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 of Forest Lawn Glendale at the Great Mausoleum, where we'll find such stars and Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Michael Jackson, and many more. Join us won't you? The Great Mausoleum - it's not a misnomer. This is truly one of the most spectacular houses of the dead in all the world - a fitting resting place for some of Hollywood's greatest legends. If crypts are real estate, then this is the Beverly Hills of the afterlife. Walls of marble and every hue from white to green, pink, and gold, illuminated with natural light from skylights and stained-glass windows, the grandest of which is the centerpiece of the Memorial Court of Honor: the 30-foot stained-glass depiction of Da Vinci's Last Supper, created by Italian artist Rosa Moretti. It took six years to complete and was dedicated in 1931. Those who were entombed here in the Memorial Court are deemed "immortals" by the Forest Lawn Council of Regents - the Masters entombed in the shadows of the masterpieces. In the midst of the noise and chaos of LA there's a strange and welcome sort of serenity here. You can feel the history in the air. Ten thousand souls, each with a story to be told - if only we could tell them all. Well, we'll tell as many as we can and get as close as we can, though some areas are off-limits to the public. Regardless, this is a site not to be missed in the City of Angels. The Great Mausoleum is just southeast of the main entrance. Our first stop is actually along the wall to the west of the mausoleum. Author Louis L'Amour was a popular novelist who wrote primarily in the western genre. Many of his stories were made into movies, including "Hondo" starring John Wayne, for which L'Amour was nominated for an Oscar for best writing. Let's head into the Memorial Terrace of the Great Mausoleum. About halfway down the main corridor on the right are the Dolly Sisters. Popular vaudeville performers in identical twins Rosie and Jenny were known as the Dolly Sisters. Beginning in 1911 they appeared for two seasons in the Ziegfeld Follies. In 1918 they appeared in their only film together, a semi-autobiographical film "The Million Dollar Dollies." Years later in 1945 a biopic was made about the sisters starring Betty Grable as Jenny and June Haver as Rosie. At the end of Cathedral corridor is the winged In Memoria statue that marks the final resting place of one of Hollywood's most beloved actresses: Elizabeth Taylor. When a young Elizabeth Taylor arrived in Los Angeles with her family in 1939 Hollywood immediately took notice of this rare beauty with violet eyes. By the age of nine Elizabeth landed her first film role. Three years later her role in "National Velvet" would make her an international star at the tender age of 12. Unlike many child actors, Taylor made the tricky transition into adulthood with ease and grace, becoming one of the great screen legends of Hollywood's golden era. Some of her more notable roles include "Butterfield 8," and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," both of which earned her an Oscar for Best Actress She married eight times, twice to her Cleopatra co-star Richard Burton The first corridor on the right of the Memorial Court leads us to the Sanctuary of Trust. Half way down on the left is Clark Gable. Known as the King of Hollywood, Clark Gable personifies the debonair leading man of Hollywood's golden age. While his career spanned nearly 40 years with films like "It Happened One Night," he will forever be remembered for his oscar-nominated portrayal of Rhett Butler in "Gone with the Wind." "Rhett!" "Rhett! If you go, where shall I go, what shall I do?" "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." His final film was "The Misfits" with Marilyn Monroe, which, incidentally, was her final film as well. Clark is entombed next to his wife Carole Lombard. By the end of the 1930s the highest-paid and perhaps most popular actress in Hollywood was Carole Lombard. This blond-haired, blue-eyed, and often foul-mouthed beauty won over the hearts of audiences with her zany and screwball comedic performances in films like "20th Century," and "My Man Godfrey," the latter earning her a Best Actress Oscar nomination. Her promising career was cut far too short when she died in a plane crash at the age of 33 while returning home from a war bond rally. President Roosevelt described Carole as the first woman to die for her country in World War II, and she was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. At the end of the Sanctuary of Trust is David O. Selznick, who is best remembered as producer of the 1939 film "Gone With the Wind," which, adjusted for inflation, is the highest grossing film of all time. It also won an astounding eight Oscars. Selznick also produced Hitchcock's "Rebecca," and "King Kong." Selznick's wife Jennifer Jones is also reportedly buried here, though there is no marker for her. Jennifer was an actress who won an Oscar for her role in the 1943 film "The Song of Bernadette." She became an advocate for mental health and education after their daughter, also entombed here, committed suicide. Let's head back to the Memorial Court and past the Last Supper Window on the right. This is as far as we'll get. Access beyond this point is restricted to property owners. Just around the corner, at the end of the Sanctuary of Meditation, is the Man with 1000 Faces: Lon Chaney. Considered Hollywood's first character actor, Lon Chaney was a far cry from the typical leading man. More often than not he played monsters, criminals, and other tortured souls. In addition he was a renowned makeup artist, personally crafting the appearance of his characters to match the personality he created for them. His films include "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," and "The Phantom of the Opera." The unmasking scene in Phantom quickly became one of the most iconic moments in film, and reportedly was so shocking it