The Walk of Fame in Los Angeles is probably the most famous sidewalk in the world. Since 1960, people who have made a name for themselves in the entertainment industry in one way or another have been awarded their star here. Numerous stars from yesterday and today are immortalized here. It’s like the Oscars; whoever has their own star on the Walk of Fame has made it in Hollywood.
Some of the biggest names in the industry are missing for various reasons. However, the absence of a star does not necessarily mean that success has not come. Brad Pitt does not have a star and had to wait until he was 56 years old before he received the Oscar, even tho he has been part of the Hollywood elite for twenty years. The same goes for Leonardo DiCaprio, who also does not have a star, but is one of the best-paid Hollywood stars. Even the legend Clint Eastwood does not have a star.
Be that as it may, it’s just fun to walk along the Walk of Fame, which stretches along Hollywood Boulevard from La Brea Street in the west to Gower Street in the east. In total, this extraordinary sidewalk covers three blocks along Vine Street and Yucca Street to the equally famous Sunset Boulevard. Currently, there are approximately 2,500 stars. So, if you want to see the stars of your favorite stars, you need to bring a little time for the approximately 2.5-kilometer-long walkway.
Great names from the past and present
The Hollywood Walk of Fame honors great names from long ago, who became legends a long time ago, such as Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, John Wayne, and Marilyn Monroe, but of course also great names of the present. Not only actors and directors are honored here, but also world-class musicians like Paul McCartney, Elvis, or Michael Jackson. Among these famous names are also stars with less well-known names. However, they all have one thing in common: The honorees have made significant contributions to the American entertainment industry in the categories of film, television, radio, theater, and music.
The five-pointed stars made of old pink terrazzo are embedded in black marble. In the center of the upper part of the star is the name of the artist being honored. Below the inscription is the symbol for the category for which the star was awarded. However, not all stars honor real people from show business, but also cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny, Minnie and Mickey Mouse, as well as the Simpsons and puppets such as Kermit the Frog. And not to forget, the dogs Rin Tin Tin, Snoopy, Strongheart and Lassie were also given this honor.
Walk of Fame in five star categories
Artists are honored in five categories, each with its own symbol. The stars in the film category are marked with a film camera, and those in the television category with a television set. The stars in the radio category are adorned with a microphone, the theater stars carry a twin mask, and the stars in the music category feature a vinyl record.
Over the years, honors have repeatedly been awarded that do not fit into any of these five categories. The crew of the Apollo 11 lunar module was also honored with a star, which, however, bears a moon as a symbol. The star of the baseball team Los Angeles Dodgers is marked with the logo of this team. All stars awarded in 2010 were given a special emblem to commemorate the 50th anniversary. There are also three stars that do not fit into any of the above categories. Tom Bradley, the long-serving mayor of Los Angeles, was also honored here. As well as seven police officers from the Los Angeles Police Department who lost their lives in the line of duty, and an award for Disneyland.
Not everyone gets a star on the Walk of Fame
Not everyone gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, although one sometimes wonders why some well-known artists do not have one yet or only receive this award comparatively late in their lives. The path to the Walk of Fame in the heart of Hollywood may not be far, but the path to one’s own star is much longer, as several criteria must be met before the goal is achieved.
The artists to be honored must have been successfully active for at least five years in one of the five categories. The artists are nominated for this honor by their own management and/or their fans. The nomination for the honor is comparable to a job application, as it includes the CV and a photo of the person in question. However, this is not enough, as each star on the most famous sidewalk in the world costs 40,000 euros, and that has to be paid. Therefore, the artist to be honored needs a sponsor who will pay this sum in the event of a positive decision.
Film studios and producers often act as sponsors, but they do not do so entirely selflessly, as they have a great interest in marketing their stars. Every well-known award is said to increase the market value of the respective artists. Since the Hollywood Walk of Fame was officially opened in 1960 with the first star, many stars were honored only after their death, such as Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, and Gary Cooper. However, the corresponding proposals for stars who have already died can only be submitted five years after their death. A five-member committee decides on the submitted proposals. The approval or rejection of each application is carried out in secret deliberation.
Rejected applicants automatically go thru the selection process again in the following year. In the case of repeated rejection, a new application is necessary. If an application is positively decided by the committee, the public honor with the unveiling of the star plaque must take place within years of the decision. Living artists must be present in person, while representatives will accept the honor on behalf of deceased stars. The same applies to the artistic figures being honored.
New Shine for Hollywood: The History of the Walk of Fame
The Walk of Fame was established by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which was looking for another attractive landmark for the film city. So, at the turn of the year 1957/1958, it was agreed to honor artists who had made a name for themselves in the American entertainment industry with a star in a sidewalk, which should have a suitably melodious name. They quickly agreed on the now world-famous name Walk of Fame. However, this idea arose from the need to restore new glory to this actually small district of Los Angeles, as the film metropolis had lost some of its luster since the early 1950s with the decline of the major film studios.
The honorary president of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce said: “We need an attraction that preserves the glory of this community, whose name is known around the world for glamor and excitement.” However, there are also stories that the historic Hollywood Hotel, Sugarman’s Restaurant and the Dolby Theater (formerly Grauman’s Chinese Theater) were the inspiration for the Walk of Fame, as all three places honor their famous guests or visitors with stars.
In August 1958, the first eight stars were awarded to the first Hollywood stars, but they were initially displayed provisionally at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, as there was no sidewalk yet where the plaques could be embedded. The idea of placing the image of the respective artist on each star was, however, discarded for cost reasons.
