A glimpse of Hollywood
– sort of
I’ve never been one to fawn all over celebrities. And since I
studied film and photography in college, I understand a lot of what
looks like magic on the big screen. When I lived in Los Angeles for
graduate school a friend from Indiana was always on the lookout for
celebrities. And she often saw plenty of them when she was out with
people other than me. She dined across from Clint Eastwood and even
had a pedicure next to Demi Moore and her daughters for Tallulah or
Scout’s birthday
– I can’t remember which one.
A glimpse of Hollywood – sort of
I’ve never been one to fawn all over celebrities. And since I studied film and photography in college, I understand a lot of what looks like magic on the big screen. When I lived in Los Angeles for graduate school a friend from Indiana was always on the lookout for celebrities. And she often saw plenty of them when she was out with people other than me. She dined across from Clint Eastwood and even had a pedicure next to Demi Moore and her daughters for Tallulah or Scout’s birthday – I can’t remember which one.
My first close encounter was at the Grove, a fancy shopping center with a fancy movie theater. I stopped to use the restroom at the theater and when I emerged the guy I was with said, “I just saw Cigarette Smoking Man from the ‘X-Files.’ That was awesome!”
I turned around, but Cigarette Smoking Man had disappeared, just like he always did in the show.
In my second brush with a star, I rode in an elevator with Jim Carrey when I was assigned to write a feature story for the Daily Trojan, the school newspaper. He smiled, surrounded by agents and other people meant to keep the reporters at bay. We exited on the same floor, and I was quickly informed that there had been a change of plans and the college journalists would no longer be allowed close to the celebrities. We were offered a press conference with 50 writers shoved into one room and enough time for three of us to ask questions.
But still everyone I know from my mom to my coworkers all want to see Hollywood for themselves, whether it’s the Walk of Fame or Universal Studios. I warn them they aren’t likely to see many celebrities and what they will see here isn’t a true depiction of real Hollywood. When a friend and I recently made plans to go to Los Angeles, there were two things she wanted to do – visit Hollywood Boulevard and Universal Studios.
I mentioned we should only visit Hollywood Boulevard during the day because at night people beg for money every few feet and prostitutes walk the streets. She seemed undeterred. I also mentioned the last time I went to Universal Studios my family didn’t even spend an entire day there because there wasn’t much to do. And everyone ended up in a really bad mood by the end of the day. Again she seemed undeterred.
So I stopped at Triple A and bought discounted tickets for the theme park, and got directions to Hollywood and Highlands – a mall that has been built around Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the Kodiak Theater.
We got to the park about 12:30 p.m. Friday. The first stop on the itinerary was the famous Studio Tour – a tram ride around the Universal Backlots, which is an actual working studio. While we waited in line, it seemed like everyone around us was speaking another language, a sure sign the park is a real tourist trap. For anyone who hasn’t been to the park, the tour takes visitors through sets and has several instances of special effects that are tied into movies – “Jaws,” “Earthquake” and “The Mummy” are just a few.
For those who have been to the park before, the tour is predictable and there is no surprise unless of course there is filming going on. But unfortunately, when there is filming going on the tram is redirected and security guards stake out the site so no celebrities can be seen.
After the tour, we picked out what rides and shows we wanted to see and managed to be done with the park by 5 p.m. The only rides we really enjoyed were “Jurassic Park” and “The Mummy,” but that’s more about an 84-foot drop – and praying not to end up soaked – and a fast-paced roller coaster than about the movies.
The next day we went to Hollywood Boulevard in the afternoon. The area has actually been cleaned up some since the last time I visited four years ago. My friend was enthralled with the stars along the Walk of Fame and she searched for the names of her favorite actors, including James Dean and Marilyn Monroe.
We walked along Hollywood Boulevard for five blocks. I pointed out it goes for a really long way, and ends up in a pretty bad neighborhood. We crossed the street and turned back.
One of the interesting things about the revitalization is that there is a mix of high-end restaurants and stores mixed in with shops schilling faux vintage stuff and cheap souvenirs. And then there are the people on the street trying to push visitors into tour buses that promise to show them the homes of the stars.
For those who are really interested in the history of Hollywood, there are now signposts up that mark historical sites. Unfortunately many of these sites have already been torn down.
Grauman’s Chinese Theater is one of the few places still standing, as is the El Capitan. Disney bought the theater and renovated it back to its art deco glory days. The theater is the site of red carpet events and also special Disney events. Each movie is preceded by an organist’s performance, shorts and then the feature film.
Between Universal Studios and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, we saw Freddy Krueger, Elvis, Jack the Pumpkin King, Homer Simpson, Shrek, Spiderman and Slash. We did not, however, see any real celebrities. Maybe on our next trip we’ll go to a place where the real stars hang out.
