| Hollywood Walk of Fame | |
|---|---|
6801 Hollywood Boulevard near Kodak Theatre |
|
| Established | 1958 |
| Location | Hollywood Blvd. and Vine St. Hollywood, Los Angeles |
| Type | Entertainment hall of fame |
| Visitor figures | 10 million annually |
| Website | Official website |
| Designated: | July 5, 1978 |
| Reference #: | 194 |
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California. The stars are permanent public monuments to achievement in the entertainment industry, bearing the names of a mix of actors, musicians, directors, producers, musical and theatrical groups, fictional characters, and others. The Walk of Fame is administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and maintained by the self-financing Hollywood Historic Trust. It is a popular tourist destination, with a reported 10 million visitors in 2003.
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The Walk of Fame runs 1.3 miles (2.1 km) east to west on Hollywood Boulevard from North Gower Street to North La Brea Avenue, plus a short segment of Marshfield Way that runs diagonally between Hollywood and La Brea; and 0.4 miles (0.7 km) north to south on Vine Street between Yucca Street and Sunset Boulevard.[1]
As of November 8, 2011[update] the Walk consists of 2,454 stars.[2] These are spaced at 6-foot (1.8 m) intervals, each consisting of a coral-pink terrazzo five-point star rimmed with brass (not bronze, an oft-repeated inaccuracy)[3] inlaid into a charcoal-colored terrazzo background. In the upper portion of the pink star field, the name of the honoree is inlaid in brass block letters. Below the inscription, in the lower half of the star field, a round inlaid brass emblem indicates the category of the honoree's contributions. The emblems symbolize five categories within the entertainment industry:
Of all the stars on the Walk to date, 47% have been awarded in the motion pictures category, 24% in television, 17% in audio recording, 10% in radio, and less than 2% in the live performance category. An average of twenty new stars are added to the Walk each year.[3]
According to a 2003 report by the market research firm NPO Plog Research, the Walk attracts about 10 million visitors annually — more than Sunset Strip, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the Queen Mary, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art — and has played an important role in making tourism the largest industry in Los Angeles County.[4]
"Special category" stars recognize miscellaneous contributions by corporate entities, service organizations, and special honorees, and display emblems unique to those honorees.[5] These stars are granted by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce or the Hollywood Historic Trust, but are not part of the Walk of Fame proper; instead, they are located nearby on private property.[6][7][8] As examples, former Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley's star displays the Seal of the City of Los Angeles;[6][9][10] the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) star emblem is a replica of a Hollywood Division badge;[11] and stars representing corporations, such as Victoria's Secret and the Los Angeles Dodgers display the honoree's corporate logo.[5][12] The "Friends of the Walk of Fame" monuments vary from the trademark "star" shape: they are charcoal terrazzo squares, rimmed by miniature pink terrazzo stars displaying the five standard category emblems, along with the sponsor's corporate logo, with the sponsor's name and contribution in inlaid brass block lettering.[7][13][14][15]
The monuments for the Apollo XI mission to the Moon are uniquely shaped. Four identical, circular "moons" bearing the names of the three astronauts (Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin E. ("Buzz") Aldrin Jr), the date of the first Moon landing ("7/20/69"), and the words "Apollo XI", are set on each of the four corners at the intersection of Hollywood and Vine.[16] The "moons" are silver and dark grey terrazzo circles rimmed in brass on a square pink terrazzo background, with the television emblem inlaid at the "twelve o'clock" position on the circles.[16]
