By Shelton A. Gunaratne ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚© 2010

I first visited Hollywood on 22 Dec. 1966 (a Thursday), during the West Coast tour of the World Press Institute fellows. I was impressed by the gigantic sign that spelled out HOLLYWOOD in 45-foot-tall, pure-white caps in the Hollywood Hills area of Mount Lee on Griffith Park. Although the sign is visible from most parts the city, insiders say that the view from Griffith Observatory is the best. ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s this landmark (established in 1923) that races into my mind whenever I hear or read the word Hollywood. Wow!

I have not yet attained the meditative state needed to analyze this particular outcome of the interaction of co-dependent variables upon the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-stream of consciousnessƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ that constitutes me.

In 1966, Clarke Wales, public relations director of the Motion Picture Producers Association, welcomed the WPI journalists, including me, to Hollywood. He gave us the basic facts and figures on the film industry. Then, off we went for a tour of 20^th Century Fox Studios, where Don Prince, a studio representative, showed us the shooting of films, and took us for lunch at the studio restaurant. We saw Jayne Mansfield, among other celebrities. We also visited the Hollywood Bowl, the Griffith Observatory, and GraumanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Chinese Theater.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Hollywood 1983

On 4 Sept. 1983 (a Sunday), my son Junius and wife Yoke-Sim joined me to pay obeisance to the famous Hollywood Sign yet again. It was the day we chose for our foray into Hollywood in the narrow geopolitical sense. Our focus was the neighborhood commonly identified as Hollywood lying to the west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  For all its fame, Hollywood is not a separate city although it has an honorary mayorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ appointed by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

(In 2006, Hollywood was recognized as a district of L.A. City with defined boundaries encompassing 25 square miles with a population of 124,000. Wikipedia describes the border loosely as the area east of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood; south of Mulholland Drive, Laurel Canyon, Cahuenga Boulevard, and Barham Boulevard, and the cities of Burbank and Glendale; north of Melrose Avenue; and west of the Golden State Freeway (I-5) and Hyperion Avenue. This includes all of Griffith Park and Los FelizƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬‚two areas that were hitherto generally considered separate from Hollywood.)

However, sometimes, what the world calls Hollywood goes well beyond this geographical patch of 25 square miles with popular landmarks such as:

• John Anson Ford Theater, established in 1920 (2580 E. Cahuenga Blvd.). We watched the rehearsal of a French play here.
• Hollywood Bowl (2301 N. Highland Ave.), which can seat 17,376 people. The Bowl was built in 1919 in a natural amphitheater/canyon, which was called “Daisy Dell.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Opened in 1922, it has been the host of hundreds of musical events every year.
• GraumanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Chinese Theater (6925 Hollywood Blvd.), opened in 1926, along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where we matched our feet to the footprints of the stars. The concrete in the theaterƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s forecourt contains almost 200 celebrity footprints, handprints and autographs.
• RipleyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Believe It or Not! Odditorium on Hollywood Boulevard.
• Hollywood Wax Museum (6767 Hollywood Blvd.), opened in 1965 by ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-SpoonyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Singh.
• The Lot [former Warner Hollywood Studios] at 7200 Santa Monica Blvd.
• Hollywood Center Studios (1040 N. Las Palmas Ave.)
• Red [former Ren-Mar] Studios (846 N. Cahuenga Blvd.).
• Paramount Studios (5555 Melrose Ave.)

Hollywood has two other wider meanings: Many people use the term Hollywood to refer to Greater Los Angeles in general. Others use Hollywood as a metonymy of American cinema. Wikipedia explains:

The nicknames ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Star Struck TownƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Tinsel TownƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ refer to Hollywood and its movie industry. Today, much of the movie industry has dispersed into surrounding areas such as the Westside neighborhood, but significant auxiliary industries, such as editing, effects, props, post-production and lighting companies remain in Hollywood, as does the backlot of Paramount Pictures.

On this tour, we paid little attention to the Westside area, which has now absorbed a large portion of the entertainment industry. Wikipedia says that Century City, a major business hub of the Westside, contains many major production corporations, film studios, commercial effects houses, talent agencies, and entertainment law firms.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Other important entertainment industry centers are Santa Monica, Venice, Beverly Hills, and new developments near Los Angeles Airport.

