HOLLYWOOD NEWS

More body parts found near man’s head in Hollywood Hills park

Police discover a hand, then another, and, as they are about to end their search for the day, they find two feet below the Hollywood sign.

By Alan Zarembo and Andrew Blankstein

Los Angeles Times

January 19, 2012

As the sun set over the Hollywood Hills park where police spent Wednesday searching for human body parts, they still didn’t have a name to go with the man’s head discovered there a day earlier.

What they did have were two hands and two feet. Authorities were optimistic that the hands were in good enough condition to obtain fingerprints.

The homicide investigation began Tuesday afternoon after two dog walkers in Bronson Canyon Park noticed their dogs playing with a plastic bag and went to inspect it.

Click here to continue reading…

___________________________________

HOLLYWOOD NEWS

Hollywood arson rampage: Residents fear culprit may strike again

Los Angeles Times

December 30, 2011

.

HOLLYWOOD NEWS

Fire damages Hollywood’s Magic Castle

The Magic Castle, the spooky headquarters for generations of stage magicians, was closed by a fire Monday that damaged the Hollywood landmark and shut down its Halloween activities, including a seance.

The blaze was reported shortly after 12:30 p.m. and took more than an hour to douse. Smoke rose from dormer windows at the height of the blaze.

No injuries were reported. There was no immediate word on the extent of damage.

On its website, the castle said it would be closed Monday night in order to assess that damage. Planned events had included a Halloween dance party and costume contest and a late-night seance to summon the spirit of Harry Houdini.

The ornate building with castle-like turrets was built as a private mansion in the early 1900s and had its ups and downs before it was opened as a private club for members of the Academy of Magical Arts in the early 1960s.

With a hillside view of Hollywood, the building has numerous theaters, bars and dining rooms that offer everything from sleight of hand to elaborate grand illusions.

The club, which is open to members, magicians and guests, prides itself on a show-biz spook atmosphere that includes a ghost-playing piano that takes requests and a hidden door that opens to the command “open sesame.”

The building has a large collection of props and posters from great magicians and an extensive library of magic. (AP)

CLICK HERE TO SEE NEWS REPORT ON MAGIC CASTLE FIRE

CLICK HERE TO READ “HOLLYWOODLAND’S” HISTORY OF THE MAGIC CASTLE

________________________________

HOLLYWOOD NEWS

Riot police respond to rowdy film crowd in Hollywood

 Noel Buller, 21, of Los Angeles stands on his skateboard in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard, flashing a peace sign, as Los Angeles Police Department officers move into the area to gain control. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times / July 27, 2011)

Movie about Electric Daisy Carnival attracts thousands of gate-crashers.

By Andrew Blankstein, Ricardo Lopez and Sam Quinones

Los Angeles Times

July 28, 2011

The premiere for a movie about a music festival with a controversial past got out of hand itself late Wednesday when thousands of people attempted to crash the Hollywood event, police said.

Crowds spilled into the street around Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, with some people throwing bottles at police. Witnesses said others were dancing on a police car, taunting officers and “planking” — lying down in the street. There were also sporadic fights among people in the crowd.

Police in riot gear shut down streets around the theater, and dozens of other officers in police cruisers responded to the disturbance.

Click here to continue reading

__________________________________

HOLLYWOOD NEWS

Theft of historic ‘Hollywoodland’ signs is finally under investigation

Two plaques were pried off the stone gateway to the residential neighborhood below the Hollywood sign in April. The bronze markers said “Hollywoodland Est. 1923.” (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times) 

Residents tried to report the plaques missing in April, but police are only now launching an investigation. Why? The signs were city property, and the city hadn’t filed a formal crime report.

By Bob Pool

Los Angeles Times

June 4, 2011

Six weeks after two historic plaques were stolen from the entrance to one of Hollywood’s most famous neighborhoods, Los Angeles police are launching an investigation.

The delay was because no one had yet filed a formal crime report about the missing bronze “Hollywoodland Est. 1923″ markers, which were pried from the stone gateway to the historic residential area beneath the Hollywood sign.

