# Hollywood High School

Hollywood High School is a four-year public secondary school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, located at the intersection of North Highland Avenue and West Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California.

## History

In September 1903, a two-room school was opened on the second floor of an empty storeroom at the Masonic Temple on Highland Avenue, north of Hollywood Boulevard (then Prospect Avenue). Hollywood was incorporated as a municipality in November 1903. The Hollywood High Organ Opus 481 was a gift from the class of 1924. After suffering severe water damage from the Northridge earthquake in 1994, it was restored in 2002. The campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 4, 2012. The school's mascot was derived from the 1921 Rudolph Valentino film of the same name, The Sheik.
It was in the Los Angeles City High School District until 1961, when it merged into LAUSD.
In the 2015–16 football season, the boys' varsity football team played in the school's third championship game led by head coach Frank Galvan. They finished the season with a 12–2 record. Coach Galvan ended his 6-year Hollywood coaching career with 4 league titles, 6 playoff appearances, 1 city championship appearance, city semi finals, beating rivals 5 years straight (owning SUNSET), 25 plus all city players and ended as the winningest coach in Hollywood history. In the 2016–17 season, coached by Beverley Kilpatrick, the boys' varsity volleyball team played in the school's first-ever championship game. Their historic season ended with an overall record of 17–5.

## Filming location

Hollywood High has been the filming location for movies, television shows, and other productions, including:
* It's A Wonderful Life
* Made
* Morrissey: 25 Live
* Nancy Drew
* Neon Maniacs
* The Optimist (Season 1, Episode 6: "A Challenge")
* Penn & Teller: Bullshit! (Season 5, Episode 1: "Obesity")
* Sex and the Teenage Mind
* Teenagers from Outer Space
* Tony Hawk's American Wasteland

## Skate spot

During the rise of street skating in the 90s, the school became a famous skate spot. Many skate videos were filmed there and one of the more iconic sites at the spot is the set of stairs, called the "Hollywood High 16."

## Mural

In 2002, artist Eloy Torrez painted a mural of 13 famous entertainers, titled "Portrait of Hollywood", across the entire east wall of the school's auditorium. From left to right, the entertainers displayed are Dorothy Dandridge, Dolores del Río, Brandy Norwood, Selena, Lana Turner, Laurence Fishburne, Cantinflas, Carol Burnett, Cher, Ricky Nelson, Bruce Lee, Rudolph Valentino, and Judy Garland. In 2007, Torrez added a 50-foot (15 m) tall mural of John Ritter, who died four years earlier, on the connecting portion of the building's north wall. All but five of the entertainers—Cantinflas, Lee, Selena, Del Rio, and Valentino—were students at Hollywood High School. The artist said the mural is a celebration of a diverse ethnic range of actors and entertainers.

## Present-day learning academies

Hollywood High School has four academies, each with a different purpose.
Teaching Career Academy. For students who seek to work with children as a career. Potential careers range from becoming a teacher to being a social worker. In order to give a student a little experience, the school works with other elementary schools and allows Hollywood High School students to tutor elementary school students.
Performing Arts Magnet. Helps students develop their talents as actors, singers, and/or dancers.
New Media Technology. For students who would like to go into filmmaking. Helps students build their knowledge of technology. They are afforded hands-on experience with equipment usually found inside a film studio. This academy also provides internships to permit graduates to immediately start working in that field.
School for Advanced Studies. This academy does not focus on a specific career but helps students prepare for university life. Offers classes that are at the same level of difficulty as a college class.

