Welcome to Hollywood Graveyard, where we
set out to remember and celebrate the lives of those who lived to entertain us,
by visiting their final resting places. Today we're headed to the Inland Empire
and Desert Memorial Park, where we'll find such stars as Frank Sinatra, Betty
Hutton, Sonny Bono, and many more. Join us, won't you? Where do Angelenos go when it's a
bitterly cold 58 degrees outside? We head inland to the desert. Where did stars of
yesteryear go to get out of town and party? They headed inland to the resort
town of Palm Springs. Where do stars of today go to get out of town a party?
Well they too head inland, to the Coachella Valley. Today we're following
in their footsteps, seeking warmer climes in the Inland
Empire, the desert backdrop of some of your favorite movies and TV shows, where
many stars had vacation homes, others would eventually retire, and other still
would spend eternity here. Palm Springs and the Inland Empire embraced their role
as Hollywood's desert playground, with street names like Kirk Douglas Way, Dinah
Shore Drive, and Pickfair Street, statues of stars like Lucille Ball,
Marilyn Monroe, and Buddy Rogers, and the Mary Pickford Theatre. Palm Springs even
has its own walk of fame. Palm Springs is about a two-hour drive
east of Hollywood. It's a beautiful and scenic drive, and en
route you'll pass through the awe inspiring wind farms in the San Gorgonio Pass.
Thousands of whirling wind turbines sprout from the desert like massive
white flowers. The future of energy is green, clean, and beautiful. We'll break up
our time here in the Inland Empire into two videos. For this first part we'll
head just east of Palm Springs to Cathedral City and Desert Memorial Park,
where many stars who so loved the desert would eventually be laid to rest... here
were the unrelenting desert sun has baked and bleached many headstones too
near illegibility. Desert Memorial Park was founded in 1956 as part of the Palm
Springs Cemetery district. There are a number of monuments to veterans here as
well, including America's first monument specifically honoring LGBTQ veterans,
dedicated in 2001. We'll begin our tour of Desert Memorial Park just in from the
entrance in Section B 1 on the right. Here is the grave of Bill Goodwin. He was
a radio and television announcer known for doing integrated commercials, which
were ads spots woven into the plot of the show's
storyline. He announced for the George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, as well as
the Bob Hope Show. He also acted in a handful of films including Spellbound,
and So This is New York. He was found dead in his car of an apparent heart
attack at the age of 47. A few rows up is Brad Dexter. He was an
actor remembered for tough guy and western roles, including as Harry luck in
the 1960 film The Magnificent Seven. He also had a role in John Huston's The
Asphalt Jungle. In addition to acting Dexter produced a number of films,
including the Billie Holiday biopic, Lady Sings the Blues. He was good friends with
Frank Sinatra, and even saved Frank from drowning while filming None But the
Brave in 1964. He died of emphysema at the age of 85. Continuing north to B4
we find Howdy Doody's mom, Velma Dawson. She was a puppeteer and
puppet maker, best known for creating the Howdy Doody marionettes for the Howdy
Doody Show. Long before Sesame Street, The Howdy Doody Show ruled the airwaves of
children's television, in the late 40s and 50s, the first nationwide children's
television show. "Say, kids, what time is it?" "Howdy Doody time!" [music] 'Well howdy doody, kids!" The marionette that she created
is considered one of the great and invaluable treasures of television
history, and currently resides at the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum. Further north is section B8, which has the largest cluster of stars in the whole
cemetery. Near a small tree is Bobbe Brox. She was one of the Brox
Sisters, a singing trio in the 20s and 30s. With sisters Lorayne and Patricia,
the trio began touring the vaudeville circuit and achieved success in New York
on Broadway. They performed in Irving Berlin's
Music Box Review from 1921 to 1924, debuting Berlin's hit song, "Everybody Step," which was written for the
sisters. They also performed "Singing In the Rain" in the Hollywood Revue of 1929, as alluded to here on her marker. Next to Bobbe is her husband, Jimmy Van Heusen. He was one of the great songwriters of the 20th century, writing for film, television,
and theatre. He was good friends with Frank Sinatra and wrote many of his hits,
including "Come Fly with Me," [music] "Love and Marriage," [music] and "My Kind of Town." [music] He wrote songs for films from A Hole in the Head, to several
Road to films, and Going My Way, featuring the hit "Swinging on a Star," one of the
four songs for which Van Heusen won an Oscar. West on this same row is another
of the Brox Sisters, Lorayne Brox. She was the others of the trio who
performed on stage with the Marx Brothers and in the Ziegfeld Follies, and
on film in the Warner Bros Vitaphone shorts, as well as the Universal film,
King of Jazz in 1930. [music] Two rows northeast is actress Andrea Leeds.
