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 head back to Forest Lawn
Memorial Park in Glendale, to visit such stars as William Boyd, Alla Nazimova,
James Arness, and many more. Join us won't you? Forest Lawn Glendale - a cemetery
whose fame matches many of the stars buried here. We visited this stunning
cemetery a year ago, but came nowhere close to seeing all there is to see here.
Not just in terms of famous graves but art, architecture, and gorgeous vistas.
There's enough here to fill a library. And so we're back again to visit some
stars we missed the first time around, and enjoy some more of the beautiful
splendor that is Forest Lawn. In fact, there's still so much to see, even our
revisit will be broken up into two parts. Today we once again explore the hallowed
halls of the Great Mausoleum - a concrete and marble gothic cathedral
for the dead, inspired by Campo Santo in Genoa, Italy,
and built to last a thousand years. Construction of the Great Mausoleum
began in 1917 with the Azalea Terrace, and proceeded in alphabetical order from
there the terraces all named for flowers: Begonia, Coleus, Dahlia, Evergreen
Fuchsia, Gardenia, Holly, Iris,
and Jasmine. And the centerpiece, the crown jewel, is the Memorial Terrace,
completed in 1931. In these halls we are surrounded by, to quote Forest Lawn
founder Hubert Eaton, noble architecture with interiors full of light and color,
and redolent of the world's best history and romances. He goes on: Forest Lawn
shall become a place where lovers new and old shall love to stroll and watch
the sunset's glow, planning for the future or reminiscing
on the past. Today we shall revel in the reminiscence of the past. If you haven't
done so already, be sure to check out our original three-part tour of Forest Lawn
Glendale. We'll begin our tour just in from the
entrance on the right, in the Whispering Pines section. Oh boy, you remember this
hill? I'm not as young as I was a year ago. Let's use Hollywood magic to get up
the hill this time. And here we are at the grave of John Gilbert. He was one of
the silent era's great lovers, a debonair leading man of films such as The Merry
Widow, The Big Parade, and His Hour. At the
height of his career his popularity rivaled that of Rudolph Valentino. He
also starred alongside Greta Garbo in a number of films, their on-screen
chemistry spilling off screen in a much-publicized love affair. They had
planned to marry, but Garbo famously jilted him at the altar.
Like so many, Gilbert's career began to wane when the talkies came around.
Depression and alcoholism began to take their toll on his health, and in 1936 he
suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 36. Let's continue in toward the mausoleum
and stop at the fork in the road. On the right is still the Whispering Pines
section. In from the road several rows, around where the graves change
direction, we find madam Alla Nazimova, the exotic Russian-born actress of the
silent era, known as much for her flamboyant lifestyle as for her
performances. The stage made her a star, She made her silent film debut in the 1916 filmed
version of the play, War Brides. Hollywood success quickly followed, in films like
Revelation, Camille, and Salome. Nazimova wielded considerable power
among women in Hollywood in the late teens early 20s, and as perhaps one of
Hollywood's first known lesbian actresses, was involved romantically with
a number of them. Nazimova is believed to have coined the phrase "sewing circle,"
referring to lesbian and bisexual actresses of the day who were forced to
conceal their true sexuality. Toward the tree several spaces is the grave of
composer and songwriter Frank Churchill. He's best known today for his work for
Disney, writing songs and score for a number of Silly Symphonies and animated
features. His song, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" written for the Three
Little Pigs in 1933, actually became a huge commercial hit. [music] He wrote songs for Disney's first feature,
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. iconic songs like "Heigh-Ho," and
"Whistle While You Work." Other films include Bambi
and Dumbo. He was nominated for an Oscar for the song "Baby Mine" from Dumbo, and "Love is a Song" from Bambi. He won the Oscar for Best Score for
Dumbo. Churchill suffered from depression, and in 1942 died from a self-inflicted
gunshot wound while sitting at his piano. He was 40. Let's make our way now to the
Great Mausoleum. As mentioned in our previous tour, many of the sections of the Great Mausoleum can only be reached by those who have access to these
