Terrazzo and Brass

One of my favorite pastimes during the summer is to look down and see which stars tourists are posing for pictures with. I have no doubt that Michelle Pfeiffer's star (which was installed today) will attract plenty of visitors. Not so Tod Browning, whose star I passed on my way home the other day. A former circus performer who went on to direct other circus performers in the 1932 masterpiece Freaks, his beautiful yet disturbing work endures to this day. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of his star on the Walk of Fame, which has a sizable crack in it. A visit to http://www.hollywoodchamber.net/ revealed the following facts about the Walk of Fame:

1. The stars themselves are made of Terrazzo and brass. For those of you unfamilar with Terrazzo, the always helpful Wikipedia has got the scoop: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrazzo

2. People can be awarded stars in one or more of the following areas: Film, Television, Radio, Music, and Stage. Gene Autry is the only person with a star in each of the five categoies.

3. There is a "sponsorship fee" of $25,000 that must accompany all sucessful nominations. This pays for the ceremony, the star, and its upkeep.

4. New stars are voted in every June.

5. Posthumous stars may not be awarded until at least 5 years after the nominee's death.

Finally, I sent an e-mail to the chamber about the crack in Tod Browning's star. I have no idea what kind of a response I'll get, if any. Stay tuned. Mr Browning's star can be found at 6225 Hollywood Blvd. Ms Pfeiffer's is at 6801 Hollywood Blvd.