Whose star is on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is an open-air museum of stars. What happened to the "Walk of Fame"

If you have a TV, can read, and live in this century, chances are you've heard of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a 5.6-kilometer walk that runs along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street (Vine Street) in Los Angeles, California, where stage and screen stars often kneel.

Established in 1958, the star-studded walkway now includes about 2,500 stars, with about 25 new stars added each year. This is a truly unique and enduring tribute and recognition to our beloved stars, however, there is sometimes more behind the stories of these stars than meets the eye.

10 One Of The Stars Is Actually The Moon

To receive a star on the Walk of Fame, one must make a major contribution to one of the five areas of entertainment - film, television, music, radio, or theatre. It is very rare that someone outside of Hollywood is considered worthy enough for such an honor.

However, the Walk of Fame Committee has been known to deviate from the rules when an outside contribution was particularly invaluable. For example, in January 1993, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins received a plaque for their “contribution to the television industry" in connection with their historic moon landing, which was broadcast in homes around the world. Instead of a star, their plaque was a moon containing their names, their landing date, and the name of Apollo XI.

9. Many politicians have stars


Arnold Schwarzenegger was the second governor of California to receive a star, the first being Ronald Reagan, who is also the only U.S. president to ever receive such an honor. The former president, for his part, has appeared in more than fifty films as well as several television productions, and even served as president of the Screen Actors Guild during his acting years.

Several other politicians also received stars for acting skills, including George Murphy, Helen Gahagan, William Harrison Hays, and former mayor Los Angeles Tom Bradley.

8. You can steal the stars


In the history of the Walk of Fame, four stars were stolen, each weighing about 136 kilograms. Kirk Douglas and James Stewart's stars were stolen in 2000 when they were temporarily removed for renovations. They were later found in the house of one of the construction workers, but both stars had to be rebuilt as they suffered significant damage. Gene Autry also lost one of his five stars at the construction site.

In a last but not least theft, Gregory Peck's star was roughly ripped out, with the thieves using a concrete saw to remove the star from its place. Autry and Peck's original stars were never found and eventually had to be replaced.

7. Families with the most stars


While many families boast more than one star on the Walk of Fame, the only family, which received the largest number honors is the Barrymores family, whose members have earned at least seven stars. John and his brother Lionel (who has two), their sister Ethel (Ethel), uncle Sidney Drew (Sidney Drew), John Drew, and Drew are all represented on the Walk of Fame.

However, the stars of the family are not just gathered together. The location of the stars on the Walk of Fame is determined methodically, for example, world-famous icons of the genre are usually located near the Grauman Chinese Theater (TCL Chinese Theatre), and Oscar winners - near the Dolby Theater, so that both were on Hollywood Boulevard. Drew Barrymore's star was located right in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre, cementing her legacy as a scion of Hollywood royalty.

6. The actors who played the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz got one star in all.


Munchkins are cute inhabitants of the Blue Country who were introduced in the 1939s in The Wizard of Oz, one of the most famous Hollywood classics of all time. The Munchkins were played by 124 actors, as well as several child actresses who were chosen for their relative height to adults. In 2007, all 124 Munchkins received a star on the Walk of Fame. The Munchkin Star represents 112 adults and 12 children, the largest group individual actors represented by a single star.

5 Some Of The Stars Are Just Missing

One would think that the Walk of Fame would maintain an impeccable order and an accurate register of the positions of the stars, but this is apparently not the case, because two stars, it would seem, have disappeared into thin air and still cannot be found. To date, the stars of opera singer Richard Crooks (Richard Crooks) and actress Geraldine Farrar (Geraldine Farrar) remain missing. Whether they were overlooked, stolen, or simply never located, their whereabouts continue to be one of the Walk of Fame's biggest mysteries.

4 Star Julio Iglesias Has His Own Cleaning Team

Fans can do some pretty crazy things when they finally get to see the stars of their idols for the first time. From simple messages and drawings, to breaking and extracting pieces for keepsakes, people's love seems to know no bounds. Luckily for Julio Iglesias, his fans are mostly older women. Once a month, a group of his dedicated fans washes and polishes his star, always keeping it in top condition.

