The Sign in

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Here’s a quick look at the Hollywood Sign's many starring roles in movies, television, music videos, song lyrics and video games, including the year of release and a brief description of the Sign's big moment.

Are we missing other mentions in pop culture media? Email your suggestion to betsy@hollywoodsign.org. Thank you!

Mrs. America
(
2020
)
Television

Directed by Dahvi Waller
Starring Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne & Uzo Aduba

Conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly leads an unexpected fight against the Equal Rights Amendment movement during the 1970s.

In episode 5, they head to Los Angeles for a debate and feature a distressed Sign accurate for the 1970s setting.

Contributed By:
Hollywood
(
2020
)
Television

Directed by Ryan Murphy & Ian Brenna
Starring David Corenswet, Darren Criss & Laura Harrier

A group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood try to make it big – no matter the cost.

Contributed By:
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
(
2019
)
Movies

Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt & Margot Robbie

A faded television actor and his stunt double strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.

Contributed By:
9-1-1 on Fox
(
2018
)
Television

Creators: Brad Falchuk, Tim Minear, Ryan Murphy
Stars: Angela Bassett, Peter Krause, Oliver Stark

The Hollywood Sign is destroyed in a mudslide on Fox’s hit drama 9-1-1 in Season 4 Episode 2. As featured in this clip.

Contributed By:
San Andreas
(
2015
)
Movies

Directed by Brad Peyton
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, & Alexandra Daddario

A seemingly ideal day turns disastrous when California’s notorious San Andreas fault triggers a devastating, magnitude 9 earthquake, the largest in recorded history. As the Earth cracks open and buildings start to crumble, the Hollywood Sign is swiftly destroyed.

Contributed By:
David Woods, Palestine, IL
BoJack Horseman
(
2014
)
Television

Created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg

In season 1, episode 6, titled “Our A-Story is a “D” Story”, the main character, Bojack Horseman (voiced by Will Arnett) steals the “D” from the Hollywood sign. As a result, native Angelenos subsequently refer to the area as “Hollywoo” (since the “D” from the sign is missing). The conclusion of the episode sees the “D” accidentally destroyed in a helicopter crash near the Hollywoo Hills Super-Max prison.

Contributed By:
Sharknado
(
2013
)
Movies

Starring Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, John Heard.
Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante.

The tornado blows the letters of the Sign away. One of them crushes an aspiring actor just after he says, “my mother always told me Hollywood would kill me”.

Contributed By:
Gangster Squad
(
2013
)
Movies

Written by Will Beall and Paul Lieberman
Directed by Ruben Fleischer
Starring Emma Stone, Sean Penn, and Ryan Gosling

Los Angeles, 1949: A secret crew of police officers led by two determined sergeants work together in an effort to take down the ruthless mob king Mickey Cohen who runs the city.

In the first scene of the movie, it shows the Griffith Observatory then the camera zooms over to the Hollywoodland Sign.

Contributed By:
Lisa Iwanyszyn
Seven Psychopaths
(
2012
)
Movies

Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh
Starring Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken, and Woody Harrelson

Seven Psychopaths is a 2012 British black comedy film written, co-produced and directed by Martin McDonagh. It stars Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Tom Waits, and Christopher Walken. The film marks the second collaboration between McDonagh and Farrell, following 2008’s In Bruges.

Contributed By:
Argo
(
2012
)
Movies

Directed by Ben Affleck
Screenplay by Chris Terrio
Starring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, and John Goodman

Argo is a 2012 American thriller film directed by Ben Affleck; it is a dramatization of the “Canadian Caper” based on an article published in 2007, in which Tony Mendez, a CIA operative, led the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Tehran, Iran, during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.

Contributed By:
Rock of Ages
(
2012
)
Movies

Directed by Adam Shankman
Written by Justin Theroux, Chris D’Arienzo, and Allan Loeb
Starring Tom Cruise, Alec Bladwin, and Julianne Hough

Set in 1987 Los Angeles, Drew and Sherrie are two young people chasing their dreams in the big city. When they meet, it’s love at first sight, though their romance will face a series of challenges.

Contributed By:
Janet Chance
L.A. Noire
(
2011
)
Video Games

Published by Rockstar Games

Rockstar knocked it out of the park once again with this monster hit title, which frames its deeply detailed plotline within hyper-realistic Los Angeles settings drawn from historical 1940s photographs. As you might expect, the Hollywood Sign is a ubiquitous sight in the game and is seen in its original form, reading “Hollywoodland.”

