Under the Hollywood Sign (2008)

A cultural history and present-day examination of a unique urban village, "Under the Hollywood Sign" tells the story of Beachwood Canyon, home of the world-famous Hollywood Sign. The Canyon's evolution is depicted, from wilderness, to ranch land, to home, to such luminaries as Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Pola Negri, Clara Bow, Gloria Swanson, Aldous Huxley, Jim Morrison and John Lennon. Beachwood Canyon's most famous feature, the Hollywoodland Sign, began as advertising but over time became a monument. Its history is an important part of "Under the Hollywood Sign," which shows the only existing footage of the Sign's construction in 1923, as well as the only comprehensive film of its demolition and reconstruction in 1978. The film includes a detailed biography of Peg Entwistle, the young actress whose 1932 suicide off the Sign transformed its meaning, that features interviews with family members and previously unseen photos and documents. Known as the Hollywood Sign after its last four letters were removed in 1949, the Sign deteriorated until it was completely rebuilt in 1978. Hugh Hefner, who organized the fund raising for the new Hollywood Sign, recalls his efforts to restore a civic eyesore, while the construction manager for the project recounts the rebuilding effort. Today Beachwood Canyon remains largely unchanged in contrast to downtown Hollywood, which is undergoing rapid development. Surrounded by parkland, it retains not only a rural character but a variety of wildlife whose presence is valued by residents. A tiny pocket of history, Beachwood Canyon hides in plain sight - under the Hollywood Sign.