## Notable alumni

| Name | Class of | Note(s) | Reference |
| India Adams | 1945 | Singer, Actress | |
| John F. Aiso | 1926 | WW2 Army Legion of Merit recipient, first Japanese American judge in the US. | |
| Frank Albertson | 192? | Actor | |
| Ben Alexander | 1929 | Actor | |
| Kathryn Reed Altman | 1942 | Actress, writer, archivist, film consultant | |
| Anthony Anderson | 1988 | Actor, comedian, writer | |
| Donna Anderson | 1957 | Actress | |
| John Archer | 1933 | Actor | |
| Bill Armstrong | – | Football player | |
| Alison Arngrim | 1979 | Actress | |
| Vivian Austin | 1939 | Actress | |
| Eve Babitz | 1961 | Artist, author | |
| Meredith Baxter | 1964 | Actress | |
| Tony Becker | 1981 | Actor | |
| Earl Bellamy | 1935 | Film Director | |
| Bruce Belland | 1955 | Singer, Four Preps | |
| Mary Kay Bergman | 1978 | Actress | |
| Sharon Brown | 1980 | Actress | |
| Vincent Bugliosi | 1952 | Attorney, author | |
| Carol Burnett | 1951 | Actress, comedian | |
| Bill Burrud | 1943 | Actor | |
| Diana Canova | 1971 | Actress, singer | |
| Keith Carradine | 1966 | Actor | |
| Robert Carradine | 1971 | Actor | |
| Adriana Caselotti | 1934 | Actress, singer | |
| Peggy Castle | 1943 | Actress | |
| Henry P. Caulfield Jr. | 1931 | Political scientist, college professor | |
| Marge Champion | 1936 | Dancer, choreographer, actress | |
| Norman Chandler | 1917 | Los Angeles Times publisher | |
| Lon Chaney Jr. | 1924 | Actor | |
| Rae Dawn Chong | 1979 | Actress | |
| Warren Christopher | 1942 | U.S. Secretary of State | |
| John Clifford | 1965 | Choreographer, dancer, director, producer | |
| Ed Cobb | 1956 | Singer, Four Preps | |
| Lisa Coleman | 1978 | Musician | |
| Jackie Condon | 1936 | Actor | |
| Johnny Crawford | 1964 | Actor, The Mickey Mouse Club | |
| Denise Crosby | 1976 | Actress | |
| James Dannaldson | – | Actor | |
| Elyssa Davalos | 1977 | Actress | |
| Frank Darabont | 1977 | Film director, screenwriter, producer | |
| Jorel Decker | – | Singer | |
| Rod Dedeaux | 1931 | longtime USC Trojans baseball head coach | |
| Edward Dmytryk | 1926 | Film director, member of the Hollywood Ten | |
| Harley Earl | – | Automotive designer and executive | |
| P. David Ebersole | 1981 | Filmmaker | |
| Stephen Eckelberry | 1979 | Filmmaker | |
| Norman Eisen | 1980 | U.S. Ambassador to Prague | |
| Marguerite Empey | 1949 | Model | |
| Linda Evans | 1960 | Actress | |
| Nanette Fabray | 1938 | Actress | |
| Mimsy Farmer | 1963 | Actress | |
| Mike Farrell | 1957 | Actor | |
| Lorraine Feather | 1965 | Singer, lyricist, songwriter | |
| Jay R. Ferguson | 1992 | Actor | |
| Syd Field | 1954 | Screenwriter, Author | |
| Anthony M. Frank | 1949 | U.S. Postmaster General | |
| Judy Garland | 1938 | Singer, actress | |
| James Garner | 1945 | Actor | |
| Mitzi Gaynor | – | Actress | |
| Lowell George | 1963 | Musician, songwriter, producer | |
| Gigi Graciette | | Journalist, TV News Anchor | |
| Gloria Grahame | 1942 | Actress | |
| Gigi Levangie Grazer | 1979 | Novelist, screenwriter | |
| Harold Grieve | 1915–1917 | Motion Picture Art Director | |
| Rob Grill | 1962 | Singer, songwriter, guitarist | |
| Horacio Gutiérrez | 1966 | Classical pianist | |
| Alan Hale Jr. | 1938 | Actor | |
| Richard Halsey | 1957 | Film editor | |
| Linda Hart | 1965 | Singer, musician, actress | |
| Francisco Herrera | | Los Angeles Dodgers ball boy | |
| Julius Heldman | 1934 | tennis player | |
| Barbara Hershey | 1965 | Actress | |
| Walter Hoffman | 1951 | Big Wave surfer and founder of Hoffman California Fabrics--Aloha/Hawaiian T-Shirts | |
| Karl Hubenthal | 1935 | Cartoonist | |
| John Huston | 1923 | Film director, screenwriter, actor | |
| Eddie Imazu | | Art director and production designer | |
| Richard Jaeckel | 1943 | Actor | |
| Lawrence Johnston | 1936 | Manhattan Project physicist, the only person to witness all 3 atom bombs of WWII | |
| Chuck Jones | 1930 | Animator | |
| Dickie Jones | 1945 | Actor | |
| Frank Keller | 1940 | Film Editor, 1968 Academy Award | |
| Sally Kellerman | 1955 | Actress | |
