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Fun Facts: Gene Autry is the at the walls lined with memorabilia, photos and gold and platinum albums. Stars aren’t just for human beings either; The lovely Cameron Diaz beams above her star. Photo: Lassie, Strongheart, Rin Tin Tin, Woody Woodpecker, Winnie the Pooh, Donald Duck, Bugs Bunny, Kermit the Frog, Big Bird and a famous mouse named Mickey have all made it, so it’s a sur- prise when you learn that around 40 stars are still waiting to be installed. The time limit is five years, so per- haps they’re waiting for their new movie, their big comeback or even their last shot. As for installing the actual stars in the sidewalk, you might be surprised to learn that they don’t come in a ready-made paving slab. The actual “star-making” has always been a family business, and Travis is the grandson of Italian-American Biaggio Paternostro, who laid the very first star. Discover Hollywood joined him at a recent installation, where he explained that Bob Freeman only person with a star in each cate- gory; Bob Hope and Tony Martin have four each. Kirk Douglas, Jimmy Stewart and Gregory Peck have all had their stars stolen! The most photographed stars are Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Johnny Depp. earlier that morning he’d welded the brass alloy star and name. After getting to grips with a jackhammer and destroying the selected square of sidewalk, he adds a layer of cement and sand before the star, name and emblem are placed on top: “I always take care of the stars myself – I like to keep up the three-genera- tion family tradition. Normally I work in the office!” The eye-catching pink terrazzo (Italian for “terrace”) is made of “aggregates” like marble, coral, shells or glass (they’re the flecks in the slab) and then blended with either cement or epoxy as a binder. This allows the terrazzo to be cus- tomized and finished on site, and better still, it’s around 70% recycled materials. Now the star is buried under a big glob of terrazzo, so it’s time for the grinding machine (diamond, rough, fine and polish) and a final sealing. The latest star is now ready for its big close- up, and though the stars deliberately face different ways so there aren’t huge jams on the sidewalk, Travis doesn’t mind that millions step all over his work. November will see a Grand Gala at Hollywood and Highland, and Ana prom- ises a spectacular, one-of-a kind event to celebrate this world famous landmark: “We’re inviting all the living Walk of Famers to celebrate with us!” There’s also an Official Hollywood Walk of Fame iPhone application; it has news and information about the Walk of Fame, upcoming ceremonies and a search facility so you can find your favorite – and get directions to it as well. You can search for your favorite stars at www.hollywoodchamber.net/icons/walk_directory.asp or on the iPhone appli- cation ($1.99 at the iTunes store). DH ABOVE CENTER: Snow White gets a star in 1988, on the 50th anniversary of the animated Disney classic, “Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs”. Roy Disney was in attendance that day. ABOVE: Jack Nicholson signs an “Easy Rider” poster for a fan on the occasion of being immortalized on the Walk. Photo: Bob Freeman FALL 2010 / DISCOVER HOLLYWOOD 19