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 continue our tour across England, where we'll find such stars as
Boris Karloff, John Bonham, the real Alice in Wonderland,
and many more. Join us, won't you? Part two of our exploration of famous
graves across England brings us to more of those uniquely charming churchyards,
cathedrals, and cemeteries here that host so many of this country's
greats. So let's order up some fish and chips
before a night out at the theater, spelled theatre, or curl up to our
favorite television program, spelled programme, as we remember more of
our favorite British entertainers. If you haven't done so already be sure
to check out part one. In our last video we discussed how when
inner London city graveyards began to fill up in the 1800s
a series of larger suburban cemeteries were founded just outside the city.
These "Magnificent Seven" cemeteries, as they were known,
included Highgate, which we visited in part one. Another of these magnificent
seven was Kensal Green, the very first to open. It was founded in
1833 and spans some 72 acres northwest of London.
It's on the registry of national historic parks and gardens,
and given its unique landscape has been the backdrop of several films,
like Theater of Blood, starring Vincent Price. The unique atmosphere of many of these cemeteries is owed in part to a more
naturalistic approach to landscaping. The crematorium here at Kensal Green is
known as the West London Crematorium. A number of notable
individuals have been cremated here, their ashes taken elsewhere either for
private keeping or for scattering. Beloved actor Alan
Rickman was cremated here, Rickman known for roles in films like
Die Hard, and perhaps most notably as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter
series. Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen,
was also cremated here after his death in 1991.
His ashes were taken elsewhere by his loved ones, but once upon a time there
was a memorial plaque here for him, under his given name Farrokh Bulsara.
Not long after the discovery of the plaque it disappeared,
either removed intentionally or stolen. If stolen a great big... to whomever it was
that stole it. Now then, let's see who we can find here
at Kensal Green. This is the grave of Harold Pinter, a
renowned playwright and dramatist. He's known for his many plays
called 'comedies of menace,' blending dark humor
with underlying senses of danger. Among his noted plays are The Birthday
Party, The Homecoming, and Betrayal. He also wrote for the screen not only
adapting his own plays but other peoples' as well,
including the 2007 version of Sleuth. He was nominated for two Oscars for his
screenwriting, for the film's Betrayal, based on his own play, and The French
Lieutenant's Woman. And in 2005 he was awarded the Nobel
prize for literature. He died at the age of 78 from cancer. Not far from Harold Pinter is Maria
Bjornson. She was a theatrical designer known for
her work designing sets and costumes for theater, ballet, and opera.
Perhaps her best known work was designing Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom
of the Opera, for which she won the Tony award for
best set design and best costume design. It was maria who created what was likely
the most famous chandelier in theatrical history.
If you've seen Phantom you know the one. She also designed for numerous operas by
the likes of Wagner, Holst and Puccini. She was just 53 when she died. Also here at Kensal Green is writer James
Graham Ballard, often credited as J.G. Ballard. He's
perhaps best known for his semi-autobiographical novel
Empire of the Sun, which details the experiences of a young boy in Shanghai
during Japanese occupation. Having been born in Shanghai, Ballard had
spent part of his youth in an internment camp during World War II. His
experiences inspired the book that would later be made into an acclaimed film by
Steven Spielberg in 1987. Other of his novels and short
stories would be made into films, including Crash in 1996.
