Other Side of Hollywood See More

If you're ever in Hollywood you can take a tour on the wild side, so to say of all the places of the stars who are no longer among the living. At 8221 Sunset Boulevard you will find the Chateau Marmont. It is considered to be one of the most haunted hotels in the United States. It is no wonder that the joint is jumping considering events of the past that have taken place here:

 

In 1982 John Belushi died of a drug overdose in one of the garden bungalows.

Jim Morrison of "The Doors" used up what he called "the eighth of my nine lives" hurting his back dangling from a drain pipe while trying to swing from the roof into the window of his hotel room.

James Dean hopped in through a window to audition with Natalie Wood for "Rebel Without a Cause".

Led Zeppelin band members rode their motorcycles through the lobby one evening to the cheers of guests.

Montgomery Clift, who was almost killed in a 1956 auto accident near the home of Elizabeth Taylor, was bought to the hotel by the actress to let him recuperate in the penthouse she leased there.

Greta Garbo loved to stay here during her infamous seclusion period and wouldn't leave her room for days.

Fashion photographer Helmut Newton died on January 23, 2004, after his car crashed into a wall on the driveway of the hotel. 

Judy Garland sang by the lobby's grand piano with Kay Thompson during a party held by director George Cukor.

Vivien Leigh estranged from her husband Laurence Olivier had every space in her Suite 5D covered with his photographs and only one picture in the bedroom of her and Olivier placed by her pillow.

Jean Harlow spent her honeymoon here and was a regular guest.

Howard Hughes moved into the attic of the hotel and spied on beautiful women in the pool area using prism binoculars.

F. Scott Fitzgerald suffered a heart attack here.

These are just some of the notable events which took place at the Chateau Marmont.

Afterwards you may want to walk on over to the Beverly Hills Hotel at 9441 Sunset Boulevard. They say that the bungalows are haunted by several ghosts including Rachmaninoff and Harpo Marx. In the lobby of this hotel actor Peter Finch suffered a fatal heart attack. If you happen to be hungry for pastries you may like to go to Sweet Lady Jane's Restaurant at 8360 N. Melrose Ave where you can perhaps share a table with Orson Wells. His spirit has been reported as being seen here at his favorite table along with the smell of his favorite brandy and cigars. 

The El Compadre at 7408 W. Sunset Boulevard is supposedly haunted by three ghosts. One is an unknown presence and two are of men who were killed in the 1950s by an armed robber while they were working. For those who prefer more company the All Star Café & Speak Easy in the Vogue Theater at 6675 Hollywood Boulevard is inhabited by at least seven entities. If you are looking for entertainment you might prefer The Comedy Store located at 8433 W. Sunset Boulevard. It was once the home of the famous "Ciros", which was a popular hangout of comedians and gangsters in the 1940s and 1950s. It became The Comedy Store in 1972 and went on to be the place where today's well-known comics became noticed such as Jim Carrey. It is also the place where you can come in contact with the entity of the late gangster Mickey Cohen and it has been reported that comic Blake Clarke had an experience with a menacing, hulking 7-ft. creature. The Comedy Store is owned by Mitzi Shore, who is the mother of comedian Pauly Shore. 

The Viper Room at 8852 Sunset Boulevard isn't as popular for ghosts as it is for the death that occurred out front. In 1993 on Halloween night actor River Phoenix died on the sidewalk of a drug overdose. The nightclub is a popular place for Hollywood stars to come together and is owned by actor Johnny Depp. 

While taking a walk through the neighborhood look all around carefully. At the corner of Hollywood and Vine, Lon Chaney had been spotted sitting on a bus bench but since the bench was removed, the entity of Lon Chaney is said to haunt the "Phantom of the Opera" set at Universal Studios Sound Stage 28. Lon Chaney played the Phantom of the Opera in the era of silent films and his son Lon Chaney, Jr. went on to play in "The Wolf Man" among other monster films. However if you are interested in the sightings of Native Americans then you must go to Hollywood Boulevard and Sierra Bonita Avenue. They have been seen on the streets and in the homes in this area. 

