On January 1st, 1976, Hollywood residents woke up to read their famous hilltop sign a little differently. Local prankster Danny Finegood had indulged in some large-scale wordplay and changed the sign to say “Hollyweed“. It was to be the first of many pranks on the Hollywood sign by Danny and coincided with the day less restrictive California marijuana laws took effect. Performed as what he claimed was part of a college art project on New Year’s Day, Danny used stones and rope to hoist up pieces fabric and change the appearance of the giant letters.
Finegood’s other pranks on the Hollywood sign included changing it to “Holywood” for Easter in 1976, “Ollywood” in 1987 to satirize the popularity of Marine Lt. Col Oliver North during the Iran-Contra hearings and finally “Oil War” in 1990 as a statement against the Gulf War. After this, park rangers tightened security on the hill and Finegood’s pranks were no more.
