Taken from the gallery label of the original work on display at the Nelson-Atkins: "Hollywood resulted from Thomas Hart Benton's Life magazine-sponsored excursion to Tinseltown in the summer of 1937. The composition unites various aspects of movie-making, revealing Benton's fascination with what he called "the machinery of the industry" responsible for cinematic effects. A centrally positioned and scantily clad female figure presides over this chaotic universe, symbolizing the quintessential blonde starlet of the period and possibly evoking Kansas City-born Jean Harlow, who had recently died. The background references the musical"In Old Chicago" that related to events from the Great Fire of 1871. The poster was likely created as an advertisement to highlight the museum's collection.