Another Walk of Fame fan, John “Mr Starshine” Peterson, also spends his days cleaning and polishing the stars on the Walk. Living only on donations from tourists, passers-by and grateful merchants, he is usually somewhere on the Alley, with his cleaning products and rags, and cleans the stars from morning to evening.

3. Over a dozen stars look exactly the same


The alley contains various plaques for people sharing the same surname. In fact, the name "Williams" can be found on 15 different stars. Several stars also bear the same name, even if they represent different artists - for example, there are two Robin Williams, two Harrison Fords, and two Michael Jacksons, just to name a few.

These duplicates have often led to cases of misidentification, such as in the case of star Michael Jackson. After King Pop's death in 2009, fans left candles, flowers, and other memorabilia on his star, or so it seemed to them. As it turns out, the radio host also named Michael Jackson has his own star, and the fans mistakenly left all these things for him.

2. Fictional characters can also get stars


On his 50th birthday in 1978, Mickey Mouse became the first animated character to receive a star on the Walk of Fame. Bugs Bunny received his star a few years later, in 1985. Other noteworthy fictional characters with real stars include: Kermit the Frog, Donald Duck, Tinker Bell, Snow White, Winnie the Pooh, Shrek (Shrek), and The Simpsons (The Simpsons).

In 2004, Godzilla became the first monster to receive a star, 50 years after its debut on the big screen, and hours before its release. last movie"Godzilla: Final Wars" (Godzilla: Final Wars). The dog characters Strongheart and Lassie received their stars in 1960, and then in 1963 Rin Tin Tin, in honor of all the dogs who have played their parts masterfully and won our hearts again and again.

1. The star of Muhammad Ali is on the wall


Most of us know Muhammad Ali as a world boxing champion, but few know that he is also public figure, and the hero of numerous books and films. In fact, his promotion of religious freedom, racial justice, and his often controversial statements led the United States National Security Agency (NSA) to monitor his correspondence, and his refusal to fight in Vietnam led to his arrest and forfeiture of his championship. World Heavyweight Championship.

In 2002, after the release of Ali's film, the Walk of Fame Committee broke with tradition and installed Muhammad Ali's star on the wall of the Dolby theater complex, instead of inserting it into the sidewalk as tradition required. This was done after Ali noted that he did not want his star to be stepped on by people who did not have any respect for him.

On the Hollywood Walk of Fame there are stars with the names of hundreds of prominent figures of culture and art. Since 1960, people have been celebrated there for their contribution to the development of the film industry, television, sound recording and music, radio and theater. In total - more than 2.5 thousand commemorative signs made of brass. Among them, of course, there should have been a place for Russians, although in reality there were very few of them.

Among the Russians, whose contribution to world culture recognized in the United States, a special place is occupied by Igor Stravinsky. A student of Rimsky-Korsakov, an outstanding pianist and composer, Sergei Diaghilev came to the attention of Sergei Diaghilev very early and began to write for productions of the Russian Seasons in Paris. It is not surprising that in 1914, just before the start of World War I, the Stravinsky family moved to Switzerland, where Diaghilev's Ballets Russes was based. Since then, the composer has not returned to his homeland for a very long time.

Until 1940, Stravinsky lived in France, he was one of the living guardians of pre-revolutionary culture. Russian Empire. Then he began to spend more time overseas, until he finally moved to San Francisco. In 1945 Stravinsky received American citizenship. It was a life of constant touring.

Stravinsky himself conducted at concerts

Before his death, Stravinsky managed to visit his homeland - in 1962 he came on tour to Moscow and Leningrad. A decade later, he died in New York and was buried in Venice, not far from Sergei Diaghilev, who played such important role in the life of a composer

A graduate of the Moscow Choreographic School, Fyodor Kozlov became world famous thanks to his participation in the legendary Russian Ballet troupe of Sergei Diaghilev. Diaghilev personally chose the most promising and talented dancers to participate in the company, so Kozlov flew to the USA as a pitcher great expectations Russian star. So in 1909 he was introduced to the film director Cecil DeMille, who later became one of the most influential people in Hollywood. This acquaintance marked the beginning of Kozlov's cinematic career, thanks to which he is remembered today in the United States.