| William Kennard | 1974 | U.S. Federal Communications Commission chairman | |
| Barbara Kent | 1924 | actress, Miss Hollywood | |
| Enid Kent | 1962 | actress | |
| Lois Kibbee | 1940 | actress | |
| Lynton Richards Kistler | | printmaker, artist | |
| Frank Kurtz | 1930 | World War II pilot | |
| Swoosie Kurtz | 1962 | Actress | |
| Adele Lacy | 1928 | Actress | |
| Glen A. Larson | 1955 | Producer, Singer, Four Preps | |
| John Phillip Law | 1955 | Actor | |
| Ted Lawson | 1935 | Author | |
| Ruta Lee | 1954 | Actress | |
| Donovan Leitch | 1985 | Actor | |
| Al Leong | 1970 | Stuntman, Actor | |
| Vonne Lester | 1946 | Actress and model. | |
| Dick Linthicum | 1927 | Basketball player | |
| Carole Lombard | 1923 | Actress | |
| Richard Long | 1946 | Actor | |
| Bill Manbo | 1929 | Photographer | |
| Stephen Marglin | – | Economist, college professor | |
| June Marlowe | 1922 | Actress | |
| Benito Martinez | 1986 | Actor | |
| Gladys McConnell | 1924 | Actress, aviator | |
| Joel McCrea | 1922 | Actor | |
| Leighton Meester | 2004 | Actress, singer | |
| Heather Menzies | 1967 | Actress | |
| Ann Miller | 1937 | Dancer, actress, singer | |
| Judith Miller | 1965 | Journalist | |
| Aprile Millo | 1977 | Opera singer | |
| Yvette Mimieux | 1960 | Actress | |
| Karen Morley | 1927 | Actress | |
| David Nelson | 1954 | Actor, producer | |
| Ricky Nelson | 1957 | Actor, singer | |
| Marni Nixon | 1948 | Singer | |
| Sheree North | 1948 | Actress | |
| Brandy Norwood | 1996 | Singer, actress | |
| Marcel Ophüls | 1946 | Film director | |
| Sarah Jessica Parker | 1983 | Actress | |
| Barbara Parkins | 1960 | Actress | |
| Susan Patron | 1965 | Author | |
| Radames Pera | 1977 | Actor | |
| Cynthia Pepper | 1957 | Actress | |
| Richard Perle | 1959 | U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense | |
| Susan Peters | 1939 | Actress | |
| James A. Pike | 1930 | Episcopal Bishop of California | |
| Stefanie Powers | 1960 | Actress | |
| Terry Richardson | 1983 | Photographer | |
| John Ritter | 1966 | Actor | |
| Jason Robards | 1940 | Actor | |
| Ann Robinson | 1949 | Actress | |
| Ruth Roland | 1908 | Actress | |
| Mickey Rooney | 1937 | Actor | |
| Fred Roos | – | Film producer | |
| Meta Rosenberg | 1930 | Talent agent, television producer | |
| George Roth | 192? | 1932 Olympic Gold Medalist | |
| Debbie Rowe | 1977 | Ex-wife of singer Michael Jackson | |
| Evelyn Rudie | 1967 | Actress | |
| Everett Ruess | – | Artist, poet, wanderer | |
| Paul Salamunovich | 1945 | Conductor, Musician | |
| Catherine Share | 1960 | "Manson Family" follower | |
| Scott Shaw | 1976 | Filmmaker, actor, writer | |
| William Shockley | 1927 | Physicist, inventor of the transistor, Nobel laureate | |
| Ione Skye | 1986 | Actress | |
| Michael Sloane | 1976 | Actor, writer, director | |
| Rick Sloane | 1979 | Filmmaker | |
| Alexis Smith | 1938 | Actress | |
| Darwood Kenneth Smith | 1946 | Actor | |
| Andrew Solt | 1965 | Film producer, director, and writer | |
| Louise Sorel | 1957 | Actress | |
| Mark Spiegler | 1975 | Talent agent | |
| Adela Rogers St. Johns | 1910 | Journalist, novelist, screenwriter | |
| Jill St. John | 1957 | Actress | |
| Don Steele | – | Boss Radio disc jockey | |
| Arran Stephens | 1961 | - | Nature's Path Foods Founder |
| Togo Tanaka | 1939 | Journalist and editor | |
| Vince Taylor | 1958 | Singer | |
| Hilary Thompson | 1966 | Actress | |
| Charlene Tilton | 1976 | Actress | |
| Virginia Trimble | 1961 | Astronomer | |
| Joe Trippi | – | Political activist, chairman of the Howard Dean U.S. presidential campaign | |
| Lana Turner | 1936 | Actress | |
| Victoria Vetri | 1963 | Model, actress, 1968 Playboy Playmate of the Year | |
| Michael G. Vickers | – | U.S. Under Secretary of Defense | |
| Joseph Wapner | 1937 | Judge, star of The People's Court | |
| Tuesday Weld | 1960 | Actress | |
| Carole Wells | 1960 | Actress | |
| Alice White | 1925 | Actress | |
| Stuart Whitman | 1946 | Actor | |
| Rhoda Williams | 1948 | Actress | |
| Rita Wilson | 1974 | Actress | |
| Beatrice Wood | – | Studio potter | |
| Fay Wray | 1924 | Actress | |