Contributed By:
Nate Tufvesson
Tonight, Tonight
(
2011
)
Song Lyrics

By Hot Chelle Rae

…We’re going at it tonight tonight
There’s a party on the rooftop top of the world
Tonight tonight and we’re dancing on the edge of the Hollywood sign
I don’t know if I’ll make it but watch how good I’ll fake it
It’s all right, all right, tonight, tonight…

Contributed By:
Rebecca Black: My Moment
(
2011
)
Music Videos

Written by Brandon “Blue” Hamilton and Quinton Tolbert.
Produced by Charlton Pettus.

The follow-up song to Rebecca Black’s monster viral video hit “Friday” finds the young ingenue basking in the glow of sudden fame, complete with a Hollywood fantasy sequence and a beauty shot of the Sign.

Contributed By:
Duff Ferguson
Friends with Benefits
(
2011
)
Movies

Directed by Will Gluck.
Starring Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake, Patricia Clarkson.

Mila and Justin climb over the fence guarding the Sign and sit and talk in the second O until a L.A.P.D. chopper shows up.

Contributed By:
Mary Mallory
Shots On the Hood of My Car
(
2011
)
Song Lyrics

Produced by David Gamson

...We're cruisin' tonight, We got the roof back,

Mulholland Drive,

We're at the top, yeah

Pulling off,

Gettin' lost in the city lights,

Take it to the Hollywood sign...

Contributed By:
Betsy Isroelit
Katy Perry: California Gurls
(
2010
)
Music Videos

Directed by Matthew Cullen/Motion Theory.

Katy Perry’s high sugar content video for “California Gurls” centers around Snoop Dogg playing a board game called “Candyfornia: Face the Sugar Daddy’s Dice to Free the Queens of Candyfornia,” in which Katy Perry is the game piece. The game board is a large 3-D super-confectionary trip through the landmarks and topography of California, including the Hollywood Sign rendered in delicious Red Vines atop three large ice cream hilltops…

Contributed By:
Duff Ferguson
Feelin’ Alive
(
2010
)
Song Lyrics

by The Jonas Brothers

[From the TV Show ‘Jonas LA’]

…My heart goes boom as the stars go blue,Like a sea of cell phone lights,The moon gets light as the sun goes down,Somewhere behind the hollywood sign,Have you ever felt like your living in the shadows?Have you ever felt kept down?I know sometimes that it feels like a battle,But it can turn around…

Contributed By:
Current 20th Century Fox opening logo animation
(
2010
)
Movies

20th Century Fox knows that nothing says “showbiz” like the Hollywood Sign, which is why the world-famous icon is now being used to open all of the studio’s releases … Looks like we’ll be seeing even more of the Hollywood Sign at the movies in the very near future!


Contributed By:
Resident Evil: Afterlife
(
2010
)
Movies

Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.
Starring Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts.

Promotional posters for this film show Milla Jovovich striding over the Hollywood Hills past a blasted, weathered “H” from the Sign.

Contributed By:
Duff Ferguson
Valentine’s Day
(
2010
)
Movies

Directed by Garry Marshall.
Starring Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper.

The Sign appears in the background during a soccer match.

Contributed By:
Yvanne Kennedy
The Runaways
(
2010
)
Movies

Directed by Floria Sigismondi.
Starring Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve, Tatum O’Neill.

The Sign looms large in this coming-of-age biopic about 70’s teenage band The Runaways, including a scene where the band hangs out behind the letters of the Sign.

Contributed By:
Beth McGroarty
Starstruck
(
2010
)
Movies

Starring Sterling Knight, Brandon Mychal Smith, Daniel Campbell.

No movie about star struck teens going to Hollywood would be complete without a mandatory shot of the Sign, and this popular Disney Channel Original Movie is no exception. The landmark also figures large in the promotional Bus Tour mini-films made for the film, as the film’s stars are taken on a special tour of glamorous Hollywood sights.

Contributed By:
Whitney Petralia
Victorious
(
2010
)
Television

Created by Dan Schneider.
Starring Victoria Justice, Leon Thomas III, Matt Bennett, Elizabeth Gillies, Ariana Grande, Avan Jogia, Daniella Monet.

The Sign plays a part in the opening credits as Victoria Justice sings. Look for the Sign several times in the background and near the “Hollywood Arts” performing arts high school. You can also see the Sign in several quick edits between scenes in the show.

Contributed By:
Byron Wozgen
The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien
(
2009-2010
)
Television

Starring Conan O’Brien.

The opening credit sequence for this ill-fated late night variety show, which depicted a whirlwind tour of the most important landmarks of Los Angeles, included a nighttime tracking camera shot of the Sign from behind silhouetted against the LA skyline.

