How Hollywood Named
As we know, movie studios own or produce most of our favorite movies. They are also very involved in promoting these films. Many use their media presence to promote products and brands. It is common to see product placement in a film, where you learn about an item or company from the screen.
Many people notice this advertising style and sometimes it can be difficult to determine if what they saw was intentional or not. This article will go into more detail about all the different ways that companies advertise in films and how visible it is today.
Hollywood has some interesting naming conventions for things- something that seems pretty standard everywhere else in the world is not always there for them.
The Hollywood Hills
Located in Southern California, the Hollywood Hills are some of the tallest hills in the area. They get their name because they resemble the shape of the word “hollywood”. This gave them the nickname as being like the ‘Hollywood’ of areas!
The hills start to drop off towards Griffith Park at the top and run all the way down to just below Santa Monica Beach. Because there is so much space here, people built houses and hotels along this beautiful view.
There are also many famous movie studios located in or near these hills. These include Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Picture Studios, Fox Studios, among others.
Overall, the beauty of the surrounding area and the rich history make for an incredible environment to live in.
The Croisette
The word “Croissant” comes from the French term for crumb, which is why some say it sounds like someone with a lisp trying to speak English. That isn’t the case though!
The crozès was a thin piece of bread that would be folded or rolled up around something savory - most commonly cheese. This roll was baked in an oven until golden brown and crispy all over.
This baking technique was invented way back in the year 871 at the Abbey of St. Gallen in Switzerland by Brother Clement. He called his rolls after this type of bread because they resembled the shape of the landmass known as Europe we know today. Since then, many people have made their own versions of these delicious breakfast treats.
Some people also add things such as butter or cream to taste before baking them again. These additions are not limited to being only sweet either, you can find recipes that contain olive oil, herbs, and even chocolate chips!
These variations are what make these rolls unique and special.
The Gold Coast
Some say the name “Gold Coast” was inspired by the color of the beach, but that is not quite right. According to some sources, the word gold comes from an Aboriginal term for sunsets which are characterized by shades of golden hue. Or perhaps it is just a way to describe the beautiful beaches along Australia’s southeast coast. Either way, the best place to find this sunset-colored sea is at South Stradbroke Island in Queensland, where the water is naturally rich with minerals.
The island itself is home to only 1,800 people, most of whom live in one small town called Noosa. It boasts many natural attractions like hiking trails and swimming holes, making it a popular destination for tourists. In fact, there are even hotels close to the beach!
But as lovely as the area can be, the name “Gold Coast” has become synonymous with something much less admirable. Many claim that the name was given due to the large amount of money spent by wealthy vacationers while staying here. This may or may not be true, but it does help explain why there are so many expensive villas and houses here!
Overall though, the beauty of the area makes it worth the cost. If you love nature then you will feel relaxed after spending time here.
Sunset Boulevard
The name “Sunset Boulevard” comes from one of writer-director Elia Kazan’s favorite stories about his father, Robert. According to legend, when Robert was twenty years old he traveled down south for spring break with some friends. While there, he met an older woman named Ethel who gave him her phone number in case he ever got lonely or needed someone to talk to. He did - a lot!
Eighteen months later, while walking home alone at night, he ran into Ethel again. This time she asked if he wanted to come inside and have something to eat before going back home. When he agreed, she pulled out a gun and told him that she planned to murder someone and frame him for it. She then ordered him to drive her to the victim’s house so she could do just that.
Kazan never actually saw his dad use the word “sunset” but he always referred to Ethel as the girl he would meet up with late at night on the beach. In fact, he sometimes called her by another nickname he knew - Norma. So, he decided to combine those two words and add the famous street where many murders had taken place to make for an ominous title.
He also borrowed the second part of her surname because it rhymed nicely with murderer. And thus, the film we know today as “Sunset Boulevard” was born.
Sunset Strip
As with any major metropolitan area, there are many ways to refer to the downtown or inner part of a city. In this case, it’s the “Sunset Strip.”
This name was given to the popular nightlife district in West Los Angeles due to its large number of entertainment venues and restaurants along Santa Monica Boulevard (also known as The Strip).
Many consider this area to be the birthplace of modern-day hipster culture because of all of the indie coffee shops and bars that have sprung up around the world.
These types of businesses were never very common before the 1970s, but they have since become quite fashionable. Many people now say things like, "I need my caffeine fix after work so I'll go hang out at X place" or "I want to show off My New Favorite Book to Some People."
The term 'hipster' was first used in an article published by Life magazine in 1972, but the word didn't gain popularity until much later when British journalist Kalle Lasn coined the term while interviewing members of the Washington State University student body for the paper he worked for back then, the Campus Voice.
Since then, the word has spread beyond just students and young adults, and even caught on with other generations. Even though the term is no longer officially recognized, you will still see it being referred to constantly.
The Valley
The most famous name for the area where many of Hollywood’s biggest studios are located is the “Valley.” This term was first used in reference to California during its Gold Rush era, when people would flock here to search for precious metals.
The word “valley” comes from the Latin word vallis, which means field or plain. During this time period, there were lots of valleys throughout Europe and North America that served as natural resting spots for migrating animals like deer and sheep. When hungry travelers would come across these grazing herds, they would pack up their supplies and spend the night somewhere nearby.
Since early settlers in the United States had little money, they would often times barter goods with each other by offering one item and asking for another. Because traveling without adequate food was expensive, everyone made sure to bring along enough supplies to last them until they could afford to buy more. These stockpiles of food would usually get left behind once people found better lodging. Over time, all of these leftover foods would compost in the soil, creating an enriched environment full of nutrients.
After realizing how popular these graze-y pastures became, some enterprising individuals realized they could make good money producing and selling this newfound fertilizer. Before long, farmers started spreading it around to promote growth of new crops.
The Valley
As we mentioned before, the term “Valley” was not always used to describe our area of California. In fact, it wasn’t until the 1980s that people started using the word “Valley” to refer to Southern California. Before then, people usually called this region of America either the ‘Sunny West’ or just plain old ‘the west.'”
The reason why people adopted the term “Valley” is because at that time, many people felt like things were going downhill in terms of quality of life for average Americans.
People began referring to the Los Angeles Area as being in a valley due to the perception that the area was becoming increasingly expensive and wealthy individuals were moving away from areas such as Culver City, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, etc.
This perception stuck even after these affluent neighborhoods experienced their own housing market downturn. People still referred to those areas as being in a “valley” because they perceived them to be too expensive and luxurious. It was also common to hear stories about how rich people had left the area so there must not have been much of a valley anymore!
Since having an expensive lifestyle no longer seemed like a good idea, some people decided to move here instead. This resulted in more homes being built and overall rising property values.