DECKING STREETS WITH L.A. GLITTER : IT'S SANTA'S BIG SCENE THOUSANDS LINE HOLLYWOOD STREETS FOR 65TH PARADE.

Byline: Eric Wahlgren Daily News Staff Writer

Tinseltown put on a blockbuster of a Christmas pageant in Hollywood on Sunday, featuring celebrity-of-the-season Santa Claus as well as dozens of stars, glitzy floats and earsplitting marching bands.

As many as 650,000 people thronged the 3.2-mile route for the 65th annual Hollywood Christmas Parade, the traditional kickoff for the season in Los Angeles.

Leading the evening procession was the parade's grand marshal, ``Baywatch'' hunk David Hasselhoff. Clad in a black turtleneck and red scarf instead of his trademark orange bathing trunks, the tall and tanned Hasselhoff drew squeals of delight from fans as he waved from atop an antique Bentley.

``I actually look better with my clothes on,'' Hasselhoff remarked before the parade.

The Bentley broke down halfway along the parade course, forcing Hasselhoff, his wife, Pamela, and two young daughters to hitch a ride on a ``Baywatch'' float that followed them.

Spectators bundled up in jackets, Santa Claus caps and mittens to guard against chilly temperatures and brisk winds as the two-hour-long procession inched down Hollywood's main thoroughfares.

Gary Garcia, 16, cheered on the goose-stepping marching bands, which blared ``Jingle Bells,'' ``White Christmas'' and other holiday favorites.

``I know what they go through and how hard it is to march and stuff,'' said Garcia, who plays drums for the Alhambra High School marching band.

Apple-cheeked children sat atop their parents' shoulders for a better view of the parade, including regal horses with red and green ribbons and drill teams swirling skirts and twirling flags.

``My legs are very cold,'' said 17-year-old Francesca Sena, a cheerleader from New Mexico, but she kept her broad smile.

One of the biggest crowd-pleasers was the television puppet character ``Kino,'' whose appearance prompted children to chant his name.

``Kino is great,'' gushed China Stowell, 10, of Los Angeles.

With the wind whipping their hair against their faces, movie and television stars, politicians and athletes flashed broad grins and waved as they glided by in shiny convertibles.

Atlanta's Olympic torch runner, Janet Evans; ``Flipper'' star Elijah Wood, Mickey Rooney, Jack Klugman and Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg were among more than 100 luminaries in the merry procession.

The Los Angeles Police Department estimated that 450,000 to 650,000 watched, a dip in attendance compared with 750,000 last year.

Victor Garcia, who came to the parade with his son Gary and other family members, said the music, the bite in the air and the decorations put him in a holiday mood.

``After this, you really want to go out and do some Christmas shopping,'' said the 46-year-old receiving clerk from Alhambra.

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos

PHOTO (1) United States Marines marchers and flag-carrying riders on horseback give an all-American look Sunday to the 65th Hollywood Christmas Parade.

(2) Children chanting at a puppet are among hundreds of thousands at Hollywood's parade.

(3) Susan Wawer tries to hold down an Eddie Murphy balloon that had its legs deflated to get under utility wires.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News