Contributed By:
Duff Ferguson
The 69 Boyz: Lost Boys and Never Say Die
(
2009
)
Music Videos

Directed by Bam Magera

Two music videos from the Finnish band ‘The 69 Boyz’ feature the Hollywood Sign.  The videos were directed by Bam Magera of Jackass fame.

Contributed By:
Mike Brown
Party in the USA
(
2009
)
Song Lyrics

By Miley Cyrus

…I hopped off the plane at LAX with a dream and my cardiganWelcome to the land of fame, excess, whoa am I gotta fit in?Jumped in the cab, here I am for the first timeLook to my right, and I see the Hollywood sign…

Contributed By:
Miss March
(
2009
)
Movies

Starring Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore.
Directed by Zach Cregger, Trevor Moore.

A young man awakens from a four-year coma to hear that his once pure high-school sweetheart has since become a pinup star. He and his girl-crazed best friend decide to take a cross-country road trip to crash a party at the Playboy mansion and win back the girl. The Hollywood Sign has a cameo as the guys near L.A. and are about to pull up to the mansion.

Contributed By:
Steven Etzkorn
Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief
(
2009
)
Movies

Starring Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan.
Directed by Chris Columbus.

A teenager discovers he’s the descendant of a Greek god and sets out on an adventure to settle an on-going battle between the gods. The Sign appears towards the end, as the gate to Hades!

Contributed By:
Carl Vincent & Shyla Harper
Bruno
(
2009
)
Movies

Starring Sacha Baron Cohen.
Directed by Larry Charles.

Aspiring designer Bruno arrives in Hollywood amid glitz, glamour, and the Hollywood Sign.

Contributed By:
Duff Ferguson
Maneater
(
2009
)
Television

Starring: Sarah Chalke, Judy Greer, and Philip Winchester

In this 2009 TV miniseries, an enterprising young woman navigates the professional waters of Beverly Hills in order to land the hottest producer in town, fully unaware that she is about to get in way over her head.

The Hollywood Sign can be seen at the end.

Contributed By:
Joe G. from Kentwood, Michigan
Midnight Club: Los Angeles
(
2008
)
Video Games

Published by Rockstar Games

Another thrilling game from Rockstar, allowing players to buy the hottest cars and race them through hyper-realistic Los Angeles settings, complete with traffic, weather, and the police. The Hollywood Sign is seen in all its glory in the game, as well as on the packaging, letting players know exactly where they are as they drive.

Contributed By:
Rocco Battaglia
Bottle and a Gun
(
2008
)
Song Lyrics

…I’m gonna lose my mindGet 30 inch spinners and pimp my rideGo back in time, be there that night and save 2 Pac’s lifeThen pay my fine for getting caught f***ing on the Hollywood signI got the game on lockI’ll have a bottle and a glockwith biceps like The RockBuy Tom’s soul back from Rupert Murdoch…

Contributed By:
90210
(
2008
)
Television

Starring Shenae Grimes, Tristan Wilds, AnnaLynne McCord, Ryan Eggold, Jessica Stroup , Michael Steger, Lori Loughlin.

This latest version of a venerable television franchise includes many passing references to the Sign, and the cast uses the Sign as a backdrop for a documentary film they are shooting. In addition, Season 3 sees one character (Jasper) throwing himself off the “H” and narrowly escaping death.

Contributed By:
Yvanne Kennedy
Bolt
(
2008
)
Movies

Voices of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus.
Directed by Byron Howard and Chris Williams.

Bolt arrives in Hollywood and takes in a gorgeous view of the whole city with the Sign prominently in the background. While he stands there, two aspiring Hollywood writer pigeons approach Bolt to pitch a bird-brained script idea for his next movie.

Contributed By:
Yes Man
(
2008
)
Movies

Starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, John Michael Higgins.
Directed by Peyton Reed.

Near the end of the movie, where Carl is jogging with Allison and her yoga/jogging/photography group at the Griffith Park Observatory, the Hollywood Sign can be seen setting the stage in the background.

Contributed By:
Randall Branam
Alvin and the Chipmunks
(
2007
)
Movies

Starring Jason Lee, Ross Bagdasarian Jr., Janice Karman.
Directed by Tim Hill.

The Sign has a cameo near the middle of the movie when an establishing shot shows the home where Jason Lee lives with the Chipmunks.

Contributed By:
Alyssah Lim
Nancy Drew
(
2007
)
Movies

Starring Emma Roberts, Josh Flitter, Max Thieriot, Tate Donovan.
Directed by Peyton Reed.

The Sign can be seen in the background (an animated version of this can be seen in the credits).


