That's absolutely the place to stay for what you want to do.
The Hollywood and Highland complex (where Loews is) can satisfy all of those needs. It's literally attached to the Chinese Theater and the Dolby (formerly Kodak, home of the Oscars and American Idol finales), is across the street from El Capitan (which exclusively shows Disney movies), is on the Walk of Fame, and has views of the Hollywood sign and kiosks for tours. It's totally safe with tons of restaurants and stores; it's basically a mall that hosts celebrity events. Orchid Ave., the street directly behind H&H, used to have some motels that were more affordable than Loews that I stayed at A LOT but I don't know if they're still there.
If you're looking to take a studio tour, I recommend Warner Bros. I've done it a few times and it's always fun. I've done a few other studio tours, but WB is the best IMO.
I also used
seeing-stars.com as a resource for "Hollywood" type events, like movie premiers and people getting stars on the Walk of Fame. It was good to know if Hollywood Blvd. was going to be closed for an event and if I should keep my eyes peeled for celebs
It also lists filming locations, Hollywood landmarks, restaurants frequented by celebs, how to get tickets to tv show tapings, all of the kitschy Hollywood stuff it sounds like you're looking for.