Residents say they attempted to file a theft report on April 16 after they noticed the plaques’ disappearance but were not allowed to because the markers are considered Los Angeles city property.

No one from the city filed a report, either.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING

_______________________________________

HOLLYWOOD NEWS

Big building project planned around Capitol Records Tower

A computer rendering shows the proposed development around the Capitol Records Tower on Vine Street in Hollywood. Buildings on the 4.5-acre site would be situated to preserve views of the tower. (Handel Architects / May 14, 2011)

Owners of the tower are seeking approval for Millennium Hollywood, a 1-million-square-foot project including two skyscrapers that would be mostly residential but would also have a hotel, offices, restaurants and stores.

By Roger Vincent

Los Angeles Times

May 13, 2011

After going mostly on hiatus during the economic downturn, Hollywood is poised to debut a major development project around the famed Capitol Records Tower near Hollywood and Vine.

The owners of the Capitol Records building on Vine Street are seeking approval to build 1 million square feet of structures, including two skyscrapers, surrounding the famous cylindrical office tower resembling a stack of record discs. The mixed-use complex could be valued at as much as $1 billion.

The Millennium Hollywood project, proposed by developers Millennium Partners and Argent Ventures, would be primarily residential but also have a hotel, offices, restaurants and stores. It would be built on the Capitol Records parking lot and another parking lot across Vine Street.

Click here to continue reading this Los Angeles Times article

 __________________________________

HOLLYWOOD NEWS

Another mystery beneath the Hollywood sign

 Two historic monument plaques, as shown in a book, are missing from a stone gate in Beachwood Canyon. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

First it was directional signs for tourists that vanished, and now 1923 bronze ‘Hollywoodland’ plaques marking the stone gateway to the community have disappeared. Theories abound.

By Bob Pool

Los Angeles Times

April 27, 2011

Residents living on the narrow lanes beneath the Hollywood sign have quarreled for months over small directional signs pointing tourists to a place where the iconic Tinseltown symbol can be viewed and photographed.

The road signs benefited homeowners on the street that dead-ends at the locked fire road that leads to Mt. Lee and the Hollywood sign. Unfortunately, the signs funneled sightseers and tour buses onto other nearby streets. Then the signs mysteriously disappeared. Whether that’s a crime depends on which street you live on.

But now real thieves have stolen two signs that nearly everyone in the hillside neighborhood mourns losing: the historic 1923 “Hollywoodland” bronze plaques that marked the stone gateway to the community.

Click here to continue reading the above Los Angeles Times article

__________________________________

HOLLYWOOD NEWS

Hollywood Forever Cemetery makes an offer on Glendale’s Grand View

The Hollywood facility’s executives say they have the expertise to turn around the troubled Grand View Memorial Park, where state officials in 2005 found 4,000 bodies improperly buried.

By Mark Kellam

LOS ANGELES TIMES

April 25, 2011

The owners of Hollywood Forever Cemetery say they are interested in buying Glendale’s troubled Grand View Memorial Park, which fell into scandal in 2005 when investigators discovered that 4,000 people had been improperly buried.

The sale of Grand View — where public access has been limited for years since the facility fell into a state of disrepair — is required under the terms of a $3.8-million settlement of a class-action lawsuit against the cemetery’s operators.

The lawsuit came in the wake of a 2005 state investigation that found the remains of 4,000 people who had not been properly buried. The cemetery shut down a year later. It reopened with a new operator but closed again due to financial struggles.

Now, a $500,000 restoration of the cemetery grounds — including a new irrigation system and the removal of dilapidated buildings for additional grave space — is about 85% complete, said Paul Ayers, the attorney for the plaintiffs’ families who was appointed to oversee the restoration.

Several potential buyers have expressed interest in the property, but Ayers cautioned that a sale could take several years as final settlement details are worked out.

“I think there are bona fide people interested in the cemetery,” he said. “But I’ve been around this end of the cemetery business for a long time, and it’s very slow.”

Hollywood Forever officials on Monday said they have a list of ideas for making Grand View a viable business again, citing their experience in turning around the Hollywood cemetery, which was on the verge of closure when they bought it in 1998.