DeMille's first film with the participation of a Russian dancer was released in 1917, and in the 20s there was a real surge in Fyodor Kozlov's popularity: in total, he starred in several dozen films. But the "Russian brunette", of course, remained a dancer and choreographer. Participated in the preparation of the Russian Seasons tour in the USA, staged musicals on Broadway. He was extremely popular, so much so that emigrants from Kazan, according to the Los Angeles Times, even offered Kozlov the Tatar throne.

"Better to be a living actor than a dead tsar" - Kozlov

Kozlov's brilliant career ended with the silent film. His Russian accent has not gone away during the years of life in the United States and this has proved to be a serious obstacle to new contracts with film studios. Last years Kozlov devoted his life to choreography: he created his own dance school in Los Angeles, where he taught until his death in 1956.

On February 9, 1960, Fedor Kozlov became one of the first owners of a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - as an actor, and not as a dancer, in the category "For Contribution to the Development of the Film Industry".

Composer Andrei Kostelyanets, who is rarely remembered in his homeland, won his fame in the USA. He was born in Petersburg in 1901, a few years after October revolution and start civil war fled with his family abroad, just to the United States. Education and love of music led the immigrant to the radio, where he began to conduct orchestras. Already in the 1930s, Kostelyanets had his own musical program - "Andrey Kostelyanets presents" on CBS. He recorded a huge number of popular orchestral melodies, which were sold in millions of copies. He became an "icon" of Light Music and personified a whole era in the life of the New York Philharmonic, where the concerts of "Andrey Kostelyanets with his orchestra" were held with great success. Not surprisingly, in 1960 the living legend was included among the first musicians whose memory they wanted to perpetuate on the Walk of Fame.

Grigory Ratov, a native of Samara, is considered their American actor in the USA. He emigrated with his family after the October Revolution. At first he lived in France, where he published the Russian Journal, then he even returned to his homeland for a while, only to finally leave in 1925. Ratov came to the states as a Jewish immigrant. In New York, he began to participate in productions of the Jewish Theater, then he got to Broadway, and when the crisis broke out, following the example of many actors of that time, he “ran” to Hollywood.

Ratov was lucky to start his film career with a role close to him - a Jewish immigrant who dies on the operating table of his son, a doctor. Even a strong accent did not prevent him from acting in a whole series of films, and then completely becoming one of the most recognizable actors.

The most famous work of Ratov is the role in the film "All About Eve", which won 6 Oscars. Well, his most scandalous work was the "Song of Russia" in 1944. This picture in the United States was declared one of the most striking examples of communist propaganda.

Because of the "Song of the Motherland" he was called an agent of the USSR

After scandal and series public hearings Ratov's reputation as a director was destroyed. He continued to act as an actor, and a few months before his death - in February 1960 - he was, along with dozens of other cinema figures of the past and present, immortalized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to the development of cinema.

Perhaps the only Russian - without any reservations - the owner of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is Fyodor Chaliapin. He was honored "for his contributions to the recording industry". Chaliapin was well known in the USA not only thanks to the records with his voice, but above all - thanks to his personal performances.

As you know, Chaliapin had already made a brilliant operatic career when the 1917 revolutions took place. Soviet power he was the artistic director of the Mariinsky, by the way, the first to receive the title People's Artist Republic and one of the first went on tour abroad.

The trips dragged on, Chaliapin seemed to be in no hurry to return to his homeland, for which he very soon fell out of favor. Discontent was added by rumors about the warm relations of the singer with the White Guards.

After 5 years of touring, Chaliapin was deprived of the right to return to the USSR

The legendary bass finally became an emigrant. His family lived in Paris, although in fact Chaliapin spent most of his time traveling endlessly with tours. For another ten years, he traveled around the world - from the United States to Manchuria and Japan. In 1937, Chaliapin was diagnosed with leukemia. A year later, he died in the arms of his wife. The artist was buried in Paris, and after almost half a century they were transferred to Moscow at the Novodevichy cemetery.

Who invented and where did the Hollywood Walk of Fame come from. These questions are probably asked by many, although the concept itself is familiar to everyone, and any person imagines what this place is intended for. In this article, you can learn a little more about Hollywood and about the stars who were captured on the Alley, and there are even those who did not receive such an honor or simply did not come to the awards ceremony. "How many stars are there on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?" - you ask. The answer can be found in the article below.