Hollywood also has its share of haunted residences. The homes of stars long gone whose entities have chosen to remain on the properties or in the homes. High up in the hills one can find the Barrymore Estate at 6 Beverly Grove, Beverly Hills. Here at least in the 1970s visitors reported seeing the ghosts of John, Lionel and Ethyl Barrymore. Rudolph Valentino has chosen to remain at his mansion known as Falcon's Lair. If one takes a look up at the second story windows passing by 1436 Bella Drive in Beverly Hills they may catch a glimpse of Valentino. A caretaker has also seen Valentino in the stables with the horses and an overnight guest claimed to have been chased by his spirit. Footsteps have been heard in the hallway and doors have open and shut for no reason.

If you happen to be a fan of Superman then the place to go is 1579 Benedict Canyon Drive in Beverly Hills. The original actor who played the man of steel on TV in the 1950s called this house his home. He shot himself in the upstairs bedroom and his ghost has been seen clad in the Superman costume. Gunshots have been heard in the house and lights go off and on for no reason. Noises have been heard from the bedroom and the room has been ransacked when no one was in the house. Neighbors have seen the spirit of Reeves standing on the front lawn. 
The silent film star legend Mary Pickford who was the wife of Douglas Fairbanks is known to haunt the first floor den of her former home known as Pickfair located at 1143 Summit Drive, Beverly Hills. In Hollywood at 1822 Camino Palmero Road the ghost of Ozzie Nelson has been seen by family members. This is the same home that was made famous in the TV sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet. The house that was once leased by the dashing actor Errol Flynn known as The Pines Estate at 2000 Fuller Avenue in Hollywood is now nothing more than a crumbling brick foundation. However neighbors say that the house itself reappears on summer nights and one can hear the sound and see the lights of the wondrous parties of yesteryear. 

The entity of actor Clifton Webb who was an avid non smoker and had a distaste for cats makes life difficult for smokers and cat lovers at his former home on Rexford Drive. Marilyn Monroe has made an appearance in front of her home on Helena Drive and singer Englebert Humperdinck who bought "Pink Palace" the house of former actress Jayne Mansfield has encountered her ghost there. 

John Wayne has been seen aboard his yacht The Wild Goose and psychics who have confirmed the presence of his ghost say that he isn't trapped in this world he simply prefers to visit his favorite places. At his former house Buster Keaton enjoys unplugging phones and turning off lights. Actress Jean Harlow and her husband Paul Bern a movie director lived in Benedict Canyon. In 1932, after a two month marriage Paul committed suicide in the house and five years later Jean died of a sudden kidney failure. Both of their ghosts have been seen in the bedroom. The house itself is thought to be cursed because two people have drown in the pool and another previous owner was killed.

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Hollywood Studios For all

Do you ever wonder when watching a film with famous actors and actresses what it must feel like to enter the lavish gates of film studios? To be recognized and smiled at and honored just for being a celebrity.

There are celebrities who have passed away and seem to have chosen not to leave their studios. Working during the night at some of Hollywood's older movie studios has proven to be a rather interesting experience for some security guards and technicians. One such long time employee said, "I've seen some things here that I wouldn't want to try to explain to anyone!" One such haunted studio is Universal Studios which in the 1930s made films such as Dracula, Frankenstein and The Mummy. In turn these films made stars of men like Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney, who began acting in Universal's heyday in the 1920s in films like The Phantom of the Opera. Released in 1925 this film became Chaney's masterpiece and a special stage was constructed, Stage 28 for the filming of this movie. The massive sets of the opera house were so huge that construction on Stage 28 began in 1923 and it has become a permanent fixture on the Universal lot. There are those who say that Lon Chaney has also become a permanent fixture at the studio. 

There are visitors and employees to Stage 28, who say that it is haunted. There have been sightings of a man in a black cape who appears to come and go without warning. Those who have gotten a closer look say that the cloaked man is Lon Chaney himself. The man has also been seen running on the catwalks overhead and lights have turned on and off by themselves as well as doors opening and closing on the empty stage at night. Thus, Stage 28 has become a place of legend on the Universal lot. 

Culver Studios was started by pioneer filmmaker Thomas Ince, who is considered to be the "Father of the Western". Ince however is remembered more for his scandalous death than for his contribution to the art of filmmaking. Ince died in November of 1924 while celebrating his birthday aboard a yacht owned by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst.

