A hundred years ago, the world capital of cinema was an agricultural province. At that time, the hills were adorned with a “business card” in the form of giant letters, which had nothing to do with cinema. Read more surprising facts about Hollywood.
#1 Hollywood is often called the capital of the American film industry and “Tinseltown.” However, it is not a city at all, but one of the many districts of Los Angeles, located northwest of the city center. Unlike other districts, Hollywood has clearly defined official boundaries, which were established by law in 2006.
#2 Translated from English, Hollywood means “holly grove” or “holly forest.” Incidentally, Harry Potter’s magic wand was made from holly.
#3 In the second half of the 19th century, agriculture flourished in the place that would become the center of the US film industry. The small settlement attracted farmers with its fertile land and rich pastures and was separated from Los Angeles by vineyards, fields, and lemon groves.
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#4 In 1910, at the will of its residents, Hollywood joined the “City of Angels,” mainly for access to the water supply and sewage system. At the same time, the Biograph Company commissioned the first film to be shot here, a historical drama called In Old California. The film told the story of the early 1800s and lasted only 17 minutes.
#5 The first Hollywood studio was founded by the Centaur Company from New Jersey. Other independent filmmakers from the East Coast followed suit. Gradually, almost the entire American film industry moved to Hollywood, including the four largest film companies: Paramount, Warner Bros., RKO Pictures, and Columbia. But it wasn’t just because of the unique landscape and year-round sunshine. First and foremost, they were fleeing the Motion Picture Patents Company, created in 1908 on the initiative of inventor Thomas Edison. Edison considered himself the sole owner of most film technologies and demanded exorbitant fees for their use.
#6 Within 10 years, Hollywood was unrecognizable. From a sleepy agricultural suburb, it had become the center of the US film industry.
#7 The giant letters, which later became the symbol of Hollywood, appeared on the southern slope of Mount Lee in 1923 on the initiative of investor Harry Chandler. The inscription “HOLLYWOODLAND” was located at an altitude of 491 meters above sea level and was intended to advertise new residential areas. Each letter was 9 meters wide and 15 meters high.
#8 According to the plan, the sign was supposed to stand for just over a year, but later it was decided to keep it. In 1939, the letters began to be illuminated by four thousand light bulbs, but soon the authorities of the “dream factory” stopped financing the maintenance and repair of the sign, and it began to deteriorate rapidly. In 1949, the letters were repaired, but the word “land” was removed from the inscription.