He died from cancer at age 78. Our last stop here at Kensal Green is a
star marked by a star, Pete Burns. He was a musician best known
as founding member and singer of the 80s band Dead or Alive. They had a
massive hit in the 1984 single, "You Spin Me Round
(Like a Record)." [music] Later in his career he would become a
television personality, appearing on shows like Celebrity Big Brother,
known for his ever changing and androgynous looks through extensive
plastic surgery. Pete Burns died from sudden cardiac arrest
in 2016 at the age of 57. Adjacent to Kensal Green is Saint Mary's
Catholic Cemetery, established in 1858 This is where Danny La Rue is laid to
rest. He was a singer and entertainer best known for his stage drag persona,
"a comic in a frock," he would say. In his day Danny La Rue was the most famous
female impersonator in the world. He was a prominent figure in the music
hall and pantomime tradition, but brought his talents to television as
well making guest appearances on various shows throughout his life
beginning in the 1960s. And on film he had a starring role in Our Miss Fred
in 1972. Danny La Rue died from cancer at age 81,
and rests here with his manager and life partner Jack Hanson. South of here in Surrey is Brookwood
Cemetery, also known as the London Necropolis, as
it's the largest cemetery in the UK. In the 1980s television's favorite
British butler was Mr Belvedere, who was played by Christopher Hewett.
The show was based on the 1947 novel Belvedere, which had previously been made
into a film starring Clifton Webb as Lynn Belvedere.
The American sitcom "Mr. Belvedere," premiered in 1985
and ran for six seasons. He would play the hilarious but appropriately proper
British butler trying to adapt to and maintain order in the oft-
dysfunctional American household belonging to the Owens. Before television
Hewett had a successful career on stage including in broadway productions of The
Unsinkable Molly Brown, and My Fair Lady, in which he originated
the role of Zoltan Karpathy. And on film he can be seen in Mel Brooks'
The Producers. He died from complications of diabetes
at the age of 80. This is Saint Bartholomew's churchyard
in Nettlebed, Oxfordshire. Here lies Celia Johnson. As an actress
she found success on stage in the 30s and 40s
in productions of Pride and Prejudice and Rebecca.
In the 40s she shifted her focus to film collaborating with David Lean and Noel
Coward in the films In Which We Serve, This
Happy Breed, and Brief Encounter, the latter earning
her an Oscar nomination. She also won a BAFTA for her supporting
role in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Her film roles were relatively few and
she would focus on stage performing and television throughout the remainder of
her life. She died at age 73 after suffering a
stroke. She rests here next to her husband Peter
Fleming, the brother of Ian Fleming, who was also a writer. In Pennhurst, East Sussex, is Saint
Michael the Archangel churchyard. This is where Harry H Corbett is laid to
rest. The actor and comedian is perhaps best
remembered for starring in the popular british sitcom Steptoe and Son
in the 60s and 70s. He would also make two Steptoe and Son films.
Among his other notable film roles are the 1966 comedy
Carry On Screaming. Due to the popularity of his Steptoe character, Corbett found
himself often being typecast and found it difficult to land roles
outside of comedy. A heavy smoker, Corbett died of a heart
attack at just 57. Grave hunting in England brings us to
sights unseen in the US, Like these magnificent centuries-old
cathedrals. Among them, Chichester Cathedral in West
Sussex. Listen carefully as you roam the halls,
you may hear echoes of the music of the spheres....
echoes of the music of Gustav Holst. He was an early 20th century composer
known for his soaring orchestral works. His magnum opus was his orchestral suite,
The Planets, each movement a treatise of the seven
known planets beyond Earth. Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. If you're a fan of the orchestral film
music of greats like Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams,
you'll hear the influence of Holst's Planets. Movements from The Planets have also been featured in numerous films and tv
productions over the years. Holst is also known for having set
Christina Rossetti's Christmas poem "In the Bleak Mid-winter" to music. He died
from heart failure at the age of 59. Here there is also a memorial plaque to
another legend of British music, Thomas Weelkes. Born in 1576
Thomas Weelkes was an organist here at this cathedral and became known in the
Elizabethan era for his church music and madrigals, secular vocal music.
