The
Hollywood Walk of Fame is a
sidewalkA sidewalk , pavement , footpath , platform or footway is a path for pedestrians that is situated alongside a road or a paved...
along
Hollywood BoulevardHollywood Boulevard is a boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States, beginning at Sunset Boulevard in the east and running northwest to Vermont Avenue, where it straightens out and runs due west to Laurel Canyon Boulevard. West of Laurel Canyon it continues as a small...
and
Vine StreetVine is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California that runs north-south from Melrose Avenue up past Hollywood Boulevard. The intersection of Hollywood and Vine was once a symbol of Hollywood itself...
in
Hollywood, Los Angeles, CaliforniaHollywood is a district in Los Angeles, California, United States, situated west-northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word "Hollywood" is often used as a metonymy of American cinema...
, USA, that serves as an entertainment museum. It is embedded with more than 2,000 five-pointed stars featuring the names of not only human
celebritiesA celebrity is a person who is famously recognized in a society or culture.Generally speaking, a celebrity is someone who gets media attention and most frequently has an extroverted personality. The desire to be notable is implied by some to be a part of Western culture and more specifically the...
but also fictional characters honored by the Hollywood
Chamber of CommerceA chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
for their contributions to the entertainment industry. The Walk of Fame is maintained by the self-financing
Hollywood Historic Trust. The first eight stars were dedicated in September 1958 and placed in the sidewalk on the northwest corner of Hollywood Blvd. and
Highland AveHighland Avenue is a major north/south road that runs from Cahuenga Boulevard in the southern end of the San Fernando Valley to Washington Boulevard in Mid-City Los Angeles. Highland Avenue is a major north/south road that runs from Cahuenga Boulevard in the southern end of the San Fernando Valley...
. They were installed several months prior to the official 1960 Walk of Fame ground-breaking so as to be ready when the new, twelve-story First Federal Savings and Loan of Hollywood building was completed, in January 1959. On February 9, 1960,
Joanne WoodwardJoanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward is an American actress. Woodward is also a television and theatrical producer.-Early life:...
became the first performer to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 6801 Hollywood Blvd.
Characteristics
The Walk of Fame runs west on Hollywood Boulevard from Gower Avenue to
La Brea AvenueLa Brea Avenue is a prominent north/south thoroughfare in Los Angeles. Several museums are located along La Brea, and it is known for having many stores and eateries.-Description:...
and south to north on
Vine StreetVine is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California that runs north-south from Melrose Avenue up past Hollywood Boulevard. The intersection of Hollywood and Vine was once a symbol of Hollywood itself...
between Yucca Street and
Sunset BoulevardSunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
. The Walk of Fame is nearly a three-and-a-half-(3 1/2)-mile (5.6 km) round-trip walk. Locations of specific stars are permanent, except when occasionally relocated for nearby construction or other reasons.
Each star consists of a pink
terrazzoTerrazzo is a faux-marble flooring or countertopping material.-Production:Terrazzo workers create walkways, floors, patios, and panels by exposing marble chips and other fine aggregates on the surface of finished concrete or epoxy-resin. Much of the preliminary work of terrazzo workers is similar...
five-pointed star rimmed with bronze and inlaid into a charcoal square. Inside the pink star is the name of the honoree inlaid in bronze, below which is a round bronze emblem indicating the category for which the honoree received the star. The emblems are:
- Motion picture camera for contribution to the film industry
- Television set for contribution to the broadcast television industry
- Phonograph record for contribution to the recording industry
- Radio microphone for contribution to the broadcast radio industry
- Twin comedy/tragedy masks for contribution to live theater
There are a few exceptions.
DisneylandDisneyland is an American theme park in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of The Walt Disney Company. It was dedicated with a press preview on July 17, 1955, and opened to the general public July 18, 1955...
's star has an emblem of a building, and honorary
mayor of HollywoodThe Mayor of Hollywood is an honorary and ceremonial position in Hollywood, a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles, California. The office carries responsibilities, such as presiding at Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremonies, but it entails no salary or official power...
Johnny GrantJohnny Grant was an American radio personality and television producer who also served as the honorary mayor of Hollywood, in which capacity he was often present at Hollywood community functions, including the unveiling of new stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame...
's star depicts the Great Seal of Hollywood. Former Los Angeles mayor
Tom BradleyThomas or Tom Bradley is the name of:*Tom Bradley , former mayor of Los Angeles, California*Tom Bradley , American novelist and essayist...
has a star depicting the seal of the city of Los Angeles. Also, the crew of the Apollo XI mission are named in four identical moons at the intersection of
Hollywood and Vine Hollywood and Vine, the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, became famous in the 1920s for its concentration of radio and movie-related businesses. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is centered on the intersection.The largest collection of photos of...
