Who is the founder of Hollywood? Golden Globe ceremony


For the American Film Industry. The name "Tinseltown" refers to the magnificent nature of Hollywood and the film industry.

Today, much of the film industry is dispersed in neighborhoods such as the Westside, but much of the supporting industry, such as editing, effects, props, final editing and lighting, remains in Hollywood, as does the Paramount Pictures location.

The first studio in Hollywood was founded by the New Jersey-based Centaur Company, which wanted to make Westerns in California. They rented an abandoned roadhouse at 6121 Sunset Boulevard on the corner of Gower Street, and converted it into a film studio in October, naming it "Studio Nestor" after the western branch of their company. The building later became the Hollywood Film Laboratory, which is now called the Hollywood Digital Laboratory. The first full-length feature film made directly at Hollywood Studios was The Indian Husband, created by Cecil B. DeMille and Oscar Apfel. Feature films made in Los Angeles before The Indian Husband include From Dusk Till Dawn and Sea wolf» ().

The four major film companies Paramount, Warner Bros. RKO Pictures and Columbia had studios in Hollywood, as did several smaller companies.

1920-1940

Before 1921, Hollywood became world famous as the center of the United States film industry. From the 1920s through the 1940s, most transportation to and from Hollywood was carried by the Pacific Electric Railway's red cars.

Capitol Records Building

Modern Hollywood

While film production is still concentrated in the Hollywood area, most studios are located in the Los Angeles area. Paramount Pictures is the only major studio still physically located in Hollywood. Other studios in the area, including the aforementioned Jim Henson Studio (formerly Chaplin) are Sunset Gower Studios and Raleigh Studios.

Since Hollywood and the Los Feliz area were the original sites for the development of the first television stations in Los Angeles, most of them have now moved to other locations within metropolitan reach. KNBC began its move back in 1962 when they moved from former studio NBC Radio City Studios, which was located on the north corner of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street, at NBC Studios Burbank.

In 2002, Hollywood residents began a campaign to separate the area from Los Angeles and become a consolidated municipality, as it was a century ago. Secessionists believe their neighborhood's needs have been ignored by Los Angeles leaders. In June of that year, the Los Angeles County Council announced a referendum on the secession of both Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley, putting the decision to a public vote. In order for the decision to pass, it had to receive the approval of a majority of voters in the proposed new municipality, as well as a majority of voters in all of Los Angeles. In the November elections, both referendums were not accepted by a majority of voters.

Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood is governed by several neighboring Councils, including the Hollywood United District Council (HUNC) and the Hollywood Studios District Council. The two groups are part of a network of county councils certified by the Los Angeles Department of County Development, or DONE. District councils cast advisory votes on issues such as subdivision, planning and other public issues. Council members are elected by entities, which typically include everyone who works, owns property, or belongs to an organization within the council's boundaries.

Renaissance

After for long years After a major decline, when many Hollywood sites were threatened with destruction, Hollywood today is experiencing rapid gentrification and revitalization to densify the urban population. Many projects have already been completed, concentrating on Hollywood Boulevard. The Hollywood and Highland complex (on the Kodak Theater side) was the main catalyst for the area's redevelopment. As well as the numerous fashionable bars, nightclubs, and shopping centers that opened on the Boulevard or in its environs, Hollywood returned to its status as a center nightlife Los Angeles. Many old buildings have become lofts and apartment buildings, Cosmo Loft is the first live/work loft on the Hollywood property. The A W Hotel is currently being renovated at the intersection of Hollywood and Vine.

Naturally, the film industry reached a special scale in its development in the United States. When talking about American cinema, we are, first of all, talking about Hollywood. And only a few know that almost all major Hollywood film companies were founded by immigrants from the Russian Empire. Warner Brothers was founded by four brothers named Warner. real name Vonskolaser). Their parents came to the United States from the Russian Empire in what is now Poland. Another Pole is directly involved in the creation of such film companies as Paramaunt Pictures and MGM - Samuel Goldwyn (Shmul Gelbfisch). Natives of what is now Belarus, David Sarnov and Louis Mayer (Lazar Meir) were one of the founders of the film companies RKO and MGM, respectively.

