The Hollywood Sign: Fantasy and Reality of an American Icon (Icons of America Series) - Softcover

Braudy, Leo

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300181450 ISBN 13: 9780300181456

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2012

Synopsis

The first history of the Hollywood Sign - ubiquitous symbol of American celebrity and ambition - by a master interpreter of popular culture Hollywood's famous sign, constructed of massive white block letters set into a steep hillside, is an emblem of the movie capital it looms over and an international symbol of glamour and star power. To so many who see its image, the sign represents the earthly home of that otherwise ethereal world of fame, stardom, and celebrity--the goal of American and worldwide aspiration to be in the limelight, to be, like the Hollywood sign itself, instantly recognizable. How an advertisement erected in 1923, touting the real estate development Hollywoodland, took on a life of its own is a story worthy of the entertainment world that is its focus. Leo Braudy traces the remarkable history of this distinctly American landmark, which has been saved over the years by a disparate group of fans and supporters, among them Alice Cooper and Hugh Hefner, who spearheaded its reconstruction in the 1970s. He also uses the sign's history to offer an intriguing look at the rise of the movie business from its earliest, silent days through the development of the studio system that helped define modern Hollywood. Mixing social history, urban studies, literature, and film, along with forays into such topics as the lure of Hollywood for utopian communities and the development of domestic architecture in Los Angeles, The Hollywood Sign is a fascinating account of how a temporary structure has become a permanent icon of American culture.

About this title

Review:

"Braudy offers a stimulating exploration of Hollywood's significance in Western culture."--Edward White, Times Literary Supplement--Edward White"Times Literary Supplement" (06/03/2011)

"An excellent guidebook"--Greg Baldino, Bleeding Cool--Greg Baldino "Bleeding Cool "

"Explores the remarkable story of the hillside icon that began as a 1923 advertisement."--Wendy Witherspoon, Los Angeles magazine--Wendy Witherspoon "Los Angeles magazine "

"A witty, lucid, far-reaching contribution to Yale's Icons of America series."--Philip French, The Observer--Philip French"The Observer" (07/15/2012)

"Braudy's witty, allusive study... uses the famous sign... as a framework on which to string the history of Hollywood itself."--Philip Kemp, Sight and Sound--Philip Kemp"Sight and Sound" (09/01/2012)

"Deliciously quirky and intelligent . . . In his irresistible take on the famous sign, Braudy spins a larger metaphor for the culture and history of California itself."--Joy Horowitz, Los Angeles Review of Books--Joy Horowitz "Los Angeles Review of Books "

"Braudy weaves an entertaining tale of the Hollywood sign's various lives and incarnations."--T. Rees Shapiro, Washington Post--T. Rees Shapiro "Washington Post "

"This is a magically brief book, written with wit and elegance, on the whole history of Los Angeles and the movies."--David Thomson, New Republic--David Thomson "New Republic "

"A short, lively book . . . artfully distilled."--Paul Brownfield, Los Angeles Times

--Paul Brownfield "Los Angeles Times "

"Terrific . . . As I read the book, I marked passages that I thought were particularly interesting, surprising or well-written. Before long I realized I was marking just about everything."--Geoff Nicholson, San Francisco Chronicle--Geoff Nicholson "San Francisco Chronicle "

About the Author:

Leo Braudy is among America's leading cultural historians and film critics. He currently is University Professor and Leo S. Bing Chair in English and American Literature at the University of Southern California. He lives in Los Angeles.

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0300181450
• ISBN 13: 9780300181456
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224