Want to get into the Hollywood industry? or just interested in knowing what it’s like behind the scenes — the drama, the intrigue, the million-dollar deals?

Then look at this
list of books about the real Hollywood and how to survive in it.

The list includes advice for those who want entertainment careers to social and historical commentaries.

What do Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, the Marx Brothers, Clara Bow, Tallulah Bankhead, and Humphrey Bogart have in common?

These Hollywood stars were all residents of the apartment called Garden of Allah, which stood on Sunset and Crescent Heights. This was right in front of Schwab’s Pharmacy, and due to the location and prestigious residents, was a Hollywood hub. Celebrities gathered here for parties, lunches, private and very exclusive get-togethers. Get an invitation to the Garden of Allah, and you know you’ve arrived.

Unfortunately the apartment was torn down, a tragedy that Joni Mitchell sung about in her song “Big Yellow Taxi”: paving paradise and putting up a parking lot.

Be sure to drop by 8024 Sunset Boulevard to stand rignt on one of Hollywood’s most important (but little known) historical spots.

Schwab’s used to be one of America’s most famous drugstores, thanks to the PR skills of its owner, Leon Schwab. He kept telling people that Lana Turner was discovered there in his soda fountain. She denies it, of course, but the story has become part of urban legend.

However, even if Lana wasn’t discovered in Schwab’s, it was a favorite hangout of many writers, actors and important Hollywood producers, who went there for their medical prescriptions (and, Leon likes to say, advice on which aspiring actors had that star quality).
No wonder in the film Sunset Boulevard, William Holden even said it was “a combination office, coffee klatch and waiting room.”

The pharmacy was torn down in 1988, but it still feels good to imagine the old Hollywood — and how a pharmacist may have launched the careers of the stars we worship today.

You’d never guess it, but we owe the rise of Hollywood to the ego of Thomas Edison.

Originally the movie capital was New York and Chicago, and Thomas Edison — whose inventions had helped spearhead the film industry — wanted to create a monopoly that would give him control over distribution, exhibition, and pricing. He called this monopoly “The Trust.” But independent artists wouldn’t have anything of it. So they moved to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles was perfect for film making. The mild climate and sunshine allowed outdoor shoots in fantastic settings, significantly lowering costs of making indoor sets. There was a big and cheap labor market.

Back in New York, German Carl Laemmle delivered a big blow to the movie giant Edison had created. He introduced the star system, a direct contract to “The Trust’s” policy of cloaking actors in anonymity. Laemmle pirated actress Florence Lawrene and mobilized a huge publicity campaign. The “celebrity” was born.

Back in Hollywood, David Horsley established the first studio (The Nestor Film Company), quickly followed by 15 other companies. Then, Cecil B. DeMille (photograph above), Jesse Lasky and Samuel Goldwyn introduced the first feature-length film, “The Squaw Man.” Hollywood’s Golden Era had begun.

Hollywood producers are willing to invest millions on films if it can bring in the audience — you got to spend money to make some money, right?

That’s probably how the accountant of SpiderMan 3 justified a budget of $258 million, giving it one of the highest price tags of any movie before or after its release. But it’s not really the most expensive movie if you factor in inflation.

Cleopatra cost about $ 44 million, a princely sum considering it was filmed in 1963 (that would be worth about $295 million today). It is the most epensive movie made in HOllywood.

However, the Soviet movie “War and Peace” based on the Tolstoy classic cost $ 100 million in 1968, and took over 7 years to finish. It’s won the Guiness record for the largest battle scene (about 120,000 soldiers). If you compute for inflation, that would be worth abot $ 500 million today.

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.

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.