The hard-partying, heavy-drinking Weelkes died at the age of 47
after one last binge. He was buried at St Bride's churchyard in London. Moving on to Lyndhurst in Hampshire we reach St Michael and All Angels
churchyard. In these grounds rests a little girl named
Alice who fell down a rabbit hole in pursuit of a white rabbit...
or at least the girl who inspired Alice in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland,
Alice Liddell. Lewis Carroll befriended the Liddell family in the 1850s and would
entertain the Liddell children, including Alice, by telling them stories
during outings. Young Alice encouraged him to write down
these stories and he eventually did, gifting a handwritten illustrated early
manuscript to Alice. It was eventually published as Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland in 1865. A direct reference to the real
Alice can be found at the end of Through the Looking Glass
in the form of an acrostic poem, in which the first letter of each line spells out
ALICE PLEASANCE LIDDELL. Lewis Carroll, whose real name was Charles Dodgson,
was also somewhat of an amateur photographer, Alice and her sisters being
among his regular muses. Alice would stay connected to the
wonderland she helped create, including a trip to the US to
commemorate Lewis Carroll's centenary in 1932, when she was 80. "It is a great honor and a great pleasure to have
come over here. And i think now my adventures
overseas will be almost as interesting as my
adventures underground were." Alice lived to be 82. This is Aldershot crematorium
in Hampshire. Here we remember English funnyman,
Arthur English. He got his start on stage as a resident
comedian at the Windmill theater often playing the cockney spiv. Arthur
English would become a household name playing maintenance man Mr Harman
on the popular 70s sitcom, Are You Being Served? Ginger Rogers. And don't let me catch you
dancing cheek to cheek." Other tv roles include The Ghosts of Motley Hall,
and In Sickness and in Health. He also continued to perform on stage until his
death at age 75 from complications of emphysema. Back to the London area, in Ruislip, is Breakspear Crematorium. Here we find Brian Connolly. He was a
musician best known as founding member and vocalist of the 70s rock band
The Sweet. Their hits include "Block Buster," "The Ballroom Blitz," and "Little Willy." [music] Connolly left the band in 1979, but years later toured with various reincarnations,
including The New Sweet, and Brian Connolly's Sweet.
Connolly died at age 51 from kidney and liver failure after suffering a series
of heart attacks. He was cremated here, his ashes scattered
over the waters of Most Holy Name Roman Catholic Church
in Denham. Out to the grounds of Breakspeare let's
relax a moment next to this large cedar tree and
remember Bessie Love. With her youthful looks Bessie Love
rose to prominence as an actress during the silent and early talkie eras,
playing innocents, young girls, and wholesome leading ladies.
Her performance in the 1929 film The Broadway Melody
would earn her an academy award nomination for best actress.
The Broadway Melody would also become just the second film to win a best
picture Oscar. The success of that film would lead to
other leading roles in musicals like Chasing Rainbows. In 1935 she moved
to England after semi-retiring. She would entertain troops during the
war, and continue to perform on stage and screen in various productions.
Other of her notable film roles include The Barefoot Contessa
and The Lost World. She died in 1986 at the age of 87
and was cremated here. Her ashes were interred here on the grounds of
Breakspeare, and once upon a time there was a marker
for Bessie here at the base of this tree, though it has since been removed. Our journey takes us north now to Bearley, not far from Stratford-upon-Avon.
This is Saint Mary the Virgin churchyard. Here lies the man who perfectly
portrayed Mr Dursley, Richard Griffiths. Early in his career he
built a reputation as a Shakespearean clown.
