Golden Globe History
February 13th, 2009Ever since Hollywood film industry was created, whereby it could be argued when it actually started to be the focal point in the motion picture history, in 1909, when the first studio was established, or by 1915, when the majority of all movies were done in and around Los Angeles; countries outside the United States were interested in the new entertainment ventures. As early as 1928, the first association of foreign press representatives was founded, the Hollywood Association of Foreign Correspondents. This undertaking did not last very long. By 1935 the Foreign Press Society was established, more or less picking up where the HAFCO left off.
During the World War II, the world was trying very hard to at least somewhat escape the daily horrors of the war and the interest for the motion picture industry was rising. Many reporters gathered in the trendy Los Angeles area to report on the films in production and on all the movie stars. Together with the remnants of the by then disbanded Foreign Press Society and upon urging of the correspondent of the British Daily Mail, the foreign press correspondents gathered together to establish the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1943.
The first awards that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association decided to give to deserving individuals for outstanding achievements in motion pictures were handed out the very next year, 1944, in an informal affair, held at the 20th Century Fox studios; the statuettes were not designed and manufactured yet, it was war and any such action was unthinkable at the moment, therefore scrolls were given to the winners in six categories.
The very next year, the war was over and new statuettes were designed, which were to be given out to that year’s winners; the now famous design of the golden globe with a film strip surrounding it were presented. The first lavish banquet where a social gathering was taking place and the statuettes were given to the winners was held in 1945 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Ever since, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association held the Golden Globe Awards gala events annually, except in 2008, when the writers’ strike forced the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to simply declare the winners in a formal press conference.
For the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association had the famous Golden Globe trophies redesigned and remodeled, in order to make use of the advancements in technology and craftsmanship. The new awards are more detailed and look more posh. The carrying cases were also improved and feature now a Golden Globe insignia in gold.