Contributed By:
Heroes
(
2006-2010
)
Television

Starring David Anders, Kristen Bell, Santiago Cabrera, Jack Coleman, Tawny Cypress, Dana Davis, Noah Gray-Cabey, Greg Grunberg, Robert Knepper, Ali Larter, James Kyson Lee, Masi Oka, Hayden Panettiere, Adrian Pasdar, Zachary Quinto, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Dania Ramirez, Leonard Roberts, Cristine Rose, Milo Ventimiglia.

In the 2007 season’s fourth episode, titled “The Kindness Of Strangers,” Claire and a date fly over to the Hollywood Sign at night and sit on top of the letter “H.”   Claire purposefully falls off the “H” to test and see if her date will swoop in and rescue her (he does, thankfully).

Contributed By:
Byron Wozgen
Hollywood Sign
(
2006
)
Song Lyrics

By Nico Vega

…Till the next time that we meet at the top of the Hollywood Sign. Don’t leave me next to the pool bar where I’m all alone with the conscience of fate. I’ll choose my favorite beverage and vomit it up on the chest of my date. The names Baby, and in the spot light I’m a real lady but when the cameras off, I die slowly. I’ve got Entourage but they don't know me. Cuz I’m the ghost of the Hollywood Sign…

Contributed By:
The Hills
(
2006
)
Television

Starring Heidi Montag, Brody Jenner, Justin Bobby, Lauren Conrad, Whitney Port.

The opening credit sequence includes a helicopter tracking camera shot of the Sign with an added glowing effect.

Contributed By:
Marcel Pazzin
Knocking
(
2006
)
Movies

Directed by Joel P. Engardio and Tom Shepard.

A man decides to donate part of his liver to save his son’s life. They travel to California for the surgery. On the night before the operation, his wife takes pictures of the man and his son in front of the Hollywood Sign.

Contributed By:
Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny
(
2006
)
Movies

Starring Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Ronnie James Dio, Fred Arminsen, Amy Poehler, Tim Robbins, David Grohl, Ben Stiller.
Directed by Liam Lynch.

Jack Black arrives by bus in Hollywood to form the world’s most awesome rock band. He beams and takes in the scene while the Sign sets the stage behind him.

Contributed By:
Stefan Rocke
Hollywoodland
(
2006
)
Movies

Starring Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, Ben Affleck.
Directed by Allen Coulter.

Contributed By:
Jim Pinard
The Black Dahlia
(
2006
)
Movies

Starring Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Hillary Swank.
Directed by Brian DePalma.

The Sign, which at the time of the film’s setting (1940) still read HOLLYWOODLAND, was near the site of the grisly Black Dahlia murder. It’s shown, accurately, with the “H” damaged, as it would have been before the Chamber of Commerce’s 1949 refurbishment.


Contributed By:
The Girls Next Door
(
2005
)
Television

Starring Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, Kendra Wilkinson, Crystal Harris, Kristina Shannon, Karissa Shannon, Hugh Hefner.

The opening credit sequence of this long-running behind-the-scenes look at Hefner’s famous Mansion includes a shot of the Sign. The Sign is also shown repeatedly in several episodes, including one where the girls ride horseback to the Sign.

Contributed By:
Anna D.
Bewitched
(
2005
)
Movies

Starring Nicole Kidman, Will Ferrell, Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine.
Directed by Nora Ephron.

A gorgeous helicopter shot of the Sign is seen in the opening credits.

Contributed By:
Marcel Pazzin
Ellie Parker
(
2005
)
Movies

Starring Naomi Watts, Jennifer Syme, Mark Pellegrino
Directed by Scott Cofey.

Aspiring actress Ellie (Watts) has to play a corpse in one scene with the Hollywood Sign in the background – but lying still proves a difficult task for her.

Contributed By:
Joey
(
2004-2006
)
Television

Created by Scott Silveri and Shana Goldberg Meehan.
Starring Matt LeBlanc, Andrea Anders, Paulo Costanzo, Jennifer Coolidge, Drea de Matteo, Miguel A. Núñez Jr.

The Sign appears repeatedly in this Friends spin-off, usually during scene switches. Joey makes reference to the Sign in the first episode, where he comments that from his apartment he can see the “Ollywoo” sign — since his window has no view of the H or the D.

Contributed By:
Luke Timmons, Glasgow Scotland
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
(
2004
)
Video Games

Published by Rockstar Games

This game is set in a seedy fictional city called Los Santos, which takes the seedier side of Los Angeles to the extreme. Thankfully, the real Los Angeles is no where near as exciting as this game! High on a hillside overlooking the city, there is a sign modeled on the Hollywood Sign, reading “Vinewood.” Fantasy or not, the game designers obviously felt that even a fictional Los Angeles would look incomplete without a fictional Sign looming over it.

