Hollywood began as a land subdivision, not a film town. The name was recorded in 1887 on a property map filed by Harvey Wilcox, the area became an independent city in 1903, and it merged with Los Angeles in 1910, largely to secure water and sewer service. Filmmakers arrived around the same time, drawn by sunshine, varied scenery and distance from the patent enforcers of the East Coast film trust. Within two decades the neighborhood had movie palaces, a hillside sign, the first Academy Awards and a worldwide reputation. This page traces that story and points to the places where you can still see it.
Timeline
| Year | Event | Where to see it today |
|---|---|---|
| 1887 | Harvey Wilcox files a map using the name Hollywood | The street grid around the boulevard |
| 1899 | Hollywood Cemetery founded | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| 1903 | Hollywood incorporates as a city | No single site |
| 1910 | Merger with Los Angeles; D. W. Griffith films In Old California locally | No single site |
| 1913 | The Squaw Man shot in a barn used by Jesse Lasky and Cecil B. DeMille | The barn, now the Hollywood Heritage Museum, on Highland Avenue |
| 1922 | Egyptian Theatre opens; Hollywood Bowl opens | Both still operating |
| 1923 | Hollywoodland sign erected | The Hollywood Sign on Mount Lee |
| 1927 | Chinese Theatre and Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel open | Hollywood Boulevard |
| 1929 | First Academy Awards at the Roosevelt | Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel |
| 1935 | Griffith Observatory and the Max Factor studio open | Both open to visitors |
| 1949 | "LAND" removed from the sign | The Hollywood Sign |
| 1956 | Capitol Records Building completed | Vine Street |
| 1960 | First permanent Walk of Fame star installed | Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street |
| 1999 | Metro Red Line, now the B Line, reaches Hollywood | Hollywood/Highland and Hollywood/Vine stations |
| 2002 | Academy Awards move to the new theater now called the Dolby | Ovation Hollywood |
Before the name
Long before any subdivision, the hills and canyons here were part of the homeland of the Tongva people; Runyon Canyon, for example, was a seasonal campsite. Under Spanish and Mexican rule the area was ranchland, and by the late 19th century it was a farming district of fruit orchards and fields west of the growing town of Los Angeles.
Wilcox, Whitley and a town on paper
In August 1887 Harvey Wilcox filed a deed and parcel map using the name Hollywood. The name is generally credited to his wife, Daeida Wilcox, though accounts of where she first heard it differ. Developer H. J. Whitley, often called the father of Hollywood, promoted and built much of the early town. The community incorporated as a city in November 1903. Only a few years later residents voted to merge with Los Angeles, which took effect on February 7, 1910. The main reason was practical: Hollywood needed reliable water and access to the city's sewer system.
The movies arrive
D. W. Griffith's 1910 short In Old California is often described as the first film made in Hollywood. Independent producers came west for several reasons: steady sunshine for outdoor shooting in the days before powerful studio lights, mountains, beaches and deserts within a day's travel, cheap land, and distance from the Motion Picture Patents Company, which tried to control filmmaking through patent lawsuits. Accounts differ on which company opened the first studio in Hollywood proper, with the Nestor Film Company in 1911 frequently named.
In 1913 Jesse Lasky and Cecil B. DeMille shot The Squaw Man, their first feature-length film, using a barn as their base. That barn survives as the Hollywood Heritage Museum at 2100 North Highland Avenue, across from the Hollywood Bowl. Its hours have been limited, and it has at times been temporarily closed, so check before you go.
The boom years
By the 1920s, filmmaking had become one of the largest industries in the country, and Hollywood's boulevard turned into a showcase. Sid Grauman opened the Egyptian in 1922 and the Chinese in 1927. The Hollywood Bowl opened in 1922. The Hollywoodland sign went up in 1923 to sell hillside lots. The Roosevelt Hotel opened in 1927, and in 1929 it hosted the first Academy Awards. In the 1930s, the big studios controlled production, distribution and theaters, and together they turned out hundreds of films a year. Many of the buildings from this era are described in our guide to Hollywood's historic movie palaces.
Glamour and its infrastructure
Around the studios grew businesses that served them. Max Factor's makeup studio on Highland Avenue opened in 1935 and made the cosmetics that defined the look of stars on screen. The Pantages opened in 1930 and later hosted the Oscars through most of the 1950s. In 1956 Capitol Records completed its round tower on Vine Street, a sign that the music industry had put down roots too. The Hollywood architecture guide covers these buildings in more detail.
The Walk of Fame and the long decline
As the studio system faded after World War II and production spread across the region, the boulevard lost some of its glamour. The Walk of Fame, conceived in 1953 and dedicated in 1960, was partly an effort to revive it. By the 1980s, however, the area struggled with crime, drug use and poverty, and many tourists found the reality far from the image.
Revival
Several changes brought people back. In 1985 a long stretch of the boulevard was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District, helping protect its theaters and commercial buildings. The Metro Red Line reached Hollywood in 1999. The Hollywood and Highland complex, now Ovation Hollywood, opened in 2001, and the Academy Awards returned to Hollywood in 2002 for the first time since 1960. Restorations of the Egyptian, the El Capitan and other buildings followed, and new housing and offices arrived after 2000.
Seeing history on the ground
- Walk the boulevard from the Roosevelt to Vine with the self-guided Hollywood Boulevard walk.
- Read the plaques on designated buildings, which give dates and architects.
- Visit Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where many early film figures are buried.
- Look up at the Sign, the neighborhood's most famous survivor from the 1920s.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Hollywood get its name?
The name appeared on a deed and parcel map filed by Harvey Wilcox in August 1887. It is usually credited to his wife, Daeida Wilcox, though stories about where she found it vary.
When did Hollywood become part of Los Angeles?
Hollywood incorporated as its own city in 1903 and merged with Los Angeles effective February 7, 1910, mainly to gain reliable water and sewer service.
Why did filmmakers move to Hollywood?
They wanted sunshine for outdoor filming, a wide variety of landscapes nearby, affordable land and distance from the East Coast patent holders who were suing independent producers.
What was the first film made in Hollywood?
D. W. Griffith's 1910 short In Old California is commonly described as the first film made in Hollywood.
Is Hollywood its own city today?
No. Hollywood is a neighborhood of the City of Los Angeles. It has not been an independent city since the 1910 merger.