. CW network affiliate KTLA-TV (Channel 5) was honored with a star on the Walk of Fame. The picture on KTLA's star shows a satellite dish, even though KTLA is a terrestrial television station.
Nominations are submitted annually by May 31, and the Walk of Fame committee meets the following month to pick the next year's group of honorees. Star ceremonies are open to the public and formerly were led by honorary Hollywood mayor Johnny Grant prior to his death in 2008.
Origins
The Walk of Fame began as a part of the Hollywood Improvement Program, a 1950s effort in neighborhood improvement. Garrie Thompson and Gordon McWilliams, the owners of Anesco Construction Co., came up with the idea as a way to generate some business for their company, and brought it to the Program's attention in 1955 by creating a prototype star made out of brown
terrazzoTerrazzo is a faux-marble flooring or countertopping material.-Production:Terrazzo workers create walkways, floors, patios, and panels by exposing marble chips and other fine aggregates on the surface of finished concrete or epoxy-resin. Much of the preliminary work of terrazzo workers is similar...
with
John WayneMarion Mitchell Morrison , born Marion Robert Morrison, better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and has become an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive voice, walk and height...
's name embedded in shiny brass. The proposal gained support, so the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce eventually chose 1,558 names from the worlds of radio, recording, television and film to become the first honorees. Construction started in 1958 and the HWOF was dedicated on February 8, 1960. The original stars were installed by Consolidated Terrazzo Company; many honorees received multiple stars during the initial phase of installation for contributions to separate categories.
Although begun as an effort to promote
redevelopmentRedevelopment is any new construction on a site that has pre-existing uses on it such as the redevelopment of an industrial site into a mixed-use development or the redevelopment of a block of townhouses into a large apartment building...
, by the late 1960s, Hollywood Boulevard had become a haven for prostitutes and drug addicts; although the selection committee continued to exist (with a single representative from each of the four original categories), they went a decade without adding a new star. In 1978, the
city of Los AngelesLos Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. Often abbreviated as L.A. and nicknamed The City of Angels, Los Angeles has an estimated population of 3.8 million and spans over in Southern California...
designated the Walk of Fame as a
Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. In 1980,
Johnny GrantJohnny Grant was an American radio personality and television producer who also served as the honorary mayor of Hollywood, in which capacity he was often present at Hollywood community functions, including the unveiling of new stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame...
, then a Hollywood Chamber of Commerce member, agreed to lead an effort to revive the practice, adding two new rules: honorees would be required to show up for a Walk of Fame ceremony, and they would have to pay a USD 25,000 fee to help pay for the HWOF's upkeep.
By 1994, more than 2,000 of the original stars were filled, and additional stars extended the Walk west past Sycamore to La Brea Avenue, where it now ends at the Silver Four Ladies of Hollywood Gazebo (with stars honoring
The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music...
and
Elvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as Elvis and is also sometimes referred to as The King of Rock 'n' Roll or The King....
)
Restoration
In July 2008, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced that the Walk of Fame was to undergo a US$4.2-million face-lift. 778 stars will have to be replaced because of the wear and tear that they have undergone since they were first laid down. Some of the stars have become so damaged that they are tripping hazards to tourists who traverse the walk. At the same time, Hollywood Chamber announced the Friends of Walk of Fame program will begin, with
Absolut VodkaAbsolut Vodka is a French-owned brand of vodka, produced near Åhus, Scania, in southern Sweden. Since March 2008, the company has been owned by the French firm Pernod Ricard, having been sold as a part of the V&S Group, which was owned by the Swedish government.Building on a four century tradition...
becoming the first Friend; it will be given an award on private property in front of the
Kodak TheatreThe Kodak Theatre is a live theatre in the Hollywood and Highland retail, dining, and entertainment complex on Hollywood Boulevard and North Highland Avenue in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles...
, as the first major contributor to the restoration process. This program is a collaboration between the Hollywood Chamber and various city entities.
Firsts
- Gene Autry
Orvon Gene Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
is the only person to have been honored with all five possible stars, for his contribution in each of the five categories.
- Diana Ross
Diana Ross is an American singer and actress. During the 1960s, she helped shape the Motown Sound as lead singer of The Supremes, before leaving the group for a solo career on January 14, 1970...
is one of only a handful of celebrities to have two stars in the same category, one as a member of The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
and one as a solo artist. Michael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson , known as the "King of Pop", was an American musician and one of the most commercially successful and influential entertainers of all time...
was the first to achieve this, through his solo career and as a member of The Jackson Five. Smokey RobinsonWilliam "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown Records, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
was honored first with a star as a solo artist and then as a member of his original group, The MiraclesThe Miracles is an American rhythm and blues group from Detroit, Michigan, notable as Motown royalty, the first successful group act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records...
