Hollywood & Highland removes elephant statues

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The white fiberglass elephant statues at Hollywood & Highland Mall are removed in a rejection of filmmaker DW Griffith’s racist legacy.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the new owners of the famous center where the Oscars are usually held are removing the elephant statues and “all the fake Mesopotamian elements” as part of a $ 100 million renovation.

Crews began dismantling the statues on Thursday evening, which were used on the set of the 1916 filmmaker DW Griffith’s “Intolerance”, as reported by The Times. The film followed Griffith’s 1915 film “The Birth of a Nation”, which glorified the Ku Klux Klan and was condemned by the NAACP. “Intolerance” was seen as Griffith’s response to the criticisms he had received for “The Birth of a Nation”.

“This is a real opportunity to get away from Hollywood clichés, red velvet cords and big studios,” Chad Cress, DJM Center Co-Owners Creative Director, told The Times. “The Hollywood of the future really needs to represent something more inclusive of what our culture looks like today. “

The renovation, which is slated to be completed by next summer, will rename the Ovation Hollywood Center and replace the remnants of Griffith’s film with modern and art deco elements.

In 2019, DJM and Gaw Capital Partners bought the Hollywood & Highland property for $ 325 million. The new owners hope the center’s redesign will make the notorious tourist attraction more popular with LA residents by creating more space for restaurants and cafes.

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