Hollywood

Since the production of The Squaw Man in 1914, that section of Los Angeles known as Hollywood (officially established in 1887) has been a symbol of the movie industry and its community. Hollywood is sometimes referred to by the derogatory expressions “tinsel town” and “dream factory” but, in truth, it has had an extraordinary, lasting, and unique influence on the human world. Its present-day landmarks include the huge iconic “Hollywood” sign that overlooks this community, Mann's Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Bowl, Paramount Pictures film studio, and the ever-increasing number of commemorative stars that are implanted on Hollywood Boulevard. And the splendor of Hollywood is exalted each year in the Academy Awards ceremony—a global event that has been watched over the years on television by billions of viewers.

Hollywood became America's film capital after issues surrounding the licensing of film technology led a group of independent producers to leave New York for warmer climates. Hollywood itself is essentially a creative, diversified, and complex community of artists and technicians, producers and directors, writers and editors, and actors and actresses. The collective activities of these talented and gifted individuals result in motion pictures that continue to entertain, enlighten, and inspire audiences around the planet. For over a century, movies made in Hollywood have challenged or altered the ideas, beliefs, values, and perspectives of other communities around the world. Classic motion pictures have embraced science fantasy (King Kong, 1933), science fiction (2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968), ancient history (Quo Vadis, 1951), suspense (North by Northwest, 1959), and comedy (Some Like It Hot, 1959). Without leaving a Hollywood soundstage, filmmakers have taken moviegoers to biblical Egypt (The Ten Commandments, 1956), the wild West (High Noon, 1952), and the old South (Gone With the Wind, 1939) among a myriad of other locales. Some films are considered cinematic masterpieces or even works of art, for example, Citizen Kane (1941) and Fantasia (1940), respectively. Even so, Hollywood is a community that can be careless, ruthless, and cynical. From time to time, a film will expose the destructive aspects of this industry, portrayed in many Hollywood films, most notably Sunset Boulevard (1950), A Star Is Born (1936 and 1954), and The Bad and the Beautiful (1952).

Great producers and directors from D. W. Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille to Walt Disney and Stanley Kubrick [Page 594]have given the world community some of the most memorable motion pictures. Dramatic movies from Intolerance (1916), Greed (1924), and The Grapes of Wrath (1940) to On the Waterfront (1954), Midnight Cowboy (1969), and Schindler's List (1993) have increased public awareness concerning social issues and human values. Furthermore, Hollywood has generated enduring screen legends such as James Dean, Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe, and Orson Welles. Always evolving in terms of incorporating advances in science and technology, film innovations have included sound, color, 3-D, widescreen processes, and computerized special effects. Even some motion picture soundtracks have become a recognizable part of popular culture, as, for example, with songs from The Wizard of Oz (1939), Singin' in the Rain (1952), West Side Story (1961), and Beauty and the Beast (1991).

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