So you want to see a Hollywood star
You go to Los Angeles, you want to see a real live celebrity. You could skulk outside the latest hot spots, haunt the upscale shops on Rodeo Drive or blow your vacation budget at a trendy restaurant. A much easier way to catch a star is to attend an unveiling on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where honorees are guaranteed to make an appearance as long as they are 1) human and 2) not dead.
Consult the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce's Web site (www.hollywoodchamber.net) or call its Walk of Fame hotline (323-469-8311, Ext. 5). Walk of Fame ceremonies are usually announced a week or so before the event, and unsurprisingly, are often held to coincide with movie or CD releases. (Why such short notice? Because stars' schedules "change a lot," says chamber spokeswoman Ana Martinez.) Ceremonies are usually at 11:30 a.m., and it's best to get there early if you want a decent view.
The Walk of Fame runs along Hollywood Boulevard from Gower Street to La Brea Avenue, and on Vine Street from Yucca Street to Sunset Boulevard. Besides the star-studded sidewalk, area attractions include the Kodak Theatre (site of the Academy Awards); Grauman's Chinese Theatre (where stars have left their footprints in concrete); the restored El Capitan movie house; a variety of museums; and Hollywood & Highland, an ugly mall that boasts huge elephant-topped pillars that only true movie buffs will realize are an homage to the 1916 silent film "Intolerance".
The Walk of Fame was established in 1960 as a way of reviving the rundown Hollywood district, and now boasts 2,342 terrazzo and brass stars. Walk of Fame recipients have ranged from the iconic (Judy Garland) to the obscure (silent film star Art Acord) to the canine (Lassie) and the celluloid (Mickey Mouse). In the 1980s, a rule was instituted that stars must show up for unveilings, and the ceremonies became the media-fests we're familiar with today.
Honorees must be nominated; in addition to boasting an artistic legacy of at least five years, they must have contributed to the community with some good works. The nominees, their sponsors or their fans also must agree to foot the $25,000 cost of installing a star. The Walk of Fame does seem to have helped with Hollywood's revitalization; the area now gets 10 million visitors a year. Not to worry about the sidewalk's end, Martinez says, "We're already doubling up, so we'll never run out of space."
Each year, about 20 luminaries are chosen for the walkway. Among the artists whose ceremonies you might catch later this year are Matt Damon, Jamie Foxx, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kiefer Sutherland, Mariah Carey, Shania Twain and Lily Tomlin. (excerpt from Inside Bay Area)
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