Her roles may have been few, but she did have an impact on audiences over the few
years in the 1930s in which she performed. Her films include It Could
Happen to You, The Goldwyn Follies, and Stage Door, which
earned her an Academy Award nomination. She also read for the Olivia de
Havilland role in Gone with the Wind. Her interest in acting waned in the late 30s,
and she decided to retire from the screen to raise a family, eventually
dying of cancer at the age of 70. In the next row we find Ol' Blue Eyes -
legendary singer and actor, Frank Sinatra, arguably one of the greatest
entertainers of the 20th century. The legendary crooner got his start as a
singer for band leaders like Harry James, and Tommy Dorsey in the 30s and 40s.
His profile quickly rose and he desired to go solo,
but Tommy Dorsey wouldn't release him from his contract. So rumor has it that
Sinatra's Godfather, an underboss of the Genovese crime family, intervened and
secured his release - an episode that inspired the Johnny Fontane character in
a similar scenario in The Godfather. He signed as a solo artist in 1943, becoming
an idol to the bobby soxers, the teenagers of that era. Over the decades
he would become one of the most iconic voices and best-selling music artists of
all time, with hits like, "My Way," "New York, New York," "Luck Be a Lady," and "Fly Me to
the Moon," [music] Throughout the 40s he also dabbled in acting, in musicals like On the Town,
and reached his prime as a serious actor in 1953's From Here to Eternity. The role
earned him an Oscar. "Report to the orderly room in 10 minutes." "What? I got a pass!" "Not anymore. Anderson's sick. You're on guard." "I just had guard
yesterday! Why me?" "I'll tell you why you:
you should have gotten dressed faster." He would continue to perform in notable
roles, including The Man with the Golden Arm, The Manchurian Candidate, and the
original Ocean's 11, with his Rat Pack buddies, which consisted of fellow
Las Vegas entertainers Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford. By then Frank had become a top billing residency performer, personifying the
glamour of Las Vegas. He continued to perform until his health began to fail,
and he died of a heart attack at the age of 82. At his funeral several items of
personal significance were placed in his coffin,
including Tootsie Rolls, a bottle of Jack Daniels, and a roll of dimes. Frank
had always carried dimes with him, a habit stemming from the kidnapping of
his son, and feeling the need to always have enough dimes on him in case he
needed to use a payphone. Many have been inspired by him, others have tried to
emulate him, but there will never be another quite like Frank Sinatra. Frank is surrounded here by friends and family. To the left or his parents and uncle, and
buried next to him on the right is his wife, Barbara. She was Frank's fourth wife,
marrying in 1976. She had also been previously married to Zeppo Marx of the
Marx Brothers. Her career began as a model and showgirl and later in life she
was heavily involved with Frank in social and philanthropic causes,
establishing the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center, which benefited abused
children. She lived to be 90. Further down this row is one of Frank's longtime
friends, Jilly Rizzo. He was a restaurateur whose saloon was a popular
celebrity hangout the 60s. Rizzo is also a frequent guest
on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. He was killed on his 75th birthday when
his car was struck by a drunk driver. Two rows back and east his composer
Frederick Loewe, known for his musicals of the 40s and 50s and collaboration
with Alan Jay Lerner. He's perhaps best known for the musical, My Fair Lady. A
critical and popular success, My Fair Lady set the record for the longest run of a
Broadway show to that time, and would also be made into a film starring Audrey
Hepburn. His film music includes Gigi in 1958. After composing Camelot in 1960,
Loewe decided to retire to Palm Springs. He died from cardiac arrest at age 86. Up and to the right are two members of the Gabor family. Jolie Gabor was a
Hungarian-born socialite and the mother of Zsa Zsa, Eva and Magda Gabor. She got
her start as a jeweler in Budapest. As Nazism spread through Europe she
relocated to America where she continued her costume and jewelry business, and
pressed her daughters hard to reach their own fame and fortune. She lived to
be over a hundred. Two months later her eldest daughter Magda passed away.
