Spotlight: Los Angeles - Hollywood Walk of Fame

Spotlight: In honor of the Academy Awards, this week's spotlight is the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Walk of Fame comprises 15 blocks of Hollywood Blvd. and 3 blocks of Vine St., plus a short segment of Marshall Way, in Hollywood, California. The sidewalks along the stretch are dotted with more than 2,500 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars, at six foot intervals, that represent the most famous entertainment stars in the world. When the Walk was first constructed in 1960, it included 1,558 honorees selected by committees representing the four major branches of the entertainment industry at the time (movies, TV, radio, and audio recording). In 1984, live theater was added as a fifth category. Every year, nominees to be added to the path are considered by the Walk of Fame Selection Committee, and approved by the Hollywood Chamber's Board of Directors. The Committee selects about 20 new inductees each year. Stars can be awarded to individual performers, music or theatrical groups, directors, producers, fictional characters, or even corporations such as the LA Dodgers. On occasion, superstar entertainers have earned stars in multiple categories. The Walk is administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and maintained by the Hollywood Historic Trust. With as many as 10 million visitors a year, it may not be the path less trodden, but it is undoubtedly one of the most interesting sidewalks in the world.

Location: The Walk of Fame is located on Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood. The Famous TCL Chinese Theatre is located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd.

TCL Chinese Theatre

Cost: Free to walk, but parking will cost you

Time: 1 - 3 hours (open 24/7)

Description: The Walk of Fame runs 1.3 miles from East to West along Hollywood Blvd. One way to explore it is to start at one end (La Brea Ave.) and walk to the other (Gower St.), and then walk back on the other side, not forgetting to follow the two offshoots at Vine and Marshall Way (the short diagonal that links Hollywood and La Brea). Another way is to start at whatever point you want and just see as many stars as you can in your time frame. A third option is to search for the specific stars you want to see by using the Find a Star site. Interestingly, certain stars have multiple stars for contributions in different venues of entertainment. Gene Autry is the only person to have a star in all five branches. Entertainers with four stars include: Bob Hope, Mickey Rooney, Roy Rogers and Tony Martin.

Lucille Ball 

Harrison Ford

     In addition to traditional entertainers, several other celebrities have earned stars for unique contributions to the entertainment industry. At the intersection of Hollywood and Vine you can find a unique memorial to astronauts of the Apollo XI mission, since their landing was one of the most watched programs in TV history. Instead of stars, they received moons. Magic Johnson and Muhammad Ali are the only stars who were primarily athletes. Sid Grauman, who built Grauman's Chinese Theatre, earned his star for that accomplishment. Three make-up artists, three special effects experts, ten cartoonists & animators, two puppeteers, two novelists, ten inventors, and one costume designer have earned stars. Mickey Mouse was the first fictional character to receive a star - many other followed, including the Muppets, the Munchkins, and Godzilla. Three canines also have stars (Lassie, Strongheart, and Rin Tin Tin). Ronald Reagan is the only U.S. President with a star, and one of two governors (Arnold Schwarzenegger). There is also a senator, two representatives, and one European Head of State (Ignacy Paderewsky).
     The Walk currently ends at the silver "Four Ladies of Hollywood" Gazebo, where you can find the special "Walk of Fame" star. The most famous landmark along the Walk is probably the old Grauman's (now the TCL) Chinese Theatre, where the most famous stars are typically located. In addition to stars, the Theatre has almost 200 concrete blocks with handprints and/or footprints of famous celebrities including some from a galaxy far, far away - R2-D2, C-3PO, and Darth Vader. Other famous landmarks along Hollywood Blvd. are Madame Tussauds Hollywood, Hollywood Wax Museum, Dolby Theatre, Capitol Records Tower, Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, and El Capitan Theatre. Some popular restaurants along the walk include: California Pizza Kitchen, 25 Degrees, Johnny Rockets, Hard Rock Cafe, Disney Soda Fountain and Studio Store, Ghirardelli Chocolate, and Mel's Drive-In.

Darth Vader, C-3PO & R2-D2

Rating: 2,504 stars (out of 2,505)

Things You Should Know: - For a full list of who has stars on the Walk of Fame, go to Starfinder
- Star ceremonies are held throughout the year for the various nominees. Ceremonies are open to the public, and there is no paid admission, nor assigned seating at ceremonies.
- Living recipients of stars must agree to come to the ceremony honoring the placement of their star. Forty nominated recipients have thus not received a star due to this condition. Posthumous stars must be represented by a relative.
- The cost of installing a star in the Walk of Fame (upon approval) is $30,000 and is paid by the nominee's sponsor.
- Joanne Woodward is sometimes considered to be the recipient of the first star on the Walk, but actually she was one of eight stars randomly drawn from the original 1,558 to be installed as prototypes in order to promote the idea in an effort to ward off litigation to stop the project due to a hike in property taxes. She is, however, the first star to pose with her star for photographers.
- When news of a star's death breaks, the Hollywood Chamber of Congress places flowers on their star. As a result, the stars on the Walk have often become the sites of vigils to honor the deceased.
- 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.
- Subway stops on Hollywood Blvd. are located at Western Ave., Vine St. and Highland Ave.

Nearby: The Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood & Highland, Hollywood Bowl, Griffith Park