private areas. We'll begin in the publicly accessible area, the Memorial Terrace. Just in from the entrance on the left is the Memorial Terrace Columbarium, where we find the niche and colorful urn of Bobby Womack. He was a singer who,
along with his brothers, made up the 60s R&B group The Valentinos, whose hits
include "Looking for a Love." The group was discovered by Sam Cooke who would help
launch their careers. After The Valentinos Bobby went on to have a
successful solo career. He was also a prolific songwriter, penning a number of
hits, including the Rolling Stones first UK hit, "It's All Over Now." In 2009 he was
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Further in on the right is the Sanctuary of Benediction where Sid Grauman is
entombed. Also here is another theater mogul, Alexander Pantages. If you've ever
seen a Broadway play in Hollywood, there's a good chance you saw it at the
Pantages Theatre. Pantages was a vaudeville impresario who created a
powerful circuit of theaters across the U.S. and Canada, promoting the movie
palace concept that became popular in early Hollywood. The Hollywood Pantages
Theatre, which opened in 1930, was the last one he built. Over the years it has
exhibited not only Broadway shows but film premieres and even the Academy
Awards. The next corridor down is the Columbarium of Memory. Right by the
entrance on the right is the niche of Ellen Corby. She was an actress perhaps
best remembered for her role as grandma on The Waltons, a role which earned her
three Emmy Awards. [music] She can also be seen in films like
Vertigo and I Remember Mama, which earned her an Oscar nomination. At the end of
this corridor, beneath the Memory Window, is the niche of Rex Ingram. He was
considered one of the great directors of the silent era, known for ambitious and
often surreal films, with a dash of macabre fantasy. His films include The
Magician, The Prisoner of Zenda, and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,
the film which turned an unknown Rudolph Valentino into a star. He died of a
cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 58. The Memorial Court of Honor - here we are
again at the magnificent Last Supper Window. Beneath the window is a row of
crypts that money can't buy, for those the Forests Lawn Council of Regents has
deemed "immortals" - individuals who have contributed a service to humanity. Let's
find out who these immortals are: Glenn Dumke, an educator who served as
Chancellor of the California State University system for 20 years. Rudolph Friml, a composer and concert pianist. His works include Rose Marie and
The Vagabond King. Hubert Eaton, the man himself builder of Forest Lawn. His actual crypt is to the right across the Court of Honor. Eaton became president to
Forest Lawn in 1917, the realization of his belief that death was not an end but
a new beginning, and that cemeteries should be a place as well for the living,
filled with the beauty of art and nature. Rufus von Kleinsmid, an educator and
president of my alma mater, USC - fight on! Jan Styka, a Polish painter of
Christian and historical art. One of his massive panoramas, The Crucifixion, is
here at Forest Lawn in the Hall of the Crucifixion and Resurrection, a building
constructed specifically to house this massive painting.
It's 195 feet long and 45 feet high. After his death in 1925,
Styka was originally buried in Rome. Decades later Eaton arranged to have his
remains relocated here. Robert Andrews Millikan, a scientist and educator who
won the Nobel Prize for his work to help us understand the nature of light, atoms,
and electrons. Carrie Jacobs-Bond, an early 20th century songwriter. Her biggest hit was "I Love You Truly," making her the first woman to sell 1 million
copies of a song. [music] Other hits include "A Perfect Day." And Gutzon Borglum, a sculptor known for his large-scale sculptures, most notably
Mount Rushmore. The sculpture, hewn from the Black Hills of South Dakota, features
60-foot carvings of four presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln. One last little intriguing nugget: at the Last Supper window
dedication Forest Lawn sealed items in a time capsule, to be opened in the year
3000. Here we are now in the Evergreen Terrace. On the stairway landing between
the Evergreen and Fuchsia Terraces, we find the sarcophagus of comedian Joe
Penner. While not as well remembered today as some of his contemporaries, in
the 30s Penner was a top-tier entertainer.