Hearst was romantically involved with actress Marion Davies. He created Cosmopolitan Productions as a company specifically for Marion. Parties thrown at her beach house were the most extravagant in town. Another popular party spot was Hearst's 280 ft. yacht called the Oneida. Hollywood's top celebrities received invitations for the occasion of Thomas Ince's 43rd birthday on November 15, 1924 which was to be held on the Oneida. Among the guests was the British author Elinor Glyn, Charlie Chaplin and gossip columnist Louella Parsons. 

The guest of honor Ince missed the boat when it sailed from San Pedro because he had to attend the premiere of The Miracle his latest film. He took a train to San Diego and there he met the Oneida. No one knows for sure what happened later but the version printed in Hearst newspapers was that after eating and drinking too much Ince died of acute indigestion. It stated that he was taken from the yacht and rushed home, where he died later. Unfortunately for Hearst, there were witnesses on board the yacht, like Charlie Chaplin's secretary, who saw the bullet hole in Ince's head as he was being carried off the Oneida. This then brings us to the real reason for the party. Hearst had reason to suspect that Chaplin and Marion were secretly seeing each other. Being a jealous man he invited the actor to his yacht so that he could observe him together with Marion. Further it is believed that Heart saw Marion and Chaplin slip off together during the party and discovered them together on the lower deck. In the ensuing confusion that followed Ince not Chaplin ended up with a bullet in his head. 

Ince's funeral was held on November 21. It was attended by his family, Marion Davis, Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Harold Lloyd. Hearst was noticeably absent. Afterwards the body was cremated and no official inquest was ever held. However persistent rumors linked Hearst to Ince's death. 

Finally these rumors prompted San Diego District Attorney Chester Kemply to call for an investigation. And once again things came to an abrupt stop when the ship's doctor testified about Ince's "poor health". The probe was called off. It was interesting as well that Louella Parsons was awarded a lifetime contract with Hearst soon after the incident. In the years that followed Hearst provided a trust fund for Ince's widow, Nell, which later was wiped out by the Depression and Nell became a taxi dancer (in those days there were taxi dance halls where women got paid for dancing with male patrons). As for Hearst the entire incident eventually became a sardonic joke in Hollywood and the Oneida became known as "William Randolph's Hearse". 

There began sightings of Thomas Ince and rumors that Culver Studios was haunted. Ince built the studios in 1918 and it changed hands several times after his death. Cecil B. DeMille, Howard Hughes, David Selznick, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball made significant contributions to film and television history on this lot. Classics like Gone With the Wind, King Kong, The Untouchables, Lassie, Batman and Citizen Kane were among the many shot here. 

As for the hauntings employees have reported ghostly figures roaming the lot at night while others have been frightened by the apparition of a woman who appears on the third floor from time to time. She always disappears quickly, leaving a cold spot of a chilling wind behind. The most famous sightings are those of Thomas Ince. Witnesses have reported seeing the entity of a man climbing the stairs in the main administration building, heading for the executive screening room. During his time at the studio this had been Ince's private projection room. 

When renovations to the studio were done n 1988 it upset Ince's ghost quite a lot. He would often appear to workmen and once turned and said, "I don't like what you're doing to my studio" and then vanished into the wall. Today Culver Studios remains one of the busiest lots in town.

It appears that the most haunted studio is Paramount. It is the last major studio to be actually located in Hollywood. It is situated next to Hollywood Forever Cemetery, which serves as the final resting place for stars like Valentino, Fairbanks and others. The cemetery is located the closest to Stages 29 through 32. The spirits seen entering the studio lot are usually wearing clothing from the 1930s and 40s. The most activity seems to revolve around Stages 31 and 32. At night footsteps are hear and equipment turns on and off and operates by itself. A well-known fact is that the stage doors make a very loud sound when they are opened or shut. Three guards had secured Stage 32 for the night. One of the men went outside closing and locking the door behind him. The other two guards looked around the place making sure everything was in order when they heard someone walking behind one of the stage flats. Looking behind the partition they saw that no one was there. Then moments later they heard the stage door being opened. Being convinced that it was the third guard they secured the rest of the stage and went out to find him sitting outside. He had not entered the sound stage. 