Prominent figures of Hollywood's Golden Age were brothers and producers Joseph and Nicholas Schenck. Joseph and Nikolai Shenker, as they were called at birth, were born in the city of Rybinsk, Yaroslavl province, into the family of an employee of the Sheksninsky Shipping Company. In 1893, when Joseph was 15 years old and Nikolai was 12, the Shenker family emigrated to the United States. His work activity in new country the brothers start by selling newspapers and working in a pharmacy. Very soon they buy out the very pharmacy where they worked and become its full-fledged owners. Even then, the Schenk brothers were distinguished by their insight and business sense.

Soon Nicholas and Joseph Schenk begin organizing a vaudeville act at an amusement park in Fort George. It was at this time that they met financier and their future companion Marcus Lowe. In 1909, the Schenk brothers, together with Marcus Lowe, bought the large Palisades amusement park and several movie theaters. Having united their cinemas and Lowe's cinemas, the brothers began to manage the network of cinema halls of the Marcus Lowe corporation.

By the mid-1910s, the film industry had completely captured the minds of the Schenk brothers. In 1917, Joseph went to Hollywood, and Nicholas continued to manage the Marcus Lowe's movie theater chain, consisting of more than 500 movie theaters throughout America and Canada.

In 1925, Joseph Schenk became the second president of the United Artists film company, founded by Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. At this time, Marcus Lowe organized the merger of the film companies Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Productions, but suddenly died in 1927. Control of the new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) corporation passes to Nicholas Schenk. The Schenk brothers become the heads of two major film companies. From 1925 to 1942, MGM established itself as a leader Hollywood film industry. The MGM film studio was so successful that it was the only one in Hollywood to pay dividends during the Great Depression. During these years, MGM released the films Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz and the cartoon Tom and Jerry. Thanks to the producing instincts of Nicholas Schenk, the studio's films star actors Clark Gable, Greta Garbo and others.

After gaining experience running a film company at United Artists, Joseph Schenk and his partner Darryl Zanuck founded 20th Century Pictures in 1933. Despite the crisis situation in the United States, the small film company is doing better every year. In 1935, 20th Century Pictures acquired the larger, bankrupt Fox Film Corporation. Joseph Schenk becomes the first president of the new corporation 20th Century Fox.

By 1935, the Schenk brothers became one of the most influential people in Hollywood. Joseph Schenk is one of the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which presents the Oscars. In 1953, he received an honorary Oscar for his contributions to cinema, and Joseph Schenk also has a personal star No. 6757 on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. There is another story connected with the name of Joseph Schenk. In 1946, the famous producer met the aspiring actress Norma Mortensen and a relationship began between them. friendly relations. Schenk took an active part in the actress's career. After several unsuccessful films at his studio, Schenk helps Norma sign a contract with Columbia Pictures. In 1950, Norma Mortensen returned to the 20th Century Fox film studio and starred in the film All About Eve. After the film's release, we will know this unique blonde actress as Marilyn Monroe.

Joseph Schenk died in 1961 at the age of 82. His younger brother Nicholas Schenck died in 1969 at the age of 87. In the days of their death, American newspapers and magazines published obituaries in which they called the Schenk brothers nothing less than the founders of the film industry and the generals of cinema.

Hollywood sign

Thanks to his fame and cultural identity How historical Center movie studios and movie stars, the word "Hollywood" is often used as a metonymy for the American film industry. The name "Tinseltown" refers to the magnificent nature of Hollywood and the film industry.

Today, much of the film industry is located in neighborhoods such as the Westside, but much of the supporting industry, such as editing, effects, props, final editing and lighting, remains in Hollywood, as does the Paramount Pictures location.