How it all began

To leave your mark on history, and even more so on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, believe me, many dream. In the 50s, the idea arose to encourage and support the fame of artists who made a special contribution to the film industry. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce at that time was in charge of E. M. Stuart, who instructed to allocate funds for the construction of the Walk of Fame. There are two opinions about how the idea of ​​​​creating the Alley, which it is now, came about: some say that in one of the restaurants in Hollywood, stars with photographs of celebrities were painted on the menu, others claim that pentagonal stars are painted on the ceiling in the dining room of the Hollywood Hotel, which became the reason for the creation of the "Avenue of Stars".

The project was completed and approved in 1956, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame was completed in 1959. First of all, 1550 Stars were laid, which belonged to such celebrities as Joan Woodward, Ronald Colman, Burt Lancaster, Ernest Torrens, Preston Foster and many others.

What happened to the "Walk of Fame"

In the 60s, a crisis began in America, the echoes of which touched Hollywood and everything connected with it. For eight years, not a single Star has been added to the Alley. One day, a certain person decides to completely change the entire structure of choosing and awarding the Star, thanks to which the "Walk of Fame" slowly began to revive.

Johnny Grant appointed the nth fee for the nomination for the Star and in a strict manner demanded the personal presence of each selected person for the laying of the Star. Since then, about 20-30 Stars appear on the Alley annually.

Let's go back to 1958, when the construction of the Alley was in full swing. At this time, two litigation which hindered the construction of the project. One lawsuit was filed by Charles Chaplin Jr., the son of the notorious Charlie Chaplin, who was hard hit by his father's removal from the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star List. And they say that the political views of Chaplin the Elder were involved in that case. But that's not the point.

The second lawsuit was filed by local property owners in the mentioned Alley, demanding to pay them cash reward like a building tax. However, the claim was dismissed.

List of stars on the 20th century Hollywood Walk of Fame

Stars are divided into five categories, each of which defines its contribution to the entertainment industry. So, celebrities get a star for special achievements in the film industry, television, sound recording and music, radio and theatre. The Hollywood Walk of Fame has thousands of stars for various achievements. And here are a few famous people who made a special contribution to the development of the film industry in the 20th century:

List of celebrities on the 21st century Hollywood Walk of Stars

Stars of various sizes and popularity were honored to perpetuate their contribution on the "Walk of Fame". In the 21st century, the film industry has developed at an active pace, and many popular actors and actresses have received their Stars on Hollywood Walk:

Stars who failed to make it to the Walk of Fame list

The Hollywood beau monde is full of various talented and promising actors. But Jim Parsons was the last American actor who received his Star on the Walk of Fame. 2545 Stars found their owners on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, but you'd be surprised which celebrities have never received such an honor or simply refused the Star. Here are some of them:

1. Robert De Niro - winner of two "Oscars" was never considered as a candidate for a Star on the Walk of Fame.

   

2. Tina Fey. This American actress, producer, screenwriter and writer has nine Emmy awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Golden Globes, but does not have a Star on the Walk.
3. Brad Pitt is the most sexy man Hollywood did not have the honor of being on Star Alley.
4. Denzel Washington has been one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood since the 80s. He boasts of such awards as two Oscars, two Golden Globes, a Tony Award, but he never received his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
5. Clint Eastwood is an outstanding person in world cinema, he is the owner of four Oscars, but he is absolutely not interested in receiving a Star on the Walk of Fame. However, there is always a place reserved for him.

   

   Pictured above is the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

   Fictional character stars

   In addition to famous and prominent people, there are also special Stars on the Walk of Fame, which were awarded to fictional characters who have become cult heroes of all times and generations:

   
   

   unusual stars

   There are a number of Hollywood Walk Stars that have become unique in their own way for one reason or another. Below are some unusual Stars:

   
   

Getting to Los Angeles today and not going to the Hollywood Walk of Fame is like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. It is well known that the stars with the names of celebrities, embedded in the sidewalk slabs for 18 blocks along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, are awarded for a special contribution to the entertainment industry. But only employees of the "dream factory" can claim such an award? How do they get into this historical list and is their own star expensive? Let's figure it out.