caused many theater patrons to scream and faint. On the other side of the Memorial Court of Honor, near the middle of the Sanctuary of Vespers, just above eye-level, is Russ Columbo. Before Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, Russ Columbo with one of Hollywood's original crooners. His hits include "Prisoner of Love," and "You Call It Madness, But I Call It Love." [music] He died in a freak accident at only 26 when a friend accidentally shot him as they examined the friend's gun collection. We'll head back past the In Memoria statue. The first corridor on the right is the Sanctuary of Benediction. The first room on the left belongs to Red Skelton. Comedian and TV clown Red Skelton is best remembered for his long-running TV show "The Red Skelton Show," which ran from 1951 to 1971. He was also an avid painter, often painting clowns. Next to Skelton as theater mogul Sid Grauman, founder of many of early Hollywood's movie palaces, the most famous of which his Grauman's Chinese Theater - now TCL Chinese Theatre. Many of Hollywood's great films premiered at the Chinese Theatre, including Star Wars. And if you've ever placed your hands in Marilyn Monroe's handprints, or compared shoes size with John Wayne, you can thank Sid Grauman. Further down this corridor on the right is Marie Dressler. Oscar-winning actress Marie Dressler is perhaps best remembered for her role as Tugboat Annie in the eponymous film, and as Min in "Min and Bill." She was an unconventional leading lady in early Hollywood due to her age and relatively plain appearance. But despite this she was Hollywood's number one box office draw in the early 30s. "Platinum Blonde:" a term coined for our next star, Jean Harlow - Hollywood's first blonde bombshell. In the age of the brunette Jean glowed on screen with her angelic white hair - a look that would influence future Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe. She starred in films like "The Public Enemy," and "Platinum Blonde," a film originally titled "Gallagher" but renamed to promote Harlow. Her breakout role was in Howard Hughes' 1930 film "Hell's Angels." "Would you be shocked if I put on something more comfortable?" "I'll try to survive." Jean fell ill in 1937 while filming "Saratoga." Initially misdiagnosed as influenza she slipped into a coma and died on June 7th from kidney disease. She was just 26. She was buried in the gown she wore in "Libeled Lady," in her hands a note from her lover, William Powell, which read "goodnight my dearest darling." Her crypt reads "Our Baby." Jean's mother is entombed below her, and the crypt above her was rumored to be originally reserved for Powell, but he's buried in Cathedral City, so this crypt may remain forever vacant. At the end of this corridor is Irving Thalberg. Film producer Irving Thalberg was the Boy Wonder of Hollywood. He accomplished more in his 37 years than most do in a lifetime. At the age of 26 he became head of production at MGM and turned the budding studio into the most successful studio in Hollywood. He innovated film production with practices still used today, such as story conferences, sneak previews, and ensemble casts. He had an uncanny knack for bringing all the right elements of a film together - from script to actors to production teams - to make it profitable. He produced many of Lon Chaney's films including "Laugh Clown Laugh." Also entombed here is Irving's wife, Norma Shearer, who was one of the most popular actresses of the 20s and 30s. She is considered an early pioneer of feminism in cinema with many of her pre-code roles in which she often portrayed sexually liberated women. Some of her more popular films include "The Women," "Marie Antoinette," and "The Divorcee," for which she won an Academy Award. "To be good is to be forgotten. I'm going to be so bad I'll always be remembered." Our next star was delightfully bad, and she will most definitely always be remembered. Theda Bara was cinema's first sex symbol, and the original Vamp. Her carefully crafted image was that of the dark and exotic temptress, the femme fatale, gothic, dangerous, and sinfully alluring with her scandalous and revealing pre-code outfits. Her films include "Cleopatra," and "The She-Devil." Tragically, though, we may never have a chance to see them. Most of her films were lost in the 1937 Fox vault fire. This footage you see here is all that is believed to remain of "Cleopatra," made a century ago. Further in on the left is Jack Carson, one of Hollywood's favorite comic-relief supporting actors. His films include "Arsenic and Old Lace," and "Mildred Pierce." At the end of the Columbarium, below the Memory Window, are two of the three Andrews Sisters: LaVerne and Maxene. The Andrews Sisters were one of the most popular female singing groups of the first half of the 20th century, specializing in close harmony swing and boogie-woogie. [music] Just outside the columbarium is a stairway down to the Dahlia Terrace. Let's stop a moment to admire the Poet's Corridor. These 13 stained-glass windows lined the wall above the sarcophagi, each depicting vignettes from poetic and literary works. Beautiful. Continuing down to the lower levels we reach the Begonia Corridor two floors down. On the right, about halfway in, is silent film comedy legend, Harold Lloyd. Alongside Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd is responsible for some of the most iconic imagery of the silent era. He was one of the original founding members of the Motion Picture Academy, and believe it or not, was the inspiration for Superman's alter ego Clark Kent. Harold was renowned for the intense physicality and danger of his gags and stunts, most of which he performed himself. His wife and often leading lady, actress Mildred Davis, is entombed next to him. And look, someone left a pair of his iconic glasses. The lowest and oldest level of the mausoleum is the Azalea Terrace. Just off the staircase on the left is the urn of Wallace Reid. Before Rudolph