Contributed By:
Rocco Battaglia
Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!
(
2004
)
Movies

Starring Kate Bosworth, Topher Grace.
Directed by Robert Luketic.

In the animated opening credits, the Hollywood Sign makes an appearance to set up the romantic comedy plot of a small town girl winning a date with a movie star.

Contributed By:
10.5
(
2004
)
Movies

Starring Beau Bridges, Kim Delaney.
Directed by John Lafia.

This emmy-nominated TV movie depicts what would happen to Los Angeles in the event of a 10.5 earthquake. Given the magnitude of the quake, the damage isn’t that bad: Only one of the Ls and a W go toppling over the hillside this time. Heck, the Sign probably looked worse circa 1976.

Contributed By:
Super Babies: Baby Geniuses 2
(
2004
)
Movies

Starring Jon Voight, Scott Baio.
Directed by Bob Clark.

The film’s villain (an immortal baby who never ages) has a secret lair inside of the Sign’s H.


Contributed By:
Shrek II
(
2004
)
Movies

Mike Meyers, Eddie Murphy.
Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon.

Our heroes arrive in a land far far away … as evidenced by a ridiculous FAR FAR AWAY Sign that’s similar in appearance to the Hollywood Sign.

Contributed By:
The Day After Tomorrow
(
2004
)
Movies

Starring Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal.
Directed by Roland Emmerich.

A TV reporter sits in a chopper that is covering the tornados in L.A., including the one destroying the Hollywood Sign.

Contributed By:
Nip and Tuck
(
2003-2009
)
Television

Created by Ryan Murphy.
Starring Dylan Walsh, Julian McMahon, Joely Richardson, John Hensley, Roma Maffia, Kelly Carlson, Jessalyn Gilsig, Bruno Campos, Valerie Cruz.

At the end of season 4, main characters Dr. Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) and Dr. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) sell their successful, Miami plastic surgery business and relocate to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.

The Hollywood Sign is shown in a most spectacular fashion, with great aerial shots of both it and a couple of far-away shots of the city below. The two doctors are shown simply hanging around the Sign. All this is set to Kool & the Gang’s ‘Hollywood Swingin’.”

Contributed By:
Lucinda Perez
The Bachelorette
(
2003
)
Television

The Bachelorette is a spin-off from the American competitive reality dating game show The Bachelor. In the 9th season, they had a dinner date sitting on top of the “L” in Hollywood.

Contributed By:
Hollywood Homicide
(
2003
)
Movies

Starring Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett
Directed by Ron Shelton

The Hollywood Sign is featured in the opening credits of movie where two LAPD detectives who moonlight in other fields investigate the murder of an up-and-coming rap group.

Contributed By:
Ethan Mitchell
S.W.A.T
(
2003
)
Movies

Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J.
Directed by Clark Johnson.

Once again, the Sign sets the scene. At the very start of the movie, we hear a police radio requesting S.W.A.T. assistance, and the camera flies over the Sign into downtown Los Angeles to show a thrilling bank robbery taking place.

Contributed By:
Emma-Louise Rabson
The Italian Job
(
2003
)
Movies

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Jason Statham, Seth Green, Mos Def, Edward Norton.
Directed by F. Gary Gray.

The criminal played by Edward Norton flies past the Sign in a helicopter.

Contributed By:
Big Fat Liar
(
2002
)
Movies

Starring Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti, Amanda Bynes, Amanda Detmer, Donald Faison, Sandra Oh.
Directed by Shawn Levy

There’s a fight with Sign in the far background.

Contributed By:
Whitney Petralia
Crossroads
(
2002
)
Movies

Starring Britney Spears, Anson Mount, Zoe Saldana.
Directed by Tamra Davis.

The sign is seen as the girls enter Los Angeles for the first time, setting the stage for glamorous adventure.

Contributed By:
Austin Powers in Goldmember
(
2002
)
Movies

Starring Mike Meyers, Beyonce Knowles.
Directed by Jay Roach.

Dr. Evil’s secret lair was built into the hill behind the Sign … Talk about your glamorous digs.

Contributed By:
The Majestic
(
2001
)
Movies

Starring Jim Carrey, Bob Balaban, Jeffrey DeMunn, Hal Holbrook.
Directed by Frank Darabont.

The Hollywood Sign can be seen when Peter Appleton (played by Jim Carrey) arrives at HHS Studios.

