The Hollywood Sign

Jill's Journal: Under overcast skies on a little hike today in the cold (only 59 degrees…so chilly by Los Angeles standards!), the girls got their first glimpse of the famed Hollywood sign. They were decidedly underwhelmed even though I told them it’s probably the most famous sign in the world. They’ll appreciate it someday, right? At least that’s what Rob and I tell ourselves. In the meantime, we grown-ups loved the chance to see it again.

If you’ve ever wondered how the sign came about, it was built as a giant billboard in 1923. Mules hauled 4,000 light bulbs, plus telegraph poles and other building materials up the side of Mt. Lee in the Santa Monica Mountains to the now-famed site. It was intended to promote a new, upscale housing development in the hills above Hollywood and originally said, “Hollywoodland.” At night the sign blinked from the 4,000 lights that were installed, which was truly a spectacular show for the time. The sign was only expected to be left up for 18 months, but the dramatic growth of the film industry in the area soon caused it to be a landmark recognized internationally. It was decided to leave the sign up permanently.

By 1949, the sign was in major disrepair. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce came to the rescue and began repairing and rebuilding the sign, but removed the last four letters to make it say more appropriately, “Hollywood.” They also decided not to replace the light bulbs due to the cost of lighting the massive sign. However, the repairs and TLC served as only a brief respite for the sign. Time, deterioration, vandalism, and accidents left it in horrible condition by the 1970s. Rocker Alice Cooper was among those who publicly campaigned to restore the sign and replace it with steel letters, which was accomplished in 1978. Each letter cost nearly $28,000 to replace and the money for each one was donated by individuals ranging from the aforementioned Cooper to Hugh Hefner to Gene Autry to Andy Williams. The letters are each 45 feet tall.

Another interesting fact: Actress Peg Entwistle committed suicide off the “H” in 1932. These days, the sign is barricaded and equipped with alarms, motion sensors, and closed-circuit cameras.