Hollywood Blog

Whitley's Hollywood

When you say the name “Hollywood”, images of movie studios and glamorous stars instantly pop into your mind.

However when HJ Whitley came to California in the late 1800’s he stood on a hillside overlooking a fertile valley of orchards and farms and dreamed of what he could develop here.

It was at that moment that a Chinese immigrant approached driving a wagon pell mell towards the Whitleys. Whitley asked, “What are you doing here?” The Chinese man answered in broken English, “Work hard, hauley wood.” There he sat in a wagon full of wood being hauled to town. And that is how the “Entertainment Capital of the World” got its name!

The area is now home to the Kodak Theatre, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, and the famous Magic Castle. It is an incredible journey back in time when Whitley was the only one who was singing, “Hoorah for Hollywood!” or should it have been "Hoorah for Hauling Wood"