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Historical Notes

During the 1950s and 1960s, Vine Street in Hollywood was part of a declining entertainment hub. The intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, once bustling with radio and movie-related businesses, began to lose its prominence as studios relocated elsewhere in Los Angeles. Despite this downturn and an increasingly seedy reputation, Vine Street retained cultural significance with landmarks like the Capitol Records Building, constructed in 1956, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The area saw further decline in the 1960s as businesses moved away, but it remained home to iconic sites such as the Pantages Theatre, continuing to attract visitors despite its challenges.

Historical Notes

Within five years of the above view, the iconic Capitol Records Building would rise on the west side of Vine, just south of Yucca Street, right where the palm tree is seen in the photo.

Historical Notes

The Capitol Records Building, also known as the Capitol Records Tower, is a landmark in Hollywood, Los Angeles, notable for its unique circular design. Construction began in 1955 after British music company EMI acquired Capitol Records and was completed in April 1956. Designed by architect Louis Naidorf of Welton Becket Associates, the building stands 13 stories tall and is recognized as the world's first circular office building.

Historical Notes

The design process faced initial resistance from Capitol Records' president, Glen Wallichs, who preferred a rectangular structure. However, after lenders favored the circular design for its cost-effectiveness and potential to attract attention, Wallichs ultimately approved it. The building's distinctive shape resembles a stack of vinyl records on a turntable and features a spire that includes a light signaling "Hollywood" in Morse code.

Historical Notes

Designed by Louis Naidorf of Welton Becket and Associates, the tower was the world’s first circular office building, constructed of reinforced concrete and punctuated by a series of porcelain enamel sun shades stepping down each floor of the building.

Historical Notes

The 13-story Capitol Records Building, also known as the Capitol Records Tower, is one of the city's landmarks. Construction was contracted by British company EMI soon after its 1955 acquisition of Capitol Records, with completion in April 1956. Located just north of the intersection of Hollywood and Vine and consolidating the West Coast operations of Capitol Records, the structure is home to the recording studios and echo chambers of Capitol Studios.

Historical Notes

The wide curved awnings over the windows of each floor and the tall spike emerging from the top of the building combine to give it the appearance of a stack of vinyl 45s on a turntable, although it was not originally designed with that idea in mind.

Historical Notes

The first Du-par's was founded in 1938 at the Los Angeles Farmers Market by James Dunn and Edward Parsons, who combined their surnames to create the restaurant's name. The chain was purchased in 2004 by an investor group led by W.W. "Biff" Naylor, the son of noted California restaurateur Tiny Naylor. Du-par's expanded in 2009 to include several locations from the bankrupt Bakers Square chain.

Historical Notes

The blinking light atop the tower spells out the word "Hollywood" in Morse code, and has done so since the building's opening in 1956. This was an idea of Capitol's then president, Alan Livingston, who wanted to subtly advertise Capitol's status as the first record label with a base on the west coast. The switch was initially activated by Leila Morse, the granddaughter of Samuel Morse.  In 1992 it was changed to read "Capitol 50" in honor of the label's fiftieth anniversary. It has since returned to spelling "Hollywood". A black and white graphic image of the building appeared on the albums of many Capitol recording artists, with the phrase, "From the Sound Capitol of the World".

Historical Notes

The Hotel Knickerbocker, a Renaissance Revival/Beaux Arts building located on Ivar Avenue, began life as a luxury apartment building that was at the heart of Hollywood back in the 1920s, before becoming a hotel later in its history. It's been linked with tragic deaths and because of this, it is considered haunted by some. Some unfortunate occurrences: D.W. Griffith died of a stroke on July 21, 1948 under the crystal chandelier of the lobby; a costume designer named Irene jumped to her death from a hotel window; William Frawley, who lived at the hotel for decades, died of a heart attack on the sidewalk in front of the Knickerbocker. Other stars that frequented the hotel with better luck were: Rudolph Valentino, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, Frank Sinatra, Lana Turner, Mae West, and Cecil B. DeMille among many, many others.*^

Historical Notes

Designed by Stewart Romans of Ollsen Lighting and featuring 4,373 bulbs (at 25 watts each), the Christmas tree on top of the Capitol Records Building was the first of its kind, and it has been a part of the Hollywood skyline each December since 1958, save for 1973, when L.A. experienced an energy crisis.

Historical Notes

In 2006, the Capitol Records Building and Rooftop Sign were dedicated as LA Historic-Cultural Monument No. 857 (Click HERE to see complete listing).

