Everything you didn’t know about LA’s iconic, century-old landmark.
And as one of the most famous watershed in the world , theHollywood Signis always ready for its close up . From pop civilisation moments like Miley Cyrus ’s “ Party in the USA ” euphony TV and the 2004 apocalypse movieThe Day After Tomorrowto the animate seriesBoJack Horseman , the star sign is everywhere in American media . But how much do you really know about this cinematic symbolic representation ?
Thrillist chitchat with Diana Wright , the media producer of theHollywood Sign Trust , to learn about the most common urban myth around the sign as well as some of her favorite facts about this iconic LA marker .
Here are eight little - known fact about the Hollywood Sign :
1. The sign’s real birthday is a mystery
According to Wright , the most unwashed urban myth about the sign is that its birthday is July 13 , 1923 . But , although many might wish that the augury is indeed a Gemini , its exact twenty-four hour period of construct stay a mystery .
2. It has true crime lore
On September 16 , 1932 , 24 - year - quondam actress Peg Entwistle bequeath her uncle ’s household , walk to the nearby Hollywood sign , and jump to her end from the top of the letter “ H. ” “ Local lore claims that Entwistle received a missive the morning after her death offer her a role in a play in which a woman is driven demented and finally ends her own life , ” say Wright . visitor have also feel Entwistle ’s purport lingering around the sign and sometimes reek the scent of her favorite blossom , the gardenia — none of which are found on the surrounding grounds .
3. It has undergone a substantial facelift
Like many Hollywood stars , the star sign has obtain some skilful work done . It ’s the pressure of a front - facing career . The large renovation took place in 1978 , when the conducting wire and telephony poles that once supported the sign of the zodiac were replace with gargantuan pieces of corrugated brand and fix using concrete .
4. The sign briefly pulled a disappearing act
While undergoing its lift in 1978 , the sign was dismantled entirely . This only lasted three months , after which , the sign was back on the horizon .
5. Hugh Hefner was the sign’s saving grace at one point
Although the sign is now a beloved piece of American ephemera , there was a breaker point when it could have disappeared into the ether . Hugh Hefner , the founder ofPlayboy , step in to throw a lavish gala and raised the $ 250,000 need for revivification . During the fundraiser , Hefner auction off off the sign ’s previous letters to vendee like rockstar Alice Cooper and actor Gene Autry .
6. It used to employ an on-call light bulb doctor
For more than 50 years , the mansion ’s letters were line with petite faint bulbs . As light bulbs are known to do , they would often fizzle out . That ’s when Albert Kothe would amount in and save the mean solar day . Kothe lived in a small structure near the sign and was always on call to supplant lightbulb the second they buy the farm .
7. The sign once had a ferocious mascot
cognise as the Hollywood Cat , P-22 was a quite a little lion that made the area surrounding the Hollywood Sign its home . After about 12 to 13 year , the beloved animal was pityingly euthanized after reportedly being hit by a car in 2022 . devotee still miss the tan feline .
There ’s still wildlife to see in the region though . Since visitors can only de jure visit the preindication by schedule a spell with the Hollywood Sign Trust , the area has become something of a de facto nature conserve . Use the polarity ’s 24/7 webcams to stay on the observation tower for local wildlife like deer , bird of Minerva , and red tail hawks .
8.There’s a digital time capsule you can participate in
As part of its hundredth birthday celebration , The Hollywood Sign Trust is create adigital time condensation . If you ’re interested in participating , you could submit everything from creative writing and picture taking to picture footage and painting . Some of the submissions might even be featured on the nonprofit ’s site or societal sensitive .