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce credits E. M. Stuart, its volunteer president in 1953, with the original idea for creating a Walk of Fame.[17] Stuart proposed the Walk as a means to "maintain the glory of a community whose name means glamour and excitement in the four corners of the world."[17] Harry Sugarman, another Chamber member and president of the Hollywood Improvement Association, receives credit in an independent account.[18] A committee was formed to flesh out the idea, and an architectural firm was retained to develop specific proposals. By 1955, the basic concept and general design had been agreed upon, and plans were submitted to the Los Angeles City Council. In February 1956, a prototype was unveiled featuring a caricature of an example honoree (John Wayne, by some accounts)[19] inside a blue star on a brown background.[17] However, caricatures proved too expensive and difficult to execute in brass with the technology available at the time; and the brown and blue motif was nixed by C. E. Toberman, the legendary real estate developer known as "Mr. Hollywood", because the colors clashed with a new building he was erecting on Hollywood Boulevard.[17][20]
Multiple accounts exist for the origin of the "star" concept. According to one, the historic Hollywood Hotel, which stood for over 50 years on Hollywood Boulevard at the site now occupied by the Hollywood and Highland complex and the Kodak Theatre, painted stars on its dining room ceiling over tables favored by its most famous celebrity patrons, and that may have served as an early inspiration.[21] Another account states that the stars were "inspired both by the foot- and handprints outside Grauman's Chinese (Theater) and by Sugarman's old drinks menu, which featured celebrity photos framed in gold stars" at his restaurant, The Tropics.[18][22]
By March 1956, the final design and coral-and-charcoal color scheme had been approved, and between the spring of 1956 and the fall of 1957, 1,558 honorees were selected by committees representing the four branches of the entertainment industry at that time: motion pictures, television, audio recording, and radio. The committees met at the Brown Derby restaurant,[23] and included such prominent names as Cecil B. DeMille, Samuel Goldwyn, Jesse Lasky, Walt Disney, Hal Roach, Mack Sennett, and Walter Lantz.[17]
As the members of the audio recording committee worked at compiling their Walk of Fame list, they realized that there were many people important to the music industry who would not qualify for a Walk of Fame star. They decided to create an award of their own to honor those in the music business — the Grammy Award.[24]
Construction began in 1958, but two lawsuits delayed completion. The first was filed by local property owners challenging the legality of the USD $1.25 million tax assessment levied upon them to pay for the Walk, along with new street lighting and trees. In October 1959 the assessment was ruled legal.[17] The second, filed by Charles Chaplin, Jr., sought damages for the exclusion of his father, Charlie Chaplin, whose nomination had been withdrawn due to pressure from multiple quarters. Chaplin's suit was dismissed in 1960, paving the way for completion of the project.[17][25][26]
Johnny Grant has stated that Joanne Woodward is "often singled out" as the first to receive a star on the Walk of Fame,[27] but in fact there was no "first" recipient; all of the original stars were installed simultaneously, with no individual ceremonies. The eight stars, with names drawn from a hat from the original 1,550,[28][29][30] were built first, while litigation was still holding up construction. They were installed on the northwest corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in August 15, 1958[17] to generate publicity and demonstrate how the Walk would eventually look,[17] and included stars for Woodward, Olive Borden, Ronald Colman, Louise Fazenda, Preston Foster, Burt Lancaster, Edward Sedgwick, and Ernest Torrence.[17][31] The official groundbreaking took place on February 8, 1960.[21] On March 28, 1960, the first new star placed was director Stanley Kramer's, on the easternmost end of the new Walk, near the intersection of Hollywood and Gower.[17][32] The Joanne Woodward legend originated, according to Grant, because she was the first to pose with her star for photographers.[27]
Though the Walk was originally conceived, in part, to encourage redevelopment of Hollywood Boulevard, the 1960s and 1970s were a period of protracted urban decay in the Hollywood area as residents moved to suburbs.[33][34] From the initial installation of over 1500 stars in 1960–1961, eight years passed without the addition of a new star, as the Los Angeles City Council in 1962 passed an ordinance naming the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce "the agent to advise the City" about adding names to the Walk, and the Chamber, over the next six years, devised rules, procedures, and financing methods to do so.[17] In December 1968, Richard D. Zanuck was awarded the first star in eight years in a presentation ceremony hosted by Danny Thomas.[17][23][35]
