Hollywood

You don't need a smartass like me to tell you what this is. Suffice to say that this area has gone through years of decline but is now definitely on its way back. Much has been done to return some of the glamour to this fabled place and the myths and legends surrounding it give it a special atmosphere all its own. Wallow in movie nostalgia.

All around are places steeped in movie mythology. Mann's Chinese Theatre is still there, an odd looking place but it is here that stars still come to set their handprints in concrete. The theatre itself has hosted many movie premieres but the site of the first (for the 1922 Robin Hood) was the Egyptian Theatre. Based on the Temple of Thebes this movie house has recently been acquired by the city and now it hosts a history of the film industry plus other special movie screenings.

Originally Hollywood was a typical Californian farming community but when the first studio opened in 1911 it's life changed forever. They came here because the sunlight meant they could save money on artificial lighting and the land was cheap.

Other sites with a 'history' include the Roosevelt Hotel, the first home of the Oscars and a place famed for stars misbehavin'. The Hollywood Entertainment Museum is as much a TV museum as a movie museum. They have all kinds of memorabilia but the highlight is the bridge from the original Starship Enterprise. For ultimate fandom (a word I just made up) visit the Hollywood Memorial Cemetery where many stars of yesteryear went to face their final critic. Chief amongst these is Rudolf Valentino whose tomb is still pulling the crowds.

Whilst in Hollywood don't expect to see any stars, they have all gone, as have the major studios. For many years Hollywood seemed in terminal decline, a sleazy strip of whores, hustlers and porno theatres, even now it is not for the faint hearted after dark. Recent massive investment has begun to reverse this trend and once more it is possible to have a good time and dream dreams of celluloid immortality. Can you believe it is now illegal to go up to that blooming great HOLLYWOOD sign?