The Depression forced Chandler's real estate syndicate into bankruptcy, and maintenance ended in 1939. Vandals, age and termites took their toll. The 20-watt bulbs were stolen, smashed or shot out. Individual letters started to deteriorate. The old letters were demolished and replaced with all-steel construction.
Nearby residents have a love-hate relationship with the Hollywood sign.
They have the pleasure of close-up views of a famed landmark. But they also must contend with cars, tour buses and interlopers. The sign is only illuminated for special occasions, and when a company offered to light it up on a nightly basis free, Grant says, nearby residents were adamantly opposed. You can understand the residents' concerns when you ascend to vistas overlooking the sign. You drive skyward along narrow roads lined with grand villas out of the 1920s, also humdrum houses of a later vintage.