Many historical theaters Hollywood is used as a setting and concert stages for the premiere of the main screenings of the filmed production, and as a venue for the Academy Awards. It is a popular destination for nightlife and tourism, and is also home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Hollywood history

Nowadays, the meaning of the word “Hollywood” is known in all corners of the earth. The spectacles they put on on the screens attract all connoisseurs of filmmaking. Hollywood cinema is without a doubt a leader among its “colleagues”. But often the concepts of “American cinema” and “Hollywood” are combined.

Hollywood cinema is by far the most popular in the world. Hollywood also has a significant influence on the cinema of other countries. It's no secret that Hollywood films set fashion in many film genres. They are also decisive in the choice of plot, and in the selection of an ensemble of actors, and in creating the image of the film for advertising campaign. Nowadays, this film empire really dictates the fashion of cinema. It produces thousands of films every year. And this is already something!

And it all started with a small plot of land in the vicinity of the small town of Los Angeles (now, when it is no longer small, it sounds quite funny). It was purchased in 1886 by a modest family of American settlers, the Wilcoxes. Deida Wilcox suggested calling the place "Hollywood." Why? From the words “holly” - holly and “wood” - forest. That's where you got "Hollywood". If only they knew then what this acquisition of theirs led to, adjacent to German peasants and an Indian reservation. Life moved on at its own pace. Soon the Wilcox couple decided to rent out the land, and around 1903, their ranch gradually sank into the depths of the new village, which was later honored to join Los Angeles as a suburb. At that time, born of the Lumière brothers, cinema more and more conquered the hearts of romantics who dreamed of embodying their world of illusions in visible picture. It did not bypass Colonel William N. Zeling, who laid the first foundation stones for the construction of a huge movie empire in Hollywood. He bought part of the land from the Wilcoxes for a branch of his Chicago film company.

Although all his actions were legal, he could not work on his favorite thing without obstacles. However, as always happens in life. In 1907, America experienced a wave of ongoing disputes regarding the ownership of projection equipment. The so-called “patent war” led to a ban on the opening of nickelodeons in and around Los Angeles. The reason was that in such semi-underground cinemas, where they paid 5 cents for admission (in English “nickel”, “odeon” - theater), stolen films were shown on unlicensed equipment. So the Los Angeles municipality had to fight this troubled phenomenon. But no matter how it was, interest in cinema did not decrease, but on the contrary increased. In the 20s, in southern California, in the area of ​​the already familiar town of Hollywood, the American film industry was created and began to rapidly develop. At that time, interest in cinema in America developed parallel to 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 new strong impetus to the development of cinema. It was emigrants who made an amazing contribution to the development of the country's film industry. Many of them became great directors and producers, who are well remembered in the history of cinema to this day, and their works have become classics of world cinema. Who is this? Some of them were the founders of the country's largest film studios: Adolf Zukor (Hungary), who began his career as an apprentice to a furrier, founded Paramount; Karl Leml (Germany) - sold clothes, founded Universal, the Warner brothers (Poland) - advertised bicycles, founded Warner Bros., Louis B. Mayer (Russia, Minsk) - resold scrap metal, founded Metro-Goldwin-Mayer " By the way, let's focus on the last one. Why? Because it was the leading studio in Hollywood for over 30 years. And this, you see, is worth attention.

But we will start not with Mayer, but with a native of a Jewish family, Samuel Geblitz (Sachmuel Gelbfisz). This man was one of the luckiest refugees from of Eastern Europe. He was born in Warsaw in 1892. He, still 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.

So in 1913, his life's path lay on American soil and stopped in California, where he mastered new profession related to motion picture production technology.

He began his film career together with two of his like-minded people (Edgar and Archibald Selwyn). Soon he changed his name again to the American one - Goldwyn (he combined the first syllable of his old surname GOLDfish with the last syllable of the surname of its partners SelWYN). And in 1925, together with the already well-known Russian emigrant Lewis B. Mayer, Samuel Goldwyn founded the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio, which dominated Hollywood, as we have already mentioned, for about 30 years.

