Two teens set fire to 160 acres of the Hollywood Hills yesterday while lighting fireworks. As the fire raged across land, smoke billowed over the most recognized symbol of moviedom and great dreams, the HOLLYWOOD sign.The original HOLLYWOODLAND sign was dedicated on July 13, 1923 as a (temporary) advertisement for new homes being built in the Hollywood Hills. Over the years, it became a permanent fixture and literally fell in disrepair. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce stepped in around 1949--even though maintenance on the sign continued to be a problem for decades. Donors rallied and the Chamber dedicated a new sign in 1978.
As hopes and dreams grow brighter for some, others end in Hollywood's heart of darkness. The HOLLYWOOD sign became the final stop for The Black Dahlia in 1947 and--another Hollywood hopeful--actress Peg Entwistle in 1932.
Peg Entwistle made her way from New York to Hollywood in spring 1932 seeking film stardom. She landed a job working with Billie Burke and Humphrey Bogart in a short-run stage play. Not long after the play closed, Entwistle signed with RKO Studios to appear in a film called Thirteen Women. After test screenings, the studio cut the film time and her onscreen role diminished. RKO also decided not to renew Entwistle's contract. She continued to go on casting calls without success. Six months after arriving in the land of Hollywood dreams, Peg Entwistle walked from her Uncle's home located near the Hollywood sign, climbed the 50-foot tall letter "H," and jumped to her death.
The story goes that Entwistle's uncle received a letter addressed to Peg two days after her death. The letter was sent from the Beverly Hills Playhouse and postmarked the day before she took her life. They offered Peg the lead role in an upcoming production and explained that her character would commit suicide during the final act.
More information: Hollywood Sign
