7 Historic Hollywood Landmarks

Whether it's Grauman's Chinese Theater or that iconic nine letter sign, Hollywood is rife with historical landmarks. Here are seven that had a small part in making Hollywood the movie capital of the world.

1. Knickerbocker Hotel

Built in 1925, the Knickerbocker is one of the oldest hotels in Hollywood, and has a storied history unlike any other in town. In 1948, D.W. Griffith, a visionary director from the silent era, dropped dead in the hotel lobby. The building was also the location for a rooftop séance on Halloween in 1936, when the widow of Harry Houdini tried to contact her husband. But perhaps the strangest event was Irene Gibbons' suicide. Gibbons was a costume designer at MGM, producing clothing for Elizabeth Taylor and Doris Day, among others. On November 15, 1962, a visibly upset Gibbons had confided in Doris Day that she was in love with the actor Gary Cooper, before jumping to her death from a bathroom window. Gibbons had been severely depressed since Cooper's death in 1961 and admitted that he was the only man she had ever loved.

2. The Brown Derby

3. The Taft Building "“ Hollywood and Vine

4. Musso & Frank Grill

5. Hollywood Hotel

6. Charlie Chaplin Studios

7. Cocoanut Grove