In July 1978, the City of Los Angeles designated the Hollywood Walk of Fame a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.[36]
Radio personality, television producer, honorary mayor of Hollywood, and Chamber member Johnny Grant (1923–2008)[37] is generally credited with implementing the changes that resuscitated the Walk and established it as a significant tourist attraction.[23] In 1980, he stimulated publicity and encouraged international press coverage by requiring that each recipient personally attend their star's unveiling.[23] Grant later recalled that "it was tough to get people to come accept a star on the Walk of Fame" until the neighborhood finally began its recovery in the 1980s.[34] Grant also instituted a fee of $2,500 (now $30,000)[3] payable by the person or entity nominating the recipient, to fund the Walk of Fame's upkeep and minimize further taxpayer burden.[23]
Grant was awarded a star in 1980 for his television work,[17] and in 2002 he received a second star in the "special" category to acknowledge his pivotal role in improving and popularizing the Walk.[38] He was also named chairman of the Selection Committee and Honorary Mayor of Hollywood (a ceremonial position previously held by Art Linkletter and Monty Hall,[39][40] among others).[17][38] He remained in both offices from 1980 until his death in 2008, and hosted the great majority of unveiling ceremonies. His unique special-category star, with its emblem depicting a stylized "Great Seal of the City of Hollywood",[41] is located at the entrance to the Kodak Theater, adjacent to Johnny Grant Way.[42]
In 1984, a fifth category, "Live Theatre" was added to permit acknowledgement of contributions from the live performance branch of the entertainment industry, and a second row of stars was created on each sidewalk to alternate with the existing stars.[17]
In 1994, the Walk of Fame was extended one block to the west on Hollywood Boulevard, from Sycamore Avenue to North LaBrea Avenue (plus the short segment of Marshfield Way that connects Hollywood and La Brea), where it now ends at the silver "Four Ladies of Hollywood" gazebo and the special "Walk of Fame" star.[43] At the same time, Sophia Loren was honored with the 2,000th star on the Walk.[17]
In 2008, a restoration of the Walk was initiated, with costs estimated between $4 million and $4.2 million.[44][45][46] At least 778 stars will eventually be repaired or replaced during the ongoing project because of wear and tear suffered over the years, from minor cosmetic flaws to damage severe enough to constitute a walking hazard. The project began with an evaluation of all 2,365 stars on the Walk at the time, each receiving a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F. Honorees whose stars received "F" grades, indicating the most severe damage, were Joan Collins, Peter Frampton, Dick Van Patten, Paul Douglas, Andrew L. Stone, Willard Waterman, Richard Boleslavski, Ellen Drew, Frank Crumit, and Bobby Sherwood. 50 celebrities' stars received "D" grades.[46]
The ongoing restoration project is a collaboration between the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and various Los Angeles city and county governmental offices, along with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the Metro Red Line that runs beneath the Walk, since earth movement due to the presence of the subway line is thought to be partly responsible for the damage.[45]
To provide funding for the restoration project, the "Friends of Walk of Fame" program was inaugurated, whereby commercial interests may contribute funds toward the restoration effort.[46] Absolut Vodka became the first "Friend",[44] with a donation of $1 million,[47] followed by L'Oreal.[48] Friends are recognized with honorary plaques adjacent to the Walk of Fame in front of the Kodak Theatre.[7][44][47]
The program received some criticism: Alana Semuels of the Los Angeles Times referred to it as "just the latest corporate attempt to buy some good buzz," and quoted an area brand strategist: "I think Johnny Grant would roll over in his grave to hear that a commercial entity was doing something to play with the concept of being immortalized."[7] Karen Fondu, President of L'Oréal Paris, stated, "Given the number of celebrities we have used as spokespersons for our brand, it was a natural affinity."[47]