He had early film roles in movies like Chariots of Fire and
Withnail and I, and later roles in Sleepy Hollow,
and the lead in a TV series Pie in the Sky. But it was his role as the detestable Uncle Vernon Dursley
in the Harry Potter film series that would earn him worldwide fame. "There's no such thing as magic." Back on stage his performance in The History Boys would earn him numerous
awards, including Tony and Olivier awards. The play would be made into a film in
2006. Richard Griffiths died from
complications following heart surgery at the age of 65. Our next stop brings us to St George
churchyard in Gravesend, Kent. and a woman who became somewhat of a
local celebrity some four centuries ago. Here lies Pocahontas, whose real name was
Matoaka. She was a Native American folk figure
from modern day Virginia. She's known for her association with
early colonists, particularly the Jamestown
settlement. She would meet and befriend captain John Smith,
becoming not only an intermediate between her people and the colonists,
but also aiding the colonists with provisions. In 1614 Pocahontas married
tobacco farmer John Rolfe, their marriage creating a climate of
peace between the Jamestown settlers and the Powhatan tribe. As a means of gaining
further support back home for the Virginia company and the Jamestown
settlement, Pocahontas was converted to Christianity
and brought back to London where she was presented to english society as an
example of, quote, "the civilized savage." She would
quickly become something of a celebrity in England,
but a short time later she fell ill and would die of unknown causes
at around the age of 20. Disney made a film loosely based on her life
in 1995. We're now at Holy Trinity churchyard in
Nuffield. Here lies renowned journalist David
Frost. He found international fame after conducting a series of in-depth
interviews with former American president, Richard Nixon.
After the Watergate scandal, Nixon had resigned from office in 1974 before he
could be impeached. In 1977 Nixon agreed to the interviews
with Frost. The premier episode drawing a record 45
million viewers, the largest audience for a political
interview in history. Nixon believed the interviews would restore his standing in
the public eye. They did not. In the end Nixon never
admitted to any wrongdoing, but Frost managed to elicit something of an
apology from Nixon to the American people.
The Frost/Nixon interview would inspire a play and subsequently a film,
starring Michael Sheen as Frost, and Frank Langella
as Nixon. Frost would interview many more of the 20th century's notable figures,
from prime ministers and presidents, to entertainers like Paul McCartney.
He died at age 74 after suffering a heart attack while aboard a cruise ship, MS Queen Elizabeth. All Hallows churchyard is where we find
ourselves now, in Tillington. Here is the final resting place of June
Whitfield. She had a long career performing in
radio, television, on stage and in film. She's known for her many sitcom roles,
including Beggar My Neighbor, Happy Ever After, and perhaps most
notably in Absolutely Fabulous, which first aired in 1992. She also
appeared in four of the Carry On series of films.
June lived to be 93. This beautiful cemetery is in Somerset.
It's called Townsend cemetery. If you happen upon a tombstone that resembles a
tiny stage it might just belong to Lynda Bellingham.
Her television roles include the sitcoms, All Creatures Great
and Small, and Second Thoughts, as well as the role of the inquisitor on
Doctor Who. Television audiences also remember her
for her long-running series of television commercials
as the Oxo Mum. Later in life she would appear as a panelist on the talk show
Loose Women. And like her tombstone here, Lynda found a home on stage
performing in plays throughout London. She died at age 66 after a battle with
cancer. Next up: St Peter and Saint Paul
churchyard, in Northamptonshire. Here lies Derek Nimmo. He's known for
playing a series of comedic ministerial roles on television in the 60s and 70s,
in the sitcoms All Gas and Gaiters, Oh Brother, and O Father.
He also had small roles in films like Casino Royale, and A Hard
Day's Night. Nimmo was also a regular on the West End
stage. In 1999 while recovering in the hospital
after falling down the stairs Derek Nimmo contracted pneumonia and
later passed. He was 68. In Richmond, just outside of London, is
this beautiful little church, Saint Mary Magdalene.
Let's head inside. Within these sacred walls is a giant of
cinema, Richard Attenborough. His breakout film
role came in the 1947 gangster film Brighton Rock, as Pinkie Brown. Subsequent
roles include The Great Escape and 10 Rillington Place. But his biggest
successes as an actor would come later in life,
perhaps best remembered as John Hammond in the Jurassic Park movies. "Doctor Grant, my dear Doctor Sattler, welcome to Jurassic Park." During this time he would also play
Kris Kringle in the remake of Miracle on 34th Street.