Contributed By:
Randall Branam
The Hollywood Sign
(
2001
)
Movies

Starring Tom Berenger, Jacqueline Kim, Rod Steiger, Burt Reynolds.
Directed by Sonke Wortmann.

This Hollywood-themed heist film has three washed up actors trying to steal $10,000,000 using their acting skills. In addition to the movie title, the film begins with a cool tracking shot of the Sign as a car with a trunk full of smuggled cocaine rolls past into Los Angeles.

Contributed By:
Duff Ferguson
Joe Dirt
(
2001
)
Movies

Starring David Spade, Brittany Daniel, Dennis Miller.
Directed by Dennie Gordon.

The sign appears in the opening scene of the movie. It is featured on a “Greetings From” postcard that gradually dissolves into the actual Hollywood sign as lead character Joe Dirt (played by Spade) is driving through LA.

Contributed By:
Steven Etzkorn
Mulholland Drive
(
2001
)
Movies

Starring Naomi Watts.
Directed by David Lynch.

The Hollywood Sign appears in about 20 minutes in. It is shown after Naomi Watts arrives in Los Angeles.

Contributed By:
Julie King
Scream 3
(
2000
)
Movies

Starring David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox. Directed by Wes Craven.

The main plot of the movie is in Hollywood and the sign appears at the very beginning of the movie right before the scene with Cotton weary in his car.

Contributed By:
James Stewart
Futurama
(
1999-2003, 2008-??
)
Television

Starring Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Tress MacNeille, Maurice LaMarche, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, David Herman.
Created by Matt Groening.

In ‘That’s Lobstertainment’ (Episode #3, Season #8), the Planet Express crew flies to Hollywood to revive the career of Dr. Zoidberg’s formerly famous comedian uncle Harold Zoid. The Sign still stands proudly over LA, but the Capitol Records building seems to have been repurposed as a “Swap Meet.”

Contributed By:
Michael McQuarrie, Vancouver, BC
Buckcherry: For the Movies
(
1999
)
Music Videos

Produced by Terry Date

The video begins with singer Joshua Todd sitting on a perch and when the camera pans around, he’s seated in the crook of an ‘L’.  Then the band is set up and playing the song in front of the sign. At the second chorus, the sign bursts into flames and the band plays on, as ashes fall onto a star-studded (Tara Reid) movie premiere.

Contributed By:
Corey Hawkins
Bowfinger
(
1999
)
Movies

Starring Steve Martin, Heather Graham, Eddie Murphy.
Directed by Frank Oz.

One of the actresses that Steve Martin’s character was hiring for his movie is sitting on a park bench underneath the sign.

Contributed By:
Dave Lepkowski
Man On The Moon
(
1999
)
Movies

Starring Jim Carrey.
Directed by Milos Forman

It is a helicopter shot from behind the sign on Mt. Lee and the camera nearly passes through. The purpose of the shot is to establish the all-powerful presence of Hollywood as an industry, a place where anything can happen.

Contributed By:
Daniel Ferry
RKO 281
(
1999
)
Movies

Starring Live Schriebner, James Cromwell, Melanie Griffith.
Directed by Benjamin Ross.

The Sign (again depicted in its original Hollywoodland incarnation) serves as the perfect backdrop for this film about Orson Welle’s struggle to make Citizen Kane. The film is accurate in that the LAND portion of the Sign, which wasn’t scrapped until 1949, would have been standing during the time of Citizen Kane’s filming (1940-41). Still, the Sign would have looked much worse for wear than it appears here.

Contributed By:
South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut
(
1999
)
Movies

Written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
Directed by Trey Parker.

When Stan, Kyle, Eric, and Kenny see the R-rated Canadian movie “Terrance & Phillip: Asses of Fire”, they are pronounced “corrupted”. Kyle’s mom Sheila, with the rest of the parents, pressure the United States to wage war against Canada. The Sign is used as a backdrop when the Canadian Air Forces bomb the Baldwin brothers’ mansion. (Alec, Stephen, etc.).

Contributed By:
Steve Etzkorn
Rush 2: Extreme Racing USA
(
1998
)
Video Games

Published by Atari Games

A cult classic racing game that allowed players to test their driving skills on challenging tracks based on famous USA locations, including Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Hawaii, and more. The Hollywood Sign features prominently in the Los Angeles track portion, as well as on the packaging.

Contributed By:
Rocco Battaglia
Mighty Joe Young
(
1998
)
Movies

Starring Bill Paxton, Charlize Theron.
Directed by Ron Underwood.

Joe, the gorilla sits in the first O, overlooking L.A. at night and then leaves quietly (leaving the Sign intact!)