As for the star system, it did not exist in American cinema. The names of the actors and actresses were not mentioned anywhere. All were hidden under pseudonyms. In March 1910, Karl Leml changed the situation and entered into an agreement with actress Florence Lawrence. After this, gradually, under the influence of film business specialists, stars began to appear one after another, each of whom had their own screen role. The institution of stars in Hollywood cinema began to emerge around the 1920s and, having been formed in the 1930s, reached its full dawn in the 1940s and 1950s. The stars seemed ideal to the audience. Future stars were specially trained in courses at the film studios themselves. The huge PR industry at major film studios specifically worked to create and maintain the image of stars. The tabloid press vigilantly followed every step of the actors, talking about all the incidents in their lives and about their eccentric antics, which thus tested the boundaries of their popularity.

The history of world cinema cannot be imagined without two greatest stars era of the birth of Hollywood - Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. These were the most bright stars Hollywood. They achieved such popularity that even today there is nothing to compare with.

Mary Pickford's real name was Gladys Smith, she was born in 1893 in Canada, in the city of Toronto. She made her debut on the theater stage at the age of 7. She was called "America's Sweetheart". World fame received the image that developed in her performance of a young, naive, virtuous teenage girl, an American “Cinderella”. For 20 years, the appearance of this wonderful actress retained youthful innocence and purity, which played a huge role for her as an actress.

The years of her creativity coincided with the very years when the formation of American cinema took place. And Mary Pickford was among its most important creators. First American woman to earn a million dollars in one year businesswoman unique mind and insight. She was one of the first who understood what cinema was and what its role was. She was very insightful and intelligent and felt that Hollywood was the future leader of cinema. It’s not for nothing that she was called “the brightest head in Hollywood,” meaning not her golden curls.

The second star of that time was Douglas Fairbanks (real name Douglas Elton Ulman). He was born in 1883 in Denver, Colorado. Since childhood he was attracted to the theater. According to some reports, he first appeared on stage at the age of 12. From 1902 he performed on Broadway and by 1910 he had won the position of one of the theater’s leading actors, becoming the living embodiment of the “ideal American” - a young, active romantic, ready to conquer the whole world. In 1915, Fairbanks traveled from New York to Hollywood, where he made his screen debut. Fairbanks' famous smile and impressive athletic build made him one of the most... popular actors era. He is especially famous for films such as The Three Musketeers, The Thief of Bagdad, The Man in the Iron Mask and The Mark of Zorro.

Two Hollywood stars reached great heights. And, as often happens, in 1920 Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford got married. Their Pickfair mansion remained for a long time the largest and most prestigious mansion in Beverly Hills. In the 20-30s, scenes of some films were even filmed at Pickfair. It was considered a special honor to be invited to a reception at this mansion. Newspapers and movie almanacs reported literally every detail concerning the Pickfair guests.

At the end of the 60s, the studio system collapsed. Since that time, a new (modern) stage in Hollywood cinema began. Interest in traditional, formulaic star-studded studio films was steadily declining, and many of even the major film studios were brought to the brink of bankruptcy. Studio bosses were perplexed about what kind of movie audiences wanted to see. Experiments began. Among the young directors who were given the 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 formed modern cinema in the form in which it entered the 21st century. Their films in the late 1960s and early 1970s had great success. Thanks to them, the word “blockbuster” arose. The heads of large studios began to trust young directors. Moreover, inviting them for filming has become fashionable and profitable. After all, they, having come out of film schools and small studios, knew how to fit into very small budgets.

Michael Bublé, Hollywood – music video

Top Hollywood Attractions

Hollywood and Highland

Visiting numerous shops and restaurants is certainly not the most important, but also not last place on a trip to Hollywood. Located on the corner of Hollywood and Highland Boulevards, the three-story modern shopping and entertainment complex Hollywood and Highland is one of the most visited centers in Los Angeles. Apart from shops and restaurants, the complex is a great place to start walking tour, as it is located directly next to the Walk of Fame, Kodak Theater (home of the American Academy Awards) and one of the most famous cinemas in Hollywood, Grauman's Chinese Theater.

