The History

of L.A.s Famous
Hollywood Sign
By Kevin Polowy
Humble Beginnings

The sign, located on Griffith
Park's Mount Lee in the
Hollywood Hills (which are
part of the Santa Monica
Mountains), was erected in
1923 as an advertisement for
a real estate company. It
initially spelled out
"HOLLYWOODLAND", the
name of a new housing
development in the hills. This
bit of clever marketing was
only intended to stay up for
18 months, but quickly
became synonymous with the
town's burgeoning movie
industry, and ultimately
became a permanent fixture
in the L.A. landscape.

Flashing Lights The sign was originally a lot flashier literally. Studded with roughly 4,000 bulbs,
the sign was lit up in three segments: first, "HOLLY", then, "WOOD", and, finally, "LAND". A large
searchlight was placed below the sign to further illuminate it. (Here it's seen lit up again in 2000).
A Tragic Note

File this under "Not-So-Fun Fact". In
1932, 24-year-old British actress Peg
Entwistle who appeared in the
1932 film "Thirteen Women," but
was best known for her work on
Broadway committed suicide by
leaping off of the "H" in the
Hollywoodland sign. In true
Hollywood fashion, it was reported
recently that a biographical picture
on her is in the works.
2 Fast 2 Furious Though the sign's constantly deteriorating condition has led to various
restoration efforts, it was human recklessness that first put a hurtin' on the old Hollywoodland
sign. In the early '40s, Albert Kothe, the sign's caretaker, was driving drunk above the sign when
he veered off the cliff. Somehow, Kothe escaped uninjured, but both the sign's huge "H" and his
1928 Ford Model A were destroyed.
Losing the 'LAND In 1949, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce stepped in to rebuild the
sign. A contract with the City of Los Angeles Parks Department required that the "LAND" be
dropped (as it no longer represented the housing development). And now given the responsibility
of paying for the electricity bills, the frugal Chamber removed the nighttime illumination.
The Misspelled Phase Even after the local government took over, the sign would continue to
show wear and tear. Within only a few decades of the restoration efforts, the sign's first "O" had
cracked in half, making it resemble a lower-case "u," and the entire third "O" had fallen off and
rolled down the hill. By the mid-1970s the sign read "HuLLYWO D".
Unofficial Versions Much less frequent these days (mostly due to security measures more on
that in a bit), the sign was often tweaked, both by pranksters and legit sponsors (like FOX, who
promoted their 1987 broadcast television launch). Among the most famous: The 1976 alteration
to "HOLLYWeeD" that celebrated the decriminalization of Marijuana in California.
Celebrity Endorsements

In the late '70s, another movement
sought to rehabilitate the sign, lead
this time by Playboy founder Hugh
Hefner. Nine donors (one for each
letter) contributed $27,777 to fund
a $250,000 dollars restoration
project that would add a few more
years to the landmark. Among those
who gave to the cause were cowboy
star Gene Autry and shock-rocker
Alice Cooper, who reportedly
dedicated his donation in memory
of his late friend Groucho Marx.
Look But Don't Touch

For more than 50 years, residents and tourists could hike right up to the sign. But vandals so
regularly defaced the landmark, that in 1978 the Hollywood Sign Trust was created to help
protect it. This included installing a high-tech security system that was put in place with the help
of city officials, the fire and police departments, park rangers, and (more recently) the Office of
Homeland Security.
Hot Property Another threat to the sign's well being is wildfire. In 2007, a 150-acre [61Ha.]
blaze that started near Warner Bros. studios in Burbank swept through the hills, sending billowing
smoke up behind the landmark.
Size Matters The sign currently stands 45-feet tall [14m.] (or about five stories) and is 350-feet
wide [107m.] (about the length of a football field).
View From the Top Just like the vistas found on Runyon Canyon and other high points along the
Hollywood Hills, the view from the sign presents a beautiful panoramic look at Los Angeles, with
skyline sights of downtown, central Hollywood, Century City and more.
By Land and Sea

Lake Hollywood
Park in Griffith Park
offers one of the
best views of the
sign, especially for
nature lovers who'd
rather not brave the
crowds at the
Hollywood &
Highland Center
outdoor mall
(another popular
destination for
snapping pics of the
landmark).
Save the Peak Preservationists and friends of the sign long worried that, like much of the
Hollywood Hills, the foliage surrounding the landmark (once owned by Howard Hughes), would
be razed to make way for real-estate developments. In 2009, the Trust for Public Land signed on
to buy the land for a discounted $12.5 million; a year later the organization covered the sign with
banners that read "SAVE THE PEAK", to raise the needed capital. It worked (with Hugh Hefner
once again stepping up as one of the major donors), and in 2010, the land officially became part
of Griffith Park.
Here to Stay For Now The latest efforts to preserve the sign which included peeling the
letters back to their original metal foundations and repainting them white is predicted to last at
least another 40 years, so Hugh Hefner shouldn't have to get his wallet out again anytime soon.