“We have made a formal offer,” said Hollywood Forever President Tyler Cassity. “The offer is with the ownership interests; we can do nothing further until they resolve their interests.”

Hollywood Forever, the final resting place for a long list of celebrities, is now an active cemetery and regularly hosts community events, including summer movie screenings.

“It was a bankrupt cemetery,” said Yogu Kanthiah, Hollywood Forever’s chief executive. “We took over the cemetery and turned it around, and now it is a cultural landmark for the community.”

The state will have to sign off on any buyer.

“I think the state is going to be extremely discerning about who they allow to purchase that property,” Ayers said. “They’re going to want to see someone who has expertise in this field.”

In the meantime, family members will continue to be confined to limited openings at Grand View, with the first of the year scheduled for Memorial Day.

mark.kellam@latimes.com

________________________________________

HOLLYWOOD SIGN

Hugh Hefner is final donor, land around Hollywood Sign saved!

April 26, 2010

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) today announced it has raised enough money to buy and protect the 138 acres behind the world-famous Hollywood Sign, as Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner stepped forward to close the gap with a $900,000 donation toward the $12.5 million needed.

“Today, we have the Hollywood ending we hoped for and now Cahuenga Peak will be forever protected by adding it to Griffith Park,” said Will Rogers, TPL President. “We want to thank the thousands of donors worldwide who so generously helped us, and we owe a particular thanks to Hugh Hefner, who stepped forward at the end to close the final gap.”

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, an early supporter of the effort, said, “Of all the iconic landmarks in the world, the Hollywood Sign is truly one of the most recognizable symbols of the California dream and land of opportunity. It called to me when I left Austria and made my way to the U.S., with a few dollars in my pocket and the dream of becoming an actor. I am proud we were able to come together and create a public-private partnership to protect this historic symbol that will continue to welcome dreamers, artists and Austrian bodybuilders for generations to come.”

“This is a great day for all of us,” said Los Angeles Council Member Tom LaBonge. “I have climbed Mt. Hollywood every morning for over 30 years and look forward to hiking Cahuenga Peak with anyone who wants to join me. This would not have happened without The Trust for Public Land, the Hollywood Sign Trust and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. And a very special thanks to a man who, like me, loves nature, loves people and provided great strength to bring us to this point, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

Hefner’s gift capped a year-long effort, which began with $1 million gifts each from The Tiffany & Co. Foundation and Aileen Getty. At the original April 14 deadline, TPL still had $1.5 million to raise. TPL received a fundraising extension to April 30, and The Tiffany Foundation and Ms. Getty stepped forward again with a $500,000 matching grant, which TPL would receive if the remaining $1 million was raised. Hefner’s gift closed that final gap and enabled TPL to realize the Tiffany and Getty challenge funds.

“My childhood dreams and fantasies came from the movies, and the images created in Hollywood had a major influence on my life and Playboy,” said Playboy founder Hugh M. Hefner. “As I’ve said before, the Hollywood sign is Hollywood’s Eiffel Tower and I am pleased to help preserve such an important cultural landmark.”

Chris Baumgart, Chair of the Hollywood Sign Trust, said, “The Sign you see today exists because Hugh Hefner raised the money in 1978 to re-build it. Now, 32 years later, the Sign’s number 1 fan has come forward again with the closing gift to ‘Save the Peak’ and thus the view of Mt. Lee and the Hollywood Sign. It is a view that is recognized around the world as the icon of the entertainment industry and the postcard of the Southern California lifestyle. The Hollywood Sign Trust and admirers from around the world thank Tom LaBonge for believing and not giving up, and Hugh Hefner for carrying our efforts across the finish line.”

“I thank Hugh Hefner and Aileen Getty for their critical contributions, along with everyone whose generous spirit moved them to join the campaign to save one of America’s most famous urban spaces,” said Michael J. Kowalski, chairman and CEO of Tiffany & Co. “The threat to its existence underscores the need for partnerships like ours with TPL who can work together to protect our cultural assets for future generations.”