The original selection committees chose to recognize some entertainers' contributions in multiple categories with multiple stars. Gene Autry is the only honoree with stars in all five categories.[49][50] Bob Hope, Mickey Rooney, Roy Rogers, and Tony Martin each have stars in four categories — Rooney has three of his own and a fourth with his wife, Jan,[51][52] while Rogers also has three of his own, and a fourth with his band, the Sons of the Pioneers.[53][54] Thirty-three people, including Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore, Gale Storm, Danny Kaye, and Jack Benny, have stars in three categories.[49]
Six recording artists have two stars in the same category for distinct achievements: Michael Jackson, as a soloist and as a member of The Jackson Five; Diana Ross, as a member of The Supremes and for her solo work; Smokey Robinson, as a solo artist and as a member of The Miracles; and John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, as individuals and as members of The Beatles. Paul McCartney's nomination for an individual star lapsed in 1998 when a presentation ceremony could not be scheduled.[27] He has since been renominated, and will receive his second star "when a date can be arranged for him to unveil it." [55] Cher forfeited her opportunity to join this exclusive club by declining to schedule the mandatory personal appearance when she was selected in 1983.[28] She did, however, attend the unveiling of the Sonny & Cher star in 1998, as a tribute to her recently deceased ex-husband, Sonny Bono.[56]
George Eastman is the only honoree with two stars in the same category for the same achievement — the invention of roll film.[57]
Charlie Chaplin is the only honoree to be selected twice for the same star on the Walk. He was unanimously voted into the initial group of 500 in 1956, but the Selection Committee ultimately excluded him, ostensibly due to questions regarding his morals (he had been charged with violating the Mann Act — and exonerated — during the "White Slavery" hysteria of the 1940s) but more likely due to his left-leaning political views.[58] The rebuke prompted an unsuccessful lawsuit by his son, Charles Chaplin, Jr. His star was finally added to the Walk in 1972, the same year he received his Academy Award;[26] but even then, 16 years later, the Chamber of Commerce received angry letters from across the country protesting its decision to include him.[59]
In 1978 the committee, perhaps recalling its Chaplin difficulties, voted against awarding a star to the controversial opera singer, actor, athlete, writer, lawyer, and social activist Paul Robeson. The outcry from the entertainment industry, civic circles, local and national politicians, and many other quarters was so intense that the decision was almost immediately reversed.[60][61][62] His star is on the 6600 block of Hollywood Boulevard.
Two pairs of stars share identical names representing different people. There are two Harrison Ford stars, honoring the silent film actor (at 6665 Hollywood Boulevard), and the present-day actor (in front of the Kodak Theatre at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard). Two Michael Jackson stars represent the singer/dancer/songwriter (at 6927 Hollywood Boulevard), and the radio personality (at 1597 Vine Street). When the singer/songwriter Jackson died, in 2009, fans mistakenly began leaving flowers, candles, and other tributes at the Vine Street star. Upon learning of this, the radio host Jackson wrote on his web site, "I am willingly loan[ing] it to him and, if it would bring him back, he can have it."[63]
Twelve Joneses have stars, but only seven Smiths. There are 14 Moores, but the most common surname is Williams: Andy Williams, Bill Williams, Billy Dee Williams, Cindy Williams, Earle Williams, Esther Williams, Guy Williams, Hank Williams, Joe Williams, Kathlyn Williams, Paul Williams, Robin Williams, Roger Williams, Tex Williams and Vanessa Williams.[64]
The largest collection of stars honoring one group of blood relatives is the widely scattered set of seven representing the Barrymore family: John Barrymore, his brother Lionel (who has two), and sister Ethel, their uncle Sidney Drew, John's son John Drew Barrymore, and John Drew's daughter Drew Barrymore.
