History of Hollywood

I have always been fascinated by the Hollywood's world, a world of mixture between reality and glittering fantasy, of beauty, glamour, art, a world in which any dream can come to reality.

The word Hollywood conjures the outstanding images of Sunset Strip, Hollywood Boulevard, Cahuega Boulevard, La Brea Avenue, of nightclubs, movie palaces, special effects, extraordinay people - stars of the gaudiest illumination, Hollywood, being often referred to as a "state of mind".

Hollywood is a segment of Los Angeles, California, USA. Here, almost a century ago, the American Dream burst bigger than anything, giving birth to to a new world, the movie industry. Of course, movies were then, and still are, made in different locations, some nearby, and some far away. But nowhere and nothing frees our fantasies and stirs our hopes and fears, like that unparalled word: " Hollywood". Actually, Hollywood is a town like any other, fighting against crime, poverty, sleaze, Hollywood's real location being in the mind of movie lovers.

Today Hollywood is the symbol of the Dream Factory and the world's first movie industry, the center of all kinds of media production, from film, to the internet and television.

I tried to present the history of the Hollywood's movie industry, following gradually its evolution, beginning with the first human evidence in this area (the Gabrielino indians) in 1800, the first movie companies in Hollywood, to nowadays situation.

Introduction

Hollywood is a district in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., situated west-northeast of Downtown. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and stars, the word "Hollywood" is often used as a metonym for the American film and television industry. Today much of the movie industry has dispersed into surrounding areas such as Burbank and the Westside, but significant ancillary industries (such as editing, effects, props, post-production, and lighting companies) remain in Hollywood.

The Boundaries of Hollywood, as established by the California Legislature (AB 588)

Many historic Hollywood theaters are used as venues and concert stages to premiere major theatrical releases, and host the Academy Awards. It is a popular destination for nightlife and tourism, and home to the Walk of Fame.

Although it is not the typical practice of the City of Los Angeles to establish specific boundaries for districts or neighborhoods, Hollywood is a recent exception. On February 16, 2005, Assembly Members Goldberg and Koretz introduced a bill to require the State to keep specific records on Hollywood as though it were independent. For this to be done, the boundaries were defined. This bill was unanimously supported by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the LA City Council. Assembly Bill 588 was approved by the Governor on August 28, 2006, and now the district of Hollywood has official borders. The border is shown at the right, and can be loosely described as the area east of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, south of Mulholland Dr., Laurel Canyon, Cahuenga Blvd. and Barham Blvd., and the cities of Burbank and Glendale, north of Melrose Avenue, and west of the Golden State Freeway and Hyperion Avenue. Note that this includes all of Griffith Park and Los Feliz--two areas that were hitherto generally considered separate from Hollywood by most Angelinos. The population of the district (including Los Feliz) as of the 2000 census was 208,237 . The commercial, cultural, and transportation center of Hollywood is the area where La Brea Avenue, Highland Avenue, Cahuenga Boulevard, and Vine Street intersect Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard. The population of the district is estimated to be about 300,000.

As a portion of the City of Los Angeles, Hollywood does not have its own municipal government, but does have an appointed official that serves as "honorary mayor" for ceremonial purposes only. Currently, the "mayor" is Johnny Grant. Since this is a non-elected, honorary position, Grant has held this position for decades.

1. Hollywood between 1800-1922

1.1 The beginning of Hollywood

There was a time when the only stars in Hollywood were found in the night skies, arching over quiet farms and adobes. Before Hollywood became an entertainment mecca, it was home of pioneers, citrus groves and... stray camels.

1. "Secolul cinematografului", Cristina Corciovescu, Bujor T. Ripeanuc, Doina Boeriu, editureship: Stiintifica si enciclopedica, Bucuresti, 1989

2. "The New Encyclopaedia Britannica" - volume V, William Benton, Helen Hemingway Benton, 1768, 15TH edition

3. *** "Encarta Encyclopaedia 2007 Premium"

4. *** http/en.wikipedia.org - Online Encyclopaedia