A lot of people want a close-up,” says Diana Wright. The 37-year-old Californian stands at the foot of the giant D-letter. “Sure, some people are jealous of me,” she adds with a wink. Wright works for the non-profit organization “The Hollywood Sign Trust”, which is committed to preserving the landmark – “as an international symbol for filmmaking and the realization of dreams”.
Wright is one of the few authorized people with access who can lead selected visitors to the letters. Especially this year, on the occasion of the 100th birthday, the demand is high. You have to be “like a mountain goat,” laughs the guide. And it’s getting serious. A climbing rope takes you backwards down a narrow path. It’s almost a hundred meters to the foot of the letters, below which the rugged canyon continues steeply into the valley. “It’s really dangerous,” Wright insists.
In 1923, workers carried the material with donkeys in this difficult-to-access area. The original lettering was made from old telephone poles made of wood and pieces of sheet metal – it was four letters longer. “Hollywoodland” was the publicity stunt of a brokerage firm that wanted to sell land in the then uninhabited hills. 3700 lightbulbs lit up the billboard at night.
prominent financiers
The billboard had a checkered history before becoming iconic and often made headlines. In 1932, young, unemployed actress Peg Entwistle fell from the letter H to her death. “She became known as the ‘Hollywood Sign Girl,'” Wright says. It was the only known suicide from the sign. Over time, the letters weathered, the paint peeled off, parts fell over. There were calls for the sign to be torn down entirely.
But in the late 1940s the construction was renovated and the last four letters were removed. In 1978, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and some prominent financiers intervened. There was a complete facelift, all the letters were changed, made of steel beams and huge corrugated iron sheets. “Playboy” boss Hugh Hefner paid a new “Y”, rocker Alice Cooper donated an “O”.
Blown up and set on fire
The lettering has survived earthquakes and forest fires, but has occasionally been used for puns: Pope John Paul II was greeted with “Holywood” (sacred forest) during a visit in 1987. Advocates of a liberal drug policy twice made “Hollywood” into “Hollyweed”. The police are usually there quickly. The sign is guarded around the clock, says Wright. 13 cameras and other sensors were installed. The iconic setting is also a popular target for directors. “Hollywood loves to smash the sign,” Wright quips. “It’s already been blown up, set on fire and shot at with laser beams.” With the help of special effects, of course.
Just in time for the anniversary year, the lettering was revamped last year with 1500 liters of white paint in a beautification campaign lasting several weeks. In January, the Hollywood Sign Trust announced initial plans to build a visitor center. At the moment, fans have to be satisfied with the view from afar. Because the landmark does not invite you to visit – on the contrary. “No Access to the Hollywood Sign” reads warning signs, arrest and fines possible. “Caution, dangerous animals” – warnings are given of mountain lions and rattlesnakes. Nevertheless, the famous lettering is magically attractive. Incidentally, the best vantage points can be reached via hiking trails in the hilly terrain of Griffith Park.