, who were honored on March 20, 2009.
- One-time actor Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California .Born in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1930s...
is the only President of the United StatesThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
to have a star, and one of the two Governors of CaliforniaThe Governor of California is the highest executive authority in the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual "State of the State" addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced.The position was...
to have a star (the other governor being Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian American bodybuilder, actor, businessman, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the state of California....
).
- Anna May Wong
Anna May Wong was an American actress, the first Chinese American movie star, and the first Asian American to become an international star...
is the only Asian-American female to have a star (as of 2008); all other Asian-Americans that have been awarded stars are male.
- Strongheart
Strongheart was the screen name of Etzel von Oeringen , a German shepherd that became one of the earliest canine film stars. After being trained in Germany as a police dog, he was brought to the United States by husband and wife filmmakers Laurence Trimble and Jane Murfin, who had previously worked...
was the first of three dogs to receive a star. LassieLassie is a fictional collie dog character and a stage name for several dog actors. The fictional character was created by Eric Knight in a short story expanded to novel length called Lassie Come-Home. Published in 1940, the novel was filmed by MGM in 1943 as Lassie Come Home with a talented dog...
and Rin Tin TinRin Tin Tin was the name given to several related German Shepherd dogs featured in fictional stories on film, radio, and television.-Origins:The first of the line Rin Tin Tin (often billed as Rin-Tin-Tin in the 1920s and 1930s) was the name given to several related German Shepherd dogs featured in...
were the other two.
- In 1960, singer Jimmy Boyd
Jimmy Boyd was an American singer, musician, and actor.-Early life:Jimmy Boyd was born in an old farmhouse to Winnie and Leslie Boyd. In 1941 his father, Leslie, put his wife and their two sons , on a train bound for Riverside, California for the second time...
became the youngest to receive a star on the Walk Of Fame at only 20 years old. On April 29, 2004, 18-year-old twins Mary-KateMary-Kate Olsen is an American actress, producer, fashion model and fashion designer. She has had an acting career beginning at a young age, in roles with her twin sister Ashley Olsen....
and Ashley OlsenAshley Fuller Olsen is an American fashion designer, entrepreneur, and actress. Ashley founded her luxury brand, The Row in 2006, and co-designs Elizabeth and James with Mary-Kate Olsen, her twin sister.-Working as a twin:...
became the youngest people in any category ever to receive a star. Their star is outside the Kodak Theatre, near Hollywood and Highland Mall.
- On November 18, 1978, in honor of his 50th anniversary, Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a comic animal cartoon character who has become an icon for The Walt Disney Company. Mickey Mouse was created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks and voiced by Walt Disney. The Walt Disney Company celebrates his birth as November 18, 1928 upon the release of Steamboat Willie...
became the first cartoon character to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star is located on 6925 Hollywood Blvd.
- In 2002, the Walk of Fame broke tradition with Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is a retired American boxer and three-time World Heavyweight Champion, who is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight champions. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome...
's star. His star is displayed on a wall of the Kodak TheatreThe Kodak Theatre is a live theatre in the Hollywood and Highland retail, dining, and entertainment complex on Hollywood Boulevard and North Highland Avenue in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles...
, due to Ali's request that he not be walked on.
- In 2005, companies became eligible for Walk-of-Fame-type stars; the first recipient was Disneyland, in honor of its 50th anniversary. Company awards are on private property near the Walk, and not part of the Walk itself. Companies must have a strong Hollywood presence and be at least fifty years old to qualify for this award.
- In February 2006, Judith Sheindlin
Judith Sheindlin , better known to the public as Judge Judy, is an American lawyer, judge, television personality, and author. She passed the New York bar exam in 1965 and became a prosecutor in the family court system. In 1976, Mayor Ed Koch appointed her a judge, first in criminal court and...
(better known as Judge JudyJudge Judy is an American court show featuring former family court judge Judith Sheindlin arbitrating over small claims cases. The series is in first-run syndication and distributed by CBS Television Distribution, the successor company to its previous distributors Worldvision Enterprises, Paramount...