Magda Gabor is perhaps the lesser known of the Gabor sisters, never quite
reaching the same success as Zsa Zsa or Eva. She had supporting roles in a couple
of Hungarian films but never landed on that coveted Hollywood silver screen. In
true Gabor fashion she married six times including briefly to actor George
Sanders who had also been married to her sister, Zsa Zsa. She died of renal failure
at age 81. A few rows up and back west is Rebel
Randall, an actress, radio personality, and model. The glamorous brunette was labeled
"the most beautiful girl on TV," and "the glamour girl of Hollywood," in 1949. During
World War II she was a popular GI pin-up girl, featured as Esquire
centerfold at least twice. And in the 1950s she became a radio jockey and
hostess for the Armed Forces Radio Service, with the popular shows America's
Calling, and Jukebox USA. On screen she could be seen in films like Roaring City,
and Fall In. She died of natural causes at age 88. North just before the sidewalk
is the grave of William Powell. He was one of the most popular actors of the
30s and 40s, a major star at MGM. He could often be seen alongside Myrna Loy,
including in The Great Ziegfeld, and The Thin Man detective series. "Well, if it isn't Philo Vance." "I beg your pardon. Who said that?" "I haven't seen you since you solved the
kettle murder case. How are you?" "Well for the love of... Nick Charles what are you doing up there there impersonating a book cover?" Powell was nominated for an Academy
Award for his performance in The Thin Man, and was nominated an additional two
more times for My Man Godfrey and Life With Father.
William was romantically involved with two of Hollywood's tragic blondes. In
1931 he married Carole Lombard, with whom he had starred in My Man Godfrey. They
divorced two years later but remained on good terms. He was devastated by her
death in a plane crash in 1942. Powell was also involved with Jean Harlow with whom
he had starred in Reckless in 1935. They were engaged to be married,
but after Jean's untimely death at the age of 26, William paid for the private
room in the Great Mausoleum where she and her mother are entombed. The third
crypt there was originally reserved for Powell, but it remains empty to this day.
After marrying Diana Lewis and remaining with her until his death at age 91,
William Powell was finally laid to rest here with her. Next to William is his son,
also named William. He became a television writer, penning episodes for
shows like Bonanza and Death Valley. He suffered from depression much of his
life and health problems forced him to quit writing. At the age of 43 he took
his own life, stepping into the shower and repeatedly
stabbing himself. The note he left partially read, "Things aren't so good
here, I'm going where it's better." To the right is William senior's wife, Diana
Lewis, nicknamed Mousie. She was an actress seen in films like It's a Gift,
Gold Diggers in Paris, and Cry Havoc. She was also Andy Hardy's love interest
in Andy Hardy Meets Debutante. Diana met and married William Powell in 1940
and she retired from acting a few years later. The couple remained together for
44 years until his death. Diana died of cancer at age 77. One row up is Marjorie Rambeau.
She was an actress twice nominated for an Academy Award, for her roles in
Primrose Path, and Torch Song. She also took over the role of Tugboat Annie
after the death of Marie Dressler. Her final film role was in the Lon Chaney
biopic, Man of a Thousand Faces, in 1957. If you're a
fan of the X-Files like I am, you'll recognize this next name. Under a tree
past the wall is Frank Scully. He was a writer and columnist, a regular
contributor to Variety magazine. In 1949 he published two columns that claimed
dead extraterrestrials were recovered from a flying saucer crash. In 1950 he
expanded on the theme in his book, Behind the Flying Saucers. The character of Dana Scully from the
X-Files television show, is named after him. [music] West on this same row is Eddie Howard.
He was a singer and band leader in the 40s and 50s whose hits include, "To Each His Own,"
and "It's a Sin." The rise of rock music led to the decline of his popularity. Howard died in his sleep of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 48. For our next
stop we'll continue north to section A14. Most of the way in is Busby Berkeley.
He was a director and choreographer of musical films, considered one of the
greatest choreographers of the genre. After serving in World War I he
discovered he had a talent for staging extravagant dance routines, a skill which
quickly earned him a prominent place on Broadway, including working for Ziegfeld.