Another guard experienced something more frightening on this stage. Having secured Stage 32 he turned out the lights and was just leaving when he heard someone walking across the stage. He wondered how they could see in the dark. However the footsteps continued, crossing the dark stage with no problems. The startled guard turned on his flashlight to check things out and saw no one. Paramount Studios has many entrances and some of them have walk-in gates, like the one at Lemon Grove, which is located just a few feet from the cemetery. Here many entities enter the lot. Heads have been seen to poke through the cemetery wall and then disappear. One ghost to have walked through the gates has been that of Rudolph Valentino. Valentino died in 1926 at the age of 31 and was buried in Hollywood Forever Cemetery. It is said that he was buried in the white costume he wore in the film The Sheik and it is in this costume that his ghost has been seen. 

One night working the late shift a veteran security guard noticed an unfamiliar face. He followed the man to the corner of the wall to the cemetery and figured that he had him cornered. The guard waited for the man to come out. After a minute or two the guard looked around the corner and saw the man vanish into the cemetery wall. However the most haunted site on the studio lot is the Hart building. One of the oldest buildings on the lot and it was once part of the DesiLu Studios, owned by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. It is said that the spirit of a woman haunts the upper floors and that she gives off the strong scent of an old, flowery-like perfume. She is mostly seen by men and stories have circulated that she often takes things from desks and private places and throws them onto the floor. A security guard working at night in the Hart building was checking that all the windows and doors were locked. Suddenly a door that is on a hinge that causes it to shut very slowly slammed shut by itself as it somebody had violently pushed against it. There have also been stories about windows and doors to have unlocked by themselves, lights turning on and off and people being touched or tapped on the shoulder. An actress decided to set up her production offices on the third floor of the Hart building. One day the executive of the company went into the bathroom to wash his hands. He looked into the mirror and saw that his eyes were glowing red. He got frightened and ran into his office. He asked his secretary to look into his eyes. She too saw the red color and began screaming then ran for the door. The executive tried to get up from his chair but claimed to have felt hand pressing down on his shoulders. Finally, he managed to escape. The production company moved out the next day. 

Another incident was recorded in the security record on December 30, 1993. It was holiday time and few people were assigned to duty. One person was assigned to the main gate and four others to patrol the lot. That day a trainee worked alongside a veteran officer. They were assigned to cover an area between the Chevalier and Ball buildings. As they were walking between the buildings the trainee noticed someone looking down at them from the second floor of the Ball building but moments later the person was gone. He told his partner and they went to investigate. Having no keys to get to the second floor they called a supervisor. While waiting for the supervisor another guard came over and said he has seen a light come on in the Chevalier Building across the way. The older guard and the third officer went to investigate. They searched the building but found no one. Meanwhile the supervisor arrived and had the bottom floor checked out while he went to the second floor but the building turned out to be empty. 

One other strange incident to have taken place in the Ball building is that late one night, a man and a woman were leaving their office on the second floor. They were convinced that they were the last to leave because the building was empty and quiet. However on the way out they passed an old woman who was walking toward them. Neither recognized her and they thought that perhaps she was lost. Moments after she had passed them, one of them turned to inquire if the lady needed some help but she had disappeared.

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Do American's Need Edited Editions of Foreign Films?

Asian film imports first hit American shores decades ago, driven by the rise of the International Film Festivals in Europe. Erstwhile agoraphobic Hollywood executives would drag themselves from their gold castles and actually find something worthwhile in the amazing epics being produced on the far side of the Pacific. The market never quite found the foothold it would need to be commercially successful though, at least not until the martial arts genre came flying in on the golden wings of Bruce Lee.

Since then, company's like Sony and Miramax have gone out of their way to import film after film to US shores featuring some of the most amazing directors, actors, and martial artists in Asia. Unfortunately, with their eagerness to share those findings with the American public comes the dreaded cut. It's what any foreign film fan hates to hear most - "American edit".

It's not new to the industry. Since the 60s, foreign films have been going under the knife time and time again. It's basically the American studio executives deciding for the American people what they will and will not understand. They take a perfectly amazing film and cut out vast quantities of the story and remake the film in a manner more suitable to the short attention spans and fickle nature of a nation that doesn't like to read at the movies. Unfortunately, those that most appreciate and wait eagerly for theatrical releases of these films are also largely displeased with these methods.

