Who says California is home only to beaches, babes, and a lot of fun? Take a drive along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California and you’ll see what makes the pavement a cultural landmark, as well as a tourist spot for visitors from around the world.
Answers.com defines a landmark as “A building or site with historical significance, especially one marked for preservation by a municipal or national government” - which is what Hollywood’s Walk of Fame has been since 1978. Initially created in 1958 by Southern Californian artist Oliver Weismuller, it began with 2,500 blank stars. During the first stages of installation, many honorees were awarded multiple stars. Now, the trend has been to honor individuals who have not yet been represented, and about two stars are added a month. In 1978, the City of Los Angeles officially designated the Walk of Fame as a Cultural/Historic Landmark.
Each five-pointed pink star consists of gold with bronze rimming and is set in a charcoal square. Right below the name of each celebrity is a small circle with a symbol that represents the category the celebrity falls under.
- A motion picture camera represents the film industry;
- A television set represents broadcast television industry;
- A phonograph record represents the recording industry;
- A radio microphone represents the broadcast radio industry, and
- Twin comedy/ tragedy masks represent live theatre.
In order for a person to get a star at the Walk of Fame, he or she needs to attend a presentation ceremony within five years after being selected, and must pay a fee of $25,000 to be paid to the Hollywood Historic Trust for costs like security at the presentation, maintenance of the stars, etc. There have been four stars stolen from the Walk of Fame, namely the stars of Jimmy Stewart, Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, and Gene Autry. Cameras have been placed in order to catch thieves.
Whenever a star is added to the Walk of Fame, a ceremony ensues and people from all walks of life gather to see not only the celebrity being awarded the star, but to be part of history in the making - since the stars are permanent, unless moved or relocated for construction purposes or other reasons. Through the stars, the celebrity is in a way immortalized and their contributions to the entertainment industry are kept fresh and alive through the years to come.
Other versions of the Walk of Fame include St. Louis’ Walk of Fame (1988) in Missouri, Canada’s Walk of Fame (1998) in Toronto, and London’s Avenue of Stars (2005).
A map of the stars can be seen at Family Vacation Getaways as well as Hollywood & Los Angeles. The latter is a long list of 2000 people and may take a while to load.
Walk of Fame recipients for 2008 can be found at hollywoodchamber.net, along with the nomination procedures. Their Walk of Fame FAQs provide information about nominating your favorite star, who can nominate, and if a deceased star can be nominated. They hold an annual meeting wherein all nominations are considered.
Here’s a bit of trivia about Hollywood’s Walk of Fame:
- The first star ever awarded went to Joanne Woodward on February 9, 1960.
- Melissa Gilbert and Britney Spears are tied for being the youngest person ever to accept a Walk of Fame star at the age of 21.
- The celebrity with the most number of stars is Gene Autry, one in each category. His five stars are located at 6644, 6520, 6384, 6667, and 7000 Hollywood Boulevard, California.