Hollywood: Path to the Stars
It’s the 86th Academy Awards and amongst the lauded, touted and applauded talent lies a best supporting actor nomination for one of Globe Trekker’s early presenters: Bradley Cooper for his brilliant role in American Hustle.
The Oscars draws millions of movie fans and A-list guests on its red carpet, and while the Oscars are held at the Hollywood’s Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, back in the golden Age of cinema, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre also hosted the annual Academy Award ceremonies in the 1940s.
Justine Shapiro takes a walk down Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, searching for her beloved icons and we take a look inside the Hollywood Rossevelt Hotel, where the very first Oscar ceremony was held.
In the late 1920s, the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre started the tradition of encasing hand and footprints of A-list movie stars into the cement. From Shirley Temple, Dean Martin, Jimmy Stewart and all the greats to modern day stars from the cast of Harry Potter. This shrine to the stars seems to hold an eternal allure for tourists who flock to the Hollywood Boulevard to and is still the scene of some of the entertainment industry’s most glittering events and award ceremonies. It’s entrance is always teaming with star-struck visitors, costume characters selling photo-ops making it look like a moving Taussads! The carnival ambience is all part of authentic Hollywood history.
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel was the playground for countless movie stars and entertainment moguls – one of the first hollywood hangouts – if walls could talk they would have a lot to say at this iconic Hollywood hotel. The hotel’s ballroom held the very first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929 and the poolside Tropicana Bar was where Marilyn Monroe had her first photoshoot and became a regular at this hotel. There is a beautiful, 750 square foot suite named after her and was Ms. Monroe’s favourite room which overlooks the Tropicana Pool.
But reader, beware, the hotel is as famous for its glitterati as it is for its big name ghosts! Past guests have seen Marilyn Monroe’s ghost reflected in a mirror in room 229 and dancing in the hotel’s ballroom and Montgomery Clift’s ghost is often seen in room number 928, where he stayed while filming From Here to Eternity.
Zaynin Kanji
