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 conclude our
revisit of Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, where we'll find such stars as
Ethel Waters, Robert Taylor, Edith Head, and many more. Join us, won't you? Part five of our series on Forest Lawn
Glendale, if you can believe it. I can believe it - there's still a lot to see,
but I've pretty much run out of things to say as preamble, so I'll just stop
talking and let you enjoy a little scenery before we dive back into our
tour. If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out parts 1 - 4. Alright, let's roll. We'll pick up our tour right across the street from where we left off at the end
of part 4, at the temple of Santa Sabina. This is an original 5th century canopy
which stood over the altar of the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome. It was
brought here by Eaton in the 1930s. Let's head east down the hill from this temple
and stop just before this tall evergreen. Here we find the grave of actor William
Demarest. Fans of My Three Sons will remember him as uncle Charley on the
beloved sitcom, a role he played in over 200 episodes. He replaced William Frawley
on the show when Frawley's health began to fail. He can also be seen in It's a
Mad Mad Mad Mad World, and received an Oscar nomination for his role in The
Jolson Story. Let's continue around to the section south east of here, the Vale
of Memory. In the northwest section of this lawn, not far in from the road we find Art Acord. Along with the likes of Tom Mix and Bronco Billy Anderson Art Acord was one of Hollywood's early cowboy stars, performing in around a
hundred films between 1910 and 1930. Sadly most of his films are lost today.
He died of cyanide poisoning in Mexico in 1931 at the age of 40. It was reported
as a suicide, but some of his close friends speculated he may have been
poisoned by a Mexican politician who caught him having an affair with his
wife. Our next stop is right near the center
of this section. It's a bit tricky to find, but if you head to this lone tree
in the middle of the lawn then turn south two rows before it, eventually
you'll spot the grave of George Westmore. He was a hairdresser and makeup artist
and in the 19-teens noticed that actors were applying their own makeup and
weren't very good at it, so he established the first movie makeup
department, at the Selig Polyscope Co. in 1917. It was Westmore, for
example, who crafted Mary Pickford's signature curls. He was the father of a
dynasty of makeup artists in Hollywood. His sons Monty, Perc, Ern, Wally, Bud,
and Frank all became renowned makeup artists. George took his own life by
mercury poisoning at the age of 52. If we follow this road around to the southeast,
we reach the Victory section on the left. Just in from the road is the grave
of Jimmy McDonald. He was a musician, actor, and sound effects artist, who is
notable for having taken over for Walt Disney as the voice of Mickey Mouse,
beginning in 1946 to 1977. He voiced other Disney characters, including Chip,
and created thousands of sound effects for Disney's short and feature films. Let's make our way up and around to the Graceland section. The death of a star, or
anyone for that matter, is always sad. But this next one might just break your
heart. In the shadow of a tree on this hill is the grave of a little girl named
Caryll Ann Ekelund. She had just one role, playing alongside
Shirley Temple in the 1940 film The Blue Bird. On Halloween night 1939 her
costume caught fire from a jack-o'-lantern.
She died a few days later from her burn injuries. She was just four years old. Her brothers
served as pallbearers at her funeral, while mourners sang her favorite song,
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Her burial shroud was the unborn child
toga she wore in The Blue Bird. The next section north of fear is Eventide. Right next to the road at the base of a tree we find Russian actress
Maria Ouspenskaya. Fans of horror will recognize her as the gypsy woman in The
Wolf Man, and Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man, in the 1940s. "Whoever is bitten by a werewolf and lives
becomes a werewolf himself." "Oh, quit handing me that,
you're just wasting your time!" "The wolf bit you, didn't it?" She received Oscar nominations for her
roles in Dodsworth and Love Affair. Right across the street a little further along
this road is the Liberty section. Halfway down the hill we find Cyril Delevanti,
the distinguished British character actor with a slight frame, wrinkled face,
and thick silver hair. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in The
Night of the Iguana, and made guest appearances on a number of TV shows
including Gunsmoke and The Twilight Zone. He was also a highly respected drama
coach in Hollywood. Further down this road we arrive at the
Meditation section on the left. Half way up the hill just past a tree is the
grave of Betty Bronson. She's best remembered today for being the first
performer, male or female, to portray Peter Pan on screen, in 1924's Peter Pan.
She was personally selected for the role by JM Barrie, author of Peter Pan. She can also be seen as Mary in 1925's
Ben Hur. If we take the next right we find ourselves in the southeast corner
of the Liberty section. Several rows in is silent film star Olive Borden. She
began her career as one of Mack Sennett's bathing beauties, and her star
quickly rose in the 20s, known for her jet black hair and rare beauty. She
became one of Fox Studios biggest stars, in films like 3 Bad Men, and Fig
Leaves. But the story of Olive Borden tragically echoes so many others of the
era, as her star fell as quickly as it rose. She couldn't find her place in the
talkies, and unable to revive her career after serving in the Women's Army Corps,
she died destitute at the age of 41. And an interesting side note: she was a
distant cousin of, Lizzie Borden. Let's make our way up toward the Freedom
Mausoleum, and actually pass behind it following Arlington Road all the way to
the end. This is Memory Slope, where we find the grave of Blossom Rock. If you
saw our Halloween special, you'll recall that Blossom is perhaps best remembered
today for her role as Grandma on the original Addams Family. But her career
began much earlier than that on vaudeville with her younger sister
Jeanette MacDonald who we visited in part one.