His light and zany foolishness was panacea for a nation suffering under the
Great Depression. His biggest success was on the radio,
voted radio's top comedian in 1934. He was famous for his catchphrase, "Wanna buy a
duck?" So popular was this shtick that even Disney parodied it in Mother Goose
Goes to Hollywood. "You wanna buy a duck?" "You wanna buy a duck?" He can also be seen in a handful of films, like New Faces of
1937. His career was cut far too short when he died of heart failure at just 36.
He rests beneath the beautiful Children's Window here in the Great
Mausoleum. We've now arrived at the Fuchsia Terrace. Many of the stars we'll
visit from here on out we paid tribute to from afar in part two of our original
tour, but today we'll see if we can't get up close and personal.
If so we'll revisit them briefly, but for more on these individuals be sure to
check out part two. This archway between the two main buildings is the Columbarium of the Dawn. Here we find the niche of Ed Wynn, fondly remembered today
for lending his distinctive voice to characters like The Mad Hatter in
Disney's Alice in Wonderland, and playing Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins. "How nice! I was hoping you'd turn up! - "Turn up!"
- "We always have such a jolly time!" "We love to laugh, loud and long and clear..." His career
spanned generations, from vaudeville to radio, film, and television.
He was the Toymaker in Babes in Toyland, and earned an Oscar nomination for his
role in the Diary of Anne Frank. Also here is Ed's son, Keenan Wynn, who was also
a prolific character actor. Keenan can be seen in hundreds of film and TV roles,
including Song of the Thin Man, and Annie Get Your Gun. Further in is the
Columbarium of the Nativity, where we find Hollywood's favorite misanthrope, W.C.
Fields. A comedian of legendary status today, his career began humbly as a
juggler on vaudeville. He then made his way to Broadway and film becoming known
for roles as scoundrels and henpecked men, but always with an intelligent wit
behind them. "Ah, good morning. I have an engagement for a story conference." "You big hotty-dotty! You smoke vile cigars all day and drink
whiskey half the night! Someday you'll drown in a vat of whiskey!" "Drown in a vat of whiskey - death where is thy sting?" Fields wished to be cremated after his
death, but his family resisted on religious grounds.
It wasn't until two years after his death that he was finally cremated and
inurned here. On the wall opposite of Fields is the
niche of Henry Travers. He was an actor best remembered for playing Clarence the
loveable guardian angel to Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey on the perennial
Christmas classic, It's a Wonderful Life. "Why'd you want to save me?" "That's what I was sent down for,
I'm your guardian angel." "I wouldn't be a bit surprised." "Ridiculous of you to think of killing yourself for money... $8,000." "Yeah, now, it's just things like that. How do you know that?" "I told you I'm your guardian angel,
I know everything about you.' "Well you look about like the kind of an
angel I'd get." Other films include Mrs. Miniver, which earned him an Oscar
nomination. We've now arrived at the elusive Holly Terrace, which, next to the
Memorial Terrace, most closely resembles a Gothic cathedral, with its magnificent
soaring arches, dim lighting, hanging lamps, and stained-glass windows. Its majesty reserved, for the most part, for the dead. As we make our way through the
quiet halls of the Holly Terrace, we would be remiss if we didn't stop and
pay our respects to one of the 20th century's greatest and most beloved
musical performers, resting here at the end of the Sanctuary of Ascension, the
King of Pop, Michael Jackson, his sarcophagus painted in colorful light
from the Ascension Windows. He's a man who needs no introduction and will not
soon be forgotten. Michael rose to prominence on the music scene with his
brothers in the highly successful pop/soul group, the Jackson 5, in the 60s and 70s.
With his popularity on the rise he branched out on his own to pursue a solo
career. By the 80s Michael was a dominant force in music, becoming one of the
best-selling, most awarded artists in history. His hits include "Beat It," "Billie
Jean," "Bad," "Man in the Mirror," "Black or White," and my favorite of his songs,
"Thriller," which just happened to play on the radio the day I visited Michael.
