1978: When Hollywood Waved Goodbye to an Iconic Sign in Disarray | Hollywood Reporter

Before the summer of 1978 — seventy-five years after its initial creation — the iconic Hollywood sign had fallen into disarray. The industry then began to rally around revitalizing the tinseltown emblem, and star backers had organized an effort to buy new letters (for $27,777 apiece) for a new sign. In August, a presser was held to wave farewell to the earlier incarnation.
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