Thursday, July 28, 2005

Hollywood Babylon, Part 3

Hollywood used to be a dirty town. Like Times Square in New York it had its share of crazy homeless people, thieving junkies, punk and hookers. But just as that time passed for Times Square, so does it seem to be passing for Hollywood.

An important part of the Disneyfication of the center of what used to be the film industry is Hollywood and Highland. Definitely part of the Malling of America, this huge structure includes a hotel, a bowling alley, and mind numbing number of chain retail stores you could find anywhere. It's the home to the Kodak Theater, responsible for "moving the Oscars back to Hollywood." (If there ever was a sign of the oozing spread of mediocity, it would have to involve the Oscars.) As an added bonus, it ruined the Chinese Theater.

Built on the site of the Hollywood Hotel, (erected in 1905 and torn down in 1956 -- the first hotel in Hollywood and therefore home to many of the top stars of the budding industry) the area has a storied past. But the recognition of this fact isn't its only nod to history.

Hollywood and Highland resurrected the Babylonian arch from Intolerance (as well as one of the white elephant statues.) And, in an effort to put icing on that cake, the arch frames a fabulous view of the Hollywood Sign (when there isn't much smog, otherwise, it's obscured.)

Who knew that in the new watered down, "safe" Hollywood there would be a remnant of such a fabulous story -- a story of excess, prejudice, dissipation and resurrection, not just of Intolerance itself, but of D.W. Griffith and the industry at large.

Someone should make a movie out of it.

Hollywood and Highland, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA

posted by kuaptic. @ 1:05 PM

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