2023-12-09 21:57:00
The letters of Hollywood, nestled on the heights of Los Angeles and become a global symbol of the cinema industry, celebrated their centenary in light on Friday.
The nine legendary letters were lit up – something that had not happened for decades – to celebrate their 100th anniversary.
Over the years, the sign has become almost more famous than movie stars in Los Angeles.
The nine letters have been, throughout their history, the stars of a multitude of films and series set in “LA”, and were many times destroyed with special effects as if to symbolize the risk of disappearance of cinema and America.
The sign has also been the site of real tragedies such as when British actress Peg Entwistle committed suicide by jumping from the top of the letter H in 1932.
Advertising board
The sign, a must-see for any tourist in Los Angeles, is as famous as its history is little-known: erected in 1923, it was originally composed of 13 letters, “HOLLYWOODLAND”, intended to promote a new residential district.
The gigantic advertising panel, whose thousands of bulbs then light up in turn on a regular basis to draw attention to the houses built just below, has established itself as an emblem thanks to the rise of film industry in the city of Angels.
However, the letters were almost destroyed. In the 1940s, residents asked the city to remove the sign whose H was damaged by the wind.
But the city decided to repair the sign and, in 1949, removed the “LAND” to keep “HOLLYWOOD” as it is known today.
From wood to steel
After three decades of scorching sun and bad weather, the 15 meter high wooden letters are once again in a sorry state. The first O shrunk to a lowercase u and the last one collapsed.
That’s when Alice Cooper, founding father of shock rock, enters the scene, leading a vigorous campaign to restore the brand to its former glory by donating $28,000.
Eight other people, including actor Gene Autry, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner and singer Andy Williams, did the same and each sponsored a letter.
The new letters are a little lower but made of steel and therefore more resistant.
They’ve been pampered ever since: The Hollywood Sign Trust, which manages the sign, said last year that renovating the letters for their 100th anniversary required nearly 1,500 gallons of paint and primer.
Their illumination on Friday was exceptional because, unlike most world monuments, the Hollywood sign is not illuminated at night because of nearby homes.
But according to Jeff Zarrinnam, president of the Hollywood Sign Trust, the sign could light up again: “We have very important sporting events coming to Los Angeles, like the FIFA World Cup, the Olympics (in 2028) , so those are the types of events that we would probably want to light the Hollywood sign for.”
The iconic sign has experienced two mishaps: in 2017, its letters were modified by Marijuana enthusiasts to write “Hollyweed” (“weed” means “cannabis”) and in 2021, activists replaced the “W” and the “D” with “B” thus giving “Hollyboob” (“Boob” means “breast” in English) to raise awareness about breast cancer.
09/12/2023 20:55:45 – Hollywood (United States) (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
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