6 Misspellings on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
When the new batch of Hollywood Walk of Fame recipients receives their stars, they'd better double-check for typos.
Though spelling errors happen to the best of us, most of ours aren't quite as high-profile as the errors on the stars that make up the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The next time you're playing tourist in L.A., be sure to look down at your feet to catch a few of these—three of them have never been corrected.
1. Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Louis-Dreyfus's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame | Sharon Graphics, Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Seinfeld and Veep actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus was honored with a star in 2010—but was surprised to find that the star actually honored Julia Luis-Dreyfus.
It was hastily repaired in time for the ceremony, but has since been properly fixed. "The misspelling was so perfectly apt, a great metaphor for show business," Louis-Dreyfus said after the ceremony.
"Right when you think you've made it, you get knocked down. It's an ideal metaphor for how this business works."
2. Merian C. Cooper
Merian C. Cooper's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame | JGKlein, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain Merian C. Cooper had a long career in Hollywood, from serving as the head of production for RKO Pictures to collaborating with John Ford on a series of Westerns in the 1950s.
But one of his most important contributions was creating, writing, and producing King Kong (1933).
Cooper was alive and in his 60s when he was inducted to the Walk of Fame on February 8, 1960—as Meriam C. Cooper—so it's especially strange that this typo has never been fixed.
3. Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame | Loren Javier, Flickr // CC BY-ND 2.0
When legendary actor, singer, and musician Dick Van Dyke got his star on the Walk of Fame in 1993, he needed some space—literally.
His surname should be spelled with a space between Van and Dyke, but it was represented as a single word (Vandyke) on the star.
As you might expect, Van Dyke had a good sense of humor about it: Hollywood's honorary mayor, Johnny Grant, handed him a pen, and Van Dyke drew a vertical line to separate the words.
The star has since been fixed.
4. Mauritz Stiller
Director Mauritz Stiller's pioneering accomplishments in the Swedish film industry prompted Louis B. Mayer at MGM Studios to invite him to work on some films. Stiller agreed—on the condition that he could bring his favorite budding starlet with him.
Though the director only lasted a couple of years in L.A., his protégé, who later changed her name to Greta Garbo, stuck around for a while.
When Stiller's star was added to the Walk of Fame in 1960 as one of the original 1550 stars installed, he fell victim to a bit of miscommunication.
"I guess someone in the office took his name over the phone back then and Mauritz Stiller sounded like Maurice Diller," Hollywood Chamber of Commerce president Bill Welsh explained in 1988—which is exactly how it was spelled on the star.
The mistake went uncorrected for 28 years, but was finally fixed prior to a visit by the king and queen of Sweden.
5. Lotte Lehmann
Lotte Lehmann's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame | Chuck Coker, Flickr // CC BY-ND 2.0 Charlotte "Lotte" Lehmann also has a misspelled star that has never been corrected. The German soprano was an international opera star who brought her talents to the United States in 1938.
After she retired from singing professionally, Lehmann taught at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara for years, eventually heading up the vocal department.
Like Merian C. Cooper, Lehmann was alive and well at the time of her induction, and likely aware that her name had been misspelled as Lottie (even though stars weren't required to attend the ceremony until 1968).
6. August Lumière
The Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis, pioneered an early motion picture machine called the Cinématographe. Though Edison's Kinetoscope had appeared on the scene a few years earlier, it was only capable of showing one movie to one person.
The Lumière brothers' invention allowed many people to watch at once. With such an important contribution to the industry, you'd think the powers that be would have taken great pains to spell everything correctly when honoring the brothers on the Walk of Fame in 1960.
But Auguste's name was missing the e. Then again, Auguste and Louis probably would have been surprised to know they made the Hollywood Walk of Fame at all; by 1905, they had retired from the movie industry and had moved on to photography.
Honorable Mention: Sylvester Stallone at Mann's Chinese Theater
When Sylvester Stallone immortalized his handprints at Mann's Chinese Theater in 1983, he didn't have to worry about dotting any is, but he did forget to cross one of his ts. The action star forgot to cross the t in his last name when he signed the wet cement. Workers later finished it for him.
The ’60s Icon Who Lost Love And Endured Tragedy: Her Photos At 86
Connie Francis stands as one of the most influential and successful female vocalists in American music history—a performer whose unmistakable voice helped define the sound of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
With timeless classics such as “Who’s Sorry Now?”, “Stupid Cupid,” “My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own,” and “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” she became an international sensation, captivating audiences around the world with her emotional delivery and remarkable vocal versatility.
Behind the glamour, however, was a life marked by extraordinary triumphs, heartbreaking loss, and an unwavering determination to survive challenges that would have broken many others.
Born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero, Connie showed musical talent from an early age. Recognizing her potential, her father became the driving force behind her career.
Fiercely ambitious and deeply determined to see his daughter succeed, he encouraged—and often pressured—her to perform from childhood.
