My mother was born and raised in Hollywood -- and she vividly remembers the community outrage over a developer's plan to sub-divide a particularly scenic part of the Hollywood Hills. What was especially galling was that the developers seemed to flaunt their disregard for these unique L.A. hillsides by erecting a huge billboard to announce their new project.

The year was 1923. My mother was an adorable seven-year-old with ringlets.  And the intrusive sign said "HOLLYWOODLAND".

Ironic that some 87 years later, the battle to protect and preserve the now world-famous HOLLYWOOD sign centers around another real estate scheme. This time an investment syndicate from Chicago is threatening to build four luxurious estates on the mountaintop surrounding the sign -- unless, of course, some chump -- er, buyer -- meets their $20 million dollar price tag...

... which feels more like a ransom note to me, a variation of "Do what we say or we'll trash your heritage".  How 'bout they trash their own heritage? Use their bank accounts to tear down Wrigley Field, or put condos in Grant Park to block everyone's view of Lake Michigan, instead of trying to degrade the one and only public symbol my hometown has? 

Fortunately, a civic-minded alliance has sprung up to raise money to buy the property and place it in a public trust. When I first visited their website (http://www.savehollywoodland.org/about/the-campaign.php), I read a lot of tweets, and what struck me/moved me was that virtually everyone has a very personalized connection to the sign. Goes for me too.

Being a native who was raised in the hills, I often thought about sliding down the bramble and scrambling the letters -- especially after "Hollyweed" appeared one morning in the 70's (http://hightimes.com/news/dan/3790 ). Now you know what inspired Beverly Hills, 90210 to end its triumphant high school years with Brandon, Brenda and the rest of the gang looking up at their adulterated 'West Bev High' Hollywood sign at sunrise after camping out on Grad night. 

And showbizzle's ongoing love affair with the HOLLYWOOD sign was captured in a very cool , three-part monologue written by Joey Power and performed by Austen Parros, who plays Les, the hip restaurateur. (http://www.showbizzle.com/ds-12flv ).

But it's not the sign, but what the sign represents, which dovetails so effortlessly with showbizzle's long- term goal to "Make Hollywood User-Friendly".  The sign represents hope and glamour, commerce and civic pride.  Take that away and this town becomes little more than a theme park for tourists hoping to catch the faded memory of a bygone era.

That's why we are so impressed by the commitment of Turner Classic Movies to tie its first Film Festival  http://www.tcm.com/festival/  into support for the “Save The Peak” campaign.  More on that next week, but until then, if you make a $20 donation and send a confirming e-mail to us at info@showbizzle.com, we will make a gift in your honor so we can all "Make Hollywood User-Friendly".