I sort of like Show Business. I say that with a bit of restriction, because there are some things about it that are disagreeable to me. Yet, I love a good movie, a nice play, a compelling TV show. And, it seems like (at least from afar) that many of the people who make that entertainment possible seem to be pretty nice people. They smile pretty for the cameras, at least.
We celebrate them in many ways. There are a gazillion awards shows, from the Oscars to the Emmys. The Grammys to the Tonys. And on and on.
But another way they find their golden place in our world is under our feet. That’s right. Many of them are given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Did you know that there are more than 2,850 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? New honorees are added at a rate of about two per month, so the exact total continuously increases. I found out that you can track the exact number and look up specific locations directly on the Official Hollywood Walk of Fame website. You can also search by name to find your favorite celebrities.
https://walkoffame.com/
But. Who got the first star? I wondered. So I looked.
I found out that on March 28, 1960, the first permanent star was laid in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at the intersection of Hollywood and Gower. It honors film producer and director Stanley Kramer.
I had never heard of Kramer before. But he initially earned his reputation by producing films like High Noon and The Caine Mutiny. Apparently, he also helped to launch Marlon Brando’s career. Later in his career, he became known for socially conscious “message” movies like Inherit the Wind, Judgment at Nuremberg and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.
Actress Joanne Woodward is often cited as the first star recipient on the Hollywood Walk. But hers was actually one of a set of eight prototypes initially placed in August 1958—before official construction began—to help drum up excitement for the project. The other seven prototype stars honored actors Olive Borden, Ronald Colman, Louise Fazenda, Preston Foster, Burt Lancaster, Edward Sedgwick and Ernest Torrence.
Anyway, they put down a lot of stars in a hurry back then. After ground was broken on the walkway in early February 1960, construction continued for the next 16 months.
By the time it was over, more than 1,500 actors, musicians, and filmmakers had received stars.
If you want to go out and explore, these days, the Walk of Fame lines both sides of Hollywood Boulevard from Gower to La Brea, and both sides of Vine Street, from Yucca to Sunset.
Raymond Burr has a star. That’s Perry Mason in my book.
So does William Frawley. That’s Fred. Lucy’s neighbor.
And Fred MacMurray. The dad on My Three Sons.
There are all sorts of fun stars to find there.
I’ll save you the trip. The website is pretty grand.
As far as I could tell, there is only one “Polly” there.
Polly Moran
Polly Moran was an American actress and comedian.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Moran started out in Vaudeville and toured all over the world, including Europe and South Africa. She left vaudeville in 1914 after signing for Mack Sennett at Keystone Studios. She proved effective at slapstick and remained with Sennett for several years until she was signed by MGM. She partnered with the famous Broadway star Marie Dressler in The Callahans and the Murphys, and the two went on to appear in several films together, such as Chasing Rainbows and Caught Short. After Dressler’s death in 1934, Moran’s career declined, and she only starred in low-budget comedies or B-movies, though she still maintained an active Hollywood social life, throwing large and well-publicized parties.
Be a star in your own right today. Shine on, friends.
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“A star does not compete with other stars around it. It just shines.” — Matshona Dhliwayo
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“Success is not in what you have, but who you are.” — Bo Bennett
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“Every artist was first an amateur.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
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“To shine your brightest light is to be who you truly are.” — Roy T. Bennett
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