The History of Hollywood's Walk of Fame
Hollywood's Walk of Fame is one sidewalk everyone wants to get on; for to be honored with a pink star on this stretch of pavement means that you're recognized for having made a life-long contribution to the entertainment industry by both your peers and the public. It's a tribute that's coveted as closely as any Oscar, Emmy, or Grammy. The Walk of Fame stretches along Hollywood Boulevard from Gower Street to La Brea Avenue, and along Vine Street from Yucca Street to Sunset Boulevard. Being Hollywood, it's perhap's apt that it was created in order to give the city a "face lift." But it was also designed, by a southern Californian artist called Oliver Weismuller, to recognize all those who contributed to making Hollywood famous. At it's start in 1958, the Walk was laid with 2,500 blank stars; the first was awarded in 1960 to the actress Joanne Woodward.
During the Walk's first 16 months, 1,558 stars were awarded. By 1994 over 2,000 of the original stars had been filled, and additional stars were added so that the Walk now extends to the Silver Four Ladies of Hollywood Gazebo, ending with stars recognizing Elvis Presley, and the Beatles. The Walk continues to be one of Hollywood's most popular tourist attractions, having been designed by the City of Los Angeles a Cultural and Historic Landmark in 1978.
Each of the pink five-pointed stars on the Walk of Fame is rimmed with bronze, with the name of the honoree being laid in bronze inside and a round, bronze icon indicating the category of the honoree's profession set below. The categories include the film industry represented by a motion picture icon), the broadcast television industry (represented by a motion picture camera icon), the recording industry (represented by a phonograph record icon), the broadcast radio industry (represented by a radio microphone icon), and live theatre (represented by a comedy/tragedy masks icon).
There's a certain degree of mystery surrounding the process of how stars are nominated to be honored on the Walk of Fame. However, once nominated, a star must give his or her agreement to attend a Walk of Fame presentation ceremony within five years of having been selected, and a $25,000 fee has to be paid to the Hollywood Historic Trust for costs including security at the ceremony; the fee is usually paid by sponsors such as the star's film studio.
Cameras now have to be installed on the Walk to catch thieves as four stars have, to date, been stolen.
During the Walk's first 16 months, 1,558 stars were awarded. By 1994 over 2,000 of the original stars had been filled, and additional stars were added so that the Walk now extends to the Silver Four Ladies of Hollywood Gazebo, ending with stars recognizing Elvis Presley, and the Beatles. The Walk continues to be one of Hollywood's most popular tourist attractions, having been designed by the City of Los Angeles a Cultural and Historic Landmark in 1978.
Each of the pink five-pointed stars on the Walk of Fame is rimmed with bronze, with the name of the honoree being laid in bronze inside and a round, bronze icon indicating the category of the honoree's profession set below. The categories include the film industry represented by a motion picture icon), the broadcast television industry (represented by a motion picture camera icon), the recording industry (represented by a phonograph record icon), the broadcast radio industry (represented by a radio microphone icon), and live theatre (represented by a comedy/tragedy masks icon).
There's a certain degree of mystery surrounding the process of how stars are nominated to be honored on the Walk of Fame. However, once nominated, a star must give his or her agreement to attend a Walk of Fame presentation ceremony within five years of having been selected, and a $25,000 fee has to be paid to the Hollywood Historic Trust for costs including security at the ceremony; the fee is usually paid by sponsors such as the star's film studio.
Cameras now have to be installed on the Walk to catch thieves as four stars have, to date, been stolen.
