Ready for a different kind of celebrity sighting? Go to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, located at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard. This place is home to two celebrity ghosts.

The first is Montgomery Clift, known for his role in “From Here to Eternity.” He had spent 3 months in the hotel, and guests who stay # 928 — his room — can hear him reciting the script from that movie, or occassionally playing the trumpet.

Marilyn Monroe is also said to haunt Suite 1200, her favorite room. Her figure has appeared in a full-length mirror, which was moved from her room to the elevator on a lower level.

The Hollywood strike escalates as writers rallied on Wall Street, and celebrities lent their support to the cause.

The crisis takes a dramatic “plot twist” as the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger confronted the writers union leaders of intimidating anyone who wanted to go back to work.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is also trying to diffuse the tension.

AS the white suits worked it out in the conference rooms, as many as 500 celebrities went to the streets and even distributed food. “We’ve become a close family with all our writers,” says “Desperate Housewives” star James Denton. “We’re all in the same boat. We’re all fighting the same battle.” They have something at stake: the WGA crisis could affect their own contracts, which expire by June.

Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has announced his engagement to Georgina Chapman, a fashion designer.

While Weinstein is over 20 years older than she is, but there’s nothing sexier than a couple of millions and the reputation of being one of Hollywood’s movers and shakers. He’s often spotted at big events, rubbing elbows with a-list celebrities, and signing billion-dollar contracts before his first morning cup of coffee. He and his brother started Miramax, which they left to form another group, the Weinstein Co.

The writer’s strike has got many people thinking about the Hollywood economy — and how most of the industry don’t lead the glamorous, luxurious life of A-list celebrities.

Though the 2006 study of the Motion Picture Association of America pins the average HOllywood salary at $73,000 a year, most employees get much, much lower than that. The average includes executive salaries, which reach millions of dollars a year. But carpenters, set decorators and scriptwriters are lucky to get $50,000 to $80,000 annually.

Pretty good rate, but factor in that these jobs aren’t steady. Most will work 8 months of a year, and will have to audition or bid for positions. Writer Diana Ljungaeus says “it’s milearned a place where everyone is something else.” Cab drivers are directors, cashiers are stand up comics. Most take two or three jobs to support a craft.

“Very few people can live off the arts of TV, theater and film. It’s a few that can and they live well. The rest of the hopeful are just struggling,” she adds.

Hollywood doesn’t have its own government, but because of its special status as the movie capital of the world, it does have an honorary mayor. And that is Johnny Grant, who’s held the job for decades. .

Grant is a radio personality and TV producer, who gained fame for the way he covered the murder trial of Irby Holmes. He was the first to give periodic live reports of the trial, after he managed to persuade the judge to let him stay by the doorway. Until then, no live microphone was ever permitted in a courtroom.

The defendant was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. But the part-time preacher begged the judge to deliver one last sermon. No go—but he was allowed to write it, and Grant later read that on air. Grant also hosted the first national telethon, and appeared in a few films. He won the Emmy Award twice.

Grant was chosen as Mayor, however, for his strong community involvement: he was a National Guard volunteer (receiving the Order of California twice), and has chaired the Fire Commission, Social Service Commission, and Police Commission.

With the Hollywood writers strike in full swing, the big question is how it’ll affect TV and viewing as whole. For that we can turn to history. The last time writers walked off the set was in 1988. Nobody took it seriously, thinking (like previous protests) it would all be over in a few weeks. Actually, it lasted 6 months. And it was hell.

Network TV lost 9% of its audience, the Fall season was pushed back, and even after the writers were wooed back to work, 10% chose not to return. Scripts were in such high demand stations actually bid for it (very expensive). And, due to the slowdown of production, networks had to lay off other production crew — caterers, set designers, shipping services, and all the auxiliary services that make up the million-dollar industry. In those six months, Los Angeles’ economy lost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Clearly, there’s more at stake than whether or not we get a new episode of Leno.

It’s official. The Hollywood writers have gone on strike, and it’s bad news for viewers and TV stations already struggling to maintain ratings. It’s TV that’ll be hit first, and possibly the hardest. Expect reruns of The Late Show with David Letterman and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and if the strike isn’t resolved in a month, daytime soaps will recycle episodes too.

In fact, NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker had warned media last week that “A strike will happen at everyone’s peril.” Uhm, DVD marathon anyone?

Before the studios and the stars, Hollywood was pastureland — dotted by citrus groves, barns, and large herds of cows (and the occassional camel). That all changed in the 1920’s. The film industry had boomed, and the large barns were easily converted into studios. Real estate companies tried to take advantage of the sudden growth, and one erected a very large (and at that time considered very tacky) ad: the word “Hollywood” displayed on the hills.

The movie industry survived the Great Depression and two world wars, but the sign barely did. In 1976 some very bored truants manipulated it to read “Hollyweed”. Two years later, another group edited it to “Holywood” (because of a visit by Pope John Paul). In the 80s, during the Iran contra scandal, it was once again vandalized into “Ollywood”.

The sign was falling apart, sparking a community-wide “Save the Sign” campaign. About $250,000 was raised — and now, it stands proud.

Hollywood movies have made millions of plots involving government conspiracy theory, but tiptoe around the topic of an alleged “agreement” producers have with the US government. Apparently, to smoothe relationships with the Pentagon, they edit “sensitive” villains out of their scripts, veer away from politically-charged settings, and throw in military rescues and “God Bless America and her troops!” themes when they can.

Os so reports journalist and Hollywood insider David Robb, whose book Operation Hollywood reports research he made on movies like Top Gun and Stripes, who got to borrow military equipment in exchange for their patriotic themes.

Do you agree with Robb, or think he’s just cashing in on controversy?

The Hollywood writers guild and producers have reached a plateau in their discussions about pay.

Most Hollywood production outfits have gone multi-media, spinning off TV content to web or mobile. Great for the viewers, but unfair for the writers. They’re seeking additional compensation when their materials are reproduced in new content platforms like DVDs, the Internet, or the mobile phone. If the talks don’t get resolved soon, the writers may call a strike. Reruns, anyone?