Historical Notes

The wide curved awnings over windows on each story and the tall spike emerging from the top of the building coincidentally resembling a stack of records on a turntable. The rectangular ground floor is a separate structure, joined to the tower after completion. The tower incorporates 13 stories, to conform to the 150-foot zoning height limit that was in place at the time of its construction. Earthquake height restrictions were later lifted in 1964.

Historical Notes

The empty parking lot across the street on the northeast corner of Sunset and Vine was the gorgeous stream line NBC Building that had just been recently torn down. It was replaced with Home Savings of America, now Washington Mutual. And the banners above the street are advertising the Teenage Fair, which was at the Hollywood Palladium.

Historical Notes

In the 1970s, the intersection of Sunset and Vine in Hollywood was still a vibrant cultural hub with deep ties to the entertainment industry. The area, once home to NBC Radio City, was transformed with the construction of the Home Savings and Loan building, designed by Millard Sheets and completed in 1968. This building became an artistic landmark, featuring mosaics and sculptures that celebrated Hollywood's history. The surrounding streets, including "Guitar Row," were lively with nightlife and music-related businesses.

Historical Notes

The Flight of Europa, an Art Deco statue by Paul Manship, is situated in the forecourt of this building. Created in 1925, it depicts the Greek myth of Europa being abducted by Zeus in the form of a bull, with Cupid whispering in her ear and dolphins symbolizing their destination.

Historical Notes

The 1963-built Sunset Vine Tower was designed by architect Douglas Honnold of the firm Honnold & Rex. It was the first skyscraper built in Los Angeles after the city repealed its 14-story building height limit.

Historical Notes

In 2001, the skyscraper sustained damage due to an electrical transformer explosion. The owner fell into bankruptcy and the building was shut down indefinitely.

In 2003, the CIM Group, a commercial developer, acquired the padlocked skyscraper and began mapping plans to rehabilitate it. The company eventually decided to gut the building and convert it into residential units.  After long delays and a costly $70 million retrofitting job, the skyscraper would once again open but not until 2010.

Historical Notes

Incidentally, disaster is nothing new when it comes to the Sunset Vine Tower.  The skyscraper was featured in the film "Earthquake" back in 1974.

Historical Notes

In February 1963, Cinerama Inc. unveiled a radically new design for theaters which would show its movies. They would be based on the geodesic dome developed by R. Buckminster Fuller, would cost half as much as conventional theaters of comparable size, and could be built in half the time. Cinerama's goal was to see at least 600 built worldwide within two years. The following April, Pacific Theatres Inc. announced plans to build the first theater based upon the design, and had begun razing existing buildings at the construction site.

Historical Notes

Located on Sunset near Vine Street, Cinerama Dome would be the first new major motion picture theater in Hollywood in 33 years, and would be completed in time for the scheduled November 2 press premiere of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. The design was adapted by the noted architectural firm of Welton Becket and Associates.

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In 1998, the Pacific Cinerama Dome Theater was designated Historic-Cultural Monument No. 659 (Click HERE to see complete listing).

Historical Notes

With its 86 feet (26 m) wide screen, advanced acoustics and 70mm film capability, the Cinerama Dome remained a favorite for film premieres and "event" showings.

Historical Notes

The Hollywood United Methodist Church building (aka First Methodist Church of Hollywood) was designed by Thomas P. Barber, and based in part on the English Gothic style of Westminster Hall in London. The structure is steel-framed concrete, with the sanctuary roof having an open hammer beam construction.

Construction on the first building, the Recreational Hall, was started in 1927 by a group of congregants who began organizing the new church in 1909. The rest of the structure was completed on March 16, 1930.

The church's facilities, in addition to housing an active congregation, are used by the private non-religious Oaks School and have been the settings for many movies including Sister Act and Back to the Future.

Historical Notes

Due to its convenient location in the heart of Hollywood and its mixture of Gothic and modern architecture, the church has been used frequently as a filming location for Hollywood movies. The "Enchantment Under the Sea" dance scenes in Back to the Future and Back to the Future Part II were filmed in the church's gymnasium, as was the talent show scene in That Thing You Do! Interior scenes for the movie Sister Act were filmed in the hallways, classrooms, and offices of the church, although the film crew repainted the interior to make it appear much older. Scenes from Anger Management, Big Momma's House, Jarhead, People Like Us, One Foot in Heaven, and several other movies were filmed on the premises.