One of Hollywood's main attractions, the famous Walk of Fame is a chain of sidewalks located on both sides of a 15-block street on Hollywood Boulevard and a 3-block street on Vine Street. About 10 million people visit the alley every year. The Alley consists of approximately 2,400 five-pointed brass Stars set into a six-foot terraz floor. Each star celebrates the achievements of a specific real and fictional "star" in the music, film or television industries. The Walk of Fame was opened in 1958.

Grauman's Chinese Theater

On the site in front of the Walk of Fame, you can see one of the most popular attractions in Hollywood - the famous Chinese theater Grauman. Located on Hollywood Boulevard, the movie theater was built in 1927 by famed Hollywood impresario Sid Grauman. The cinema is one of the main monuments of the "golden era" of Hollywood and one of the most popular places for film premieres. It is worth noting that the choice of stars who leave their hand and foot prints in the cement on the Walk of Fame is made by the owners of the cinema. On the area in front of the cinema you can see prints of many celebrities, including Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Jack Nicholson, Marilyn Monroe, Clint Eastwood. Since 2007, the cinema has been owned by the CIM Group company. The cinema is open 24 hours a day. You can buy a ticket for a tour of the cinema or just buy a ticket for one of the sessions.

Hollywood Bowl

One of the best concert halls under open air in Hollywood, the Hollywood Bowl amphitheater was built in 1922. The hall can accommodate about 18,000 spectators. The concert season at the Hollywood Bowl lasts from late June to mid-September. However, in addition to this, a number of unscheduled events take place in the hall, such as the Playboy Jazz Festival.

Hollywood sign

By far the most recognizable monument in Hollywood is the famous "HOLLYWOOD" memorial sign in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. The memorial sign was installed at an altitude of 491 meters above sea level, on the slope of Mount Lee in Griffith Park in 1923 as an advertisement, and subsequently gained wide popularity, becoming the main symbol of the US film industry. Each letter is 9 meters high, 15 meters wide, and a total of 4,200 light bulbs are used in the letters. It was originally planned that the sign would stand for about a year and a half, but with the development of the American film industry, it was decided to keep the sign. The sign has undergone several restorations and the letters are now 1.5 meters shorter than they were in the original version.

Usually the monument is not accessible by regular excursion, but you can choose several convenient places that offer the best view of the famous inscription. Most convenient places Hollywood Reservoir, Mulholland Drive, Franklin Avenue in Gower, Hollywood at Highland, Griffith Park Observatory are considered for sign review.

Los Angeles Farmers Market

One of the popular and most visited attractions in Hollywood and Los Angeles is 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 turned into a huge shopping center, preserving part of historical buildings. The 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 the largest shopping and nightlife centers in Los Angeles, the Sunset Strip is located on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. The Sunset Strip is a 1.5-mile stretch between Doheny Drive and N. Crescent Heights Blvd. The Sunset Strip is quite a rich place in terms of attractions. Among the main attractions are the Rocky and Bullwinkle statue, the luxurious Sunset Tower Hotel, the popular Comedy Store comedy club, the Plaza chain of shops and restaurants, the legendary Whiskey A GoGo bar in the 1960s, where such celebrities as Jimi Hendrix began their careers, The group Doors, The Byrds, Led Zeppelin.

Excursions to film studios

There's no better way to experience what goes on behind the camera than on a Hollywood Studios 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, you can become part of the studio audience while filming a comedy, reality show, or game show. What's even nicer? It's free - and you get the opportunity to express 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 world's most colorful annual parades - the Hollywood Christmas Parade. The parade has been celebrated annually for the past eighty years and has long become one of the main cultural news of American television. A number of celebrities take part 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 takes place annually on the third Thursday of November. The parade follows a 3.5 kilometer route along Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard.

The name "Tinseltown" refers to the magnificent nature of Hollywood and the film industry.

Today, much of the film industry is dispersed in neighborhoods such as the Westside, but much of the supporting industry, such as editing, effects, props, final editing and lighting, remains in Hollywood, as does the Paramount Pictures location.

