Hollywood Sign

Hollywood sign today

The Hollywood sign as we know it today is a landmark symbolizing where block busters hit movies are made. Well this was the case years ago but today the only filming made in Hollywood are in its studio editing rooms.

Hollywood sign in the late 70's falling apart

The Hollywood sign was actually erected in 1923 and was a marketing tool used to sell real estate in the area. It actually read Hollywoodland back then and was only made to be temporary. The original sign was made to stand on telephone poles and had light bulbs all over it.

The original Hollywoodland sign in 1923

By 1949 the chamber of commerce took it over and decided to get rid of the last 4 letters and kept the name Hollywood in kept up with its repairs. Over the years there have been countless movies that had filmed there but by the late 70's the sign was in desperate need of repairs.

Celebrities such as Alice Cooper and Hugh Hefner donated money to help rebuild the sign and by 1978 the sign had been once again re-erected. Of course that did not stop vandals from trying to destroy the sign so a high tech $100,000 security system was installed. The signs letters are now held in place with steel I beams dug 13 feet into the ground and is not going anywhere.