Hollywood Blog

Hollywood’s secret brothelss

By

brothel.gif

It looks harmless. Even boring. Just an office building, with names of production companies, which don’t even leave much impact to the average tourist.

Until they know the story behind the street.

8439 Sunset Boulevard, now called Piazze del Sol, used to be the site of Hollywood’s most exclusive brothel, called “House of Francis.” People would go here for a different kind of networking, and whatever happened behind its doors stayed behind those doors.

Today there are still brothels, but they are typically held in private houses.

Hollywood’s Gower Gulch

By

gowers-t.jpgGower Street may not be the most popular or well known areas of Hollywood, but it’s played a big role in its history. This humble road was home to the very first motion picture studio was built here, the Christie Studios, founded by Al Christie in 1911. It later became the location of major players like Paramount Pictures, Sunset-Gower Studios (occuping the former lot of Columbia Pictures). The Oz Film Manufacturing Company also used to stand here, before it was bought out by Paramount.

Gower St’s Columbia Drugstore was also the favorite hangout of young movie stars who loved the soda fountain. They would also buy their hometown magazines and newspapers from the vendor outside the store.

So who’s Gower? He was not a producer, or an actor. Actually, he was a farmer who brought in the area’s first farming equipment — back when Hollywood was mostly pastureland. In the 1930s Hollywood actors called the place “Gower Gulch”. It was the height of the Western films and many extras would walk around in their cowboy costumes. A mall named “Gower Gulch” now stands here.

Hollywood Chinese Theater

By

footprint.jpg

This is the world’s most famous theater — and a must-see for any Hollywood tourist.
It was first opened in 1927, and since then, it’s been visited by millions of people. There are plans to improve its facilities and turn it into a state of the art entertainment complex. Some are even lobbying to make it the permanent home of the Academy Awards.

Until that happens, guests are already happy to look at the handprints outside, especially since there’s no charge. You can also watch some of Hollywood’s first motion pictures. (The sound quality is incredible, and the screen really makes you think that you’re jumping into another era.)

True Hollywood trivia addicts can look at the full list of handprint ceremonies or even buy the book.

.

Hollywood’s celebrity restaurants

By

House of Blues HOllywood

Some restaurants can boast of celebrity chefs, but some of Hollywood’s eateries have something else — celebrity owners.

Quite a few of the bars and diners are owned by stars, and have become favorite celebrity hangouts. There’s the funky vibe of Dan Aykroyd’s House of Blues (found along the Sunset Strip). Or the classy Schazi, run by Schwarzenegger (no, the waiters don’t say, “Ah’ll be back!” after they take your order).

Steven Spielberg’s Dive! restaurant shows his quirky personality, being shaped like a yellow submarine. Peter Fonda chose to make his Thunder Roadhouse look like a biker joint (love those Harleys).

You can also try J. Lo’s restaurant, Madre’s, or Kevin Costner’s uber-exclusive Clubhouse. The 70’s Show cast also opened their own diner, thankfully free of any tacky upholstery — it serves traditional Italian, so there’s no lava lamp in sight.

Shortest Celebrity Marriages

By

Hollywood is full of gorgeous and talented men and women. Many assume that in this town where they have so much, fairy tales will come true. Happy ever after would actually happen without need of any fairies or fairy godmothers.

Unfortunately that simply isn’t the case. Wealth and beauty do not automatically bring forth the fairy tale ending that many wish for. In fact, Hollywood has some of the shortest weddings.

Here are some of the shortest celebrity marriages Hollywood has ever seen:

Britney Spears takes home the prize for the shortest celebrity wedding. Her marriage to Jason Alexander barely lasted 48 hours. She said she just wanted to try being married. Did she think it was a dress?

After divorcing Sonny Bono, Cher seemed to have a hankering for the married state once again. So she up and married Greg Allman in Las Vegas. After a mere 9 days she called it quits saying that his drug and drinking problems were a bit too much for her.

Nicolas Cage and Lisa Marie Presley lasted longer. They made it to 3 months and fifteen days before saying I don’t want to anymore. Lisa Marie later married the former king of pop, Michael Jackson, which lasted 20 months.

The latest couple to file their divorce makes it to the list. After a mere four months, Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock are giving up on wedded bliss. Just goes to show that multiple wedding ceremonies do not equal a more united couple.