) became the first (and so far only) television judge to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- On January 24, 2007, Los Angeles television
Television is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
station and CW network affiliate KTLA-TV (Channel 5) became the first television service (station or network) to be honored with a star on the Walk of Fame. The picture on KTLA's star shows a satellite dishA dish is a type of parabolic antenna designed to receive microwaves from communications satellites, which transmit data transmissions or broadcasts, such as satellite television.-Principle of operation:...
, recognizing the station's pioneer status as the first West Coast TV station carried by satellite to viewers from Greenland to Panama.
- On March 14, 2008, Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestler, promoter, in-ring announcer, play-by-play commentator and film producer. He currently serves as the chairman and chief executive officer of World Wrestling Entertainment and is the majority shareholder of WWE. He is the creator...
got his own star. He is the first professional wrestlingProfessional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is an athletic performing art where matches are prearranged by the promotion's booking staff. It is a non-competitive sport which contains strong elements of theatre, mock combat, and catch wrestling. Wrestling's origins date to 19th-century carnival...
personality to receive a star. (The Harlem GlobetrottersThe Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater, and comedy.Created by Abe Saperstein in 1926 in Chicago, Illinois, the team adopted the name Harlem because of its connotations as a major African-American community...
were the first sports entertainmentSports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience...
honorees on the Walk.)
Stolen stars
Four stars have been stolen from the Walk of Fame. Those of
James StewartJames Maitland "Jimmy" Stewart was an American film and stage actor, best known for his self-effacing persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
and
Kirk DouglasKirk Douglas is an American actor and film producer recognized for his prominent cleft chin, his gravelly voice and his recurring roles as the kinds of characters Douglas himself once described as "sons of bitches". He is the father of Hollywood actor and producer Michael Douglas...
, which had been removed during a construction project, were stolen from the site on Vine Street. The culprit was a contractor who was later caught with the two stars, damaged and unusable, but not until after they had been replaced. One of
Gene Autry'sOrvon Gene Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
stars was also taken from another construction project. It was later found in
IowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland." It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of...
. On November 27, 2005, thieves sawed
Gregory PeckGregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1990s...
's star out of the sidewalk near Gower; the star has been replaced as of September 2006 but the thieves have not been caught.
Surveillance cameras are being placed in the walk district to catch thieves.
Nomination process
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Walk of Fame Committee is responsible for selecting a new group of entertainers each year to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. New recipients are announced each June for the following year. In order for a person to get a star on the Walk of Fame, he or she must agree to attend a presentation ceremony within five years of selection, and a fee (currently $25,000, up from $15,000) must be paid to the Trust; some of it ($5,000 of $15,000 in December 2003) is set aside for maintenance and repair, with the rest going towards the installation, security, publicity, and staging costs.
The fee is often paid by sponsors such as film studios and record companies, as part of the
publicityPublicity is the deliberate attempt to manage the public's perception of a subject. The subjects of publicity include people , goods and services, organizations of all kinds, and works of art or entertainment.From a marketing perspective, publicity is one component of promotion...
for a release with which the honoree is involved.; as
Johnny GrantJohnny Grant was an American radio personality and television producer who also served as the honorary mayor of Hollywood, in which capacity he was often present at Hollywood community functions, including the unveiling of new stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame...
pointed out in 2006: "These studios, when they want a star and they've got a picture opening, they'd give you $100,000". On other occasions, the fee is paid by a fan club.
Gallery
Types of stars:
Television, Motion Pictures, Live Theater, Recording and Radio.
Passed stars
See also
- Hollywood and Vine
Hollywood and Vine, the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, became famous in the 1920s for its concentration of radio and movie-related businesses. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is centered on the intersection.The largest collection of photos of...
- Grauman's Chinese Theater
- Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong
The Avenue of Stars , modelled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. It honours celebrities of the Hong Kong film industry.-History:...
- Avenue of Stars, London
The Avenue of Stars was London's version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It opened in 2005 with one hundred names.The Avenue of Stars was a walkway through Covent Garden passing St Paul's Church, commonly known as the "Actors' Church". It honoured individuals or groups from the entertainment...
- Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame, located in Toronto, Ontario, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians. It consists of a series of stars imbedded in 13 designated blocks worth of sidewalks in Toronto, located in front of Roy Thomson Hall, The Princess...
- St. Louis Walk of Fame
The St. Louis Walk of Fame honors well-known people from St. Louis, Missouri who made contributions to culture of the United States. All inductees were either born in the Greater St. Louis area or spent their formative or creative years there...
- Birmingham Walk of Stars
The Birmingham Walk of Stars is an installation on the pedestrian pavement on Broad Street, Birmingham, England. It is of a similar style to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California...
- Hollywood's Rockwalk
- Carol Burnett's Star
External links