Behind the camera he achieved a claim for his work directing and producing the
film Gandhi, in 1982. The film earned him
two Oscars, for best picture and best director.
Richard Attenborough lived to be 90. He was the brother of naturalist David
Attenborough, and his wife, Sheila Sim, was also an
actor. Her breakout film role came in 1944's A
Canterbury Tale. She would appear with Richard a number
of times, like in the film The Guinea Pig, and in the stage production of Agatha
Christie's The Mouse Trap. She lived to be 93. Resting here
alongside the Attenboroughs are their daughter and granddaughter,
who both perished in the 2004 tsunami. "Dying is easy, comedy is hard." These were
the purported final words of Edmund Kean. He was an actor who, long before Laurence Olivier or even Henry Irving.
was performing Shakespeare on stage. He was the great tragedian of his day,
a contemporary once noting that to see Kean act was like reading Shakespeare by
flashes of lightning. Richard III, Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, King
Lear, all showcasing his range of tragic
emotion and winning over audiences in both England and America.
He was in the midst of performing Othello in 1833 when he collapsed on
stage. Kean died weeks later and was laid to
rest here at Saint Mary Magdalene. Here we also find a cenotaph to Marry
Elizabeth Braddon. She was a Victorian era novelist whose
best-known work, Lady Audley's Secret, was a sensation in 1862. It's been
adapted for film and television a number of times,
including a very early silent film version starring Theda Bara in 1915. After her death in 1915 at age 79 she was laid to rest at Richmond
cemetery, this plaque later placed here in her
honor. In the earth below this tablet are the
remains of 18th century poet James Thomson,
who wrote the beautiful poems "The Seasons," and "The Castle of Indolence,"
as well as the lyrics for the patriotic song, "Rule Britannia." He died in 1748 age 47. Let's head now to Somerset and Saint Gregory's churchyard. This is where we find funny man Frankie
Howerd. The beloved stammering comedic actor is known for roles in films and
television like The Lady Killers, Up Pompeii -- which began as a TV series
and was later made into a film -- and a couple of the Carry On films. He also earned high praise for his
performance on stage in the London production of A Funny Thing Happened on
the Eay to the Forum. American audiences probably best know
him as Mr Mustard in Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club
Band. Frankie Howerd died from heart failure at the age of 75. Beatles fans well know that there was once a man known as the fifth Beatle.
We're at All Saints Churchyard in Coleshill. Here lies George Martin. He was a record producer, engineer, arranger, and composer,
whose in-depth collaboration with the Beatles in producing their albums and
crafting their sounds would earn him the moniker as the fifth
Beatle. The Beatles auditioned for Martin in 1962, and though not immediately
convinced, they eventually won him over. They
recorded their first hit in October of that year at Abbey Road studios...
it was "Love Me Do." In the years that followed, Martin would
not only produce but help arrange their songs,
particularly with the use of orchestral instruments.
My favorite Beatles song is "Eleanor Rigby," which features a string arrangement by
Martin, inspired by legendary film composer
Bernard Herrmann. Among the albums George Martin produced
are Abbey Road, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album,
Revolver, Help, A Hard Day's Night, and more. He also
produced novelty and comedy records with the likes of Peter Sellers and Spike
Milligan. George Martin died in 2016 at the age of
90. On to another of England's magnificent
churchyards. the perfect Halloween backdrop. This is Saint Mary's in Balcombe, West
Sussex, where rests Paul Scofield, an acclaimed actor whose voice split the
silence and whose whisper cast a spell. He's counted among the great
Shakespearean actors of all time. He's perhaps best remembered for his
West End and Broadway role playing Sir Thomas Moore in A Man for all
Seasons. The role won him the Tony. He reprised
the rule in the 1966 film version of A Man for all Seasons,
winning the Oscar for his performance. And having won an Emmy for Male of the
Species, he was one of the very early actors to
win the triple crown of acting: a Tony, Oscar, and Emmy... not to mention a
Golden Globe and a couple of BAFTAs. Other notable stage roles include
originating Antonio Salieri in Peter Shaffer's Amadeus; and other
notable film roles include the judge in The Crucible.