American pianist and comedian Oscar Levant (1906-1972) once described Hollywood in a nutshell: “Strip away the false tinsel from Hollywood, and you find the real tinsel inside.” So the glamour, celebrity and wealth associated with Hollywood, thanks to its movie industry, is a faƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚§ade or illusion (maya) behind which lies a life world of suffering (dukkha).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Another quote from Levant highlights one aspect of that suffering:ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  “Everyone in Hollywood is gay, except Gabby Hayes ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬‚ and that’s because he is a transvestite.”

Extending the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-TinselƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ metaphor to Mumbai (Bombay) motion picture industry, the term BollywoodƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬‚a portmanteau of Bombay and Hollywood–came into widespread use in the 1970s, when India overtook America as the world’s largest film producer.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ At Universal Studios

We visited Universal Studios Hollywood (owned by National Broadcasting Co.) on a subsequent Saturday (8 Oct. 1983). Located in Universal City, an unincorporated area of 65 square miles, Universal Studios operates both as a theme park (with 16 rides) and as a movie studio. (Discounted admission cost us $18 in 1983, with no charge for Junius. General admission in 2010: $70.)

We spent the first couple of hours touring the Backlot by train and foot. We saw costumes and props, sound stages and sets, drawing rooms, etc. We entered Studio 32 to see a demonstration of special effects.

We found the train tour very daring and excitingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬‚going through a bridge that almost fell apart; through a snow tunnel that nearly turned us around; and through the edge of a lake into which we almost fell while a shark came screaming toward us!

Having ascertained that we survived our derring-do for sure, we went on a self-guided tour of the Entertainment Center (Upper Lot and Lower Lot).

First, we attended the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Adventures of Conan: A Sword and Sorcery Spectacular,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ which had its run from 1983 to 1992. Its current replacement is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Creature from the Black Lagoon: The Musical,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- which began in 2009 for one year only.

Second, we attended the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Screen Test Comedy Theater.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Its current successor (since 2004) is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Shrek 3-D.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

Third, we attended the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Wild Wild West Stunt Show,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ which had its run from the 1980s to 2002. Another stunt show, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The A-Team Live Stunt ShowƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (1984ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”1987) has been replaced by ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ which began in 1995.

Fourth, we saw action on the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Animal Actors School Stage,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ which had its run from the 1970s to 2001. Its current replacement (since 2007) is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Universal’s Animal Actors.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

We also visited the World of Woody Woodpecker and the Motion Picture and Television Museum. Woodpecker is UniversalƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s mascot. He walks around the park with other costumed characters such as Andy Panda, Scooby Doo, Dracula, Beetlejuice, and Crash Bandicoot.

At NBC Studios

We devoted another Saturday (5 Nov. 1983) morning to join the 10 oƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢clock walking tour of the NBC Studios in Burbank (3000 W. Alameda Ave.). Burbank is just six miles northeast of Universal City.

Overall, the tour was a disappointment. Our guide, Brian D., took us to the mini-studio, where we saw ourselves on camera. Brian showed us several studios and sets used by celebrity news anchors and stars. Earlier, we visited the NBC employeesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ arts and crafts fair.

Burbank had struck a chord in my mind because comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin, my favorite TV starts in my graduate-student days, used to constantly brag about ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-beautiful BurbankƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in their popular ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Laugh-inƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ from 1968 to 1973. But the tour failed to show me the memorabilia associated with the two comedians.

NBC Studios refer to the companyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s TV studio facilities in Burbank, as well as its TV studio facilities in New York City, where the company headquarters are located. NBC has a third production facility in Chicago called the NBC Tower.

In mid-October 2007, NBC announced its plan to move most of its operations by 2011 from Burbank to a new complex across the street from Universal Studios in Universal City. It intended to retain only an office presence at the current Burbank site.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Next: About Santa Monica and Santa Barbara

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ (The writer is a professor of mass communications emeritus, Minnesota State University Moorhead.)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Figure 1: Hollywood and vicinity

Picture 1: Yoke-Sim and Junius at the Hollywood Bowl (4 Sept. 1983)

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Picture 2: Author and his son Junius at the NBC Studios in Burbank (5 Nov. 1983)