Historical Notes

The 12-story First Federal Savings & Loan Building was built in 1959 on the northwest corner of Hollywood and Highland Avenue on the site once occupied by the Hollywood Hotel.

In 2001, the Hollywood and Highland entertainment complex, which includes the Hollywood and Highland Center, the current home of the Academy Awards, was constructed on the site.

Historical Notes

In 1945, the Hotel Christie was renamed the Drake Hotel and later became the Hollywood Inn.  These days, the structure is owned by the Church of Scientology.

In 1998, the 12-story First Federal Savings and Loan Building was torn down to make way for a new entertainment center.  The Hollywood and Highland Center, the current home of the Academy Awards, was constructed on the site in 2001.

In the early 1990s, the Hollywood Theatre became a venue for the Guinness Book of World Records.

Historical Notes

Tickets went on sale four months before the concert and sold out in 3 1/2 hours. Hundreds of teenage girls camped out overnight on Highland Avenue and the next day the line went from the Bowl entrance nearly to Hollywood Boulevard. At the concert, the screaming of the crowd was so loud, no one could hear the music. After the concert, kids mobbed the backstage area. The producers used a limo as a decoy while putting the Beatles in a Dodge Dart and getting them out before the kids realized they were gone.^**#

Bob Eubanks booked The Beatles' for the August 23, 1964 performance at the Hollywood Bowl.  Capitol Records recorded their performance with the intent of releasing a live album, however, the sound quality of the tapes proved to be inadequate for commercial release.*^

Historical Notes

The Beatles returned the following year for two more shows: August 29th and 30th, 1965. After the previous year's pandemonium, the Bowl's management tried to avoid a panic situation by hiring a Brinks armored truck to bring the Beatles to and from their hotel.

Since then, virtually every rock star (with the possible exception of Elvis) has played the Bowl.^**#

Capitol Records again recorded the two performances by the group as they did the previous year. The sound quality of the 1965 recordings was again disappointing. Capitol did, however, utilize a 48-second excerpt of "Twist and Shout" from the 1964 Hollywood Bowl concert on the 1964 documentary album, The Beatles' Story.*^

Historical Notes

The Hollywood Bowl reflecting pool was installed in 1953 and removed only 19 years later in 1972.*^

Historical Notes

The most colorful of the postwar lights is the Hollywood Boulevard Special. Beginning around 1960 the existing electroliers on Hollywood Boulevard were reconstructed. The original pole bases and shafts were retained, but the lamps were replaced by luminaires on short arms. The Hollywood Special is a rectangular housing, over seven feet in length, in which three lamps are housed. The face of each side of the housing is adorned by red stars.

Click HERE to see more early views of Hollywood Special Streetlights.

(1979)* – Looking down from the fire escape of the Broadway-Hollywood Building  with the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Ivar Avenue below.  The Security Pacific Bank (Security Trust and Savings Bank Building) stands on the northeast corner of Hollywood and Cahuenga.

Historical Notes

M'Goo's opened in 1959 at the northwest corner of Hollywood and Cherokee.  M'Goo's Food 'n Fun - was a fun old time Irish themed restaurant.  Owner Marty Bryman sold beer by the pound (6 lbs for $2.50) and champaign by the bubbles - in a glass slipper.

Historical Notes

M'Goo's was very popular with teenagers and tourists.  It was decorated like an old fashion pizza parlor. There was sawdust on the floor, little round tables and a high stage with a rinky-tink player piano.  M'Goo's offered up a variety of fare including pizza, spaghetti ravioli and the World Famous M'Goo Stew. Needless to say, it was a lively place with sing a-longs to old time music. (There was also a M'Goo's in Pasadena and Van Nuys).

M'Goo's stood here until a fire damaged the building in 1975.

Historical Notes

Shelley's Manne-Hole was a renowned jazz club located at 1608 North Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood. It was open from 1960 to 1972 and was a popular venue for jazz performances, particularly post-bop and modern jazz.

The club was owned and operated by drummer Shelly Manne, who performed there regularly with his band "Shelly Manne and His Men".  Other notable jazz artists who performed at Shelley's Manne-Hole include pianist Bill Evans, who recorded the live album "At Shelly's Manne-Hole" there in 1963.

The club's entrance featured advertisements for the performers, including Bill Evans, Abbey Lincoln, and Shelly Manne and his band. It was located along the historic El Camino Real route heading north from Hollywood towards the San Fernando Valley.