His stage is dark now, silence reclaims him, having passed away
in 2008 from leukemia. Our next stop is Christ Churchyard in
Shamley Green, Surrey. Here we find the grave of Tony Hart.
Time and the elements have unfortunately rendered his stone rather difficult to
read. Tony was the sort of Mr Rogers meets Bob
Ross to British audiences, an affable television presenter who
inspired children to draw and paint on BBC television for decades.
He began appearing on TV in the 50s including on the popular children's
program Blue Peter. He would win two BAFTAs for his
children's educational programming, and more important than that, inspire and
touch the hearts of millions of children. He died at age 83, a small bird drawn by
Hart featured here on his marker. Also here at Christchurch is Welsh
entertainer, Harry Secombe. He was an actor, singer, and comedian,
known for the British radio comedy the Goon Show.
As an accomplished singer he also appeared in musicals, perhaps most
notably as Mr Bumble in the 1968 film adaptation
of Oliver. He was knighted in 1981, and jokingly referred to himself as
Sir Cumference, alluding to his rotund physique. He died
from cancer at age 79. Let's head to Toddington Parish Cemetery,
where those familiar English rains have begun to fall, to find
one of Harry Secombe's Oliver co-stars, Jack Wild,
who will forever be known as the impish Artful Dodger,
the role he played in Oliver when he was just 15. He was nominated for both an
Oscar and a BAFTA for his performance in Oliver. "My name is Oliver, Oliver Twist." "And mine's Jack Dawkins,
better known among me more intimate friends as the Artful Dodger." "Pleased to meet you Mr Dodger!
Sure the old gentleman won't mind?" "Mind? Consider yourself at home..." He would follow up Oliver with a
starring role in the TV series HR Pufnstuf. He was just 53 when he died
from cancer. The music here on his stone is Scott
Joplin's "The Entertainer." That he certainly was. To find the man who directed Seacombe and
Wild in Oliver we head to Gunnersbury Cemetery
in Acton, West London. Here lies Carol Reed.
Having established himself as both an actor and director on stage, Reed began
making films in the 30s and 40s, including Night Train to Munich. He would
receive back-to-back Oscar nominations for The Fallen Idol,
and The Third Man ,in 1950 and 1951. But his Oscar win would come by way of
his best known film, the 1968 musical production of Charles
Dickens classic, Oliver. It would win four additional
Oscars, including best film. Reed died from a heart attack at age 69. Also here at Gunnersbury we find Lynden
David Hall. He was an R&B singer and songwriter who
rose to fame in the late 90s. His debut album Medicine 4 My Pain
produced a few popular singles including "Do I Qualify," and "Sexy
Cinderella." In 1999 he was voted best male artist in
Blues and Soul magazine. He can also be seen as the wedding
singer in Love Actually. Lynden was diagnosed with Hodgkin's
lymphoma in 2003, and died a few years later at just 31. Next to Hall is Saeed Jaffrey, an actor who became a star in his native India
before taking his talents to British and American productions,
becoming one of the preeminent Asian actors of his day.
Among his notable films are The Man Who Would be King, Gandhi,
A Passage to India, and My Beautiful Laundrette, which earned him a BAFTA
nomination. He also made his mark on British
television in shows like The Jewel in the Crown. Jeffrey was the
first Asian to be awarded the Order of the British empire
in 1995. He lived to be 86. We now find ourselves at St Nicholas
church in Harpenden. On the grounds of this church are
plaques to those whose ashes were scattered or buried on these grounds.