A star weighs 136 kilos and is 91.4 centimeters tall. Since 1978, this popular Hollywood landmark has had the status of a municipal cultural monument.
The Walk of Fame was established between February 8 and November 1960. At that time, the California-born artist Oliver Weismuller had already designed 2,518 stars, but they had not yet been fully awarded. 1,558 applications for an honor on this new, extraordinary sidewalk had already been positively decided. Quickly, the names of the honored artists were engraved in gold lettering on the pink stars and just as quickly embedded in the new Walk of Fame. Individual, high-profile ceremonies in the presence of the respective stars or their representatives did not exist back then. The stars were laid, so to speak, in a complete package. The first star on this new sidewalk was laid in March 1960 for the director Stanley Kramer. In the following period, the other stars, which had already been awarded, followed until the spring of 1961.
After that, it would take seven years until the next artists were honored, as the responsible parties could not agree on the selection criteria. From 1969 to 1976, 99 more artists were honored with their own star. Since then, this honor has been bestowed on an average of 24 more or less prominent personalities from the entertainment industry each year. In February 1994, star number 2,000 was awarded to Sophia Loren. However, 2,000 stars also need to be accommodated somewhere, so the responsible city fathers decided to expand the Walk of Fame to its current size. Since 1978, this popular Hollywood landmark has had the status of a municipal cultural monument.
Walk of Fame: Stories about the Stars
The only artist who has been awarded in all five star categories is the actor Gene Autry, who is mainly known for his roles as a singing cowboy. Thieves have not spared these stars either, as four of these awards have been stolen. The stars of Kirk Douglas, James Stewart, Gregory Peck and one of Gene Autry disappeared without a trace. The thieves were construction workers, and one of the stars was found at a drug dealer’s. The stars were replaced with copies before the originals could be secured. Actor Dick Van Dyke’s star was initially adorned with a misspelled nameplate. However, the error was noticed and corrected in time for the unveiling ceremony.
The star of boxing legend Muhammad Ali is the only one not embedded in the sidewalk. Instead, the star is attached to the facade of the Dolby Theater. The boxer, who was actually called Cassius Clay, gave the reason that he did not want people trampling on the name of his beloved prophet. Bruce Dern, Diane Ladd and Laura Dern are the only artists to be awarded a star as a family in a joint ceremony. Donald Trump received his star in 2007 for his successful television show “The Apprentice.” The current US President (2020) is controversial worldwide due to his statements regarding immigrants, women, and climate protection. His star has been vandalized several times and is now covered with a grate. The removal of his star due to his controversial political orientation is therefore repeatedly discussed and is quite possible.
No star for Charlie Chaplin?
The awarding of a star to Charlie Chaplin, which was rejected in 1956, was also controversial for a long time. The great comedian of the silent film era and co-founder of the Hollywood dream factory was a liberal spirit of the times who was quite sympathetic to communism. However, he was not a communist himself and did not belong to any corresponding party. However, his political views did not fit into the spirit of the times of the highly anti-communist McCarthy era of the 1940s and 1950s. He was repeatedly summoned before the Committee on “Un-American Activities.” One of his greatest adversaries was FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover, who denied him re-entry into the USA after a trip to Europe in the mid-1950s.
Chaplin emigrated to Switzerland with his family. He only returned to the USA once in 1972, on the occasion of the award of an honorary Oscar. For this stay, he received only a ten-day visa. Finally, in 1972, he got his star after all, thanks to the new, more liberal times. Especially after the Vietnam War, this issue was resolved.
More interesting facts about the stars of the Walk of Fame
The actor Richard D. Zanuck was the first star whose star was inaugurated in 1968 with a personal ceremony. According to legend, actress Joanne Woodward was the first Hollywood star to be honored with a star. This is not true, however. Woodward was merely the first actress to pose for photographers in front of her star. Only a handful of people have been honored in more than one category.
The location of the respective stars provides insight into the importance of the honored individuals. For example, Oscar winners are honored in front of the Dolby Theater (Kodak Theatre), as this important film award is presented here. The biggest stars in Hollywood, the royals among the stars, preferably get their star in front of the Chinese Theater. Here, the stars are also immortalized in concrete. Ed O’Neill has his star in front of a shoe shop, in reference to his role in the series “Married with Children.” Roger Moore’s star is located outside number 7007, a nod to his role as James Bond. Mike Myers’ star is located in front of a sex shop as a subtle nod to his role as Austin Powers.
In 1996, 300 stars were removed due to city subway construction to protect them from damage. The question remains why some of the biggest names, such as Julia Roberts, Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro, Will Smith, George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio, are not represented on this famous sidewalk. About 40 stars have declined their nomination because of the obligation to be present. Others, like Eastwood and Roberts, do not want their names to be represented here, for whatever reason.
Friends of Walk of Fame In 2008, the condition of the stars was assessed and categorized into six groups, with some awards not faring particularly well. Finally, it was agreed to restore 778 stars at a financial cost of approximately 4.2 million dollars. The sponsorship money is being raised thru the “Friends of Walk of Fame” foundation. Big companies such as L’Oréal and Absolut Vodka are among the many sponsors from the business world. In return for their donation, they get a plaque at the Dolby Theater. Which is not necessarily met with much enthusiasm. Because opponents believe that large corporations are buying themselves a positive image. The cleanest star is considered to be that of Julio Iglesias, which is regularly and devotedly cleaned by some older ladies.
