The Hollywood Sign: Unlikely Rival for the Statue of Liberty

 Posted on October 1, 2024  |  5 minutes  |  881 words  |  Aldo Pusey

Millions now see the 90-year-old former real estate billboard as a symbol of America

Flimsily constructed as a billboard for the Hollywoodland housing development at its feet, the Hollywood sign has evolved over its 90-year history into an international symbol of opportunity.

Though it’s long been known as an emblem of Hollywood wealth and glamour, in recent decades it has come to represent America itself for millions, especially around the Pacific Rim.

“They see (the Hollywood sign) in television, they see it in movies, and they see it as representative of the advertising of the American dream,” says Hollywood Sign Trust chairman Chris Baumgart. “It’s the allure of opportunity. Specifically, it’s the opportunity to make it in the entertainment business. But big picture, that’s the hope and dream that America represents.”

The sign is fenced off and under 24-hour surveillance, so it’s illegal to get within arm’s length. Yet tourists make the climb anyway. Hope Anderson, who directed the documentary “Under the Hollywood Sign,” says, “There’s this feeling that if you get close to the sign, and preferably can touch it, that some kind of magic will be imparted to you.”

Related Stories

A wrecking ball swinging towards an old TV with a TV host on the screen VIP+

Late-Night TV vs. YouTube: Data-Driven Tips on Which Is Better for Celebs Promoting Films

Playing Gracie Darling

Paramount+ Commissions Australian Mystery Drama Series ‘Playing Gracie Darling’ – Global Bulletin

Anderson, who was born in Hong Kong, grew up in Japan, and studied Japanese history at UC Berkeley, says: “It’s almost become this religious icon and people feel that if they touch the Hollywood icon … they’ll be the star that they know themselves to be.”

Popular on Variety

They’re often disappointed to be kept at bay, but as Baumgart says: “Isn’t that what dreams are all about? Just out of reach.”

Producer Luo Yan, a former movie star in China who moved from Shanghai to the U.S. in the mid-1980s and now splits her time between Beijing and L.A., observes the sign’s location adds to its mystique.

“Because it’s on a mountain, it means ‘on top of the world,’ ” Luo says. “It’s everything about America, not just Hollywood.”

Even showbiz vets feel the sign’s allure. Howard A. Rodman, VP of the Writers Guild of America West, says while the sign is owned by the city, “Really, it’s the property of the world.”

“To me (it) represents the continuation of that dream of what movies could be, of what entertainment could be. And, if we listen to our better angels, the kinds of stories that we, who live under its shadow, can tell the world.

“That gives me inspiration and courage as I get up every morning to write.”

Read More About:

Jump to Comments

More from Variety

Most Popular

Must Read

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Variety Confidential

A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXJ%2FjqyanqaVZLOmrdOuqZ6rX528rbjYsKaonF2otqi6jKugr5mcqHq1tMRmqq2ZpKqybrvFZqOimpWnwbp5kGtnaW5laYV1f44%3D