Among them, Eric Morecambe, half of legendary comic duo, Morecambe and Wise,
with Ernie Wise. Their show, The Morecambe and Wise Show, would become a national
institution, particularly their record-setting 1977
Christmas show. And the partnership, which would last
over four decades, would make Morecambe one of Britain's most beloved comedians of
all time. In 1984, after a charity performance at
the Roses Theater, Eric stepped off stage and collapsed
from a heart attack, later dying at the age of 58. This is Weybridge Cemetery in Surrey. And this wooden cross marks the final
resting place of Frank Finlay. He was an actor perhaps best remembered
for his Oscar-nominated supporting role in Laurence Olivier's Othello, as Iago -
a role he also played on stage. On television he played Jean Valjean in Les
Miserables, and the lead role in Casanova. And this
Christmas if you watch A Christmas Carol he played the ghost of Jacob Marley
alongside George C Scott. Frank Finlay died from heart failure at
the age of 89. Welcome to Saint Michael and All Angels
church in Rushock, southwest of Birmingham. On these grounds
is the grave bedecked with drumsticks and cymbals, and for good reason.
Here lies John Bonham, drummer for the legendary rock band
Led Zeppelin. Known for his speed and power, Bonham is considered one of rock's
greatest and most influential drummers. Led
Zeppelin formed in London in 1968, and would become the biggest band in the
world, their hits including "Whole Lotta Love," "Immigrant Song," and "Stairway to Heaven." Bonham was also known for lengthy and elaborate
drum solos during live performances, showcasing his musicianship. In 1980
after a night of heavy drinking Bonham died in his sleep, choking on his
own vomit. He was just 32. Led Zeppelin disbanded
after Bonham's death. In 2016 Rolling Stone named him the
number one greatest drummer of all time. We're in Gerrard's Cross now, in
Buckinghamshire and St James churchyard. Here rests a blithe spirit,
Margaret Rutherford. The inscription on her grave is a reference to her roles in the stage and
screen productions of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit.
She won an academy award and a golden globe for her role as the Duchess of
Brighton in the 1963 film The VIPs. But to many, Margaret Rutherford
will always be remembered as the quintessential
Miss Marple, having portrayed the Agatha Christie sleuth in five films,
including a small cameo in The Alphabet Murders, beginning with 1961's
Murder, She Said. "Now you saw that, didn't you? Didn't you?! Do you think
anyone will believe us?" Agatha Christie dedicated her 1962 book,
The Mirror Cracked from Side to Side to Margaret Rutherford, in admiration.
She died from Alzheimer's at the age of 80. Margaret was married to actor Stringer Davis. He appeared alongside his wife in
several of her films as Mr Stringer. He died just over a year after Margaret
at the age of 74. For our last stop of the day we visit a
man who we've featured in previous special editions,
like Halloween and Christmas, but we've never featured his actual grave as part
of our regular series. So here we are once again at Guildford
Crematorium to visit the man, the monster, the legend, Boris Karloff,
one of the great icons of horror cinema. For decades Boris Karloff terrified
audiences as monsters, mad scientists, maniacs and
more. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster
in Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, and Son of Frankenstein, in the 30s,
would not only make him immortal, they would come
to define our many perceptions of Mary Shelley's undead creation.
He also played Imhotep, the mummy, and co-starred with Bela Lugosi in The
Black Cat. He menaced characters on stage as
well, including as a homicidal gangster in the
original broadway production of Arsenic and Old Lace. In the 60s he would
thrill television audiences hosting an anthology series,
Thriller -- a slightly more macabre analog of The Twilight Zone.
And when it came time to cast the voice of a character whose heart was two sizes
too small, a green fella by the name of Grinch,
Karloff was the perfect fit, in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. "I must find some way to keep
Christmas from coming." Boris Karloff died of pneumonia at the age of 81.
He was cremated, his ashes laid to rest here in the Garden of Remembrance.
Inside the crematorium is a Book of Remembrance, which reads of Karloff: A great man and a great actor, dearly and universally loved
by all who knew him. To live in hearts we leave behind
is not to die. 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.