Walk of Fame rules prohibit consideration of nominees whose contributions fall outside the five major entertainment categories, but the selection committee has been known to conjure some interesting rule interpretations to justify a selection. The Walk's four round Moon landing monuments at the corners of Hollywood and Vine, for example, officially recognize the Apollo XI astronauts for "contributions to the television industry." Johnny Grant acknowledged, in 2005, that classifying the first Moon landing as a television entertainment event was "a bit of a stretch."[27]
Magic Johnson's considerable basketball skills had no direct connection to movies, music, TV, radio, or theater, but the committee added him to the motion picture category, based on his ownership of the Magic Johnson Theatre chain, citing as precedent Sid Grauman, builder of Grauman's Chinese Theatre.[27] "[Now] people want Orville Redenbacher," Grant quipped in the 2005 interview, "because his popcorn is in all the theaters."[27]
Muhammad Ali's star was granted after the committee decided that boxing could be considered a form of "live performance." His star is the first (and so far only) one to be installed on a vertical surface. It is displayed on a wall of the Kodak Theatre, acceding to Ali's request that his name not be walked upon.[65][66]
Since 1968, all living honorees have been required to be present at their star's unveiling, and approximately 40 have declined the honor due to this condition.[27] The only recipient to date who has failed to appear after having agreed to do so was Barbra Streisand, in 1976. Her star was unveiled anyway, near the intersection of Hollywood and Highland.[67] Streisand did attend, however, when her husband, James Brolin, unveiled his star in 1998, two blocks to the east.[68]
Ten stars are identified with a one-word stage name. The most novel is Parkyakarkus, the principal pseudonym of Harry Einstein, the comedian and radio personality (and father of Albert Brooks and Bob Einstein). The other nine are Sting, Liberace, Cantinflas, Meiklejohn, Paderewski, Mako, Sabu, Houdini and Shakira.
The largest group of individuals represented by a single star is the estimated 122 adults and 12 children[69] collectively known as the Munchkins, from the landmark 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz.
Clayton Moore is so inextricably linked with his Lone Ranger character, even though he played other roles during his career, that he is one of only two actors to have his character's name alongside his own on his star. The other is Tommy Riggs, whose star reads, "Tommy Riggs & Betty Lou."[70]
For more than 40 years, singer Jimmy Boyd was the youngest star recipient at age 20, but he lost that distinction in 2004 to 18-year-old twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Their joint star (the only one shared by twins) is outside the Kodak Theatre, near the Hollywood and Highland Center.
The Westmores received the first star honoring contributions in theatrical make-up. Other make-up artists on the walk are Max Factor and John Chambers.
Three stars recognize experts in special effects: Ray Harryhausen, Dennis Muren, and Stan Winston.
Only one costume designer has received a star, eight-time Academy Award winner Edith Head.
Sidney Sheldon is one of two novelists with a star, which he earned for writing screenplays such as The Bachelor and The Bobby-Soxer before turning to novels.[71] The other is Ray Bradbury, whose books and stories have formed the basis of dozens of movies and television programs over a nearly 60-year period.[72]
Nine inventors have stars on the Walk: George Eastman (as mentioned); Thomas Edison, inventor of the first true film projector and holder of numerous patents related to motion-picture technology; Lee DeForest, inventor of the vacuum tube, which made radio and TV possible, and Phonofilm, which made sound movies possible; Merian C. Cooper, co-inventor of the Cinerama process; Herbert Kalmus, inventor of Technicolor; Auguste and Louis Lumière, inventors of important components of the motion picture camera; Mark Serrurier, inventor of the technology used for film editing; and Hedy Lamarr, co-inventor of a "frequency-hopping" radio guidance system used in Wi-Fi networks and cellular telephone systems.[73]
In 1978, in honor of his 50th anniversary, Mickey Mouse became the first animated character to receive a star. Other animated recipients are Bugs Bunny, Donald Duck, Woody Woodpecker, Snow White, Tinker Bell, Winnie-the-Pooh, Shrek, Rugrats, and the Simpsons. The star inscribed Charlie Tuna honors not the animated advertising mascot, but the long-time radio personality (real name: Art Ferguson).
Other fictional characters on the Walk include The Munchkins (as mentioned), two Muppets (Kermit the Frog and Big Bird), one monster (Godzilla), and three non-animated canine characters (Strongheart, Lassie, and Rin Tin Tin). The Muppets will receive a collective star in 2011, making Kermit and Big Bird the first fictional characters with two stars.