The first studio in Hollywood was founded by the New Jersey-based Centaur Company, which wanted to make Westerns in California. They rented an abandoned roadhouse at 6121 Sunset Boulevard on the corner of Gower Street, and converted it into a film studio in October, naming it "Studio Nestor" after the western branch of their company. The building later became the Hollywood Film Laboratory, which is now called the Hollywood Digital Laboratory. The first full-length feature film made directly at Hollywood Studios was The Indian Husband, created by Cecil B. DeMille and Oscar Apfel. Feature films made in Los Angeles before The Indian Husband are the films From Dusk Till Dawn () and The Sea Wolf ().

The four major film companies Paramount, Warner Bros. RKO Pictures and Columbia had studios in Hollywood, as did several smaller companies.

1920-1940

Before 1921, Hollywood became world famous as the center of the film industry in the United States. From the 1920s through the 1940s, most transportation to and from Hollywood was carried by the Pacific Electric Railway's red cars.

Modern Hollywood

While film production is still concentrated in the Hollywood area, most studios are located in the Los Angeles area. Paramount Pictures is the only major studio still physically located in Hollywood. Other studios in the area, including the aforementioned Jim Henson Studio (formerly Chaplin) are Sunset Gower Studios and Raleigh Studios.

Since Hollywood and the Los Feliz area were the original sites for the development of the first television stations in Los Angeles, most of them have now moved to other locations within metropolitan reach. KNBC began its move back in 1962, when they moved from the former NBC Radio City Studios, which was located on the northern corner of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street, to NBC Studios in Burbank.

In 2002, Hollywood residents began a campaign to separate the area from Los Angeles and receive the status of a consolidated municipality, as it was a hundred years ago. Secessionists believe their neighborhood's needs have been ignored by Los Angeles leaders. In June of that year, the Los Angeles County Council announced a referendum on the secession of both Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley, putting the decision to a public vote. In order for the decision to pass, it had to receive the approval of a majority of voters in the proposed new municipality, as well as a majority of voters in all of Los Angeles. In the November elections, both referendums were not accepted by a majority of voters.

Hollywood is governed by several neighboring Councils, including the Hollywood United District Council (HUNC) and the Hollywood Studios District Council. The two groups are part of a network of county councils certified by the Los Angeles Department of County Development, or DONE. District councils cast advisory votes on issues such as subdivision, planning and other public issues. Council members are elected by entities, which typically include everyone who works, owns property, or belongs to an organization within the council's boundaries.

Renaissance

After years of severe decline, when many Hollywood sites were threatened with destruction, Hollywood is now experiencing rapid gentrification and revitalization to densify the urban population. Many projects have already been completed, concentrating on Hollywood Boulevard. The Hollywood and Highland complex (from the Kodak Theatre) was the main catalyst for the area's redevelopment. As well as the numerous fashionable bars, nightclubs, and shopping centers that opened on the Boulevard or in its environs, Hollywood returned to the status of the center of Los Angeles nightlife, falls in the 13th district of the city, 0.68% Indians, 8.98% Asians, 0 .12% - representatives of the indigenous population of the islands Pacific Ocean, 22.23% are representatives of other races. 39.43% of the population identified their origin as Spanish (Latin American).

Hollywood is one of the oldest centers of the Armenian diaspora in the world. The first Armenians came here in the 1880s from Ottoman Empire, their number further increased after the Armenian genocide in 1915. In 1979-1980, the community grew to include 9,500 Armenians, who came mainly from Lebanon; from October 1987 to March 1988, 2,000 Armenians from the USSR moved to Hollywood. In 1989, 3,000 Armenians from Iran and 12,000 Armenians from Lebanon also settled in Hollywood. With the collapse of the USSR in 1991, a new stream of Armenian immigration poured into Hollywood, but from Armenia itself. Today, up to 50,000 Armenian Americans live in Hollywood, representing about 25% of Hollywood's population, and live primarily in East and North Hollywood, where they make up the majority of the population

If we say: " American cinema- we think: “Hollywood”. It just so happened that each of us was more than once fascinated by the quality and plots of famous films, the white-toothed smiles of popular actors and actresses who came to the screens of our cinemas and monitors directly from there. This place gives us art, idols and, most importantly, the opportunity to spend evenings in the cozy company of friends, popcorn and cinema.

