This is the Original Friday Inspiration series – amazing things that we handpicked to inspire you. This week we send you straight to Hollywood.
Hollywood means something different for everyone. For some Hollywood is the dream land, the place of freedom or a place that gives them hope, while for others Hollywood simply means entertainment, perfect weather or diversity.
In 1886 when it was only an agricultural community, a real estate developer on his honeymoon, named H.J. Whitley, stood atop the hill in Hollywood looking over the valley. A Chinese man hauling wood passed by and Whitley asked him what he was doing. When the man, because of his accent, replied, “holly-wood”, Whitley was inspired to name the area Hollywood.
Whitley’s town grew and in 1903 it became a municipality. In the early 1900s filmmakers began to make movies in Los Angeles, and in 1910 Hollywood merged with Los Angeles. Its first studio opened in 1911. As the film industry grew Hollywood gained the nickname Tinseltown, and today it is known as the most famous film industry center in the world.
“Hollywood is a place where they’ll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.” – Marilyn Monroe“I like Hollywood. I just like Minneapolis a little bit better.” – Prince“In Hollywood, brides keep the bouquets and throw away the groom.” – Groucho Marx“In Hollywood you can see things at night that are fast enough to be in the Olympics in the day time.” – Will Rogers“Mickey Mouse popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad 20 years ago on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood at a time when business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb and disaster seemed right around the corner.” – Walt Disney“If God doesn’t destroy Hollywood Boulevard, he owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology.” – Jay Leno“I love Los Angeles, and I love Hollywood. They’re beautiful. Everybody’s plastic, but I love plastic. I want to be plastic.” – Andy Warhol“The classy gangster is a Hollywood invention.” – Orson Welles“In my mind, I’ve always been an A-list Hollywood superstar. Y’all just didn’t know yet.” – Will Smith“Hollywood has always been a cage… a cage to catch our dreams.” – John Huston“I’m an actor, not a star. Stars are people who live in Hollywood and have heart-shaped swimming pools.” – Al Pacino“Hollywood always wanted me to be pretty, but I fought for realism.” – Bette Davis“I arrived in Hollywood without having my nose fixed, my teeth capped, or my name changed. That is very gratifying to me.” – Barbara Streisand“Dreams are the foundation of Hollywood. And dreams are the foundation of America.” – Lupita Nyong’o“Hollywood style means classic glamour. My reference is the 1940s through the 1960s.” – Kelly Wearstler“Hollywood has a way of making everything seem like an overnight success.” – Kevin Hart“What Hollywood designs today, you will be wearing tomorrow.” – Elsa Schiaparelli“How did I get to Hollywood? By train.” – John Ford“People are intrigued by fame, power and wealth and I think Hollywood is the only place where you get all three together.” – Jackie Collins
