Why Exactly Did They Take The “Land” Off Of The “Hollywoodland Sign?
Abandoned until 1949, when the H was blown by the wind, finally some people reacted. It was then that the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce intercepted. They offered to take off the last four letters of the sign and repair the rest. After a bit lifting, the sign was forgotten once again, until the 1960s. In 1973, the then 50-year-old sign was finally declared as a historical monument. Five years later, the city decided that it should be restored entirely. This reconstructional operation costed a lot for the city budget, but then a generous help came from Hugh Hefner, Father of the Playmates. He loved the sign, and decided to help by organizing a huge gala in his Playboy Mansion, launching the “Adopt-A-Letter” campaign. It succeeded very much that each letter was sold. Gene Autry bought an L, Alice Cooper an O and Hefner the Y. In 1978, the Hollywood letters were taken off and left the hills of Mount Lee in a sad emptiness. But in November of the same year, brand new letters were put on pla
