Hollywood Christmas Parade to Proceed With More Security

With a touch of Tinseltown pageantry, organizers of the 70th annual Hollywood Christmas Parade went out of their way Wednesday to say that the two-mile procession will go on as scheduled Nov. 25 despite security concerns after the East Coast terrorist attacks.

At a news conference replete with a patriotic-looking Christmas tree, high school ROTC cadets and a singing of the national anthem, several officials urged the public to turn out for what they say is the biggest event on Hollywood’s calendar each year. Among them was Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn, who rode in the parade as a boy with his father, the late county Supervisor Kenneth Hahn.

In response to reporters’ questions about security fears, Hahn insisted that the parade and the anticipated crowd of up to 1 million would not be a target for terrorists.

Nevertheless, William Lomas, the parade’s producer, read a statement from Los Angeles Police Chief Bernard C. Parks, who said the parade has the department’s highest priority. More than 1,000 uniformed officers and support staff will patrol the route.

Officials of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the parade sponsor, said they never considered canceling it. “It never came up,” said parade chairman Michel Papadaki.

Johnny Grant, the ubiquitous Hollywood booster and honorary mayor, said the parade was instrumental in raising morale during several overseas conflicts. Even though the parade was canceled for three years during World War II, parade officials donated the procession’s metal Christmas trees to aid the war effort.

During the Gulf War, a giant Christmas card was signed by celebrities in the parade and was sent to U.S. troops overseas, he said.

Officials said that actor Peter Fonda was chosen as this year’s parade grand marshal because of his role as national chairman of UCLA’s Nichris Fund for Cancer Research and his movie stardom. Fonda, who did not attend Wednesday’s ceremony, will sign Christmas ornaments to benefit the American Red Cross and the Nichris Fund. Past marshals have included John Wayne, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Natalie Wood, Charlton Heston and Roseanne Arnold.

To kick off Wednesday’s festivities at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Hahn, Grant and chamber officials turned on the lights of a Christmas tree decorated with red, white and blue ornaments and banners. ROTC cadets from Pomona High also were present.

The parade, traditionally held on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, will begin at 6 p.m. in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard and go east to Vine Street, where it will turn south to Sunset Boulevard. At Sunset, the parade will proceed west to Orange Drive.

The parade will be televised live by KCOP-TV Channel 13.

Among the scheduled stars are Michelle Trachtenberg of TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” Justin Berfield of “Malcolm in the Middle” and girl rockers Eden’s Crush.