Under his strict guidance, Connie appeared in talent competitions, television programs, and live performances while still very young.
Although his relentless efforts ultimately helped launch one of the most successful careers in popular music, they also created enormous emotional pressure.
Connie would later acknowledge that the discipline and expectations placed upon her during her formative years shaped both her incredible work ethic and many of the personal struggles she experienced later in life.
Her breakthrough arrived in 1958 with “Who’s Sorry Now?” At first, the song attracted little attention, but after legendary television host Dick Clark played it on American Bandstand, everything changed.
Almost overnight, Connie Francis became a household name.
The record climbed the charts not only in the United States but across Europe and beyond, transforming her into one of the world's first truly international female pop stars.
Over the following years, she dominated radio with a remarkable string of hit records, sold millions of albums, and performed in multiple languages, building an enormous global fan base that stretched far beyond English-speaking audiences.
While her professional life appeared glamorous, her personal life was often filled with heartbreak. One of the deepest emotional wounds came from her romance with fellow singer Bobby Darin.
Their relationship blossomed during the early years of their careers, and the pair reportedly envisioned a future together.
However, Connie's father strongly disapproved of the relationship and ultimately intervened, preventing the romance from continuing.
The separation devastated both young performers. Bobby Darin eventually moved on and married actress Sandra Dee, while Connie would later describe losing him as one of the greatest heartbreaks of her life.
Years afterward, she admitted that she often wondered how different her life might have been had they been allowed to remain together.
As the years passed, the tragedies continued to mount. In 1974, Connie became the victim of a horrific assault following a performance, an event that profoundly affected her emotionally and psychologically.
The traumatic experience left lasting scars and dramatically altered her confidence and sense of security.
Determined that others should not endure similar suffering without support, she later became an outspoken advocate for victims' rights, helping raise awareness about crime victims and encouraging improvements in victim assistance programs throughout the United States.
Not long afterward, another devastating blow struck when her beloved younger brother, George Franconero Jr., was murdered.
His death shattered the family and plunged Connie into overwhelming grief. Losing someone so close while still coping with previous trauma compounded her emotional struggles and made everyday life increasingly difficult.
The combination of public pressure, personal loss, and unresolved trauma gradually took a severe toll on her mental health.
During these painful years, Connie faced profound depression and experienced periods of emotional crisis.
She openly discussed her struggles with mental illness, including a suicide attempt, choosing to speak honestly about experiences that were rarely discussed publicly at the time.
Her willingness to share her story helped reduce stigma surrounding mental health and encouraged countless others to seek treatment and support. Rather than hiding her pain, Connie transformed it into a source of compassion for people facing similar battles.
As if those challenges were not enough, Connie also endured a devastating setback to the very gift that had made her famous—her voice.
Following nasal surgery intended to improve her breathing, complications temporarily robbed her of her ability to sing.
For an artist whose identity and livelihood depended upon her voice, the experience was emotionally crushing.
The fear that she might never perform again left her questioning whether her extraordinary career had reached its end.
Through months of rehabilitation, patience, and determination, she gradually regained her vocal abilities, demonstrating once again the remarkable resilience that had become a defining characteristic of her life.
Despite enduring repeated personal tragedies, Connie refused to let hardship define her legacy.
Throughout the years, she found strength in several enduring sources: her deep religious faith, the love she shared with her adopted son Joey, and the unwavering support of generations of devoted fans who continued to celebrate her music long after her chart-topping years had passed.
Their encouragement reminded her that her voice—and her story—continued to matter.
Professionally, Connie Francis achieved accomplishments that remain extraordinary by any standard.
She sold more than 80 million records worldwide, recorded songs in numerous languages, and became one of the first female solo artists to enjoy sustained international superstardom.
Her influence reached far beyond America, making her one of the most recognizable voices of her era.
Even decades after her biggest hits, her recordings continue to be rediscovered by new generations of listeners who appreciate the sincerity, warmth, and emotional depth she brought to every performance.
Today, at 87 years old, Connie Francis is remembered not only as a legendary singer but also as a symbol of perseverance.
Living a quiet life in Florida after retiring from the spotlight, she remains an enduring inspiration to fans around the world.
Her extraordinary journey serves as a reminder that fame does not shield anyone from heartbreak, loss, or personal struggle, but it also demonstrates the remarkable resilience of the human spirit.
Through unimaginable challenges, Connie continued to move forward with courage, dignity, and hope.
Her legacy extends far beyond the millions of records she sold or the timeless songs she recorded.
It lives on in her advocacy for victims' rights, her openness about mental health, and her willingness to transform personal pain into compassion for others.
Connie Francis is remembered not simply because she possessed one of the most recognizable voices of the twentieth century, but because she showed the world that true strength is measured not by the absence of suffering, but by the courage to keep singing after life has tested you again and again.