The idea of ​​an alley that glorifies the names of prominent figures in the entertainment industry was proposed by the president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, E.M. Stewart in 1953. Many liked the idea, but it took almost 8 years to bring it to fruition. The five-year plan was spent on compiling a list of candidates by a special Selection Committee (which included Walt Disney and Cecile DeMille, among others), developing designs and other technical details, then there was a temporary trial laying of eight stars, later transferred to a new location, and only in March 1960 names of Hollywood celestials finally began to massively lay out the Los Angeles sidewalk, starting with director Stanley Kramer.

Whether to call Cramer the first lucky person to be awarded a personal monument, or to consider members of the “test” eight as such, is a matter of taste. The selection committee and the Chamber of Commerce are of the opinion that there can be no “very first” here, since the starting 8 candidates were randomly selected (in particular, this list included both Burt Lancaster, who was at the zenith of fame, and those who had long fallen out of the profession actresses Olive Borden and Louise Fazenda). All 8 slabs were introduced into the sidewalk at the same time, and the laying itself was a test, that is, not final. Kramer, in turn, cannot be considered the first either - after eight predecessors, for sure ... At the same time, the list compiled by the organizers included another one and a half thousand people worthy of perpetuating no less than Lancaster and Kramer, but who were waiting for nominal stars gradually, in order queues.

Bookmark "Walk of Glory"

It was decided to make slabs for the alley from terrazzo - a coral-pink mosaic material, which includes lime and granite chips. Around the five-pointed star, a gray background was left, in tone with the boulevard cover; the name of its bearer was imprinted into the star itself. In addition to film workers, such marks for merit were awarded to television, sound recording and radio figures (later, outstanding theater workers were added to them). The Selection Committee was also made up of relevant professionals, so that each branch of the entertainment industry had its own lobbyists. In order to make it clear to passers-by what this or that name is connected with, a corresponding emblem was placed on each star - a movie camera, a TV set, a vinyl record, a radio microphone or a theatrical mask. At first, it was planned to put a caricature of the corresponding figure on the plate, but it turned out to be difficult to lay out such a picture with the help of a brass rim, so we decided not to be wiser and limit ourselves to copper inscriptions.

While the first list was being drawn up, the members of the committee pretty much quarreled: it seemed to some that the “unworthy” were included in the list of worthy candidates, others were offended that their personal favorites were ignored. But both of them decided that Charlie Chaplin, who irritated many Hollywood people with his "leftist" views, did not belong on the list. Chaplin's son found such discrimination offensive and sued the Chamber of Commerce for a long time to restore his father to the list or pay $ 400,000 as compensation for the moral damage he suffered, but achieved nothing, except that he stopped the start of the alley's construction for several years. Some time later, the Chamber, however, reconsidered its attitude towards the great comedian: Charlie Chaplin, albeit after his death, received his personal star.

So, after much shaking and delay, the opening of the Walk of Fame finally took place, although the completion of all work was delayed for another year, until the spring of 1961. Hollywood Boulevard was repaired for the occasion, equipped with new lights and planted with trees. The residents of the district were happy: they managed to get away from any participation in the repair through the court, so the townspeople got the improvement free of charge. The beginning was promising, but the organizers themselves cost a lot of money for a beautiful idea, and public interest to it turned out to be far from being as massive as it was intended. Therefore, the continuation did not follow soon.

For almost a decade, the Chamber of Commerce thought about how to revive the stalled initiative and where to find funding for it, until it was developed new system: now the committee selected candidates for a star from among celebrities who could be nominated by anyone, whether it be an organization, a company, a fan club or just an individual, and the applicant himself had to pay for its production and laying (at that time it was 2500 dollars, today - 30,000). Each entry had to be accompanied by a letter from the nominee stating that he was willing to receive a star. In addition, the development of the Avenue of Stars, which was conceived as an exhibition of world-class names, should have been actively promoted by the press and honored themselves: the latter were strictly obliged to attend the opening ceremonies of their personal stars. If the "hero of the occasion" did not want to attend, the event was canceled. New strategy turned out to be effective, as it managed to attract both finance and media interest.

Having stood on new rails, the laying of personalized paving slabs resumed in 1968 and has since assumed a permanent character. 20-25 new stars are installed annually, and today their total number has already exceeded 2500. The selection continues to adhere to certain principles: for example, a nominee for a star must have worked professionally in the entertainment industry for at least five years, and at least the same must pass after leaving nominee from life if we are talking about a posthumous star.