Six stars recognize cartoonists and animators: Walt Disney, Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones, Walter Lantz, Dr. Seuss, Charles Schulz, Hanna-Barbera, and Jay Ward with Matt Groening due to receive a star in 2012.[74]
Three puppeteers have stars: Jim Henson, Shari Lewis, and Fran Allison.
Locations of individual stars are not necessarily random or arbitrary. Stars of legendary and world-famous celebrities, the so-called "show business royalty", are mostly found in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Oscar winners' stars are usually placed near the Kodak Theatre, site of the annual Academy Awards presentations. Decisions are occasionally made with a dollop of whimsy: Mike Myers's star, for example, lies in front of an adult store called the International Love Boutique, an association with his Austin Powers roles; Roger Moore's star is located at 7007 Hollywood Boulevard in recognition of his seven James Bond films; and the last star, at the very end of the westernmost portion of the Walk, belongs to The Dead End Kids. Honorees are typically given input into choice of location, although final decisions remain with the Chamber.[27]
In her 1986 memoir, actor/comedienne Carol Burnett explained her very specific location choice: While working as an usherette at the historic Warner Brothers Theatre (now the Hollywood Pacific Theatre) during the 1951 run of Alfred Hitchcock's film Strangers on a Train, she took it upon herself to advise a couple arriving during the final few minutes of a showing to wait for the next showing, to avoid seeing (and spoiling) the ending. The theatre manager fired her on the spot for "insubordination" and humiliated her by stripping the epaulets from her uniform in the theatre lobby. In 1977 when she was awarded a star, the Chamber asked if she had a preference for its placement. "Right in front of where the old Warner Brothers Theatre was," she replied, "at Hollywood and Wilcox." And that, she added, is exactly where you will find it.[75]
The Hollywood and La Brea Gateway gazebo,[76] called the "Four Ladies", locally,[77] stands upon a small triangular "island" formed by the confluence of Hollywood Boulevard, Marshfield Way, and North La Brea Avenue, at the westernmost extension of the Walk of Fame. It was commissioned in 1993 by the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency Art Program, and created by the architect, production designer, and film director Catherine Hardwicke as a tribute to the multi-ethnic women of Hollywood.[76] The gazebo is a stainless steel stylized Art Deco lattice structure. The roof is an arched square supporting a circular dome; the word "HOLLYWOOD", decorated with small motion picture camera emblems, appears within each of the four archways. The dome is topped by a central obelisk, with neon block letters spelling "HOLLYWOOD" descending vertically on each of its four sides. Atop the obelisk is a small gilded weathervane-style sculpture of Marilyn Monroe in her iconic "billowing skirt" pose from The Seven Year Itch.[78] The domed structure is held aloft by four caryatids sculpted by Harl West[76] to represent the African-American actress Dorothy Dandridge, Asian-American actress Anna May Wong, Mexican actress Dolores Del Rio, and the multi-ethnic, Brooklyn-born actress Mae West.[77] The sculpture measures 30 feet (9.1m) in height and 12 feet (3.6m) along each side.[76]
The work was dedicated February 1, 1994, to a mixed reception. Los Angeles Times art critic Christopher Knight called it "the most depressingly awful work of public art in recent years," representing the opposite of Hardwicke's intended tribute to women. He wrote, "Sex, as a woman's historic gateway to Hollywood couldn't be more explicitly described."[79] Independent writer and film producer Gail Choice, however, called it a fitting tribute to a group of pioneering, courageous women who "carried a tremendous burden on their feminine shoulders," as depicted quite literally in Hardwicke's gazebo. "Never in my wildest dreams did I believe I'd ever see women of color immortalized in such a creative and wonderful fashion."[80] Hardwicke herself contended that critics had missed the "humor and symbolism" of the structure, which "embraces and pokes fun at the glamour, the polished metallic male form of the Oscar, and the pastiche of styles and dreams that pervades Tinseltown."[81]