Hollywood is an area located in northwest Los Angeles (California). It is rightfully considered the historical center of the film industry. This is where the very same one is located. famous alley fame on Vine Street, where you will see 2,600 stars engraved with the names of iconic figures who have contributed to the entertainment industry and left their mark on the arts.
The famous film company Paramount Pictures is also located here. Filming, visualization, editing, work with special effects, lighting - all this work takes place here. Most of some of them are held in nearby areas, and some are carried out directly in Hollywood.

How did Hollywood start?

Until the mid-19th century, this area was famous for its prosperous agriculture, in particular, a rich harvest of grain crops.
A couple of young spouses named Whitley moved to America and bought a piece of land, which was named Hollywood (at the request of Miss Whitley). "Wood" (translated from English) means tree, and "Holly" means holly. A little later, the couple began dividing their land with tenants until Hollywood grew into a fairly large village, a suburb of Los Angeles.

In 1903, Hollywood was registered as a municipal property. Internal infrastructure was developed on the territory; even a trolleybus was launched, traveling along the Hollywood-Los Angeles route and back. Residents of the town began to fight for quality water supply and soon Hollywood was annexed to Los Angeles.

Initially, cinema began to actively develop in Los Angeles. One day, the American Mutoscope & Biograph Co. film crew went to explore the territory west bank. Director D. W. Griffith and cast We were extremely surprised when, finding ourselves 8 kilometers from the city, we found ourselves in an amazing village. It was then that the film “In Old California” was first shot on the territory of the Dream Factory. Over time, the abandoned roadhouse on the corner of Gower Street became film set with the name "Studio Nestor". A little later, it began to be called the “Hollywood Film Laboratory,” which continues to operate to this day. The debut film, born within its walls, was called “The Husband of an Indian Woman.”

Since then, major film companies such as Paramount, Warner Bros., RKO Pictures and Columbia began to locate their sites in Hollywood, where the filming process was rapidly progressing.
Since 2005, the borders of Hollywood have been officially recognized, which symbolically fenced it off like a separate state. Despite this, Hollywood is still part of Los Angeles. Until 2008, the post of “Mayor of Hollywood” was held by Johnny Grant.

A few facts about Hollywood:
In 1960, the outstanding film actress Joanne Woodward became the first “star” whose name was immortalized on the Walk of Fame.

  • Since June 1999, the first subway line leading to Hollywood has been running from Los Angeles.
  • As of 2000, Hollywood's population was 167,664.
  • Hollywood is the largest and oldest center of the Armenian diaspora in the world.
  • The average number of films released in Hollywood is 100-120 per year.
  • If in the frame Hollywood movie a newspaper appears - you know: it wanders from film to film. It has no name or number. This prop was prepared by the fake newspaper company Earl Hays Press.
  • The huge inscription HOLLYWOOD appeared at a time when the land was leased. Back then, the sign looked like HOLLYWOODLAND and was intended to attract the attention of tenants. It was restored for the first time in 1949, and it was then that “the second part of LAND disappeared.” And in 1978 it was restored a second time. Each letter reaches 14 meters in height, and the length of the entire inscription reaches 110 meters.


In 1932, British actress Peg Entwistle committed suicide. A few days before the incident, she learned the news that she was not getting a role in the next film and jumped off the letter “H”.

Idle bustle, tinsel, kitsch, star rays, dizzying success and camera flashes - this is Hollywood. However, behind any shine there are always downfalls and personal dramas. This place gives hundreds talented people way to amazing world glory and honors, but it is difficult to reach the end when reality dissolves in the game, and the personality in the role.