Valentino Wallace Reid was considered the silent screen's most perfect lover - one of Hollywood's first male heartthrobs. His first role within the 1910 film "The Phoenix." Over the next 10 years he would star in some 200 films including "Birth of a Nation" in 1915. Reid was injured in a train crash on the set of the movie "The Valley of the Giants." He was given morphine for the pain but quickly became addicted. His drug and alcohol abuse, coupled with overwork, led him to a sanitarium at the age of 31, where he would die a short time later in the arms of his beloved wife, Dorothy. All the way at the end of this corridor is Ben Turpin. Ben Turpin was a living cartoon, and a staple in silent comedies of the teens and 20s. His crossed eyes, thick fake mustache, and lanky frame were his stock-in-trade. In 1917 he joined the Mack Sennett Studio, the leading comedy studio in Hollywood at the time. He went on to star in over 200 films, working alongside many other comic greats of the era, including Charlie Chaplin. He's believed to be the recipient of Hollywood's first pie-in-the-face gag in 1909. That'll do it for this part of the mausoleum. Let's head back outside. Just across the street from the Memorial Terrace entrance is the grave of Jean Hersholt, a Danish actor who is best remembered for his 17-year role on the radio series "Dr. Christian." He also played Shirley Temple's grandfather on "Heidi." The statue on his grave is Klods Hans, a Hans Christian Andersen character. The remaining sections of the Great Mausoleum, the Fuchsia, Gardenia, Holly, iris and Jasmine Terraces, are closed to the general public, so we'll have to visit the stars resting there from afar. The archway that connects the two main sections of the mausoleum is the Fuchsia Terrace. Here we find the niche of Ed Wynn. You may not know him by name, but as soon as you hear his voice you'll recognize him. A Disney Legend, Wynn provided the voice for the Mad Hatter in the original "Alice in Wonderland." "There was that wonderful Ed Wynn, having the time of his life inspiring the artists as the voice of the Mad Hatter." "Butter! Butter oh thank you. Butter, yes, that's fine. Oh this is the very best butter! What are you talking about? Tea! Oh I never thought tea, of course! Tea! Hehe. Sugar, two spoons! Two spoons, thank you, yes. Jam, I forgot all about the jam!" "Mustard?" "Mustard, yes... Mustard!? Don't let's be silly!" He got his start in vaudeville and was principally a comedic actor, as seen in many Disney Productions like "Mary Poppins." However he did shine in several dramatic roles including a few turns on "The Twilight Zone," and as Mr. Albert Dussell in "The Diary of Anne Frank," for which he received an Academy Award nomination. Buried alongside Ed is his son, Keenan. While never leading-man Keenan Wynn was a popular character actor in Hollywood for over 40 years. He can be seen in nearly 300 films and television shows. including "Dr. Strangelove," and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." The Fuchsia Terrace leads right into the Holly Terrace. Right at the entrance of the Holly Terrace is the Columbarium of Nativity. On the wall to the left is WC Fields. Lovable misanthrope and comic actor WC Fields got his start as a juggler in vaudeville, and soon became a regular comedian in the Ziegfeld Follies. He transitioned from stage to screen during the silent era starring in around 40 films in his career, including "Million Dollar Legs," and "International House." We've now arrived at the Holly Terrace, whose most famous occupant is surely Michael Jackson, the undisputed King of Pop. He got its start as the youngest member of the Jackson 5, a popular musical group featuring Michael and four of his older brothers. as Michael grew into his own he became one of the most prominent figures in popular music through the 70s and 80s. Some of his biggest hits include "Thriller," "Billie Jean," and "Beat It." His 1982 album "Thriller" is the best-selling album of all time' [music] When most people visit Michael they come here to the entrance to the Holly Terrace. But to get truly close to him stand here on the west side at the base of the three Ascension Windows that surround his sarcophagus. Like me Michael was a huge fan of Edgar Allen Poe. If only I had Poe's gift for descriptive language I could paint a much better picture for you of the beauty and grandeur of Michael's resting place. Words and these images do it very little justice. His white marble sarcophagus rests at the end of the Sanctuary of Ascension. As the afternoon sun shines through the tall windows that surround Michael, it paints the sarcophagus with brilliant strokes of blue, green, red, and gold. Gothic arches frame his tomb, reaching high into the vaulted ceiling. There's a quiet majesty here that can be found nowhere else in LA. A truly fitting final destination for the King of Pop. Michael's untimely death at the age of 50 was caused by administration of dangerous levels of propofol by his physician. His death turned into a media frenzy and, understandably wanting privacy, the family chose this secluded location today Michael to rest. It is sad though to think that Michael who loved his fans so dearly will forever be locked away from them behind mausoleum doors. Maybe someday the family and Forest Lawn will decide to open the doors and allow fans to pay their respects at Michael's tomb... even if only for a day. But until then we will continue to send our love through the mausoleum walls. Many other legends lie deep within the quiet and locked halls of the Great Mausoleum, including actors James Arness and William Boyd, cartoonist Joe Barbera, composers Alfred Newman and Max Steiner, and renowned yoga guru, Paramahansa Yogananda. 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! So I mentioned earlier how I'm a fan of Edgar Allen Poe. Well here's some proof: an Edgar Allan Poe-pourri car freshener. It smells like angst, with just a hint of madness.