In Hollywood he convinced producers to let him try his hand at translating his
skills onto the big screen. His first big hit was 42nd Street. Throughout the
30s he became known for his visually stunning and extravagantly
choreographed dance numbers which often included overhead shots, close-ups of the
chorus girls, geometric patterns, and kaleidoscope patterns. Berkeley was nominated for three Oscars,
for Varsity Show, Gold Diggers of 1935, and Gold Diggers of 1937. He died of
natural causes at the age of 80. Let's continue north to section A23. Most of the way in we find the grave of Cameron Mitchell. He was a prolific actor of film
and television perhaps best remembered for his thriller and western roles,
including as Buck Cannon in the Western series The High Chaparral. On Broadway he
originated the role as Happy Loman in Death of a Salesman, a role he reprised
in the 1951 film adaptation. He can also be seen alongside Marilyn Monroe, Lauren
Bacall, and Betty Grable in How to Marry a Millionaire. Across the street east is
section B30. In a short ways, past a small tree is Josephine Hill. She was an
actress, principally of the silent era, known for her western roles and for
being one of the most adept horse women in the film business. She starred in over
a hundred films, including several with husband and fellow western star,
Jack Perrin. Let's continue northeast in the same
lawn to section B34. Not far from a hedge is the grave of Chris Alcaide, known for
roles as villains in film noirs and westerns films, like The Big Heat, and
Gunslinger. He made appearances on many of the great television westerns as well,
like The Rifleman, Rawhide, and Bonanza. He died of cancer at the age of 81. Northwest, next to America's Plaza, we find the grave of entertainer and
politician Sonny Bono. He rose to fame with his collaboration
with his second wife Cherilyn Sarkisian. The singing duo became known
as Sonny and Cher. He wrote and produced many of their hits, including the song
perhaps most closely associated with the duo, "I Got You, Babe." [music] The duo went on to host
their own variety show, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, which ran from 1971 to
1974, then The Sonny and Cher Show from 76 to 77. As an actor he made guest
appearances on shows like Fantasy Island, and his film roles include Airplane II,
and Hairspray. In the 1980s he decided to enter politics becoming mayor of Palm
Springs, and was eventually elected to Congress. Bono died in a skiing accident,
striking a tree near Lake Tahoe. He was 62. His epitaph, "And the Beat Goes On," was
another of Sonny and Cher's popular hits. [music] Back into the west is Marian Marsh.
She was an actress, often playing the wide-eyed, innocent damsel in distress, as
alongside John Barrymore in the 1931 film, Svengali. "You shall see nothing, hear nothing, dream of nothing, but Svengali." "Svengali." "Ya!" She can also be seen in
Crime and Punishment, and in The Black Room with Boris Karloff. Aside from a few
television roles in the 50s, Marian retired from acting in the 1940's and
dedicated much of her later life to environmental causes. She lived to be 93. Further west is Earle Hagen. He was a composer best known for his television
music, including themes for popular shows like The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Mod
Squad, and The Andy Griffith Show. In fact, not only did he co-compose The Andy
Griffith theme, he's also the man whistling it. "The Andy Griffith Show,
starring Andy Griffith. With Ronnie Howard. Also starring Don Knotts. Hagen was nominated for one Oscar,
for Let's Make Love. He died at the age of 88. Heading toward the road west, close to the small wall, is the grave of Betty
Hutton, the multi-talented actress of stage and screen known for her work in
musicals. After performing on Broadway she made a splash with movie-going
audiences in 1942's The Fleet's In, and she became a major star two years later
in The Miracle of Morgan's Creek. Today she's perhaps best remembered as Annie
Oakley in the 1950 production of Annie Get Your Gun. [music] Other top billing roles include The
Greatest Show on Earth. On television she had her own show, The Betty Hutton Show
in 1959. She struggled through the 60s and 70s, but had a Broadway comeback
taking over the role of Miss Hannigan in the original production of Annie. She
retired in Palm Springs where she died at the age of 86. Across the street west is section A32. South of the road is Bill Miller,
known as Mr. Entertainment. He began his career on vaudeville as a dancer in the
duo, Miller and Peterson. After vaudeville he owned nightclubs where he would book
top acts, from Frank Sinatra to Mae West. He eventually settled in Las Vegas where
he would become entertainment director at several clubs and hotels. There he
popularized the lounge act concept, and helped revitalize careers of acts like
Sonny and Cher and Elvis Presley. He retired here in the desert and lived to
be 98. Finally we continue northwest and find another entertainer Bill Miller had
often engaged, Ralph Young. He was half of the singing duet of Sandler and Young,
with Tony Sandler. The duo rose to fame in the 60s with appearances in Vegas at
the Desert Inn Hotel and the Ambassador Hotel in Hollywood. They were often
headliners in various Vegas hotels through the 70s, and performed as guests
on every major TV variety show, including The Ed Sullivan Show. In that era they
became one of the most popular duet acts in show business. In the 1980s Young
retired from the stage and settled down in Palm Springs, living to the age of 90. And that concludes our tour. What are some of your favorite memories of the
stars we visited today? Share them in the comments below and
be sure to like, share, and subscribe for more famous grave tours. Thanks for watching!
We'll see you on the next one. Look what I found in Palm Springs: the
Hotel California. Such a lovely place! Don't worry, though, I didn't check in...
otherwise I may have never left. Eerily, though, the song played
on the radio a short time later. [music]