In the 1930s Blossom began to appear in film, then billed as Marie Blake. She
became well known for her recurring role as Sally the switchboard operator in the
Dr. Kildare and Dr. Gillespie film series'. Back the way we came let's stop
at the wall of crypts on the right. Here is Joe Grant. He was an artist and writer
for Disney for many years. He wrote and co-wrote many of Disney's most beloved
stories, including Dumbo and Fantasia. He also designed a number of characters,
including the Queen in Snow White, and Lady in Lady and the Tramp, which was
based on Grant's own pet spaniel. He died at the age of 96
while working at his drawing board. Two spaces left is another legendary writer, Forrest J Ackerman. As
you can tell from his crypt he was known as Mr. Science Fiction, being not just a
writer, but one of the genres staunchest
proponents and collectors. In fact he even coined the nickname "sci-fi."
For decades he was the principal writer and editor of the periodical, Famous
Monsters of Filmland. He had a great love for B-movies,
appearing in a number of campy sci-fi and monster films throughout his career.
And he was also a literary agent, representing writers like Ray Bradbury
and Isaac Asimov. Let's make our way back around to the other side of the Freedom Mausoleum. Across the street to the south is the Commemoration section. Three rows in is the grave of
German actress, Lilli Palmer. Her films include the title role
in Anastasia: the Tsar's Last Daughter, The Four Poster, with husband Rex
Harrison, and But Not for Me, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. She also
had her own TV show, The Lilli Palmer Show, in 1953. After her husband Rex Harrison
died, a portion of his cremated remains were scattered right here on Lilli's grave. Southeast on this same lawn, just under a tree, we find another of the
Stooges: Joe Besser. After Shemp's sudden death of a heart attack in 1955 Moe and
Larry considered carrying on as The Two Stooges, but Columbia head Harry Cohn
suggested Besser. Despite being a talented comedic performer, Besser never
did quite fit in with the Stooges act, and quit the act after Columbia shut
down the shorts department. He was then replaced with Curly-Joe DeRita.
Though best remembered today as one of the Stooges, Besser actually had his
greatest successes outside of the Stooges, performing with Abbott and
Costello, and on The Joey Bishop Show, known for his impish humor. Let's head now into the Freedom Mausoleum. In the Sanctuary of Heritage, where stars
like George Burns and Clara Bow are entombed, we find television pioneer Al
Simon. He produced some of early television's greatest shows, like I Love
Lucy, Mr Ed, the Beverly Hillbillies, and the
George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. It was Simon who devised the three camera
system for sitcoms performed in front of a live studio audience,
working with cinematographer Karl Freund to perfect the system. And thanks to
Simon committing these television broadcasts to tape, we now can still
enjoy these screen gems over a half-century later. Let's make our way
down to the lower level of the mausoleum, then right at the Corridor of Patriots,
and left into the Sanctuary of Brotherhood. Here is one of the
lesser-known of the Marx Brothers, Gummo Marx. Early on in vaudeville he performed
with his brothers, Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo, but never enjoyed being on
stage and decided to leave the group to join the military. Later he became the
brothers' manager and agent, also becoming an agent to others in the entertainment
industry at the time. He's entombed across the hallway from elder brother,
Chico, who we visited in part 1. Further down is the Columbarium of the Patriots where we find the niche of
legendary R&B singer, Mary Wells, known as the Queen of Motown. Along with other
artists of the era like The Supremes and the Temptations, Mary was part of the
wave of black artists in the 60s making it on to mainstream radio nationwide,
bridging the lines of music and color. Her hits include "The One Who Really
Loves You," and "My Guy." [music] She was married to Cecil Womack, and
later dated his brother Curtis, both of whom were part of the singing group, The
Valentinos. She died of cancer at the age of 49. Nearby is the Columbarium of Blessedness, where we find Billy Barty. He was born
with a form of dwarfism and stood just 3'9" as an adult. He can be
seen in hundreds of film and TV roles, beginning as early as the 20s as Mickey
Rooney's little brother in the Mickey McGuire shorts. Among his memorable roles
are as the High Aldwin in Willow, and Screwball in Legend. And if you're a fan
of Weird Al's UHF, you'll recognize him as Noodles the cameraman. In 1957 he
founded the Little People of America organization, a support and advocacy
group for people with various forms of dwarfism. Back outside, in the Garden of
Everlasting Peace, west of the mausoleum, we find another of the Womack brothers,
Harry Womack. He was part of the 60s R&B group The
Valentinos, with brothers Bobby, Cecil, Curtis, and Friendly. Harry sang tenor and
played the bass guitar. Womack died at the age of 28 after being
stabbed to death by a jealous girlfriend. Let's stop at the Declaration of
Independence mosaic and wish America a happy belated birthday. Happy birthday
America! To the west is the Garden of Honor. Just past the entrance on the
right is the Columbarium of the Evening Star. On the far wall next to the statue
we find the niche of Robert Taylor. He was one of Hollywood's leading men in
the 30s through the 50s, seen in films like Waterloo Bridge and Billy the Kid.