At the same time, the understanding of who is entitled to receive a name plate and in what form their contribution should be celebrated has changed over time. In the field of cinema, of course, not only actors were awarded, but also directors, producers, special effects masters, costume designers, animators. But those who dealt with the “dream factory” only tangentially got here, for example, writers Sidney Sheldon and Ray Bradbury, whose books have been actively transferred to large and small screens for many years. A dozen inventors also wormed their way into the ranks of Hollywood figures who helped move film technology forward - for example, the designer of the first film projector Thomas Edison.

For the sake of special occasions, special stars were also made: for example, there are “collective” plates in the alley (the largest went to a group of actors who played short Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz - 134 people). Twin sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have one star for two. A number of stars, such as the musician Liberace and the illusionist Houdini, are recorded under stage names because they real names were little known. In the late 70s, fictional characters began to appear on the sidewalk - Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Muppets, Shrek, The Simpsons, Godzilla and others. There are also puppeteers (for example, the author of The Muppets by Jim Henson), and makeup artists (Max Factor).

Today, Hollywood Boulevard is covered not only with stars, there are other “special marks” on it, however, located somewhat away from the main alley. What marks are you talking about? To respect the corporations and organizations that have been cooperating with Hollywood for many years, the committee came up with 19 special categories with special emblems - among those awarded corporate plates, for example, you can see the clothing and cosmetics manufacturer Victoria's Secrets and the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. The so-called. "friends of the Walk of Fame" (simply speaking, sponsors who help to develop and renew it) - for example, at Absolut vodka.

When the nominee cannot be directly attributed to any of the awarded areas of the entertainment industry, but at the same time he is the pride of the nation and the world famous figure, the committee can deviate from the rules and find some convenient excuse to perpetuate it, since today it is impossible to be a celebrity and not at all come into contact with the sphere of mass entertainment. Thus, stars dedicated to American astronauts appeared on the alley (in this case instead of a star, the Moon was depicted, and the “television” emblem hinted that the broadcast of the Apollo 11 lunar landing gathered a record number of viewers at the screens). Athletes such as basketball player Magic Johnson and boxer Mohammed Ali can boast of their own star (the committee found a way to reward the former for investing in the construction of multiplexes, while the latter was generously ranked among the theater figures, since the concept of theater is interpreted very loosely in the United States today). At the same time, Ali is also the sole owner of a star installed vertically - at his personal request, it was built into the outer wall of the Kodak Theater, because. the ex-champion did not want his name "trampled by those who do not respect him."

Such whims are not prohibited by the rules. Each owner of a star can make specific recommendations about where he would like to lay it, and from time to time the Chamber of Commerce listens to these wishes. This is how plates “with a legend” appear, sometimes in the form of playful allusions - for example, actress Carol Burnett in 1977 asked to install her star in front of the Warner cinema, from where she was fired 25 years earlier, calling her an “unusable usher”. It is not necessary to explain your choice - information about why the star appeared exactly there, and not somewhere else, may accidentally surface many years later in an interview or memoir. The chamber has its own ideas about the placement of stars - for example, they try to put the plates of Oscar winners closer to the Kodak Theater, where the award ceremony is traditionally held.

Celebrities who do not pass the selection sieve, but wish to continue the fight, are shifted to the next year and are again considered by the committee in general list. If they are not lucky for the second time, they drop out of the race, and for each such nominee they again need to fill out a written application (annually, evaluators have to deal with about two hundred applications, that is, the competition is at least ten people for one sidewalk place). Individuals selected by the committee, but who do not find time in their schedule for the ceremony within five years after that, lose their right to a star and must go through the nomination process again. The posthumous star is set only once a year, and one of the relatives of the deceased must be present at the laying ceremony. Live stars must appear themselves, otherwise the bookmark of the star will be canceled. The only exception in all the years was made for Barbra Streisand: despite the fact that the actress and singer could not get to her own ceremony in 1976, the installation of her plate did take place. But George Clooney, for example, "slammed" the star because of his employment. But there were also those who simply refused to be included in the honorary list - such figures, oddly enough, for half a century there were four dozen (among them Clint Eastwood and Julia Roberts).

