SEEING STARS: At the time of this writing, there are 2,403 stars spanning 3½ miles along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, with more being added regularly. For additional information and to find the location of specific stars, visit the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce's official Walk of Fame website.
Where the stars line up
to be walked all over and
used as stepping stones.
Icon of beauty —
A candle whose light remains,
though the flame has died.
A playful pose.
As a child, Monroe amused herself by pretending that Clark Gable was her father. Later, it was said that the tension she created on the set of "The Misfits" (1961) hastened the actor's demise.
An early photograph of Marilyn Monroe who was born Norma Jeane Mortenson.
Monroe's first significant screen appearance was in "Love Happy" (1949), the Marx Brothers' last film together as a comedy team. Although it was a very brief walk-on part, it was one that Groucho would remember for decades.
Marilyn Monroe's outdoor crypt (#24) in Westwood (California) Memorial Park's Corridor of Memories is stained from the red lipstick kisses of adoring fans. (Photo by A. J. Marik)
HOLD THAT POSE: Actor Vincent D'Onofrio played the ultimate crime-solver in the award-winning police drama, "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."
Quirky super cop.
When he bends at right angles,
you're guilty as charged.
After nine seasons, Goren is moving on. D'Onofrio has passed his role as leading man to veteran performer Jeff Goldblum who plays Detective Zach Nichols, a cerebral and efficient cop with his own set of idiosyncrasies.
YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: It seems that gossip has been around since the beginning of time. In fact, the word "tabloid," in use since 1901, is derived from "tablet." So, who knows what some of those ancient stone carvings really say?
The singer is gay.
The actress talks to spacemen.
Checkout line fish wrap.
THE GARDEN OF ALLAH was a mansion estate turned bungalow village hotel at 8152 Sunset Boulevard. Built and ruled by controversial (and openly bisexual) silent screen siren Allah Nazimova, some of the villa's illustrious and notorious guests and residents included: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Benchley, Ernest Hemmingway, Gloria Stuart, The Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton, Dorothy Parker, Errol Flynn, Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Clara Bow, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Gloria Swanson, Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, Ernst Lubitsch, Ronald Reagan, Ava Gardner, Joe E. Lewis, Artie Shaw, Marlene Dietrich, George Kaufman, Laurence Olivier, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Woollcott, Orson Welles, Somerset Maugham, Jascha Heifetz, Ginger Rogers and Katherine Hepburn — to name a few!
Refuge for talent.
A den of iniquity.
Gaud's little acre.
"I'll be damned if I'll believe anyone lives in a place called 'The Garden of Allah,'" wrote Thomas Wolfe, in a letter to F. Scott Fitzgerald, dated July 26, 1937.
During the filming of the 1939 remake of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," Charles Laughton would return home to The Garden for lunch, still in character as Quasimodo, and float in the pool on his back with his face aimed skyward, to avoid ruining his complex makeup.
Following its heyday, The Garden of Allah endured years of neglect. In summer, 1959, it was torn down to make way for progress. The song "Big Yellow Taxi," by Joni Mitchell, mourns the incredible landmark's passing in the famous lyrics, "They paved Paradise and put up a parking lot."
GERMAN & JEWISH ARTISTS IN EXILE: Only those who've endured it themselves can know what these and other talented individuals went through. But it's thanks to them that we have classics like "The Maltese Falcon," "Some Like It Hot," "Double Indemnity" and "Casablanca," not to mention the entire genre of film noir.
Fleeing Hitler's rule,
they brought a new look and voice
to film in the states.
Although satire, "To Be Or Not To Be" (1942), starring Jack Benny and Carole Lombard, captures effectively the pervading mood and climate of war-torn Europe. The film was Lombard's last and was released posthumously.
THE DEMENTED RECLUSE: Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond making her final descent into her imaginary close-up and madness. This scene, more than any other, has come to represent the sometimes tragic downside of fame lost.
The breathing waxworks —
when fallen stars dim to shells
of their former selves.
The scene that inspired the haiku, although I'd never consider Keaton nor Swanson as has-beens. In fact, observe how, even with such a minor part, Keaton works the shot and steals viewer attention with nothing more than a brief facial expression.
Norma Desmond's famous happy ending.
The "Sunset Boulevard" movie trailer.
One of Comedienne Carol Burnett's zany spoofs as "Nora" Desmond. (This is live TV. Notice how you can see the set brace during the two-shot at the door.)
A CHAMPION OF CHARITABLE CAUSES, Comedienne and TV Talkshow Hostess Ellen DeGeneres has raised more than $40 million for animals and people in need, and the tally keeps growing. A long-time supporter of PETA, The Humane Society, Animal Rescue Site, ASPCA and The Amanda Foundation, in 2008, she became co-owner of Halo All-Natural Pet Care, a groundbreaking company that specializes in optimally healthy food, treats and products for dogs and cats.
TV's Saint Francis,
dancing, laughing and living
with a caring heart.
This Ellen DeGeneres AMEX commercial pretty much says it all — with a smile.
THE EYES HAVE IT: He's played kidnappers, killers, a revolutionary and, most recently, a werewolf. But underneath it all lies a kind, polite, soft-spoken art and music lover who's afraid of heights.
His menacing gaze
gets him cast as "the heavy,"
the big pussycat!
Known for taking risks, one of Del Toro's milestone characters is Fred Fenster from "The Usual Suspects" (1995). The imaginative actor created the unforgettable out of what would've otherwise been a minor and disposable part, by adding frenetic and awkward mannerisms, a speech impediment, and modifying his own hairline and eyebrows to blur ethnicity.
Del Toro discussing his most recent role, the tragic Lawrence Talbot in "The Wolfman" (2010).
I BEGAN WRITING and publishing "Hollywood Haiku" (i.e., entertainment industry themed and inspired poems in haiku form, under the aforementioned title) years ago on Hometown AOL, Geocities and MySpace. Since then, numerous imitators have sprung up and two of the three hosting sites have shut down. But I believe (at least, I hope) that my original concept, style and voice remain distinctive.
I am a lover of all things Hollywood, from the industry's humble and innovative beginnings to its technologically astounding present. It is because of my passion for the cinematic and theatrical arts (and due to my penchant for observation and scribbling) that I offer my poetic perspective. Enjoy!
- G. M.
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