Hollywood Textbook

Compiled by O. Zabolotnyi, Kyiv 2009

Hollywood is a district in the megapolis of Los Angeles, California, situated west-northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame of the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word "Hollywood" is often used as a metonym (another name) of cinema of the United States. The nickname Tinseltown refers to the glittering, superficial nature of Hollywood and the movie industry. Today, much of the movie industry has moved into surrounding cities such as Burbank and the Los Angeles Westside but significant auxiliary industries, such as editing, effects, props, postproduction and lighting companies, remain in Hollywood. Left: Hollywood Boulevard as seen from the top of the Kodak Theater (note the stars of the Hollywood Walk of Fame)

Many historic Hollywood movie theaters are used as concert stages to premiere major theatrical releases and host the Academy Awards (known as “Oscar”) ceremonies. It is a popular destination for nightlife and tourism and home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Motion picture industry In early 1910, the Biograph Company based in New York sent a group of their employees including actors Blanche Sweet, Lillian Gish, Mary Pickford and Lionel Barrymore, and led by director D. W. Griffith to the west coast. They started filming on a vacant lot in downtown Los Angeles. The company decided to explore new territories and traveled five miles (8 km) north to the little village of Hollywood, which was friendly and enjoyed the movie company filming there. Griffith then filmed the first film ever shot in Hollywood called In Old California, a short melodrama set in Mexican colonial-era California in the 1800s. But the movie company did not remain in Los Angeles for long, and returned to New York. Left: A scene from The Squaw Man – the first feature film made in Hollywood, California

The first studio in Hollywood was established by the New Jersey-based Centaur Co., which wanted to make westerns in California. They rented an unused roadhouse (a sort of a cheap restaurant) at 6121 Sunset Boulevard, and converted it into a movie studio in October 1911. The first 1

feature film made specifically in a Hollywood studio, in 1914, was The Squaw Man, directed by Cecil B. De Mille, who later became one of the most famous film directors. By 1915, the majority of American films were being produced in the Los Angeles area. Right: Logos of some major Hollywood film companies

Several major film companies such as Paramount, Warner Bros. and Columbia — had studios in Hollywood, as did several minor companies and rental studios. Left: Hollywood movie studios, 1922

Right: Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck are some of the characters that became central to the company's image of Warner Brothers.

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented is one of the most prominent film award ceremonies in the world. The 1st Academy Awards ceremony was held on Thursday, May 16, 1929, at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood to honor outstanding film achievements of 1927 and 1928. It was hosted by actor Douglas Fairbanks and director Cecil B. De Mille. At the ceremony the hosts open sealed envelopes containing the names of the winners who receive certificates and Oscar statuettes. The official name of the statuette is the Academy Award of Merit. It depicts a knight made in Art Deco style holding a crusader's sword standing on a reel of film (see the photo on the left). The Academy Awards Ceremony is televised live across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and gathers millions of viewers in other countries of the world. In 2007 the ceremony was watched by more than 40 million Americans.

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Walk of Fame The Walk of Fame runs west on Hollywood Boulevard from Gower Avenue to La Brea Avenue and north to south on Vine Street between Yucca Street and Sunset Boulevard. The Walk of Fame is nearly a three-and-ahalf-(3 1/2)-mile (5.6km) 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 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 the following: • • • • •

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

Left: Before the 81st Academy Awards Presentations, Hollywood and Highland, Hollywood, 2009

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