(PHOTO: SAEED ADYANI/NETFLIX)

“Hollywood” history comes to Netflix

The new Netflix series “Hollywood” is a hit series by Ryan Murphy that takes place in post World War II Hollywood following the journey of young hopefuls looking to become a star in Tinsel Town. “Hollywood” is based on historical characters and what it was like in Hollywood in the 1940s.

Hollywoodland Sign

During the series, you can see the iconic Hollywood sign that actually says Hollywoodland, which was actually historically accurate. The original sign erected in 1923 said Hollywoodland as a billboard promotion for a subdivision of houses that was supposed to stay up around 18 months.

(Photo: Breve Storia del Cinema)

By 1949 the H fell off and considered taking it down but the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce decided to take over maintenance and create the sign we know today.

Ace Studios

(Photo: Slate/Netflix and Gene Lester/Archive Photos/Getty Images)

Though Ace Studios was a fictitious production studio it was loosely inspired by the progressive internal politics and managerial structure of Paramount Pictures. During the first episode you hear the mention of films by Paramount Pictures including “Seven Were Saved,” “Beyond Glory,” and “The Emporer Waltz.”

Rock Hudson

(Photo: YouTube)

Based on the American actor Rock Hudson, “Hollywood” presents a version of Hudson if he was to be more open about his closeted sexuality. “Hollywood” also portrays Hudson’s early acting career accurately in the 1940s as being an inexperienced and clumsy actor but in real life would become an acting legend by 1954.

Henry Willson

(Photo: Photofest)

Rock Hudson’s manager and agent, Henry Willson, is an accurate portrayal of the real-life journalist turned talent agent. “Hollywood” exposes Willson for his affiliation with the mafia to extort and gain connections to get his clients gigs in Las Vegas. Willson also hired the mafia to beat up a journalist who threatened to publish an actor’s police record.

Vivien Leigh

(Photo: hollywoodreporter.com)

You can’t tell a story about Hollywood glamour without mentioning actress Vivien Leigh, known for her role as Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With The Wind” and Blanche DuBois in “A Streetcar Named Desire.” As depicted in “Hollywood” Leigh was known to have nervous tendencies referred to as “a case of the trembles” and in real life was diagnosed with bipolar in the mid-1940s.