Oxnard, CA
Hollywood's influence spread to communities across Southern California and many changed their names to pay homage by the mid-1920s. One of which, Oxnard Beach, became Hollywood-by-the-Sea. There was some truth to this name, with the dunes on Leon Lehmann's beachfront ranch being featured as the Arabian desert in the film "The Sheik" in 1921. Its fame signaled to real estate developers who jumped at the opportunity to establish Hollywood Beach and Silverstrand in 1925. In 1926, Leon Lehmann sold his 80-acre ranch to developer Fred J. Cutting, who leveled the dunes, carved out 100 individual lots. Along with the lots, ice plants were planted nearby a five-acre lake. The new appearance and lack of dunes drove away motion picture studios, who valued the land for its desert-like appearance. Visitors had the option of staying in a hotel by the beach, camping on the beach, or buying a lot for a vacation home.
Never mind that Tinseltown was fifty miles away. In 1926, one Ventura County beach became Hollywood-by-the-Sea.
