Hollywood Walk of Fame

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http://www.heygo.com 12th February - The Walk of Fame Hollywood

The man credited with the idea for creating a Walk of Fame, was E. M. Stuart, who served in 1953 as the volunteer president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, he proposed the Walk as a means to “maintain the glory of a community whose name means glamour and excitement in the four corners of the world”.



On February 9, 1960, The first star to be dedicated on the historic walkway belonged to the actress Joanne Woodward, an Academy Award winner for The Three Faces of Eve (1957).

There are currently 2,691 stars - The five categories are Film, TV, Radio, Recording and Theatre/Live performance.

Every application has to include a statement from the celebrity that confirms they actually want to have a star, they also have to promise to turn up to the unveiling ceremony if their application is accepted.



Theatres are currently closed but we were able to see three iconic theatres.



In the 1920s, real estate developer Charles Toberman and Sid Grauman built the Egyptian, Chinese and El Capitan theatres.

El Capitan has a lavish East Indian inspired interior. Stars of the stage attended the opening of the El Capitan in 1926.

In 1941, the El Capitan Theatre was converted from a playhouse to a movie theatre.

Searching for a theatre in Hollywood to premiere his controversial film, CITIZEN KANE, Orson Welles rented the El Capitan where his first film was premiered.

In 1989, the Walt Disney Company joined forces with Pacific Theatres and launched a two-year, museum quality restoration of The El Capitan. The theatre reopened its doors to the public in 1991.



The grand opening of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in 1927 was the most spectacular theatre opening in motion picture history. Thousands of people lined Hollywood Boulevard and a riot broke out as fans tried to catch a glimpse of the movie stars and other celebrities as they arrived for the opening.



Built in the early 1920s, the Egyptian Theatre was originally planned to be Spanish in nature, but was restyled prior to construction as Revival-Egyptian due to public fascination with Egyptian archaeology.

To add to the Egyptian theme, a Bedouin guard, in full costume, paraded back and forth across the top of the tiled roof prior to showtime, in full view of the incoming audience and counting down the minutes so the patrons would not be late to their seats. The Spanish-style roof tiles above the entrance hint at the original design intent that the theatre have a Spanish theme.



The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, it is said that Marilyn Monroe supposedly haunts her old room (1200), where she lived as her fame grew; it’s rumored that her first ad was shot at the Roosevelt’s pool.



A different tour for sure but that’s what is so good about these virtual tours one minute you’re immersing yourself in Egyptian archeology and the next you’re looking for Donald Duck’s footprint on the walk of fame !

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