THE HOLLYWOOD PALACE!

Hollywood Septmeber 28, 1998






The American Icon!












"Lights....camera.....action....", are the common words repeated day after day on the stages of The Hollywood Palace. The Hollywood Palace is more than just a landmark on the intersection of Hollywood and Vine, it has become an American Icon, symbolic to American society’s views and ideas. The Hollywood Palace was more than a theatre, it is the "home of entertainment history in the making" (http:wwwlhollywoodpalace.com). In over fifty years, The Palace has performed over thousands of shows; ranging from theatre, radio broadcasting shows, television shows, musical bands, to movie premiers. Not only is this landmark used for entertainment purposes, but it is the building which promotes opportunity and success. These are two principles that American society is based upon.

Hollywood Palace was originally designed for live theater performance on January 24, 1927. There were many theatrical plays that were performed at Hollywood Palace such as; "Alias The Deacon," "An Enemy of the People," and "From Hell Came a Lady." As the years progressed the original intentions of the Palace evolved to incorporate radio broadcasting. CBS was one of the first networks to use Hollywood Palace for broadcasting. Television rendered throughout the fifties, sixties, and seventies as NBC-TV facility performed on the stage. Some shows that were televised were: "This is Your Life" and "Merv Griffin Show." In 1978 the Merv Griffin show moved into their own facility. As a result, there was a decline in audience viewing and Hollywood Palace went under new management; which resulted in their advantage.

Management restructured the Palace into a new elite "Hang Out." They redesigned their facility into a multi-media corporation. Many recently filmed shows, music videos, movies premiers, and award shows were captured, which attracted many diverse people to see the Hollywood stars at the Hollywood Palace. Some other important events that went on in the Palace included Olivia Newton John wedding reception and the First "American Music Awards." As you can see, the Hollywood Palace was "the place to be." The Palace was built to allow us, the Americans, to express our talents; whether it was through acting, singing, hosting, or producing.

Our American culture emphasizes happiness and a high quality of life. Most Americans are hedonistic in the sense that they seek self-gratification through different mediums. Self-gratification can take on many forms, including but not limited to; (1) relationships with the opposite sex, (2) hobbies, and most importantly, (3) entertainment.

Entertainment is not novel to American culture and different forms of entertainment can be traced back to biblical times. Most Americans enjoy various forms of entertainment such as dancing, singing, and acting. As a result, Hollywood Palace is an excellent explicit example of how Americans satisfy their need for gratification and entertainment.

Hollywood Palace also serves as an implicit example of American culture and people. The American society has expressed their talents through theatrical shows. The Palace implicitly represents Americans’ desires for stardom, success, and wealth. In essence, these three desires constitute the American Dream. In general, most people want fame, fortune, money, luxury, and comfort. Most Americans want to be desired, to be worshipped, and/or to be something special to the general public. Ultimately, the Hollywood Palace illustrates the American way to attain the American Dream.

"...any (of these) symbols can represent an abstract idea...use a symbol to communicate something" is how a symbol is described in Hicks & Gwynne’s "The Nature of Culture." The Palace symbolically communicates a society’s abilities and dreams through its features. Inside, it is a very glamorous and luxurious environment, which again depicts Americans’ aspirations for wealth and success. Specifically, the stage is representative of one’s self-gratification. Being on stage, knowing that all eyes are glued on you, and having the spotlight shine down on you; all satisfy one’s pleasure-seeking attitude. The Palace’s outer appearance relays more of the same ideas, with its bright lights and its use brilliant use of colors; it exhibits modern day art decoration.

In reality, the American Dream does not have the same meaning to all the American people. For as long as I can remember, my "American Dream" has always included: to see my face in a People Magazine along with an article raving about my latest accomplishments, wanting people to see my face on TV and know who I am, wanting to walk into a room and have all eyes plastered on me, wanting to earn big money, drive fancy cars, and be an idol. I can attribute my above ideas to the way I was raised. Generally speaking, my parents have implanted these thoughts in my head, ever since I was a young child. Many children are raised to think like this, so that they will always do their best and shoot for the stars.

Unfortunately, the American Dream is not reality for all Americans. It is, however, an ideal, to be reached by many. In addition, many people would say that it is actually a myth, because not many people can actually achieve it. In "Popular Science," Maasik & Solomon state that "a cultural mythology, or value system, then, is a kind of lens that governs the way we view our world" (p. 14). The American Dream is a myth, yet from this myth, a "foreigner" can see how we, the Americans, view our lives.

I know that one day my dream, of becoming an actress, will come true. I hope that I will be able to set foot in that Hollywood Palace, the American icon that continues to be the incentive for many.

Works Cited

THE PALACE:History from Internet

Brinkley, Joel. Defining Vision: The Battle for the Future of
Television. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1997.

Havig, Alan. Fred Allen's Radio Comedy. Philadelphia:
Temple University Press, 1990.

Hicks, David and Gwynne, Margaret. Cultural Anthropology.
New York: Harper Collins, 1994.

Maltin, Leonard. The Great American Broadcast: A Celebration of
Radio's Golden Years. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1997.

Massik, Sonia and Solomon, Jack. Sign of Life in U.S.A. , 2nd ed.
Boston: Bedfork Books, 1997.

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