Historical Notes

Shelley's Manne-Hole was an important hub for the West Coast jazz scene in the 1960s, hosting many influential artists and serving as a venue for live recordings. It closed in 1972 after operating for over a decade as one of the premier jazz clubs in Los Angeles.

The manhole cover served as a memorial to the legacy of Shelly's Manne-Hole, which played an important role in the West Coast jazz scene.

Historical Notes

This is a photograph that appeared on the back cover of an LP by the big-voiced traditional pop singer Rouvaun. I believe it's from 1967. Caption: "Rouvaun riding his Harley-Davidson XLCH. Picture taken on Sunset Strip, Hollywood."  Actually, this stretch of Sunset is located a couple of miles east of the Strip.

Rouvaun (1932–1975) was born Jim Haun in Bingham, Utah. A child singer with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City, he went on to study voice at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and perform with the Beverly Hills Opera Company. Nonetheless, he remained a struggling woodworker studying voice. Rouvaun was a virtual unknown until February 5, 1967, when he appeared in Las Vegas as the headline singer leading the 100-person Frederick Apcar French stage review Casino De Paris at the Dunes Hotel. His first record label, KALAMO, described him on his debut album cover as "The World's Greatest Singer".

Nicknamed "The Vocal Vesuvius", Rouvaun continued performing on stage to sellout crowds and recorded a number of albums. His career seemed to be blossoming until tragedy struck in 1975, when Rouvaun collapsed and died at age 43 due to massive internal hemorrhaging. Apparently the strain on his vocal cords had caused his esophagus to rupture.*^

Historical Notes

On March 10, 1975, Wally Amos took the advice of some friends, and with $25,000 from singers Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy, he opened a cookie store at 7181 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, naming it "Famous Amos".  In the first year he sold $300,000 worth of cookies, followed by more than $1,000,000 in sales in the store's second year of operation. By 1982 the company's revenues reached $12 million.

Historical Notes

The store proved so popular that the "Famous Amos" brand eventually branched out to sell cookies in supermarkets, a move that would later be emulated by other specialty stores such as Baskin-Robbins, T.G.I. Fridays, and Starbucks.

In 1985 the meteoric rise began to slow down. That year the company lost $300,000 and had revenues of $10 million.  By 1988 the company lost $2.5 million. That year the Shansby Group purchased Famous Amos for $3 million. After one year as a paid spokesman for his sold company, Amos quit in frustration.

The Famous Amos brand has gone through a number of owners since inception. Between 1985 and 1989, the Famous Amos company went through four different owners.  In 1992 the President Baking Company purchased the brand from The Shansby Group. Then, in 1998, Keebler purchased the President Baking Company. It was then owned by Keebler until the Kellogg Company purchased Keebler in 2001. The brand is now a part of Kellogg's.

Historical Notes

Today, there is a sign commemorating the first Famous Amos store in Los Angeles, located at West Sunset Boulevard and North Formosa Avenue in Hollywood.

Historical Notes

Wally Amos has created another brand of cookie called "Chip and Cookie", named after two characters he created in the 1980s. The Chip and Cookie brand is owned by Wally himself, and has a slightly different recipe than that of the Kellogg's variation.

Historical Notes

The original Sunset Grill was run by owner Joe Froehlich from 1957 to 1997 when he sold the business. The building was torn down, rebuilt and reopened. The burger joint neighbors the Rock Walk at the Guitar Center and gained fame from the Don Henley song "Sunset Grill".

Historical Notes

After losing his job in airline marketing back in March, Kieran Wright, a  28-year-old New Zealand native, was searching for new ways to fill his time. But instead of turning to things like baking, binge-watching, or, you know, general existential despair, Wright focused his energy on something a bit more unexpected: Immortalizing iconic LA architecture through detailed miniature models.^

Historical Notes

Kittykat Musik and Friends wrote several songs at The Sunset Grill, while on breaks from recording next door at the now close SUSHI KINGz basement. The now famous VEGGIE WRAP song by Kittykat, Jesus acobain, AJ King and Friends, was written there. *^

The restaurant remains popular and is known for celebrity musician spottings.

Historical Notes

Mount Lee is named after early Los Angeles car dealer and radio station owner Don Lee. Lee, a one-time bicycle shop owner who became a protégé of Los Angeles pioneer businessman Earle C. Anthony, purchased the Los Angeles radio station KHJ from Times publisher Harry Chandler in 1927.

