REMEMBERING RUDY

"Aspiration" a statue of silent movie actor Rudolph Valentino was sculpted by Roger Noble Burnham and erected in DeLongpre Park in Hollywood on May 5, 1930

The inscription on the base of "Aspiration" 

In 1979, another statue dedicated to Rudolph Valentino was erected in the park,
this time a bust sculptured by Richard Ellis

For an interesting (if not downright bizarre) history of the park and these statues, visit Hollywoodland

HOLLYWOOD BABYLON

The Hollywood and Highland Shopping Center (mall) with its design inspired by the Gates of Babylon set from D.W. Griffith's 1916 film "Intolerance." Built in 2001, the elephants, pillars and archway - towering minimally some three stories high - are identical in scale to the sets of the original classic silent film.

The "Intolerance" Babylon set. Built in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles (today, the site of the Vista Theater).

WHO NEEDS OSCAR?

The Four Ladies of Hollywood statues creating the Hollywood Gateway on the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and La Brea. A stainless steel gazebo structure was created by Catherine Hardwicke, and unveiled in 1993. Atop the structure of these female forms reminiscent of the Academy Award Oscar, is a weathervane Marilyn Monroe.

Mae West

Dorothy Dandridge

Anna May Wong

Dolores Del Rio

GIMME SHELTER

 In the summer of 2017, select West Hollywood citizens were treated to the company of animatronic vultures and bobcats perched atop bus shelters throughout the city. They were eye-catching promotion displays for the Netflix series "Ozark."

RAINBOW CONNECTION

In October 2015,  Sony Pictures  in Culver City, CA (formerly MGM studios) erected this 94-high, steel rainbow. The $1.6 million installation by artist Tony Tasset graces the studio where "The Wizard of Oz" (source of the song, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow") was made in 1930, and overlooks a billboard announcing the return of Judy Garland's 60s TV show (titled The Judy Garland Show, appropriately enough) to Get-TV, a Sony Pictures Entertainment network.subsidiary.

To get the whole view, here's a photo Sony Pictures posted on Twitter

FOUNTAIN OF KOO KOO

This enormous fountain, depicting a globe with a broadcast antennae holding an eternal flame, is located outside of the Faith Center in Glendale California.

WHILE LENIN READ A BOOK ON MARX

Sculpture by the Gao Brothers - "Miss Mao Trying to Poise Herself  at the Top of Lenin's Head" on display on LaBrea Avenue at 4th at the Ace Museum.

GREAT BIG STUFF

18-ft. tal, wooden "Fork in the Road" at the literal fork in the road of  St. John's Place & Pasadena Avenue in Pasadena, Ca. 

A trio of giant-sized jellybeans are sprinkled on the lawn of West Hollywood Park at San Vincente. The art installation titled, "Love Your Bean," is a work by artist Cosimo Cavallaro.

"Giant Fake Leica" is an art sculpture situated in the Leica LA store in Beverly Hills, Ca. Sculpture is by Liao Yibai.