In 1953, E.M. Stuart, the volunteer president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, proposed the idea of creating a walk of fame as a way to, in his own words, “maintain the glory of a community whose name means glamor and excitement in the four corners of the world.” Today, more than 2,600 five-pointed stars are embedded in the sidewalk along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard, plus three blocks of Vine Street.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the Hollywood Improvement Association formed a committee to explore E.M. Stuart’s idea and, by 1955, a working plan and a design was approved by the Los Angeles City Council. A sample star was showcased in early 1956 that featured the honoree – it was John Wayne in the same – drawn as a caricature and cast in a blue star with a neutral brown background. The committee quickly realized that it would be too costly to create custom caricatures for each honoree. Instead, a basic star made of bronze with the honoree’s name was designed.
The first stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame were unveiled on February 9, 1960. Many accounts list actress Joanne Woodward as the first person to be honored with a star on the Walk of Fame, but that isn’t entirely true. Although Woodward was the first person to be photographed with her Walk of Fame star, she was actually one of eight entertainers who were randomly drawn for inclusion in a prototype of the Walk of Fame that, in August 1958, was temporarily installed at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. This was done to create excitement about the project and win the public’s support. Along with Joanne Woodward, the first stars were awarded to Olive Borden, Ronald Colman, Louise Fazenda, Burt Lancaster, Ernest Torrence, Preston Foster, and Edward Sedgwick. Construction on the permanent Walk of Fame began on February 8, 1960, and the first permanent star, presented to director Stanley Kramer, was placed on March 28, 1960.
Today, the Hollywood Walk of Fame is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Hollywood and commemorates the achievements of actors, musicians, producers, theatrical groups, directors, screenwriters, fictional characters, and more. People and groups who have made significant contributions to all portions of the entertainment industry – film, television, theater, radio, music, and dance – are eligible to be honored with stars on the Walk of Fame.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is still maintained and managed by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and it is preserved as a historic trust. More than 10 million visitors, on average, walk the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard each year to see their favorite stars on the Walk of Fame.