Contributed By:
The Truman Show
(
1998
)
Movies

Starring Jim Carrey, Lara Linney.
Directed by Peter Weir.

The film is about a man who discovers that what he thought was his life is, in fact, a TV show. His existential crisis is punctuated by a shot revealing that his hometown (Seahaven) is actually a set built inside of an enormous dome … located just north of the Hollywood Sign.

Contributed By:
City of Angels
(
1998
)
Movies

Starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan
Directed by Brad Silberling

The Hollywood Sign appears toward the start of the movie with all the angels are standing on the Sign.

Contributed By:
Bianca Spence
Bean
(
1997
)
Movies

Starring Rowan Atkinson, Peter MacNicol, Burt Reynolds.
Directed by Mel Smith.

The Sign’s comedy calvacade continues. … Actually, the Sign isn’t featured in the film itself, but it’s the focus of a promotional poster. In the poster, Bean (Atkinson) proudly marches down Hollywood Blvd. with a giant O under his arm. In the background, we can clearly see the Sign — which now reads HOLLYWO D.

Contributed By:
Orgazmo
(
1997
)
Movies

Starring Trey Parker, Dian Bechar.
Directed by Trey Parker.

This comedy about a naïve young Mormon missionary who’s recruited to star in a sci-fi porn movie opens with a prominent shot of the Sign, under which the humorously obvious title card Hollywood, U.S.A. fades up.

Contributed By:
187
(
1997
)
Movies

Starring Samuel L. Jackson, John Heard, Kelly Rowan, Clifton Collins Jr.
Directed by Kevin Reynolds.

In this hard hitting drama, the Sign appears approximately 7 or 8 minutes into the film in a very memorable and iconic way: a helicopter shot circling around the Sign at sunrise while Massive Attack’s “Spying Glass” plays in the background. Very evocative indeed.

Contributed By:
Rocco Battaglia
Volcano
(
1997
)
Movies

Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Anne Heche.
Directed by Mike Jackson.

Remarkably, the Sign is spared. It is, however, the compositional centerpiece of a shot featuring a tower (in the foreground) that’s knocked over to dam a river of molten lava.

Contributed By:
You’re not in Kansas Anymore
(
1996
)
Song Lyrics

By Jo Dee Messina

…He said do you know where Carson lives
So we drove up to Malibu
Cruisin’ down Sunset Strip
I let him steal a kiss or two
Under the Hollywood sign
I tried to hide a smile as I whispered low
I wanna be the first to tell you
Here we say Rodel, not rodeo…

Contributed By:
The People vs. Larry Flynt
(
1996
)
Movies

Directed by Milos Forman
Written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski
Starring Woody Harrelson, Edward Norton and Courtney Love

From our contributor: Protagonist Flynt gets told “There’s only one place for your kind . . . ” (or something like that), then the film cuts to a helicopter shot that circles the Hollywood sign! When I saw it in NYC, the audience roared and applauded! The camera pans back as the helicopter circles around to show the Flynt Building on Wilshire Blvd. in the same shot. (Director Milos Forman won the Golden Globe for this movie.)

Contributed By:
James Roman
Independence Day
(
1996
)
Movies

Starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum.
Directed by Roland Emmerich.

As the aliens are introduced to us by the director he gives us a great shot of the Hollywood sign to make sure that we know where the alien invasion is taking place. (Contributed by Angel Frost)

Contributed By:
Escape from L.A.
(
1996
)
Movies

Starring Kurt Russell, Peter Fonda, A.J. Langer.
Directed by John Carpenter.

This barbed satire of L.A. (and, in turn, American) pop culture features a shot of the Sign with the Hollywood hills on fire in the background –a poignant image of just how badly things have gone in Los Angeles’ future as imagined by Carpenter.

Contributed By:
Ed Wood
(
1994
)
Movies

Starring Johnny Depp, Sara Jessica Parker, Martin Landau.
Directed by Tim Burton.

The Sign is featured during the first and final shots of the film as part of a wide-angle pan. The purposefully artificial-looking, miniaturized depiction of Hollywood serves as the perfect introduction to Wood’s world.

Contributed By:
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
(
1994
)
Movies

Starring Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, Dave Chappelle.
Directed by Mel Brooks.

There’s a hilarious scene in which Robin Hood arrives at the coast of England. How do we know? A giant Hollywood Sign-style sign spells out ENGLAND on the distant hillside. It was the Sign’s first comedic role … but not its last.

Contributed By:
Demolition Man
(
1993
)
Movies

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes.
Directed by Marco Brambilla.

Again, the Sign is used to establish setting — in this case, a dystopian, violence-wracked future Los Angeles.

