History Hollywood Walk of Fame

1 history

1.1 origin
1.2 selection , construction
1.3 stagnation , revitalization
1.4 expansion
1.5 restoration

history
origin

the walk of fame @ 6800 block of hollywood boulevard, looking eastward. dolby theatre in foreground @ left. in upper left quadrant famous intersection of hollywood , highland.

the hollywood chamber of commerce credits e.m. stuart, volunteer president in 1953, original idea creating walk of fame. stuart reportedly proposed walk means maintain glory of community name means glamour , excitement in 4 corners of world. harry sugarman, chamber member , president of hollywood improvement association, receives credit in independent account. committee formed flesh out idea, , architectural firm retained develop specific proposals. 1955 basic concept , general design had been agreed upon, , plans submitted los angeles city council.

multiple accounts exist origin of star concept. according one, historic hollywood hotel—which stood more 50 years on hollywood boulevard @ site occupied hollywood , highland complex , dolby (formerly kodak) theatre—displayed stars on dining room ceiling above tables favored famous celebrity patrons, , may have served inspiration. account, stars inspired ... sugarman s [tropics restaurant] drinks menu, featured celebrity photos framed in gold stars.

in february 1956 prototype unveiled featuring caricature of example honoree (john wayne, accounts) inside blue star on brown background. however, caricatures proved expensive , difficult execute in brass technology available @ time; , brown , blue motif vetoed charles e. toberman, legendary real estate developer known mr. hollywood , because colors clashed new building erecting on hollywood boulevard.

selection , construction

by march 1956 final design , coral-and-charcoal color scheme had been approved, , between spring of 1956 , fall of 1957, 1,558 honorees selected committees representing 4 major branches of entertainment industry @ time: motion pictures, television, audio recording, , radio. committees met @ brown derby restaurant, , included such prominent names cecil b. demille, samuel goldwyn, jesse l. lasky, walt disney, hal roach, mack sennett, , walter lantz.

woodward s star, contrary popular belief, not first.

a requirement stipulated original audio recording committee (and later rescinded) specified minimum sales of 1 million records or 250,000 albums music category nominees. committee realized many important recording artists excluded walk requirement. result, national academy of recording arts , sciences formed purpose of creating separate award system music business. first grammy awards presented in beverly hills in 1959.

construction of walk began in 1958 2 lawsuits delayed completion. first filed local property owners challenging legality of $1.25 million tax assessment levied upon them pay walk, along new street lighting , trees. in october 1959 assessment ruled legal. second lawsuit, filed charles chaplin, jr., sought damages exclusion of father, nomination had been withdrawn due pressure multiple quarters (see controversial additions). chaplin s suit dismissed in 1960, paving way completion of project.

while joanne woodward singled out first receive star on walk of fame, in fact there no first recipient; original stars installed continuous project, no individual ceremonies. woodward s name 1 of 8 drawn @ random original 1,558 , inscribed on 8 prototype stars built while litigation still holding permanent construction. 8 prototypes installed temporarily on northwest corner of hollywood boulevard , highland avenue in august 1958 generate publicity , demonstrate how walk look. other 7 names olive borden, ronald colman, louise fazenda, preston foster, burt lancaster, edward sedgwick, , ernest torrence. official groundbreaking took place on february 8, 1960. on march 28, 1960, first permanent star, director stanley kramer s, completed on easternmost end of new walk near intersection of hollywood , gower. joanne woodward legend may have originated, according 1 source, because first pose star photographers.

stagnation , revitalization

though walk conceived in part encourage redevelopment of hollywood boulevard, 1960s , 1970s periods of protracted urban decay in hollywood area residents moved suburbs. after initial installation of approximately 1,500 stars in 1960 , 1961, 8 years passed without addition of new star. in 1962 los angeles city council passed ordinance naming hollywood chamber of commerce agent advise city adding names walk, , chamber, on following 6 years, devised rules, procedures, , financing methods so. in december 1968, richard d. zanuck awarded first star in 8 years in presentation ceremony hosted danny thomas. in july 1978 city of los angeles designated hollywood walk of fame los angeles historic-cultural monument.

johnny grant, center, @ producer joe pasternak s presentation ceremony in 1991. @ left gene kelly.

radio personality, television producer , chamber member johnny grant credited implementing changes resuscitated walk , established significant tourist attraction. beginning in 1968, stimulated publicity , encouraged international press coverage requiring each recipient attend or star s unveiling ceremony. grant later recalled tough people come accept star until neighborhood began recovery in 1980s. in 1980 instituted fee of $2,500, payable person or entity nominating recipient, fund walk of fame s upkeep , minimize further taxpayer burden. fee has increased incrementally on time; 2002 had reached $15,000, , stood @ $30,000 in 2012. current (2017) fee $40,000.

grant awarded star in 1980 television work. in 2002, received second star in special category acknowledge pivotal role in improving , popularizing walk. named chairman of selection committee , honorary mayor of hollywood (a ceremonial position held art linkletter , monty hall, among others). remained in both offices 1980 until death in 2008 , hosted great majority of unveiling ceremonies during period. unique special-category star, emblem depicting stylized great seal of city of hollywood , located @ entrance dolby theatre adjacent johnny grant way.

expansion

in 1984 fifth category, live theatre, added permit acknowledgment of contributions live performance branch of entertainment industry, , second row of stars created on each sidewalk alternate existing stars.

hollywood boulevard, 7000 block, north side, looking westward

in 1994 walk of fame extended 1 block west on hollywood boulevard, sycamore avenue north labrea avenue (plus short segment of marshfield way connects hollywood , la brea), ends @ silver 4 ladies of hollywood gazebo , special walk of fame star. @ same time, sophia loren honored 2,000th star on walk.

during construction of tunnels los angeles subway system in 1996 metropolitan transportation authority removed , stored more 300 stars. controversy arose when mta proposed money-saving measure of jackhammering 3-by-3-foot terrazzo pads, preserving brass lettering, surrounds, , medallions, pouring new terrazzo after tunnels completed; cultural heritage commission ruled star pads removed intact.

restoration

in 2008 long-term restoration project began evaluation of 2,365 stars on walk @ time, each receiving letter grade of a, b, c, d, or f. honorees stars received f grades, indicating severe damage, joan collins, peter frampton, dick van patten, paul douglas, andrew l. stone, willard waterman, richard boleslavsky, ellen drew, frank crumit, , bobby sherwood. fifty celebrities stars received d grades. damage ranged minor cosmetic flaws caused normal weathering holes , fissures severe enough constitute walking hazard. @ least 778 stars repaired or replaced during ongoing project @ estimated cost of $4 million $4.2 million.

the restoration collaboration among hollywood chamber of commerce , various los angeles city , county governmental offices, along mta, operates metro red line runs beneath walk, since earth movement due presence of subway line thought partly responsible damage.

to encourage supplemental funding project corporate sponsors, friends of walk of fame program inaugurated. absolut vodka became first friend donation of $1 million, followed l oréal. friends recognized honorary plaques adjacent walk of fame in front of dolby theatre. program received criticism. alana semuels of los angeles times described latest corporate attempt buy buzz, and, quoting area brand strategist, think johnny grant roll on in grave. karen fondu, president of l oréal paris, countered association natural affinity.