The Story of Hollywood's Jealous Co-Star

Eric Jaffe writes of an article appearing in the January issue of the Journal of Urban History in which the forgotten story of a time when Hollywood's jealous co-star tried to claim her throne is re-told.

1 minute read

January 23, 2012, 8:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Apparently there's a good reason why Hollywood is the only neighborhood in Los Angeles with official boundaries. As the story goes, Hollywood's rival was Culver City, a neighboring community with an inferiority complex, that claimed more than 30 percent of motion pictures credited to Hollywood were, in fact, produced in Culver City.

The climax of the rivalry came on June 6, 1937 when Culver City's Chamber of Commerce passed a vote to officially change the city's name to Hollywood and prepared a petition for voters.

"Ultimately the city of Los Angeles stepped in to settle the contest once and for all. On September 20, the city passed an ordinance establishing the legal boundaries for Hollywood...[and] in October, representatives from both Hollywood and Culver City took part in a reconciliation ceremony - arriving at Grauman's Chinese in a "gilded coach drawn by four white horses," Stephanie Frank, the article's author, reports.

Friday, January 20, 2012 in The Atlantic Cities

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Close-up on woman in white and blue striped knee-length dress standing next to mint green cruiser bike resting against low wrought iron fence in front of green lawn.

Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.

15 minutes ago - domus

Close-up of man in manually operated wheelchair waiting at urban crosswalk.

Making Mobility More Inclusive

A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.

1 hour ago - Greater Good Magazine

US and Texas flags flying in front of Texas state capitol dome in Austin, Texas.

Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness

A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.

2 hours ago - The Texas Tribune