The results are appalling sometimes as not only do they take out vital scenes just because they contain cultural references that Americans may not understand, they dub over the original voices with English voices so as the American public won't have to read subtitles. 

It's not new, and if you go back and watch any Kung Fu film released in America in the 70s or 80s it's there. It's a shame that the results are so horrible, because some of these films are truly amazing. And it's Miramax that's the biggest culprit in these film cutting crimes.

Take Shaolin Soccer for instance, one of my favorite films from Hong Kong in the last 15 years. The original Stephen Chow cut of the film in Hong Kong was 113 minutes long, a respectable normally cut film. The American cut released two years later was only 87 minutes long. Somewhere in the film they'd seen fit to cut almost a half hour of the comedy and/or action out. They'd essentially rewritten how the film would be shown, by taking out an entire subplot. 

The same can be said of any imported film. The Protector, a Thai import released this last fall was released with 27 minutes cut from the film. The critics panned it for being nonsensical and baseless in its plot. I've seen the Thai cut and I can say it wasn't astoundingly well written, but it was decent and of course it's baseless when you've cut 25% of the film out for a domestic audience. The results are unfair to the filmmakers as well, whose chances at success in the massive American market are skewered by the trigger happy finger of an American censor and cultural editor.

Other genres and markets feel the same backhanded scorn of the American studio system as well. In turns, Anime, Bollywood, and scores of amazing Latin American films are torn apart piece by piece for the good of our culturally ignorant masses. Anime, which dominates our children's programming anymore, is essentially redirected during localization to clean up the slightly more liberal approach to just about everything Japanese audiences have. Even the violent, battle filled anime such as Dragonball Z or Naruto is whitewashed at times, blue statements redubbed with goofier phrases.

When I go to see a film, I hope to see what the director wanted me to see, not what a board of stuffy American executives and censors decided would be acceptable for my less than worldly American brain. For that reason, I am more than happy to rent and purchase imported DVDs from overseas with the original cut of the film left intact and the original language track untouched. Not only am I able to see the film as it was originally meant to be seen, but I'm not directly supporting the further destruction of incredible films for Hollywood's corporate gain.

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The Drain of Original Thought In Hollywood

Every year around the same time we sit back and start to watch as the film industry ramps up its biggest summer offerings, throwing over budget sequel after over budget sequel at us in an attempt to snag all our hard-earned dollars (in a single movie if possible). It's a sequence that begs the question - what exactly are we doing? 

I don't want to start complaining and tearing apart the film industry yet one more time. I've done that a lot of late. No, what I'm thinking is that the industry born of its own self-aware, glitzy appeal to the masses has forgotten that film is technically, on a basic level, considered art. And art is not something entirely devoted to making money. Unfortunately, something else has occurred in recent years that makes it nearly impossible for art to garner the respect and admiration it once did - the blight that is technology.

When society evolved in the 19th century, so did everything humanity knew as art and culture. Instead of the commonly held belief that we were not good enough to enjoy the fruits of artistic endeavors as common folk, mass production and printing created pop culture and everyone was allowed to sit and enjoy the next great Dickens or Austen novel.

Not that I want to compare Dickens or Austen to Fantastic Four 2. The point is that when people everywhere were given a chance to access the art of the day, the division between high and low are grew much larger than it had ever been. Instead of the shallow gap between classical music and popular literature, there was the stark contrast of painted galleries and radio programs, or James Joyce and Raymond Chandler. 

When technology makes it easy to reach out and share your work with everyone, the prospect of making vast sums of money arises as well. The problem with money though is that most people are willing to sell every whim of their artistic integrity for the right payday.

By my calculations, Hollywood finished selling off its artistic integrity in the 1950s and has been flirting with the prospect of bringing it back on a part-time basis ever since. When the blockbuster season was minted in the 1970s, at least half of the year was thrown over to the cheesy Hollywood fluff that we're all witness to today. The biggest problem with that fluff is that it makes for great sequels and as 2007 is demonstrating, there are no longer any new ideas to be had. 

