This year is not only the 100th birthday of Warner and Disney, but also the 100th anniversary of the famous American landmark "HOLLYWOOD" (HOLLYWOOD) billboard.

Historically, Hollywood was originally just a large piece of wasteland near Los Angeles. With the gradual increase of immigrants from the New World, it was developed into several ranches, and in 1887, one of the ranch owners set the name Hollywood. At that time, the literal meaning of the word was taken, that is, European holly (Holly), which has a sacred meaning in Western religious culture.

By 1903, Hollywood was incorporated. In 1910, it was absorbed as part of the city of Los Angeles, and the development was on the right track, and it ushered in the gathering of film companies soon after. In 1923, for the promotion of a real estate project, a huge wooden billboard was erected on a small hill (521 meters high) that did not even have a name at the time in the Santa Monica Mountains north of Hollywood. At that time, the billboard consisted of thirteen characters, not "Hollywood", but "HOLLYWOODLAND". It was planned to be demolished after one and a half years, and it was just a temporary advertisement.

To this day, there is no way to verify the exact date and moment when the plaque was erected. We only know that relevant news appeared in local newspapers in Los Angeles in December 1923. According to records, the cost of the billboard at that time was about 20,000 U.S. dollars, which is equivalent to more than 300,000 U.S. dollars today if inflation is included. There are 13 large characters, each of which is 9 meters wide and 15 meters high. More than 4,000 light bulbs are installed on it, and searchlights are equipped below. When the night falls, it is a ray of light, which can be seen from a long distance. It is indeed an advertisement for this real estate project that is planned to be built in the south col of the Hollywood Hills.

However, Hollywood has always been a place of right and wrong, and this billboard is no exception. In 1932, the British actress Peg Entwistle (Peg Entwistle), whose career was not going well, came here specially. Xiao Yu Sui is only 24 years old. The gossip media at the time reported it extensively, which also cast a haze on the Hollywood sign.

The period from 1929 to 1939 was not only the so-called Great Depression era, but also a golden age when the Hollywood film industry developed abnormally. However, this "HOLLYWOODLAND" (HOLLYWOODLAND) real estate project failed to escape the economic crisis and was eventually aborted, and the billboard was also mortgaged by the company to the Los Angeles City Council.

The earliest sign is HOLLYWOODLAND

Over the years, the 13 large signs that had been erected in 1923 had already been dilapidated after going through ups and downs. The letter H even completely fell down in 1944. From a distance, it became OLLYWOODLAND, making people dumbfounded. Whether it is the Los Angeles city government or the general public, there were many debates at that time about whether to remove or keep the signage, and whether to repair or demolish it. In the end, it was The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce that took the job of restoring the H.

Hollywood billboards without "LAND"

Founded in 1921, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is composed of representatives of various local industries. The famous Hollywood Walk of Fame is also an industry under their name. That is, in the process of rebuilding the letter H in 1949, the four words LAND behind Hollywood were all removed, and this billboard was officially simplified to the word Hollywood, which became the biggest advertisement of this movie city.

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner raised funds for a new signage in 1978

In the 1970s, it was listed as a cultural landmark by the government, enjoying the revered status of immovable cultural relics, but it became dilapidated again, and even because of the typhoon passing through and artificial arson, the two O characters have fallen off. damaged. In 1978, adult publication media tycoon Hugh Hefner (Hugh Hefner) summoned many of his "Playboy" girls to hold a grand fundraising dinner, raising $250,000 (equivalent to more than one million U.S. dollars today) ), the original signage was demolished in the summer of that year, and a new billboard made of cement and steel was rebuilt.

In the following decades, this new billboard went to the world with the overall influence of Hollywood all over the world. It has become a symbol of Los Angeles, California, the American film industry and even the United States itself. It has been virtually destroyed in Hollywood blockbusters such as "Superman", "Independence Day" and "After Tomorrow", and there have been various imitations around the world. architecture.

Hollywood billboard missing 'D' from animated series 'BoJack Horseman'

Every year, countless tourists come here, hoping to see the true face of "Hollywood" up close and take photos with it up close. However, the billboard built on the top of the mountain is not so easy to access. Not only is it impossible to reach by car, even if you walk up the mountain along the steep mountain road, you have to face the potential threat of coyotes and rattlesnakes from time to time. In the valley facing the billboard, many private mansions have already been built. The arrival of tourists obviously disturbs their tranquility, and indeed affects their access and life. So they have joined forces to push the Los Angeles municipal authorities to keep tourists away from the place as much as possible.

Today, under the premise of not violating the law, tourists can only go downhill at most a hundred meters away from the Hollywood billboard, and take a look at this famous local sign from a distance. Of course, there are not a few people who "take risks" and move on, but even after passing this level, when you get to the word "Hollywood", you can only look at them through a huge barbed wire fence. There are multiple surveillance cameras belonging to the LAPD looking at you at this moment.

In 1997, Michelle Yeoh took the cover photo of "National Geographic" magazine with the Hollywood sign as the background

In the past few decades, countless movies and stars have used this sign to promote, but the most daring one may be Michelle Yeoh in 1997. At that time, "National Geographic" magazine invited her to shoot the cover photo, dispatched two helicopters, and hoisted her in front of the Hollywood sign. After many years, taking advantage of Michelle Yeoh's opportunity to break through history and win the Oscar for Best Actress, this old photo was rediscovered by the media. When asked if she was afraid at the time, Michelle Yeoh, who has acted in many action movies, replied with a smile that she was not afraid, but the wind was really strong and it was freezing to death.