Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles, California
On December 30, 1923, actor Harry Neville tested if a car could drive up to the hill that takes you to a historical piece of LA’s pop culture.
But before you hike through Griffith Park or walk the 5.3-mile Mt. Hollywood Trail, there’s more to this sign than meets the eye.
Here’s how this American icon became the ultimate Dream Factory.
Advertising Billboard Began Hollywood Legacy in 1923
Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler built the sign to sell homes in his “Hollywoodland” development in the Hollywood Hills.
The 500-acre project involved architect S.H. Woodruff, railroad experts Eli P. Clark and Moses Sherman, plus developers Tracy Shoults and Sidney Woodruff.
They used mules to carry wood and stone up 1,700 feet up Mt. Lee. The letters were placed facing south for maximum visibility.
BillBoard Was Meant to Last Only 18 Months
Nobody expected the sign to stay up for long. The original had 13 letters, each 30 feet wide and 43 feet tall, made from 3×9′ metal squares.
Workers put it together with cheap telephone poles, wires, and tin. But the whole thing cost $21,000 (about $370,000 in today’s money).
Publicist John Roche oversaw the 60-day construction, while Thomas Fisk Goff and Crescent Sign Company created the landmark.
Nighttime Lights Created Dazzling Display Sequence
At night, the sign glowed with 4,000 light bulbs, spaced 8 inches apart that blinked in order. “HOLLY” lit up first, then “WOOD,” then “LAND”.
Photos from the Bruce Torrence Hollywood collection show these lights were part of the first design, set in frames as workers built the sign.
Local papers called it the “largest in the world.” Someone even lived in a small shack behind one of the letters to keep the display working.
White Dot Below Sign Grabbed Extra Attention
Few know about the giant white dot, 35 feet across, with small lights around its edge to enhance the sign’s visibility from a distance.
This dot helped draw eyes upward, especially at night when lit up. The dot worked like a period at the end of the sign’s message.
The Hollywoodland company considered the dot just as important as the letters. Crews built it alongside the main sign during the two-month construction.
British Actress Died At Sign In Tragic 1932 Event
Peg Entwistle, a 24-year-old actress from Britain, climbed a worker’s ladder to the top of the “H” and jumped to her death.
Entwistle moved from New York to Los Angeles that spring to pursue acting. But her story quickly became a warning about failed Hollywood dreams.
The Los Angeles Times even ran a headline saying “Suicide Laid to Film Jinx,” claiming she died because of failed movie hopes.
Depression Era Turned Off Lights Forever In 1933
Around 1933, the M.H. Sherman Company took over ownership and decided the electric display cost too much to keep running.
As funds dwindled, regular maintenance ceased, and the sign began to deteriorate, symbolizing Hollywood’s struggles rather than its glory.
By 1944, the Hollywoodland development went out of business completely, and the city quietly took control of the abandoned sign.
Windstorm Knocked Down First Letter In 1944
The incident left the sign reading “…OLLYWOODLAND” for years. The Los Angeles Times blamed vandals, while United Press cited wind damage.
According to records from the Hollywood Sign Trust, the second “O” collapsed during a September 1936 storm, with two more falling years later.
The constant collapses showed how temporary the original construction really was, as wooden panels kept breaking in Mount Lee’s harsh weather.
Neighbors Called Decayed Sign Eyesore by 1947
By 1947, the sign looked so bad that nearby residents wanted it gone.
The Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Commission agreed and planned to tear it down, but some locals fought to keep it.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce defended the sign for its historical significance. After formal hearings, a compromise was reached.
Final Four Letters Disappeared During 1949 Makeover
The Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Commission agreed in April 1949 to rebuild the fallen “H,” take off “LAND,” and fix up the rest to spell just “HOLLYWOOD.”
This change transformed it from a housing ad into an iconic symbol. When the “H” fell during a storm, the Chamber seized the opportunity to make the updates.
Storms Left Sign Totally Broke By 1978
After a bad windstorm on February 10, 1978, the first “O” broke and bent (looking like a lowercase “u”), and the third “O” fell down completely.
This left the broken sign spelling “HuLLYWO D.” The Hollywood Sign Trust described it by the 1970s as “a glaring badge of dishonor” that was rusted and falling apart.
Metal panels had rusted through, termites had eaten away at the wooden framework, and many support poles had rotted where they met the ground.
Nine Donors Gave $27,700 Each In Restoration
In 1978, Hugh Hefner and eight other donors each contributed $27,700 to replace the sign with a more durable version.
Rock legend Vincent Furnier (band Alice Cooper) joined the donor group, with the total reaching $250,000 (worth over $1.2 million today).
The “Save the Sign” committee was formed after the sign became an official Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 1973.
Hefner helped again in 2010, giving $900,000 to protect the land further.
Original Sign Parts Appeared On eBay In 2005
You’ll be surprised to find two wooden posts exist beyond the “D” that once held up another “L” from the removed “LAND” section.
People sometimes find rusty metal bits from the old signage online. What surprised many was when the original 1923 sign appeared on eBay in 2005.
Producer Dan Bliss listed it, and artist Bill Mack bought it. Mack used the old metal to paint pictures of Golden Age Hollywood stars.
Visiting Griffith Park’s Hollywood Sign in 2025
Address: Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA 90068
Getting There:
- The LADOT Dash Observatory shuttle runs regularly
- Drive to 3000 Canyon Lake Drive, Hollywood, CA
Griffith Observatory gives you a unique perspective of the Hollywood sign. Or follow Mulholland Drive eastward near the 101 Freeway to reach the Bowl Overlook.
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