Instead, Hollywood bundles up all the films that manage to slip through the radar and actually be quite good and pushes them into the same two or three months of limited release at the end of the year so as to look good come Oscar season. For anyone living outside New York and Los Angeles it's nearly impossible to find these films and when they do finally spread and appear in other theaters, the deadest months of the year are upon us and no one goes to see them.

I'm not breaking new ground by stating that Hollywood is over-commercialized. It's not a secret, and as long as we keep frequenting the sequels and remakes and doling out $151 million in three days to see the third (and most mediocre) Spiderman film, they'll keep making them. It's just how big business works.

No, my point is not that Hollywood sucks, but that Hollywood seemingly cannot make the changes it wants to anymore. People are content with the formula that they've been cast into and despite some actually interesting moves in Tinseltown of late, the films that people see are still quite awful. As with any war, there has been something of an influx of intelligent political films in recent years, all of them Oscar worthy, and all them largely ignored at the box office. There have been numerous biopics and stories of woes and horrible historical happenings in Africa, which despite their amazing breadth and story telling strength are being ignored. There has been an influx of incredibly well made film from the Spanish-speaking world and Europe, all of it largely ignored.

Instead, a movie like Wildhogs is able to take the top spot at the box office (with a substantial draw) for two weeks in a row. It's not entirely the fault of corporate executives when people just plain have bad taste. And so, the summer movie season is essentially the equivalent of the Louver for those people, getting occasionally well written, returns from familiar characters and interesting new storylines.

Recycling characters that were massively successful in the past (regardless of how well written they were) is incredibly successful because there is immediate recognition and appeal. Now, if only Hollywood would throw at least one or two new ideas in our way. Even during the years when Batman Forever and Wild Wild West were being touted as major summertime releases, there were occasionally new, fresh ideas like Jurassic Park or Independence Day. Those films are not necessarily any more intelligent, but they're surely more unique and less tired. We've seen what happens when a franchise is milked too far, as with Spiderman or the early Batmans. A little bit of careful writing wouldn't hurt either.

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Interesting Facts about Hollywood

Very few places can be truly described as full of legends galore. Hollywood definitely is one of them. The very name Hollywood brings to mind an interesting mix of facts and myths to the movie buffs around the world. Read on to known about some interesting facts about Hollywood.
Hollywood is one of the districts of Los Angeles, California. It is identified as one of the most happening places in world. Hollywood is the metonym for the motion picture industry of the United States. The nickname of the Hollywood is "Tinseltown". In February 2006, Goldberg and Koretz, the Assembly members introduced a bill to specify the geographical boundaries of Hollywood. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the City Council of LA supported this bill and on August 28,2006, this bill was approved by the Governor of California. 

The official borders of Hollywood are Beverly Hills on the east, Mulholland Drive, Laurel Canyon, Barham Boulevard and Cahuenga Boulevard on the south, Melrose Avenue on the north, Hyperion Avenue and the Golden State Freeway on the west. Chamber of Commerce, Hollywood, appointed an official who serves as "Honorary Mayor of Hollywood". 

Historical Facts about Hollywood

In 1906, a streetcar line was constructed in the Hollywood district down the middle of "Sandy Road". This lane was known as the "Rose City Line". The establishment of the streetcar route facilitated the growth of the suburb of Hollywood. 

In 1923, Harry Chandler, a real estate agent and investor built the famous Hollywood Sign to advertise the area "Hollywoodland". The total expense for this advertisement was $21,000. Initially, it was built to last only for eighteen months. However, as of today, the Hollywood Sign has lasted for eighty years.

In 1939, four thousand twenty-watt bulbs were put to illuminate the signboard and a caretaker was appointed to maintain the same. The part of land, which included the "Hollywood" sign, was sold to the city of LA. 

In 1949, the alphabets "L, A, N & D" were removed. The board has read "HOLLYWOOD" ever since 1949.

The alphabets of the signboard began to fall down. To restore the same, in 1978 an auction of the alphabets was held by Hugh Hefner, founder of the magazine "Playboy". This auction was held for a period of three months. Alice Cooper, American rock singer, sponsored the alphabet "O". Gene Autry and Paul Williams sponsored the alphabets "L" and "W" respectively.

