And in 1925, together with already known to us Russian immigrant Lewis B. Mayer (Louis B. Mayer) Samuel Goldwyn founded the studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which dominated Hollywood, as we have already mentioned, for about 30 years.
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As for the star system, there was none in American cinema. The names of actors and actresses were nowhere to be found. All were hidden under pseudonyms. In March 1910, the situation changed Carl Laemmle and signed a contract with the actress Florence Lawrence. After that, gradually under the influence of experts in the movie business one after another began to appear one by one stars, each of which had its own screen role. The very institution of stars in Hollywood cinema began to emerge around the 1920s and formed in the 1930s reached full dawn in the 1940s and 1950s. Stars seemed to the audience as ideals. Future stars were specially trained in courses at the movie studios themselves. Huge PR-industry at major movie studios specifically worked to create and maintain the image of the stars. Yellow press watched every step of the actors, telling about all the incidents in their lives and their eccentric antics, which thus tested the limits of their popularity.
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The history of world cinema cannot be imagined without two of the greatest stars of the era of the birth of Hollywood – Mary Pickford (Mary Pickford) and Douglas Fairbanks (Douglas Fairbanks). They were the brightest stars of Hollywood. They enjoyed a level of popularity that even today is incomparable.
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Mary Pickford’s real name was Gladys Smith, she was born in 1893 in Toronto, Canada. She made her debut on the theater stage at the age of 7. She was called “Beloved of all America” (America’s Sweetheart). World fame was formed in her performance image of a young, naive, virtuous teenage girl, American “Cinderella”. For 20 years, the appearance of this wonderful actress kept youthful innocence and purity, which played a huge role for her as an actress.
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The years of her work coincided with the very years when the formation of American cinema was taking place. And Mary Pickford was among its most important creators. The first American woman who earned a million dollars in one year, a businesswoman of unique intelligence and foresight. She was one of the first to understand what cinema was and what its role was. She was very shrewd and intelligent and felt that Hollywood was the future leader of the movie industry. Not for nothing was she called “Hollywood’s brightest head,” referring not at all to her golden curls.
The second star of the time was Douglas Fairbanks (real name Douglas Elton Ulman). He was born in 1883 in Denver, Colorado. Already from childhood he was attracted to the theater. According to some reports, he first went on stage at the age of 12 years. Since 1902 performed on Broadway and by 1910 won the position of one of the leading actors in the theater, became a living embodiment of the “ideal American” – a young, active, ready to conquer the world of romance. In 1915 Fairbanks went from New York to Hollywood, where he made his screen debut. Famous smile and impressive athleticism made Fairbanks one of the most popular actors of the era. He was particularly famous for such films as The Three Musketeers, The Thief of Bagdad, The Man in the Iron Mask, and The Mark of Zorro.
.Two Hollywood stars have reached great heights. And, as often happens, in 1920, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford married. Their Pickfair mansion remained the largest and most prestigious mansion in Beverly Hills for a long time to come. In 20-30 years in Pickfair even filmed scenes of some movies.To be invited to a reception in this mansion was considered a special honor. Newspapers and movie almanacs reported literally every detail about Pickfair guests.
.In the late 60’s there was a collapse of the studio system. From that time on, a new (modern) phase in Hollywood filmmaking began. Interest in traditional, formulaic studio star-studded movies was steadily declining, and many even major movie studios were brought to the brink of ruin. Studio bosses were perplexed about what kind of movie the audience wants to see. Experiments began. Among the young directors who were given a chance to demonstrate their abilities were George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Brian De Palma. And it was this group of directors who shaped modern cinema as it entered the 21st century. Their movies in the late 1960s and early 1970s were a huge success. It was thanks to them that the word “blockbuster” came into being. The heads of the big studios began to trust young directors. Moreover, it became fashionable and profitable to invite them to shoot. After all, they came out of film schools and small studios, were able to fit into very small budgets.
.Michael Bublé, Hollywood – music video
” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen>Highlights of Hollywood
Hollywood and Highland
Visiting the many stores and restaurants is definitely not the most important, but not the last place on a trip to Hollywood. Located at the corner of Hollywood and Highland Boulevard, the three-story, modern Hollywood and Highland shopping and entertainment complex is one of the most visited centers in Los Angeles. In addition to stores and restaurants, the complex is a great place to start a walking tour as it is located directly next to the Walk of Fame, the Kodak Theater (site of the American Academy Awards) and one of Hollywood’s most famous movie theaters, Grauman’s Chinese Theater.
