History of the Hollywood Sign
Did you know that the Hollywood Sign was one of the earliest filming locations? This was first used on 1974, almost 50 years after it was built. One by one, the letters in the sign topples down after being rocked by a monster quake in the 1974 movie “Earthquake”. Since then, filmmakers used the Hollywood sign as filming location that eventually contributed to its significance as a symbol of the entertainment industry and the validation of its cultural impact to the world.
Why the Sign was made
Originally, the sign was planned to be spelled and read in segments: “HOLLY” “WOOD” “LAND”. Its purpose was to advertise the name of a local hillside housing development above the Hollywood District of Chinatown in Los Angeles. The real estate developers, Woodruff and Shoults, contracted the Crescent Sign Company for $21, 000 to erect the thirteen letters on the hillside of Mt. Lee with searchlights at the bottom. Each letter faced the south overlooking Hollywood. The sign was only intended to last for a year and a half to attract attention to the real estate being developed at that time. Today, it also attracts tourists and filmmakers to use this historical sign as one of their filming locations.
The Construction of the Sign
The sign was designed by Thomas Fisk Goff, the owner of the company contracted for construction. Each letter measures 50 feet high and 30 feet wide and would be lighted up individually. Entirely, the 350-foot sign will be lighted by 4,000 light bulbs. During the time of construction, mules were used to haul the telephone poles that will support the sign’s barn roofing sheets formed as the letters.
The Hollywood Sign as Entertainment Symbol
Although the sign was intended as a short form of advertisement, it was left there to stand as an icon after the rise of the American cinema and the Golden Age of Hollywood in the early 1920’s. More and more films were prolifically released by Hollywood studios which resulted to a constant gala of premieres held in the city. Soon, Hollywood overtook New York and New Jersey and became the center of the filming industry. The sign inevitably also took the role of a giant marquee of Hollywood’s success in American film production.
Currently, the Hollywood sign does not only symbolize the entertainment industry but also as one of today’s favorite filming locations. Its surrounding beautiful places were also noticed to have the potential to be a perfect location for filming like the ones seen on lightonslocation.com.