In 1995, a trust known as "Hollywood Sign Trust" was set up to maintain the Hollywood sign.

Theaters of Hollywood

Hollywood is known as the Cinema district of the United States. The reason is it houses many famous theaters and it is the home of many famous and popular film stars. 

On May 1927, a Chinese theater known as "Grauman's Chinese Theatre" was opened in Hollywood. It is one of the most popular and legendary theaters in the world. This Chinese theater is one of the major tourist attractions of the entertainment district. An attractive feature of this theater is its jade-green bronze roof, which is 90 feet high. Grauman's Chinese Theatre houses many artifacts from China and is truly a Chinese landmark in Hollywood. One of the courts of the theater has the foot and hand prints of various Hollywood legends such as Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, John Wayne, Jack Nicholson and so on. 

"El Capitan Theatre" hosts many live stage shows and world premieres of the movies. The Walt Disney Company and Pacific Theaters of Warner Brothers renovated it in 1989. 

In November 2001, "Kodak Theatre" with the seating capacity of over 3000 was opened in the heart of Hollywood. This theater has become the first permanent location of the Academy Awards. 

The other famous theaters include the "Egyptian Theatre" and "Pantages Theatre". These theaters run behind-the-scenes of movies and features dance performances and musical concerts. 

Interesting Landmarks of Hollywood

Did you know C.C. Brown's Ice Cream in Hollywood made hot fudge sundae?

Hollywood Hotel near Northwest Corner of Hollywood and Highland was the first hotel where the elite and movie stars of the yesteryear and those of today gather for lunch or dinner. 

In 1920s, the Embassy Club located in Christie Realty building catered to the elite of the Hollywood.

Montmarte Café was the first nightclub of Hollywood. It is believed the actress Joan Crawford was discovered here. 

One of the oldest restaurants favored by many in Hollywood is "Musso and Frank Grill". An oldest and the first tourist attraction of Hollywood is Paul DeLongpre Home. 

"Capitol Records" is the world's first circular office where the musical nights of The Beatles, Nat King Cole, The Beach Boys and Frank Sinatra were hosted.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/interesting-facts-about-hollywood.html

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Hollywood keeps breaking its own box

A night out at the movies has been all but replaced in American culture. We have TV, the Internet, and video games to keep us entertained, and they are often less expensive than a trip to the movie theaters. Nevertheless, Hollywood keeps breaking its own box office records with high grossing releases. How is it possible? Read on to find out.

The New Entertainment Industry

It used to be that going to the movies was a common form of evening entertainment - or even afternoon entertainment - for people of all classes and age groups across the United States. These days, a trip to the movie theater has been largely replaced by television, video games, and the Internet. People don’t want to shell out ten bucks or more to go to a movie when they could easily watch a rented movie or stay home and play games with friends via web-connected gaming systems. Nevertheless, all-time top grossing box office records continue to be broken, it seems more and more often.

Movie Going as an Event

This odd situation is fairly easily explained. Hollywood knows that people are unlikely to go see any old movie in the theater. They need the movie going experience to be a true event. Going to the movies needs to be a big deal - something special enough to disconnect people from their cell phones and computers. (Of course, not everyone bothers to disconnect themselves from mobile devices, making for a more distracted cinematic experience.) So how does Hollywood achieve this epic event atmosphere to keep breaking box office records?

One way to get people into theaters is to promote opening night events. The excitement of standing in line for a midnight showing of the latest blockbuster can’t easily be replicated in the comfort of our own living rooms. Opening night events are a huge source of revenue for the film industry, and Americans continue to buy in to these promotions.

The Power of Sequels and Adaptations

By now, most people have noticed that the vast majority of new movies being produced are sequels and adaptations. Utilizing familiar stories is another way that Hollywood keeps luring us into theaters. If we are already emotionally involved with a story, whether because we saw previous installments or because we’ve read the books, then we are more likely to become impatient to see new movies. By contrast, a movie with an original story is something we don’t know about, something that could hit or miss, even if it’s getting excellent reviews. If we’re on the fence about whether to go to the movies or not, an original, unknown story is less likely to sway us in Hollywood’s favor. The latest installment of a story we know and love, on the other hand, could convince us to go out.

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