The Hollywood Sign Has a Bizarre, Tragic, and Thrilling History

Trigger Warner: The following references suicide.

The Big Picture

• The Hollywood Sign has a rich history from its origins as a real estate ad in 1923, to its iconic status in American history and the film industry.
• The aspiring actress Peg Entwistle committed suicide at the Hollywood sign in 1932 after being dropped from her studio contract, becoming a legendary and haunted story.
• The sign has faced deterioration, collapses, and arson attacks, but has been rebuilt with help from Hugh Hefner. It has also been the target of pranks, including spelling “Hollyweed” and “Hollyboob.”

Since its initial construction as a real estate advertisement for $21,000 in 1923, the Hollywood sign has endured as one of the most recognizable landmarks in American history. Originally spelling out “Hollywoodland” and overlooking Los Angeles from the heights of Mount Lee, the sign has not only served as the nation’s film and television industry’s signature icon but also the site and subject of eclectic bits of show business history ranging from tragic to strange to thrilling. Suffice it to say that if the Hollywood sign could talk, it would have some stories to tell. But in the landmark’s history spanning more than a century, what events and incidents have most durably stood the test of time as part of the cultural zeitgeist?

Which Aspiring Actress Committed Suicide at the Hollywood Sign in 1932?

For generations, Hollywood has been notoriously littered with the shattered dreams of wide-eyed show business hopefuls who, for various reasons, fell short of realizing their lofty aspirations. Among the countless casualties in Tinsel Town’s unforgiving wake was British actress Peg Entwistle. Born in 1908, Entwistle moved to New York in 1912 and began acting on Broadway at the age of 17. In 1931, she relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in cinema, ultimately landing a contract with RKO and securing a role in the 1932 film Thirteen Women. But upon the film’s disappointing reception by critics, and discovering that her performance failed to make the final cut, Entwistle was abruptly dropped from her studio contract.

Devastated and with little to no professional prospects on the horizon, Entwistle reached a breaking point. On September 16, 1932, she made her way to the Hollywood sign, climbed to the top of the “H,” and leaped to her untimely death. Personal items, including her purse, coat, and shoe were discovered by a hiker the next day, and inside the purse was a suicide note. “I am afraid I am a coward,” Entwistle wrote. “I am sorry for everything. If I had done this a long time ago, it would have saved a lot of pain. P.E.” In the decades since the tragic incident, Peg Entwistle’s death has attained legendary status and led to endless speculation, theories, and even assertions that her spirit haunts the Hollywood Hills. The young actress’ suicide, however, would be just the first entry in a storied history of occurrences that would take place in the vicinity of Hollywood’s famous landmark.

Why Did Hugh Hefner Come to the Hollywood Sign’s Rescue?

Years after Peg Entwistle took her life, the Hollywood sign reportedly became the temporary home of a mysterious songwriter. Born George Alexander Aberle, eden ahbez – otherwise known as ahbe to his friends – is alleged to have lived and slept under the sign’s first “L” for an unknown period. Known for his minimalist, nomadic lifestyle, and an uncanny resemblance to Jesus Christ, ahbez is arguably best remembered for composing Nat King Cole‘s 1948 hit, Nature Boy. While the exact circumstances of how ahbez and Cole crossed paths remains a topic of speculation, the former’s rendition of Nature Boy has proven influential for countless musicians and stood the test of time for generations, and legend has it the song’s origins lie beneath the Hollywood sign.

The 1940s saw a significant alteration to the entertainment landmark, which had deteriorated from exposure to high winds and harsh weather. The “H” completely collapsed in 1944, and after lengthy conversations among city officials regarding whether to reconstruct or demolish the sign, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce opted to make repairs and remove the “LAND” altogether. By 1978, the sign had yet again fallen into disarray. According to The Guardian, the Hollywood Sign Trust reported that throughout the years “the top of the ‘D’ and the entire third ‘O’ toppled down Mt Lee, and an arsonist set fire to the bottom of the second ‘L.'” As the ’70s drew to a close, the landmark was also characterized as “rusted, dilapidated, soon to literally crumble under its own weight.” But coming to the rescue was Hugh Hefner, who oversaw the raising of funds by numerous celebrities to have the sign rebuilt (at a reported $27,700 per letter) once more.

What Role Did Michelle Yeoh Play in the Hollywood Sign’s History?

As the new millennium approached, the unpredictable sorts of things taking place at and around the Hollywood sign continued to surprise. As part of a National Geographic photo shoot in the late ’90s, actress and daredevil Michelle Yeoh took part in a stunt that showcased the show business icon. Photographer Joe McNally came up with the idea of having someone dangle from a helicopter and be flown past the sign. According to McNally, “I needed an Asian star, capable of daring stunts, to do something with me to emphasize the growing global influence of movie personalities from Asia in big budget, mainstream Hollywood films.”

“Sounds amazing, but who’s crazy enough to do it except Michelle Yeoh?” Yeoh remembers McNally thinking. Though the image is undeniably breathtaking, capturing it proved challenging for the actress. “We literally were in a hangar about 20, 25 minutes away. So I’m all dressed in my slinky dress and in the cable, and up we went. And we flew. It was so cold.” But Yeoh wasn’t alone in the frigid air as McNally dangled beside her from another helicopter to get the shot. “I recall her being absolutely magnificent, hanging off those wires, just across from me, as I hung from the other skid,” says McNally.

Roughly two decades before and after Michelle Yeoh’s stunt, the Hollywood sign was the target of various pranks. In 1976 and 2017, respectively, anonymous jokers managed to alter the sign’s second and third “O” so that it spelled “Hollyweed.” According to the Guardian, the 2017 prank was intended to celebrate the recent passing of laws regarding marijuana. In 2021, however, some pranksters wouldn’t be so fortunate as six people were arrested for changing the sign to read “Hollyboob.” Other alterations over the years included the sign reading “Holywood” to commemorate a visit from Pope John Paul II and “Ollywood” about Oliver North‘s involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal.

Thirteen Women is available for rent on Apple TV+ in the U.S.

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