Ireland's Own article - H.J. Whitley (father of Hollywood)

H.J. Whitley (1847-1931), who was known as the 'father of Hollywood', was instrumental in developing Hollywood from the rural agricultural community that it was into the thriving residential neighbourhood that it is today. I have just written a short article for Ireland's Own magazine about the businessman and real estate magnate.

 Excerpt from my Ireland's Own article.

During the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th, Whitley founded towns across Oklahoma, Dakota, Texas and California. As well as developing Hollywood as a residential area, Whitley also played a part in cinema history by allowing his estate to be used to film the first movie to be shot entirely in Hollywood. The 17 min long melodrama about California's Mexican era, In Old California, was directed by D.W. Griffith in 1910. 

His name is still associated with the area with the Whitley Heights neighbourhood being the most obvious link. More about that below.

The famous Hollywood sign. Image source. 

The Hollywood sign was inspired by Whitley's 'Whitley Heights' sign that he used to advertise his new development in the early 1920s. The 45ft (13m) tall sign, situated on Mount Lee, is know all over the world as a symbol of the movie industry, but did you know that it used to read Hollywoodland? The 'land' part at the end was removed at some point in the 1970s after the sign fell into disrepair, but the good news is that it got a makeover for its 100 birthday which falls in 2023. You can read more about the sign and its history here and here.