.Hollywood’s Walk of Fame
One of Hollywood’s main attractions, the famous Walk of Fame is a chain of sidewalks located on both sides of the street with 15 blocks on Hollywood Boulevard and 3 blocks on Vine Street. Approximately 10 million people visit the alley each year. The Alley consists of about 2,400 five-pointed brass Stars embedded in a six-foot terrazzo floor. Each Star celebrates the achievements of a particular real and fictional “star” in the music, movie or television industry. “The Walk of Fame” was inaugurated in 1958.”
.Grauman’s Chinese Theater
On the plaza in front of the Walk of Fame, you can see one of Hollywood’s most popular attractions, the famous Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Located on Hollywood Boulevard, the theater was built in 1927 by famed Hollywood impresario Sid Grauman. The theater is one of the main monuments of the “golden era” of Hollywood and one of the most popular venues for premiere screenings. It should be noted that the choice of stars who leave their hand and footprints in the cement on the “Walk of Fame” is made by the owners of the movie theater. On the ground in front of the movie theater you can see the prints of many celebrities, including Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Jack Nicholson, Marilyn Monroe, Clint Eastwood. Since 2007 the movie theater is owned by the company “CIM Group”. The movie theater is open 24 hours a day. You will be able to buy a ticket for a tour of the movie theater or just buy a ticket for one of the shows.
.Hollywood Bowl
One of the best outdoor concert halls in Hollywood, the Hollywood Bowl amphitheater, was built in 1922. The hall is capable of seating about 18,000 spectators. The concert season at Hollywood Bowl runs from late June through mid-September. However, in addition to this, the hall hosts a number of unscheduled events, such as the Playboy Jazz Festival.
.The Hollywood Sign
By far the most recognizable monument in Hollywood, is the famous “HOLLYWOOD” monument sign in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. The monument sign was erected 491 meters above sea level, on the slope of Mount Lee in Griffith Park in 1923 as an advertisement, and later became widely known, becoming the main symbol of the U.S. film industry. Each letter is 9 meters high and 15 meters wide, with a total of 4200 light bulbs used in the letters. Originally it was planned that the sign would stand for about a year and a half, but with the development of the American movie industry, the sign was decided to be preserved. The sign has undergone several restorations and the letters are now 1.5 meters shorter than they were in the original version.
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Usually the monument is inaccessible in terms of a regular tour, but you will be able to choose several convenient places from which to get the best view of the famous inscription. Hollywood Reservoir, Mulholland Drive, Franklin Avenue at Gower, the Hollywood at Highland shopping complex, and the Griffith Park Observatory are considered the most convenient places to view the sign.
Los Angeles Farmers Market
Some of the most popular and most visited attractions in Hollywood and Los Angeles include the famous Farmers Market shopping center. The shopping center is located on the site of a historic farmers market that has existed since 1934. In 2002, the market area was transformed into a huge shopping center, preserving some of the historic buildings. Farmers Market attracts approximately 3 million visitors each year. The center is located at the corner of Third and Fairfax. The center is open 24 hours a day.
.Sunset Strip
One of Los Angeles’ largest shopping and nightlife centers, Sunset Strip, is located on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. Sunset Strip is a 1.5-kilometer stretch between Doheny Drive and N. Crescent Heights Blvd.Sunset Strip is quite a rich place in terms of attractions. Highlights include the Rocky and Bullwinkle statue, the luxurious Sunset Tower Hotel, the popular Comedy Store comedy club, the Plaza chain of stores and restaurants, and the legendary 1960s bar Whisky A GoGo, where celebrities such as Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Byrds, and Led Zeppelin got their start.
.Tours of movie studios
There is no better way to learn what goes on behind the camera lens than to take part in a Hollywood studio tour. Most of these tours invite tourists to visit real, working studios. But unfortunately, this means that the tour can only be taken on a weekday when the studios are open.
Visiting the filming of the show
With a little planning of your time, you can become part of the studio audience while filming a comedy, reality show, or TV game show. What’s even more enjoyable? It’s free – and you get to make a name for yourself.
.Hollywood Christmas Parade
If you’re lucky enough to be in Los Angeles for the Thanksgiving holiday, you shouldn’t miss one of the most colorful annual parades in the world – the Hollywood Christmas Parade. The parade has been celebrated annually for the past eighty years and has long been one of the top cultural news stories on American television. A number of celebrities participate in the parade each year. The parade was first held in 1928 and was originally called the Santa Claus Lane Parade. In 1978, the event changed its name to the Hollywood Christmas Parade. The parade is held annually on the third Thursday of November. The parade follows a 3.5 kilometer route along Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard.
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