A small part of the Walk of Fame
The
Hollywood Walk of Fame is a
sidewalk along
Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in
Hollywood,
California,
United States, which is embedded with more than 2,000 five-pointed stars featuring the names of
celebrities honored by the Hollywood
Chamber of Commerce for their contributions to the entertainment industry.
Characteristics
The Walk of Fame runs east to west on Hollywood Boulevard from Gower Street to La Brea Avenue, and north to south on Vine Street between Yucca Street and
Sunset Boulevard. Each star consists of a
terrazzo comprising a pink five-pointed star rimmed with bronze and inlaid into a charcoal square. Inside the pink star is the name of the honoree engraved in bronze, below which is a round bronze emblem indicating the category for which the honoree received the star. The emblems are:
- a motion picture camera, for contribution to the film industry;
- a television set, for contribution to the broadcast television industry;
- a phonograph record, for contribution to the recording industry;
- a radio microphone, for contribution to the broadcast radio industry; and,
- twin comedy/tragedy masks, for contribution to live theater.
History
Created in 1958, the
Walk of Fame has become a tribute to performers and others within
show business. Honorees receive a star based on achievements in
motion pictures, live theater,
radio,
television, and/or
music. Many honorees received multiple stars during the initial phase of installation for contributions to separate categories; however, the practice in recent decades has been to honor individuals not yet represented, with only a handful of previous honorees being awarded additional stars. In 1978, the
City of Los Angeles designated the Walk of Fame as a Cultural/Historic Landmark.
The original Walk of Fame had 2,500 blank stars. A total of 1,558 stars were awarded during its first sixteen months. Since then, new stars have been awarded at the rate of approximately two per month. By 1994 over 2,000 of the original stars were filled, and additional stars were added to extend the Walk west past Sycamore to La Brea Avenue, where it is now terminated by the Silver Four Ladies of Hollywood Gazebo. Locations of specific stars are not necessarily permanent, with some occasionally relocated for various reasons such as local construction.
Maintenance
The Walk of Fame is maintained by the self-financing Hollywood Historic Trust. In order for a person to get a star on the Walk of Fame, he or she must agree to attend a presentation ceremony within five years of selection, and a
$15,000 fee must be paid to the Trust; a 2003
FOX News story noted that the fee is typically paid by sponsors such as
movie studios and
record companies, as part of the
publicity for a release with which the honoree is involved.
As of 2004, the total number of stars awarded is approximately 2,150.
Trivia
List of stars
See list of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
See also
External links
Category:Halls of Fame
Category:Hollywood history and culture
Category:Los Angeles landmarks
de:Hollywood Walk of Fame
fr:Hollywood Walk of Fame
it:Hollywood Walk of Fame
nl:Hollywood Walk of Fame
pt:Calçada da Fama
sv:Hollywood Walk of Fame