Four of the stars, which weigh about 300 pounds (136 kg) each, have been stolen from the Walk of Fame. In 2000, James Stewart's and Kirk Douglas's stars disappeared from their locations near the intersection of Hollywood and Vine, where they had been temporarily removed for a construction project. Police recovered them in the suburban community of South Gate when they arrested a man involved in an incident there and searched his house. The suspect was a construction worker employed on the Hollywood and Vine project. The stars had been badly damaged, and had to be remade. One of Gene Autry's five stars (it is not clear which one) was also stolen from a construction area. Johnny Grant later received an anonymous phone tip that the missing star was in Iowa, but it was never found. "Someday, it will end up on eBay," Grant once joked. The most brazen and ambitious theft occurred in 2005, when thieves used a concrete saw to remove Gregory Peck's star from its Hollywood Boulevard site at the intersection of North El Centro Ave, near North Gower. The star was replaced almost immediately, but the original was never recovered and the perpetrators never caught.[82]
In late 2009, rumors circulated widely on media outlets and the Internet that John Lennon's star had been stolen, but it was merely being relocated further south on Vine Street to an area near the circular Capitol Records Building, adjacent to the stars of bandmates George Harrison and Ringo Starr.[83]
Random acts of vandalism occur on the Walk on a regular basis, ranging from profanity and political statements written on stars with felt-tip markers to attempted removal of brass emblems with chisels.[84] Closed circuit surveillance cameras have been installed on the stretch of Hollywood Boulevard between La Brea Avenue and Vine Street in an effort to discourage mischievous activities.[85]
In 2010, Julia Louis-Dreyfus's star was constructed with the name "Julia Luis Dreyfus."[86] The actress was reportedly amused, and the error was corrected.[87] A similar mistake was made on Dick Van Dyke's star in 1993 ("Vandyke"), and rectified.[88]
Film and television actor Don Haggerty's star originally displayed the first name "Dan." The mistake was fixed, but years later the television actor Dan Haggerty (of Grizzly Adams fame, no relation to Don) also received a star. The confusion eventually sprouted an urban legend that Dan Haggerty was the only honoree to have a star removed from the Walk of Fame.[89][90]
For 28 years, the star intended to honor Mauritz Stiller, the Helsinki-born pioneer of Swedish film who brought Greta Garbo to America, read "Maurice Diller", possibly due to mis-transcription of verbal dictation. The star was finally remade with the correct name in 1988.[91][92]
As of 2010[update], two stars remain misspelled: Opera diva Lotte Lehmann's first name is spelled "Lottie";[93] while Cinerama co-inventor and King Kong creator, director, and producer Merian C. Cooper's first name is spelled "Meriam."[94][95]
Monty Woolley, the veteran film and stage actor best known for The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942) and the classic line, "Time flies when you're having fun", is officially listed in the "Motion Picture" category,[96] but his star on the Walk of Fame bears the television emblem.[97] Woolley appeared on the small screen late in his career, but his TV contributions were eclipsed by his extensive stage, film, and radio work.[98][99][100][101] Similarly, the star for Carmen Miranda bears the TV emblem[102] although her official category is "Motion Pictures";[103] she acted in 18 films.[104] Radio and television talk show host Larry King's star is officially listed in the "Television" category,[105] but the brass emblem is a film camera.[106]
Two stars cannot be found. The Los Angeles Times, which has documented and photographed the Walk as part of its ongoing "Hollywood Star Walk" project, has not yet located the stars honoring Richard Crooks and the film career of Geraldine Farrar.[107] (Farrar's other star, recognizing her music career, is located on the 1700 block of Vine Street.)