I figure that was his way of saying hello. His 1982 album, Thriller, is the
best-selling album of all time. And the music video for Thriller was
revolutionary, produced as a short horror film, directed by John Landis, and
narrated by the legendary Vincent Price. [music] As he was preparing for his comeback
tour in 2009, This Is It, Michael found it difficult to sleep. His physician began
administering dangerous levels of propofol, which eventually led to cardiac
arrest and Michael's untimely death. He was just 50. Michael was inducted twice
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as well as the Songwriters Hall of Fame. A rare talent, gone too soon. Before we move on,
let's make sure Michael has some flowers. On behalf of millions the world over, Michael, thank you for the music. You are missed. At the end of the Corridor of Reverence is this distinguished sarcophagus, a recreation of Donatello's St. George. This is the final resting
place of philanthropist Howard Ahmanson, who donated to cultural and educational
causes in Los Angeles. He's the namesake of downtown's Ahmanson Theatre, part of the Los Angeles Music Center. We've now arrived at the Corridor
of the Madonna. On the left is the Sanctuary of Twilight, where we find
renowned jazz musician and bandleader, Isham Jones. In the 20s and 30s Jones's
band was one of the most popular dance bands in the country. He was also a
songwriter, some of his biggest hits include, "I'll See You in My Dreams," as
alluded to here on his epitaph, and "It Had to Be You," a number-one hit for five
weeks straight in 1924. [music] Further down the Corridor of the Madonna,
also on the left, is the Sanctuary of Golden Slumber, where we find one of the
most visited sites in the mausoleum, the crypt of renowned yogi and spiritual
guru, Paramahansa Yogananda. Born in India, Yogananda would introduced the west to
the powers of meditation and yoga. In 1920 he founded the spiritual
organization Self-Realization Fellowship. His book, Autobiography of a Yogi, is
considered one of the seminal spiritual guides of the 20th century, and
influenced many great men to follow, from George Harrison to Steve Jobs. After his
death of the age of 59, Forest Lawn's funeral director claimed his body lay in
a state of perfect preservation for twenty days, with no signs of decay
before entombment. His body had been embalmed, though. A documentary was made
about the life of Yogananda, titled, Awake: the Life of Yogananda. Next along this
corridor is the Sanctuary of Eternal Prayer. Here we find one of the fathers
of film music, Alfred Newman. A musical child prodigy, Newman arrived in
Hollywood in the 30s where he soon found himself writing music for 20th Century
Fox. One of his most recognized pieces, reminiscent of a New York street scene,
was used in several films, including the opening of How to Marry a Millionaire. We
even got a glimpse of him conducting. [music] Newman was music director for 20 years
at 20th Century Fox, scoring films like All About Eve, and How
the West Was Won. He won nine Oscars and was nominated a whopping forty five
times, surpassed only by John Williams for a number of nominations for a
composer. Today, though, his most recognized piece of music is probably
the 20th Century Fox Fanfare, composed in 1933. It plays just about any time you
see a movie from 20th Century Fox. [music] Alfred Newman was the head of a dynasty
of composers in Hollywood. His brothers Emil and Lionel were also
music directors and composers. Alfred's son, Thomas, has composed scores for films
like American Beauty, Wall-E, and Skyfall. His son, David, wrote music for films like
The Nutty Professor, and Anastasia. And his daughter, Maria, is a classical composer. His nephew is Randy Newman, who has written music for films like The Natural, and
Pixar films including: Monsters Inc, Cars, and Toy Story. It was Randy who
wrote and performed the song that would become the theme of Pixar, "You've Got a
Friend in Me." The last corridor on the left is the
Sanctuary of Sacred Promise. Here we find the crypt of William Boyd. He's best
known for his portrayal of cowboy hero, Hopalong Cassidy. His career began in the
silent era, starring in a number of Cecil B DeMille films. In 1935 Boyd won the
role of Hopalong Cassidy, a role that would define his career for the rest of
