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The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce administers the Hollywood Walk of Fame, convening a highly secretive and mysterious Walk of Fame committee every year. The organization receives several hundred nominations at the end of May, from which it selects an "undetermined number." To receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, candidates must meet three criteria: - Professional achievement
- Longevity of five years in the field of entertainment
- Contributions to the community
Honorees generally receive stars for achievements in one of five categories: motion picture, live
theater, radio, television, or music. Only one person has stars in all five categories -- the singing cowboy himself, Gene Autry. Fame comes with a price, however. In order to receive a star, the celebrity must pay a sponsorship fee of $15,000. Part of this covers security costs. Usually a movie studio picks up the tab as part of a carefully orchestrated publicity campaign for an upcoming film. The walk is illuminated by well over 2,000 stars, and gets new points of light at the rate of roughly two a month. Pat Sajak has a star. So does Thomas Edison, and Rin Tin Tin. Oh, and of course, David Hasselhoff.
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