For star recipients both living and dead, some fans show respect when visiting the Walk by laying flowers, or bending down to touch the embedded stars.[108] Some show their support in other ways: the star awarded to Julio Iglesias is kept in "pristine condition" because "a devoted band of elderly women comes to scrub and polish it once a month".[108]
It is the practice of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to place flowers at the star of a fallen awardee upon news of their death, for example Bette Davis in 1989,[109] Katharine Hepburn in 2003, and Jackie Cooper in 2011.[110] The stars along the Walk have also become impromptu grieving, memorial and vigil sites, and some continue to receive anniversary remembrances. News of the death of Elizabeth Taylor in 2011 resulted in a "deluge" of flowers and cards at her star.[111] In 2009, upon the death of musical star Michael Jackson, flowers and vigil keepers appeared at both his and radio commentator Michael Jackson's stars.[63][112][112]
Masses of flowers have also been received at stars honoring Richard Pryor,[113] Ricardo Montalban, James Doohan, Frank Sinatra[114][115] and George Harrison.[116]
Each year, an average of 200 nominations are submitted to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Walk of Fame Selection Committee. Anyone, including fans, can nominate anyone active in the field of entertainment, as long as the nominee or his or her management is in agreement with the nomination (a letter of agreement from the nominated celebrity or representative must accompany the application). Nominees must have a minimum of five years' experience in the category for which they are nominated and a history of "charitable contributions".[65] Posthumous nominees must have been deceased at least five years. At a meeting each June, the committee selects approximately 20 celebrities to receive stars on the Walk of Fame during the following year. One posthumous award is given each year as well. The nominations of those not selected are "rolled over" to the following year for reconsideration; those not selected two years in a row are dropped, and must be renominated to receive further consideration. Living recipients must agree to personally attend a presentation ceremony within five years of selection. A relative of deceased recipients must attend posthumous presentations. Presentation ceremonies are open to the public.[3]
The most common question received by Chamber personnel is, "Why doesn't _____________ have a star?"[117] Numerous major entertainment figures and legendary show business acts are not included on the Walk of Fame, for a variety of reasons. Some, such as Julia Roberts[27][118] and Clint Eastwood,[118] have declined to participate; nominations cannot proceed without the nominee's consent. Others, such as George Clooney[119] and John Denver,[28] were nominated but would not agree to the mandatory personal appearance at the unveiling ceremony. Others have simply never been nominated, or do not have a nominator willing or able to pay the selection fee, or have less than the required five years' minimum involvement in their designated field. Others are merely victims of selection constraints and probability: only about 10% of nominees are selected each year.
A fee (currently $30,000), payable at time of selection, is collected to pay for the creation and installation of the star, as well as general maintenance of the Walk of Fame. The fee is usually paid by the nominating organization, which may be a fan club, or a film studio, record company, broadcaster, or other sponsor involved with the honoree's current or ongoing project.[23][120] The Starz cable network, for example, paid for Dennis Hopper's star as part of the promotion for its series Crash. It was unveiled in March 2010, shortly before Hopper's death.[23][121]
Traditionally, the identities of selection committee members, other than its chairman, have not been made public in order to minimize conflicts of interest and to discourage lobbying by celebrities and their representatives (a significant problem during the original selections in the late 1950s). However, in 1999, in response to intensifying charges of "back room politics" in the selection process, the Chamber disclosed the members' names: They were Johnny Grant, the longtime chair and representative of the television category; Earl Lestz, president of Paramount Studio Group (motion pictures); Stan Spero, retired manager with broadcast stations KMPC and KABC (radio); Kate Nelson, owner of the Palace Theatre (live performance); and Mary Lou Dudas, vice president of A&M Records (recording industry).[122] Subsequently, however, the Chamber has revealed only that Lestz (who received his own star in 2004) became chairman after Grant died in 2008. Their current official position is that "each of the five categories is represented by someone with expertise in that field."[3]
As of June 2010, Lestz had been replaced as chairman by John Pavlik, former Director of Communications for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[123] While no public announcement was made to that effect, he was identified as chairman in the Chamber's press release announcing the 2011 star recipients.[124]
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