Hollywood

Hollywood is a district in Los Angeles, situatedDue to its fame and cultural identity as the historical centre of movie studios and movie stars, the word "Hollywood" is often used as a metonymy of American cinema. The nickname Tinsel town refers to the glittering, superficial nature of Hollywood and the movie industry. Today, much of the movie industry has dispersed into surrounding areas such as the Westside neighbourhood, but significant auxiliary industries, such as editing, effects, props, post-production and lighting companies, remain in Hollywood, as does the back lot of Paramount Pictures.

Many historic Hollywood theatres are used as venues and concert stages to premiere major theatrical releases and host the Academy Awards. It is a popular destination for nightlife, tourism, and is home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The name Hollywood was coined by H. J. Whitley, the Father of Hollywood. He came up with the name while honeymooning with his wife, Gigi in 1886, according to Margaret Virginia Whitley’s memoir. Whitley arranged to buy the 500 acre E.C. Hurd ranch and disclosed to him his plans for the land. They agreed on a price and Hurd agreed to sell at a later date. Whitley did much to promote the area, including bringing electricity and building a bank, as well as a road into the Cahuenga Pass gateway to the San Fernando Valley. Whitley's land was centred on Highland Avenue. In 1904, a new trolley car track running from Los Angeles to Hollywood up Prospect Avenue was opened. The system was called "the Hollywood Boulevard". It cut travel time to and from Los Angeles drastically.

Nowadays Hollywood is the most famous destination for all the ambitious actors from all over the world. In addition Hollywood produces the most successful films and is the area, where live the entire world famous actors, directors and film producers.

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Authors: Maria Dimitriou (GR) & Valeria Urminska (SK)