Trivia Tuesday • April 15, 2025

Posted on 04/15/2025

Did you know there was once a swimming pool atop Mount Lee, right behind the world-famous Hollywood Sign?

In 1939, broadcasting pioneer Don Lee transformed the flattened summit-originally leveled for a never-built mansion by director Mack Sennett into a state-of-the-art television studio. To enhance his productions, Lee added a swimming pool, which became the setting for a televised "bathing beauty" segments, adding a splash of glamour to early broadcasts. Today, the pool is long gone, paved over and largely forgotten, but its story remains a fascinating chapter in Hollywood's history.

An aerial shot of the old Hollywoodland sign with Don Lee Company's studio atop the hill, including a pool. Bob Plunkett/The Huntington

Another aerial shot of the old Hollywoodland sign zoomed in on the pool. Bob Plunkett/The Huntington

A cameraman lines up a shot for a Bathing Beauties segment at a pool overlooking Los Angeles. Dick Whittington Studio/The Huntington

Another aerial shot of the old Hollywoodland sign with Don Lee Company's studio atop the hill, including a pool. Bob Plunkett/The Huntington

The famous Hollywood sign actually used to say Hollywoodland when it was first built in 1923 as an advertisement for a new housing development in the hills. The sign was only meant to last about 18 months, but it became such an iconic part of Los Angeles that it was left standing. The "Land" was removed in 1949 by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, after agreeing to repair the damaged sign, chose to rebuild it to reflect the larger Hollywood area, removing the "Land" letters to spell "Hollywood".

Didn't know that the original sign said "Hollywoodland"? Here ya go -

https://www.hollywoodsign.org/history/a-sign-is-born

More great pictures and a few SURPRISING facts -

https://www.cnet.com/pictures/the-hollywood-signs-long-history-of-glory-and-decrepitude-pictures/