Flashback Friday # 10

I thought it would be fun to write about the best part of Hollywood...

#10 The Hollywood Sign

Hollywood has always been known as the "city of broken dreams", but it was given the name "Hollywood" by real estate developer H. J. Whitely in 1886. In 1923 the sign was put up; but initially, it read, "Hollywoodland".

The letters of the sign were 50ft high, and after the first initial film set in Hollywood in 1904, it became the staple landmark of the town.

In September 16th, 1932 struggling actress Peg Entwistle leapt to her death. The letter she chose to descend from? the H. 

In 1949 "land" from "Hollywoodland" was taken off, and the sign was completely rebuilt to be 45 ft high. However despite the rebuilding in 1949, it became very depilated in the 1970s. The third "O" fell down the hill, and arsonists lit the "L" on fire. In 1978, Hugh Hefner held a gala to restore the sign which several contributors, including Alice Cooper, spent $28,000 each to restore the sign.

Originally the sign was intended to last a year, however because of its memorable image, it became a historical landmark in 1973. 

Although fictional, the sign has been destroyed in several movies. 

The Hollywood sign might be a image of deceit and misery however it is an icon of hopes and dreams as well. By getting to Hollywood and seeing the sign, you become everything you hope to be. Hollywood is the yin and yang of hope. It is the two sided coin where you can either succeed, or you can fail miserably.

The sign represents all of that. It is the basis and image of our home. It is the one major part of Los Angeles that I will keep in my heart.

Flashback Friday # 9

This week is about a truth....


# 9 Jayne Mansfeild's Car Accident

Jayne Mansfeild was an actress that had everything going for her. She was the mother of three children, and she was developing a serious career in the entertainment industry. She had about ten or so years working hard in acting as well as singing. Then, it was all wiped away in a car accident on June 29th 1967.

This might seem like a small post. However, I think I wanted to do this post because I wanted to throw water to the untrue fires of how she died. For this post I will not show any pictures of her death because I don't want her name to be associated with a nasty image.

The urban legend that has latched on to her name was how she died. Many believe that when she passed, she was decapitated, and that in the crash pictures, there are fragments of her decapitated head. 

What had happened that during the crash her wig flew off. A lot of actresses during that time would wear wigs, and she was one of them. 

What the police report states, is that her head was probably cracked. She didn't have her head cut off. Everything was still in place. The only thing that scattered was the wig. 

So if you hear anyone state she had her head cut off. Please correct them. You're not only correcting their mistake, but you're saving someone's reputation. 

Flashback Friday # 8

Hi!

#8 Hollywood Forever Cemetery 

One of the most popular venues for Los Angeles is a cemetery. It is a summer hotspot for movies, and concerts alike. In 2011 The Flaming Lips had a two day gig, and every october or november there is a Day of the Dead celebration. 

I'll just make the assumption that a lot of people know there are some stars buried here. Most the events are on Douglas Fairbanks' grave. It is quite famous for the golden era, and a lot of documentaries are shot here.

After experiencing the wonderful cemetery tour with http://www.cemeterytour.com/, I discovered that this cemetery is rich with history. I wanted to share some information about the cemetery.

The cemetery was founded in 1899 and was called, "Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery" by the famous Issac Lankershim and son-in-law Issac Van Nuys. Developed 13 years after the reconstruction, it became a burial site for confederate veterans since many people in the south moved to California to find work.

One of the cemetery's first famous inhabitants was Page Peters. He died when he was 27 at Hermosa Beach. Afterwards other stars were buried here like Rudolph Valentino, Marion Davies, Tyrone Power, and others. 

In 1939, felon Jules Roth bought the cemetery. Using the money for personal luxuries, Roth allowed the cemetery to be put into the despair. In the 1970s many of the lakes around the crypts were so diseased that dead animals would be seen floating around. None of the tombstones were cleaned, and none of the overgrowth was cleared.

Roth was a massive bigot. When the famous actress Hattie McDaniel wanted to be buried at the cemetery, so she can be immortalized like the rest of her famous comrades, he refused to have her buried there. The only option she had was to be buried at a segregated cemetery. 

When a body was being cremated in July 1974, the cemetery was starting to fall down, literally. As it was being cremated, bricks were falling around its body.

During the 1980s many people began moving their families to other cemeteries. In 1994, after the earthquake, the cemetery was so rundown that it caused the cemetery to not make any money.

Roth THANKFULLY died soon after and the cemetery was bought in 1998 by  Tyler and Brent Cassity. They were children of funeral owners and managed to put the cemetery in full refurbishment and repair. Now the cemetery has become a hybrid of where people go to celebrate life, and morn those who have gone.

If you want to see more about the cemetery, schedule a tour with Karie Bible at http://www.cemeterytour.com/