42 How Hollywood Went “Hollywood”

The land of glitz and glamour hasn’t always shone as brightly as it does today. For most people, Hollywood is synonymous with movies, famous, and fast living. Yet this commonly held image could not be more diametrically opposed to what the town’s founders intended.

Horace Wilcox, the leader of the Temperance Society, was one of the early developers of the area; in fact, his wife gave Hollywood its name. After acquiring the land for the community in 1887, Wilcox established an orchard, built homes and churches, and planned for the parks and libraries. Intending the village to be a model community, Wilcox wanted only those who abstained from alcohol could join and the community.

Hollywood existed as its founders intended for over 20 years. In 1900 there were fewer than 500 residents. No one carried firearms and there was no jail, as crime was practically nonexistent. The mayor served without pay as a public service, and the town’s trustees held only a single annual meeting.

But this quiet and bliss were destined to end. In 1910 the residents voted to join with the city of Los Angeles in order to gain access to the city’s water supply. The following year, the first motion picture studio was established, and from then on the industry grew rapidly.

Hollywood today is universally considered the movie capital of the world. With its large population and its image of opulence and excess, the city is a far cry from the small temperance community of its origins.

42 好莱坞如何成为“好莱坞”

如今光鲜亮丽的好莱坞并非一直如此耀眼。对大多数人来说，好莱坞是电影、名流和快节奏生活的代名词。但这种普遍的印象，与这座小镇创始人的初衷截然相反。

霍勒斯·威尔科克斯是禁酒协会的领袖，也是该地区的早期开发者之一；事实上，好莱坞这个名字是他的妻子取的。1887年购得这片社区用地后，威尔科克斯建起了果园、住宅和教堂，还规划了公园与图书馆。他希望将这个村庄打造成模范社区，只允许戒酒者加入。

好莱坞按照创始人的设想存在了20多年。1900年时，这里的居民不足500人。没人携带武器，也没有监狱，因为犯罪几乎不存在。市长无偿提供公共服务，镇信托委员会每年只开一次会。

但这种宁静与祥和注定要终结。1910年，居民投票决定并入洛杉矶市，以获得城市的供水。次年，第一家电影制片厂成立，从此电影产业迅速发展。

如今的好莱坞被公认为世界电影之都。它拥有庞大的人口，以及奢华无度的形象，与最初那个小型的禁酒社区相去甚远。