Walking along Hollywood Boulevard, you can stumble upon a star with the same person's name several times. This is not a mistake or a hallucination: those who distinguished themselves in different professions, and recognition have a corresponding. At least 30 people can be proud of three stars, there are four four-time laureates today, but all five stars have so far been collected only by the musician Gene Autry, who was wildly popular in films, on TV and radio in the middle of the last century. It is relatively easy to get two stars - it is enough, for example, to be a popular actor and singer at the same time. In addition, a number of musicians were awarded two stars for the same thing - in different time they were awarded both their own personalized plate and as part of the groups that glorified them: for example, Michael Jackson was immortalized both by himself and as a member of the Jackson 5, the same thing happened with the members of the Beatles.

But fans can also be confused by the banal confusion with namesakes, which are enough in the entertainment industry - after all, not everyone uses unique pseudonyms. For example, there are 15 Williams, 14 Moores, and 12 Joneses in the alley. Harrison Ford has a full namesake from the time of silent cinema, and Michael Jackson is often confused with the American radio DJ, to whose name plate a whole mountain of flowers was brought after the musician's death. Among other things, individual slabs can move from place to place during repairs. It also happens that it is not possible to find the desired figure, because his name is indicated on the plate with a typo - such errors are sometimes discovered and corrected only decades later.

Clarity in the system of awardees should be made by the serial numbers that the stars were originally equipped with, only these numbers are not indicated on the plates. But those who arm themselves with a catalog and go around the entire alley will notice that at least two stars are missing on it - where did the name plates go? opera singers Richard Crookes and Geraldine Farrar and whether they were ever installed at all, no one knows. Theoretically, of course, they could have simply been stolen, but practice shows that vandals steal the stars of more "pop" figures - as, for example, happened with Kirk Douglas' stove or the same five-time "record holder" Gene Autry. This has happened at least four times already; the popularity of the "Walk of Fame" in the new century has grown to such an extent that someone was not too lazy to steal 136-kilogram pieces of marble. The stars were taken out of the pavement at night, with the help of saws, while they deteriorated irreversibly, and even if they were eventually found, each slab had to be redone entirely. The last such incident occurred in 2005 with star Gregory Peck, and to reduce the likelihood of such incidents in the future, both sidewalks along Hollywood Walk are now being monitored by video cameras.

In 2008, the alley was reconstructed, repairing almost 800 stars damaged by time and vandals. Today it is a popular place of pilgrimage for tourists, endlessly taking pictures against the backdrop of sidewalk monuments (up to 10 million people come to stare at the names of celestials cast from copper, which overlaps any other place in Los Angeles in popularity). There are so many people who want to take a photo in the evening hours that they have to line up for one or another star; the task is further complicated by the fact that Hollywood Boulevard is often crowded with passers-by walking along name plates and preventing you from taking a good picture. Most of the stars belong to film workers (47% of total), least of all - theater (2%).

Although the idea of ​​​​the alley was filed in the 50s, and the modern rules for "distributing stars" were developed in the 60s, the boulevard gained real popularity only in the 80s - largely thanks to the comedian Johnny Grant, who laid the tradition of beautiful and memorable ceremonies. Chamber of Commerce Grant was so pleased with the event hosted by Grant on the occasion of receiving a star for his contribution to the development of TV that he was invited to chair the Walk of Fame Committee. Johnny immediately proposed a number of innovations - in particular, he added the fifth, “theatrical” category to the list of nominations, and also ordered to save the space of the boulevard (which, although long, is still not infinite) and lay star slabs along the roadway in more than one row, but in two. Under the patronage of Grant, the alley managed to become a landmark not only in the city, but also on an all-American scale: for its popularization, Johnny, who until his death in 2008 opened the opening ceremony of sidewalk stars, was noted for his own unique slab near the Kodak Theater.

Anyone can become a witness of star ceremonies. Announcements about when and whose star will be opened in the near future can be read on the official website of the alley (however, this information cannot be trusted blindly, since dates are often transferred). Free public ceremonies take place approximately twice a month. They usually start at 11:30 and last no more than 45 minutes, after which the gathered crowd is asked to quickly disperse so as not to interfere with pedestrian traffic. When a star is opened, a celebrity is presented with a framed certificate with a photo of her name plate and the date of laying.