Part of Mount Lee was then sold to Howard Hughes, who intended to erect an estate for his then current love interest, Ginger Rogers. Ultimately, the Hughes-Rogers relationship soured, and the mansion was never built.  After utilization during the war by the U. S. Army, the property remained an idle asset for decades, and eventually became part of the Hughes estate.

In 2002, the Hughes estate sold 138 acres of their Mount Lee holdings to a group of Chicago investors. This opened up the possibility of development of four residential buildings adjacent to the sign. Many Angelinos, especially those in the movie industry, felt this would be sacrilege. A successful effort was mounted in 2010 to raise funds to purchase the land and add it to the adjacent Griffith Park.

Today, the large radio tower atop Mount Lee today is owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles. Smaller tenants on the site have included some federal government and amateur radio users.

Historical Notes

The "Hollywoodland" sign, originally erected in 1923, suffered significant damage during the 1940s. Contrary to popular belief, the letter "H" did not fall in 1947 but was actually knocked down by a windstorm in March 1944, leaving the sign to read "OLLYWOODLAND" for a time. This damage contributed to the overall deterioration of the sign during that era, leading to the removal of the last four letters, "LAND," in 1949, thereby simplifying the iconic landmark to "HOLLYWOOD."

Historical Notes

In March 1944 the H blew down in a windstorm, and nearby residents complained that the sign was a hazard and an eyesore. On January 6, the Recreation and Parks Commission announced that the sign would be torn down. They denied a request of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to alter and repair the sign to read Hollywood.

Several days later, Councilman Lloyd G. Davies (who represented Hollywood) introduced a resolution before the City Council that the Chamber of Commerce would repair the sign, at an estimated cost of $5,000, furnish bond to guarantee its maintenance and provide the city with proper liability coverage, if the parks commission would consent. Davies said his district was sensitive about becoming known as “ollywood.”

The parks commission later reversed its decision and allowed the first nine letters to be repaired and cut down the last four, to read HOLLYWOOD, therefore transforming it from a commercial display into a community one.

Historical Notes

Over the course of more than half a century, the sign, designed to stand for only 18 months, continued to sustain extensive damage and deterioration.

Historical Notes

By the 1970s, the first O had splintered and broken, resembling a lowercase u, and the third O had fallen down completely, leaving the severely dilapidated sign reading "HuLLYWO D".

Historical Notes

Improvements and maintenance occurred in fits and starts. By the early 1970s, committees were being formed to “save” the sign in order to restore it beyond shoddy paint jobs and patchwork repairs.

Finally, in 1978 a committee headed by Hugh Hefner and Alice Cooper collected the funds – about US$27,000 per letter – to not simply repair, but rebuild the sign.

Historical Notes

Following the 1978 public campaign to restore the sign, the following nine donors gave $27,777 each (which totaled $250,000):*

H – Terrence Donnelly – publisher of the Hollywood Independent Newspaper
O – Giovanni Mazza – Italian movie producer
L – Les Kelley – originator of the Kelley Blue Book
L – unknown
Y – Hugh Hefner – founder of Playboy magazine
W – Andy Williams – singer
O – Warner Bros. Records
O – Alice Cooper – singer, who donated in memory of comedian Groucho Marx
D – Thomas Pooley — donated in the name of Matthew Williams

Historical Notes

The new letters were 45 feet tall and ranged from 31 to 39 feet wide. The new version of the sign was unveiled on November 11, 1978, as the culmination of a live CBS television special commemorating the 75th anniversary of Hollywood's incorporation as a city.

Historical Notes

The strike and Emmy Awards boycott, which ran from July to October 25, 1980, led to a 32.25% increase in minimum salaries and a 4.5% share of movies made for pay TV.

Historical Notes

The sign has been painted several times since it was installed, however a recent project completed on December 4, 2012, removed all of the old paint and the sign is now painted on both sides.

Historical Notes

Although the city has occasionally allowed it in the past for commercial purposes, current policy does not permit changes to the Hollywood Sign. This is largely due to neighborhood opposition and to past accidents. However, the sign has been unofficially altered a number of times, often eliciting a great deal of attention.

Click HERE to see a list of alterations.

Historical Notes

The HOLLYWOOD sign was altered to read ‘HOLLYWeeD’ in January 1976, following the passage of a state law decriminalizing marijuana.

Historical Notes

Smog has been a big issue in Southern California for over half a century. Click HERE to see how things have improved in the last several decades.

