The history of the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been going on since 1926, and it began quite by accident. During the preparatory work for the construction of the Chinese theater, the builders stirred the cement.
Norma Tolmange (a famous silent film actress) was in a hurry to rehearsal and accidentally stepped on the unfixed material, leaving a mark on it.
The idea was continued by Sid Grauman, and a year later many celebrity footprints could be found in the courtyard of the Chinese Theater.
Los Angeles has many different memorable places
However, the main one, though, is the Hollywood Walk. It stretches along Hollywood Boulevard and occupies part of Wine Street. There is an opinion (which, many dispute) that the idea of acquiring a star with her own name belongs to actress Joan Woodward. In the crisis 60-70s, there was no time for the stars, but in the 80s the Alley began to transform again, its length increased significantly, the category “Live Theater” was created (a second row of stars was added).
A large-scale renovation began in 2008, many stars were replaced and restored. About $ 4.2 million was spent on the reconstruction. An interesting fact is that the organization that first offered funding ($ 1 million) - Absolut vodka - was marked with a symbolic star on the Hollywood mall. There are other organizations that provided financial support for the restoration (each of them was marked with special signs located near the Dolby Theater). In addition, a Selection Committee was created, the purpose of which is to regulate the list of stars who are candidates for nominations (nominees must be actively involved in one category or another for at least 5 years).
Of the many candidates, about 20-30 people are allowed. An indispensable condition is the personal presence of the nominee at the bookmark. For example, George Clooney, due to the fact that he did not come to the ceremony, did not receive his star. I must say that there are celebrities who themselves refused the honor of being awarded such an award (for example, Julia Roberts and Client Eastwood). There are names that have stars in different categories, for example Gene Autry, who has as many as 5 stars!
The names of the stars are placed next to the Oscar Theater
who received the Oscar, which, in principle, is natural, because this is where the award ceremony takes place.
Not so long ago, the stars left their footprints on the Alley filled with fresh concrete - for this they had to lie on the red carpet, which was laid out for this special event.
It is enough for modern stars to "attach" to the form, poured with concrete, and after it hardens well, the slab is placed in the place allotted for it.
Before visiting Grauman's Chinese Theatre,, you should study the location of the plates on the famous alley in advance, because once there, it is difficult to navigate in the names and footprints. An interesting fact is that when examining the Walk of Fame, in comparison with other attractions, you should look at your feet. For almost a hundred years, the most famous people of creative professions (actors, musicians, producers), as well as athletes and famous politicians, left their "autographs" in front of the facade of the Chinese theater. Initially, the stars addressed their wishes to Sid Grauman, but then the tradition changed. Today, the slabs contain handprints and footprints of famous people, as well as their autographs.
Celebrity names are placed in the center of each star
and in the lower part there is an emblem that explains why this star is given, that is, the role of a person in the area where he showed himself (for example: cinema, music, politics, television, etc.). There are people who are marked with special emblems (for example, astronauts who landed on the moon or sponsors who have been awarded the title "Friend of the Walk of Fame").
Among Hollywood, you can find Russian photos of actors, among them, for example, Natalie Wood (her real name is Natalia Zakharchenko). She spoke fluently both in English and Russian, moreover, she repeatedly said in her interviews that regardless of her place of residence, in her heart she considers herself Russian.
The most popular are the slabs of Charlie Chaplin, Al Pacino, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson (with a cast of his diamond glove and boots), etc. I must say that on the Walk of Fame there are prints and four-legged celebrities (for example, the shepherd Rin-Tin-Tin, known for his role as Commissioner Rex). In addition, here you can find the outlines of objects that are cinematic "rarities" (for example, the prints of Harold Lloyd's glasses, the wand with which Harry Potter performed miracles, etc.). In addition to real people, cartoon characters (Mickey Mouse, Shrek, etc.) have exclusive prints.
It cannot be said that
the alley is often replenished with exhibits, this happens no more than 2-3 times a year. As a rule, the action begins at 11-30 and lasts for 45 minutes. The laying ceremony itself is a solemn event, which is quite difficult to get to. To do this, you need to take a seat in advance (and, moreover, limited space is allocated for the public), and then how lucky. The whole ceremony is carried out at the level of the sidewalk (it is forbidden to get higher), so not everyone will be able to see their pet. You can find out about the upcoming ceremony on the Internet, on the official website of Grauman's Chinese Theater, much earlier than the event itself.
In accordance with the rules, a personalized star is awarded to one applicant posthumously every year, and, moreover, the condition is that at least 5 years have elapsed since the death of the nominee. An interesting fact is that the star of Mohammed Ali (a famous boxer) is placed on the wall because the athlete did not want anyone's feet to step on it. Over the long history of the Alley, there have been 4 precedents (stealing of stars).
When planning a trip to Los Angeles , visiting the Walk of Fame is a must. This attraction plays an important role in the development of tourism. About 10 million tourists come here every year. To accommodate everyone, the city has a well-developed infrastructure, you can choose a hotel for every taste and budget. In addition, there are over a hundred hotels that are designed for a comfortable stay with children.
During the existence of the Walk of Fame, many myths have formed (for example, the Charlie Chaplin stove brings failure), or in order to become financially successful, you should go to the stove of Carol Lombard or Veronica Lake. In any case, if you are lucky enough to visit the West Coast, then it would be unwise not to get on the road of fame.