Contributed By:
Randall Branam
Rescue Me
(
1992
)
Movies

Starring Michael Dudikoff, Stephen Dorff, Ami Dolenz.
Directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman.

The Hollywood sign appears briefly when Mac and Fraser arrive in California in a pickup truck.

Contributed By:
Randall Branam
Chaplin
(
1992
)
Movies

Starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Kevin Kline.
Directed by Richard Attenborough.

The movie features a great scene where Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. ride horses up to the sign (Fairbanks even takes a leak on the sign) and discuss the rising tide of Americanism sweeping the country as Fairbanks proceeds to climb the sign and even performs some gymnastics on one of the letters as the camera pulls back to reveal the entire “Hollywoodland” sign. (Contributed by Leslie A. Turner)

Contributed By:
Doc Hollywood
(
1991
)
Movies

Starring Michael J. Fox, Julie Warner.
Directed by Michael Caton-Jones.

In the poster picture, they added Doc to the front of the Hollywood Sign.

Contributed By:
Chuck Williams
The Rocketeer
(
1991
)
Movies

Starring Bill Campbell, Jennifer Connelly.
Directed by Joe Johnson.

The film offers the other alternate explanation for the loss of the LAND portion of the Sign: Villain Neville Sinclair (Dalton) crashes into them with a faulty rocketpack. Whatever else she achieves during her career, Jennifer Connelly will almost certainly go down in history as the only actor/actress to star alongside the Sign in two films in the same year.

Contributed By:
Career Opportunities
(
1991
)
Movies

Starring Jennifer Connelly, Frank Whaley, Dermot Mulroney.
Written by John Hughes.

The film’s epilogue features Frank Whaley as Jim. As he reads a book, he fantasizes that the Sign’s letters transform to read “Jimwood.”

Contributed By:
Bugsy
(
1991
)
Movies

Starring Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley.
Directed by Barry Levinson.

Depicted in its original “Hollywoodland” form, the Sign is used to efficiently communicate place (Los Angeles) and time (relatively early in the 20th century) during an establishing scene in the film.

Contributed By:
Marcel Pazzin
Beverly Hills 90210
(
1990-2000
)
Television

Starring Jason Priestley, Tori Spelling, Jenni Garth.
Directed by Darren Star.

There is a framed picture in The Peach Pit of the sign reading “Hollywoodland.” (Contributed by Meredith Gardner)

The Sign also appears in the final episode of the 92-93 season, which is a graduation episode. In the opening scene, the gang is gathered at a viewpoint of the Sign. At the end of the show, we see a banner created by the gang hanging over the Sign that reads “W BEV HI’ 93.” All created with Hollywood magic, of course!

Contributed By:
Fresh Prince of Bel Air
(
1990-2000
)
Television

Starring Will Smith, James Avery, Janet Hubert-Whitten, Daphne Maxwell Reid.
Created by Andy Borowitz, Susan Borowitz.

Will Smith was still primarily a rap star when he was first featured in this hugely popular Hollywood fish-out-of-water series. The show’s rap intro featured Will Smith hailing a funky taxi upon his arrival in Bel Air, which he enters right below the Sign. The cab driver seen in the credits is actually Quincy Jones, executive producer of the show.

Contributed By:
Anna D.
Jane Wiedlin: World on Fire
(
1990
)
Music Videos

Director unknown.

Belinda Carlyle wasn’t the only former member of the Go-Gos who went on to a successful solo career. Punk guitarist Jane Wiedlan, who penned their hit “Our Lips Are Sealed,” released 4 solo albums of her own with some respectable chart success. Her last charting single “World on Fire” was accompanied by a steamy video filled with pyrotechnics as her music and attitude literally burned up the screen. Shot in many Hollywood locations, the Sign is seen in the backdrop in several spots and then bursts into flames as a finale.

Contributed By:
Duff Ferguson
The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake
(
1990
)
Television

Starring Ed Begley, Jr, Joanna Kerns, Dan Lauria, Holly Fields.
Created by Larry Elikann.

In this made-for-TV remake of 1974’s EARTHQUAKE, the Hollywood Sign comes crumbling down letter by letter as one of many victims of a huge quake.

Contributed By:
Dave Grubka of Buffalo, NY
Predator 2
(
1990
)
Movies

Starring Kevin Peter Hall, Danny Glover.
Directed by Stephen Hopkins.

The movie opens with a helicopter shot that comes up the back side of the Hollywood Hills meant to recall the jungle setting of the first movie. Then the helicopter flies over the hills to reveal the city of L.A. in the distance, and the Hollywood sign.

Contributed By:
Don Solosan