Vying for Hollywood's booster seat
Angelyne, Monty Hall and Gary Owens are the front-runners to succeed Johnny Grant as Tinseltown's honorary mayor. They'll be seeing stars -- and unveiling them.
Bodacious billboard queen Angelyne wants to become the next star of Hollywood's Walk of Fame.
Not with a bronze plaque embedded in Hollywood Boulevard's terrazzo sidewalk. But as the person who presides over Tinseltown's biggest tourist tradition.
Civic leaders are searching for a new honorary mayor who can help choose Walk of Fame honorees and then stage glitzy star unveilings in a way that makes celebrities and onlookers alike feel special.
Longtime Honorary Mayor Johnny Grant had that knack during the 28 years he helped run the Walk of Fame and emceed its sidewalk ceremonies for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. He died Jan. 9 at age 84.
Though the selection could be months away, three front-runners have emerged: Angelyne, longtime Hollywood radio personality Gary Owens and "Let's Make a Deal" game-show host Monty Hall.
With these three Hollywood veterans, "change" is not exactly a buzzword in this race.
Angelyne, whose billboards picture her pouting provocatively, began campaigning for the honorary mayor's job after Grant's death.
She describes herself as "ageless" -- although she's 46, according to Los Angeles County voter registration records, or 50, according to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).
Hall, 86, received his star on the Walk of Fame in 1973. Owens, 71, got his in 1980. Angelyne does not have one.
So far, no younger names have been mentioned -- even though Hollywood in the last decade has been transformed into a hip district of trendy nightspots and upscale restaurants favored by young stars such as Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.
Chamber of Commerce officials say they will take their time picking Grant's replacement -- even though they face a long list of scheduled Walk of Fame ceremonies.
For now, chamber President Leron Gubler is serving as master of ceremonies for unveilings, including the most recent one last Friday: TV wrestling show pioneer Vince McMahon received his star near the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue.
"There's no urgency," Gubler said. "The board decided they weren't doing anything about Johnny's replacement until after his memorial service March 6. Now they're just brainstorming."
Gubler said he had heard Owens and Hall mentioned for the Walk of Fame emcee job.
"Angelyne? That's one I hadn't heard. That's not to say she's not in the running."