Ms. Getty, a long-time Hollywood resident, said, “I’m proud to support TPL’s efforts in conserving this magical place. With all of the needs facing our urban communities today, this successful effort reminds us that we also need beauty, green spaces, trails and parkland to prepare our communities for a healthy, more livable future.”

Joseph T. Edmiston, Executive Director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, said, “The protection of this land is something which will provide an enormous benefit to people in Los Angeles, both now and for generations to come. And it wouldn’t have happened without Gov. Schwarzenegger’s leadership, and with help from TPL. This project has shown a welcome spotlight on the need to protect open lands in Los Angeles.”

John Donnelly, Executive Director of the Wildlife Conservation Board, said, “The permanent protection of Cahuenga Peak is a significant addition to Griffith park that will greatly enhance recreation opportunities for visitors and residents of Los Angeles and enhance wildlife corridors throughout the region.”

Hollywood leaders donated $3.2 million, including major donations from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, CBS Corporation, The Entertainment Industry Foundation, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, the Lucasfilm Foundation, NBC Universal, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Steven Spielberg, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Time Warner Inc., and The Walt Disney Company Foundation. Other Hollywood contributors include Creative Artists Agency, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, and Norman Lear.

There was a groundswell of support for the project in Los Angeles, with local residents holding rallies, bake sales, and fund-raising concerts on the Sunset Strip. On Facebook, more than 27,000 supporters have signed up. Viral videos have chronicled the partnership’s efforts.

In April, 2009, TPL signed an option to buy the 138 acres behind, and to the left, of the sign’s “H”, stretching west to Cahuenga Peak. The land was originally bought in 1940 by industrialist Howard Hughes who intended to build a home for his girlfriend, actress Ginger Rogers. But the relationship ended and after Hughes died, his estate sold the property in 2002 to a group of Chicago investors. They put the property on the market two years ago for $22 million. It is zoned to build four luxury homes.

TPL is a national, nonprofit land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places. Since 1972, TPL has completed 4,500 projects in 47 states, protecting 2.8 million acres. Visit www.tpl.org

Save Cahuenga Peak

_______________________________________

HOLLYWOOD NEWS

Welcome to Sallywood? Iconic LA landmark gets facelift

 (AFP)

Los Angeles Times

February 11, 2010

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — One of the world’s most recognizable landmarks — the giant Hollywood sign in Los Angeles — was undergoing a facelift Thursday as activists ramped up a campaign to preserve the iconic symbol.

An environmental group bidding to raise around 12.5 million dollars to purchase a 138-acre (55-hectare) parcel of rugged land surrounding the sign had begun draping bright red letters over the popular tourist attraction.

The Trust for Public Land will shroud each of the sign’s 45-foot (13-meter) high letters in blankets so that the slogan “SAVE THE PEAK” becomes visible for miles around the sprawling Californian city.

By 5:30pm Thursday, the first two letters of the sign had been covered, leaving the landmark to read “SALLYWOOD.”

Activists will remove the slogan next Tuesday, Trust for Public Land spokesman Tim Ahern said. “Everybody in the city will be able to see the message ‘Save the Peak,’” Ahern told AFP.

The Hollywood sign, which was initially created as an advert for a real estate development in 1923, is owned by the city of Los Angeles.

However the mountainous land surrounding the famous white letters is owned by a Chicago-based consortium who have acquired rights to build four luxury mansions along the ridgeline.

Activists protested the plans, saying the sign would be blighted if the properties were built, and sought to buy the land from the consortium, which agreed to sell it for 12.5 million dollars if the money was paid by April 14.

“So far we’ve raised about seven million dollars. We’re hoping that what we are doing this week will help us raise the other 5.5 million,” Ahern said.

One of the City of Angels’ most beloved attractions, the Hollywood sign had fallen into disrepair until it was restored in the 1970s after a campaign which saw nine donors pay 27,777 dollars to “adopt” one letter each.

Although members of the public are forbidden from accessing the area around the landmark — a sophisticated alarm system including motion sensors has been set up to deter trespassers — the sign has a grisly history.

In 1932 British actress Peg Entwistle infamously committed suicide by throwing herself off the top of the letter H.

Click here to read article at the Los Angeles Times

________________________________