Where it states 1949 - The Hollywoodland Sign, originally built to last only 18 months, is in total disrepair (and all the light bulbs have long-since been stolen). The City begins removing it but is halted by a public outcry � the citizens have come to love the symbol. Instead, the sign is refurbished and shortened to "Hollywood."
It's fairly clear that 'land' was disgarded due to general disrepair but it would be interesting to find out if this was at least in part due to 'Hollywood' being known worldwide as the home of the movies. Did people at the time ever refer to the area as 'Hollywoodland'? This could run and run.