his life. "Give me a tumbler of straight whiskey." "You must have a cast-iron stomach.' "Here's how." "Folks that get careless with guns, ain't got no right carrying 'em." He starred in over 60 films as Hopalong Cassidy. And in the 50s
Hoppy made his way to television, making him televisions first Western hero. Boyd
would go on to bring Hoppy to rodeos, circuses, and parades across the country,
as well as branching out into radio and comic books. He truly was a brand unto
himself. Also entombed here is Boyd's wife, Grace Bradley. She appeared in a
number of comedy and musical films in the 30s and 40s, often as a fun, party-girl. Bill and Grace met and married in 1937. As her career slowed, she eventually
retired from acting to support her husband's career full-time. At the very end of the Corridor of the
Madonna is the Sanctuary of Holy Spirit, where Hermione Gingold is entombed. She
was an English actress, known for her deep voice and sharp tongue. Her forte
was stage performance, particularly in revues. On-screen she can be seen in
films like The Music Man, Around the World in 80 Days, and Gigi, which earned
her a Golden Globe. Looks like Miss Gingold is missing the letter D. Let's
help her out... There we go. Back one corridor is the Sanctuary of Enduring Honor. Here is another man considered one of
the fathers of film music: Max Steiner. He innovated how music was put to film
in the early days of Hollywood, and is responsible for hundreds of classic film
scores, from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, to Casablanca. Perhaps his
best-known score, with one of the most iconic themes in movie history, is Gone
With the Wind. [music] He was nominated for an Oscar 24 times,
winning three. We had one floor down to find the golden halls of the Corridor of
Glory. Here is legendary cartoonist, Joe Barbera. He is the Barbara of animation studio, Hanna-Barbera. Alongside the likes of
Disney and Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera is responsible for some of the most
beloved cartoons in history. Barbara met William Hanna at MGM where
they began collaborating. They developed a cat and mouse concepts that would
become their first hit: Tom and Jerry, in the 1940s. They made 114 Tom and Jerry
shorts, which won them seven Oscars. Their success led them to television where
they created and produced Ruff and Reddy, Huckleberry Hound, and Quick-Draw McGraw. And then came The Flintstones in the
1960s. [music] The Flintstones became the first animated primetime show to be a hit, and
was the most successful animation franchise until another would come along
to dethrone it: The Simpsons. Other iconic Hanna-Barbera shows and characters
include: The Jetsons, Scooby-Doo, and Yogi Bear. Around the corner from Barbara is the
Sanctuary of Guiding Love, where we find Jetta Goudal. She was a Dutch-born
actress who found her greatest success in the silent era. Another star who,
perhaps not as well remembered today, was a sensation in her day, known for her
exotic allure. She caught the eye of Cecil B DeMille, who cast her in a
number of roles, including, The Coming of Amos, and The Road to Yesterday. But she was reportedly very difficult to work with, so much so that DeMille terminated
her contract. In response, she sued him, a move unheard of at the time. She was one
of the earliest actors in Hollywood to stand up to the bigwigs and fight for
actors' rights, actually winning the suit, and setting a precedent for actors'
equality. But this made her a pariah in Hollywood where the studio system still
reigned, and roles became harder to come by. After her forced retirement from
acting, she worked as an interior designer. Finally we head to the newest
section of the mausoleum, the Jasmine Terrace, to find James Arness, another of
Hollywood's legendary cowboy heroes. He's best remembered for his role as Marshal Matt Dillon on the TV series, Gunsmoke. [music] "Gunsmoke, starring James Arness as
Matt Dillon." Gunsmoke ran for 20 seasons on TV, making
it the longest-running primetime scripted TV series until another would come along to
dethrone it: The Simpsons. Arness starred in another Western series,
How the West Was Won. He's considered one of the all-time great TV stars. That's as far as we'll get in the mausoleum today, 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! Check out this replica 15th century suit
of armor. I think we may have just found the original model for the Oscar statue.
