After a good workout at Gold's gym the other night - stay in shape actors, unless you want to be cast in character roles for the duration of your career - I drifted up to the strip to take in the scene.
It spite of the fact the "Boulevard" has been coined Hollyweird, it all seems a little tamer these days.
As I munched on pizza, my focus tended to gravitate to the stars inscribed on the pavement below me.
There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the placement of the "plaques".
For example, Spike Jones is nestled right up close to Maria Callas at the corner of Hollywood & Vine. Meanwhile, a few stars down, Katherine Hepburn's star attracts quite a number of ooh's and aah's from the lookie-loo's.
I stumbled on Desi Arnaz, but there was no Lucy in sight.
Elizabeth Taylor is in front of the Hollywood Literary Project at 6344 Hollywood Blvd; ironic, because I heard that the Oscar-winning actress has a "thing" about words.
I held a door open for her once on a movie set.
As she glided by me on a waft of mystical air, she gazed up at me with those dazzling violet eyes and gushed, "Thank you".
"You're welcome", I quickly responded, as I nearly fainted dead away.
Some names, I was unfamiliar with. Were these ghosts from Hollywood's past before my time?
Tourists buzzed around me like locusts on a hot summer night, excitedly pointing out this & that.
"There's Tab Hunter," one cried out loud. The heart-throb of the fifties is in front of a vintage clothing shop.
When you hover over Doris Day, you can glance across the street and view Capitol Records sandwiched between two buildings; imagine that, developers want to turn the building into a Condominium Complex - much to the chagrin of the old guard who seek to preserve the landmark.
But as the main character (Christopher Plummer) in the film - "Man in the Chair" - astutely noted, "the glitter stops at La Brea".
Folks in-town are privy to the joke.
You see, the whole boulevard is sprinkled with a sort-of stardust - which glistens with an eerie glow - under the silky rays of the moonlight. But, the glitter ends, you got it, at La Brea Avenue and Hollywood Blvd.
Ah, I spy Mary Pickford's star! In spite of the fact she was known as "America's Sweetheart", Douglas Fairbank's real-life wife was actually from my home town, Toronto.
The Hollywood elite were aghast when Meshulam Riklis & wife Pia Zadora razed "Pickfair" (her palatial estate) which was affectionately known as the "White House West" by powerful Hollywood Players lucky enough to have been invited for dinner & drinks in the halcyon days of Tinseltown.
To check out star locations go to:
http://www.hollywoodchamber.net
If you favorite celebrity is not on the Walk of Fame, you can start a campaign to get the ball rolling by abiding by the guidelines as follows:
When nominating an individual or group, the sponsor must submit a photo, a bio and the nominee’s qualifications as well as a list of contributions to the community and civic-oriented participation. A letter of agreement from the nominee or his/her management must be included with the application. Nominations are accepted by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce during a scheduled 60-day nomination period announced to Hollywood’s entertainment trade publications and print and broadcast media. Nomination of an individual or group must be approved by the Walk of Fame Committee, sometimes requiring several annual nominations before a nominee is selected to receive a star. The ten to fifteen most qualified artists nominated are eligible for a star to be installed in the walk during the subsequent year. Those not selected for the current year are requested to resubmit for the following nomination period. The criteria for receiving a star consists of the following: professional achievement, longevity of five years or more, contributions to the community and the guarantee that the celebrity will attend the dedication ceremony if selected. Posthumous awards require a five-year waiting period. After the Walk of Fame Committee has made its selections, the Chamber’s Board of Directors also vote to approve the star and then for a final vote, the names are submitted to the City of Los Angeles’ Board of Public Works Department.
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