When the owner of a particular star dies, a mountain of flowers and photographs brought by grieving fans traditionally grows near his name on the sidewalk - in such cases, the makeshift memorial even has to be fenced off. Flowers appear later - on anniversaries; so the audience said goodbye to Katharine Hepburn, Frank Sinatra, Robin Williams and many others.

Over the decades, myths and superstitions have developed around the Walk of Fame, spread by fans with a particularly rich imagination. Some of the slabs on it (for example, Charlie Chaplin's slab) are considered "bad", bringing bad luck, so touching them is not recommended. Others, on the contrary, have a reputation for being "happy." For financial well-being, it is recommended to go to the Carol Lombard or Veronica Lake stove, and those who want to meet true love put a rose on the Audrey Hepburn stove and go around it 9 times in a circle, while making a wish. In addition, since the 80s there has been a widespread tradition of the “star touch”, which allegedly charges any visitor to the Walk of Fame for good luck. To do this, you need to bend over the star with your favorite name, close the first letter of the name with your left palm, and with your right, touch all the tips of the star in turn, doing this clockwise, starting from the upper beam.

Of course, in reality, everything is not as beautiful as described in books and catalogs. Any mega-popular tourist attraction is overgrown with people who want to make money on it, so you are unlikely to be able to calmly walk along the alley and not be pulled over by cosplayers dressed up as movie characters and offering to take pictures with them for money, as well as all kinds of flyer distributors, beggars and scammers pushing visitors clean CD under the guise of music. You may be disappointed by the area itself, and by the deplorable state of some of the slabs. But if you are on West coast, it would be unreasonable to bypass this piece of Hollywood history: after all, as it was said at the beginning of the article, getting to Los Angeles and not going to the Walk of Fame is like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. And there is probably nothing to add to this.

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Goldie Hawn and her partner Kurt Russell were honored with stars on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 4, 2017. Many fans were surprised that these celebrities waited so long for their award. But you will be even more surprised when you find out how many others are just as talented people never got their star. Most of them have already won countless awards, including more than one Oscar, but their names never appeared on Vine Street. Let's hope it happens one day.

1. Julia Roberts

She has been nominated for several Academy Awards and won an Oscar for leading role in the movie Erin Brockovich back in 2000. But Julia still has to see her name on the Walk of Fame.

2. Angelina Jolie

The actress, who is also a goodwill ambassador, has won an Oscar for her screen prowess and has been recognized for helping the poor around the world, but somehow she never got her own star.

3. Al Pacino

This actor became famous back in 1972, after playing in the cult film " Godfather”, but he is still waiting for his name to appear on the Walk of Fame.

4 Denzel Washington

No, you won't find the name of the owner of two Oscar statuettes on the Walk of Fame.

5. Robert de Niro

Like his colleague Al Pacino, Robert never received a Walk of Fame star despite decades of success in the film industry.

6. Clint Eastwood

He has been nominated for eight Oscars and even has three wins as an actor and as a director, but he still doesn't have his own star.

7. Oprah Winfrey

It is impossible to list all the awards that the former talk show host has received over the years. Nevertheless, she never managed to get her star on the Walk of Fame.

8. Christopher Walken

This amazing actor has played more than a hundred roles over the decades of his work, but, apparently, this is not enough to get his star.

9. David Letterman

In his time as a host of the late show, he interviewed many celebrities who are on the Walk of Fame, but he himself could not get there.

10. Leonardo DiCaprio

After five nominations, he was finally able to get a gold statuette for his performance in The Revenant. Let's hope he doesn't have to wait as long for a star on the Walk of Fame.

11. Steve Martin

This actor has been making us laugh by watching his films for decades, but he still continues to wait for a star with his name on Vine Street.

12. Judi Dench

It turns out that even the lady, whose talent was recognized by Queen Elizabeth II herself, can not change anything when it comes to the famous sidewalk of the stars.

13. Jerry Seinfeld

It seems strange that the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has not been able to consider the comic talent of this actor and still has not provided him with his own star.

14. Will Smith

This talented actor has starred in many films and won many awards over his long career, but it doesn't seem to be enough to get a star to his name.

15. Diane Keaton

There is no star on the Walk of Fame for the actress, who has been in the film industry since her screen debut in 1970.

16. James Earl Jones

It is truly incomprehensible how this iconic actor was able to work in the cinema for so long and not be awarded this honor?