Historical Notes

With the rise of Hollywood’s importance came a dramatic rise in its skyline. Before 1922, the tallest building in Hollywood was the four story Hillview Apartmentt Building. By the end of the decade, the multi-story Broadway-Hollywood Building, Christie Hotel, Equitable Building, First National Bank Building, Hollywood Guaranty Building, Hollywood Plaza Hotel, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood Storage Building, Knickerbocker Hotel, Yucca Vine Tower, and Taft Building had arisen in a flurry of development and Hollywood thus acquired its own proper downtown, distinct from Downtown Los Angeles and separated by 5.5 miles.

Historical Notes

+ In 1915, at the northwest corner of Hollywood and Vine Street sat the home of early Hollywood pioneer and land speculator George Hoover. Hoover was part of the L.A. Pacific Boulevard and Development Company. He was also president of Hollywood's first bank - the Bank of Hollywood and was one of the builders of the fashionable Hollywood Hotel (located at Hollywood and Highland). 

In 1925 German immigrant and movie maker Carl Laemmle purchased the property from George Hoover for $350,000. Laemmle was president of Universal Pictures Corporation and had a very successful movie studio in the San Fernando Valley. In 1932, Carl Laemmle opened the one story CoCo Tree Café on this corner.

In 1940, restaurateur Sidney Hoedemaker of the Pig 'N Whistle - Melody Lane chain, leased the northwest corner Hollywood and Vine transformed it into a Melody Lane Restaurant. This would be followed by Hody's Restaurant in 1954, Howard Johnson's in 1971, and the Brown Derby in the 1980s. The site became a slew of struggling retail and nightclubs such as; Premiere, Jack's Sugar Shack, the Deep, and finally the Basque nightclub. In April 2008 the building went up in flames and the lot has been empty since. #^**

Historical Notes

Hollywood’s historic Equitable Building has been transformed into condominium units with views of the Capitol Records tower and the iconic Hollywood sign. The original building was completed in 1930 and was home to the powerful Hollywood agent Myron Selznick.

Historical Notes

The curved two-arm streetlight pendants are connected to assemblies resembling a 'genie lamp'. Click HERE to see more.

Historical Notes

In 1968, Grauman's Chinese Theatre was dedicated LA Historic-Cultural Monument No. 55 (Click HERE to see complete listing).

In 2013, the world famous Chinese Theatre teamed up with one of China’s biggest electronics manufacturers, TCL, aka “The Creative Life” in a 10-year naming rights partnership. 

Historical Notes

The Hollywood & Highland Center is a shopping mall and entertainment complex at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. The 387,000-square-foot center also includes TCL Chinese Theatre (formerly Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and Mann's Chinese Theatre) and the Dolby Theatre (formerly known as the Kodak Theatre), home to the Academy Awards. The historic site was once the home of the famed Hollywood Hotel. Located in the heart of Hollywood, along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it is among the most visited tourist destinations in Los Angeles.*^

Historical Notes

The complex sits just across Hollywood Blvd. from the El Capitan Theatre and offers views of the Hollywood Hills and Hollywood Sign to the north, Santa Monica Mountains to the west and downtown Los Angeles to the east.

Historical Notes

The centerpiece of the complex is a massive three-story courtyard inspired by the Babylon scene from the 1916 D.W. Griffith film Intolerance. The developer of the shopping center built part of the archway and two pillars with elephant sculptures on the capitals, just as seen in the film, to the same full scale. It gives visitors an idea of how large the original set must have been.

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see the Babylon scene, from the D.W. Griffith film Intolerance, that inspired the Hollywood and Highland Center courtyard.

In August 2020 it was announced that Hollywood & Highland is getting a massive makeover and a new name.  The mall will become Ovation Hollywood, with a renewed focus on creative space and food and drink.*

Historical Notes

The Hollywood Sign: It's more than just nine white letters spelling out a city's name; it's one of the world's most evocative symbols – a universal metaphor for ambition, success, glamour...for this dazzling place, industry and dream we call H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D

Historical Notes

After low level flyovers above NASA and civic landmarks across the country and in California, Endeavor was delivered to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on September 21, 2012. The orbiter was slowly and carefully transported through the streets of Los Angeles and Inglewood three weeks later, from October 11–14 along La Tijera, Manchester, Crenshaw, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevards to its final destination at the California Science Center in Exposition Park.*

Space Shuttle Endeavor
First Flight: 1992      Last Flight: 2011      No. of Missions: 25

Historical Notes

In 1977, the Hollywood Sign and the land underneath (Griffith Park perimeter) was designated LA Historic-Cultural Monument No. 111 (Click HERE to see complete listing).

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