During the war he served as a flight instructor and appeared in a number of
instructional films. And on TV he starred in The Detectives in the 1960s. It
co-starred his real-life wife, actress Ursula Thiess, who reportedly rests here
alongside Robert, though there is no marker for her. A chain-smoker,
Robert Taylor died of lung cancer at the age of 57. If you saw part one of our original tour you'll remember we paid a visit to
singer Natalie Cole at the far end of this garden of Honor. At the time her
grave was not marked. Since then this beautiful bronze marker has been placed.
It's a fitting monument to a woman who, like her father, Nat King Cole, was truly
unforgettable. Back outside the Garden of Honor, south
of the Republic Statue, is the Columbarium of Heavenly Peace. Along the
north wall we find the niche of Frank Nelson. He was a comedic actor, an
instantly recognizable figure on radio and television, playing comedic foils to
the likes of Jack Benny and Lucille Ball. On Jack Benny's show Frank seemed to pop
up everywhere, driving Jack mad with his sarcastic
responses and iconic catchphrase, "Eee-Yessss." "Oh mister? Mister?" "Eee-Yesssss?" "Are you the clerk?" "Well what do you think I'm doing behind this counter?
Selling kisses?" He also lent his voice to a number of animated series, like The Flintstones and
Mr. Magoo. Back to Freedom Way we continue along and
stop at the intersection on the left. Straight in from a tree several spaces we find the
grave of legendary and highly revered director, William Wyler, considered one of
Hollywood's all-time great craftsmen of cinema. Some of his notable films include
Ben Hur, The Best Years of Our Lives, and Mrs. Miniver, all of which earned him in
Oscar for directing. He directed many stars in their own Oscar winning and
nominated performances including, Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Laurence
Olivier, Barbra Streisand, and Audrey Hepburn, who Wyler discovered and cast in
her first film, Roman Holiday. Let's continue along Cathedral Drive and
revisit the Gardens of Memory on the right, and the Pickford sarcophagus. In
part three of our original tour we visited one of the silent era's biggest
stars, Mary Pickford. Also resting here are Mary's siblings, Lottie and Jack
Pickford, who were also popular actors, though they never did achieve the same
notoriety as their sister. Jack can be seen in Great Expectations, and Tom
Sawyer. Lottie can be seen in films like The
Diamond From the Sky. Excessive partying and alcohol abuse led to Jack's decline,
and he died at 36 of neuritis. Lottie died of a heart attack just a few years later. In the southeast corner of this garden
we find at the grave of Earl Carroll. He was a club owner and theatrical producer,
best known for his racy "Vanities" musical revues on Broadway, notable for
featuring women in various states of undress. Years later, in Hollywood, he
innovated the supper club theater concept with his Earl Carroll Theatre on
Sunset Boulevard, an infamous night club whose marquee boasted "Through these
portals pass the most beautiful girls in the world." He died in a plane crash at
the age of 54. His girlfriend, actress and chorus girl Beryl Wallace, died along
with him. She was 31 and is interred here alongside Caroll. Let's head to the far
opposite corner of this garden. Here we find the grave of a film producer, Buddy
Adler. The inscription on his tomb is an allusion to his best-known film, From
Here to Eternity, which won him an Oscar for Best Picture. In 1956 he took over
for Darryl Zanuck as head of production at 20th Century Fox, making such films as
Bus Stop starring Marilyn Monroe. He was in his 50s when he died of lung cancer. Adler was married to actress Anita Louise, known as one of cinema's
most fashionable women. She can be seen in films like A Midsummer Night's Dream,
Marie Antoinette, and The Little Princess. She was just 55 when she died of a
stroke. Outside the garden to the west is the
Court of the Cristus. Let's head into the Garden of Remembrance. Near the far
side of this middle lawn, on the left, we find Perc Westmore. He was a makeup
artist, and son of George Westmore who we visited earlier. He became head of makeup
at Warner Bros. where he'd work on films like Casablanca, Key Largo, and To
Have and Have Not with Humphrey Bogart, who's buried nearby. He also did some
makeup work for The Munsters with his brother, Bud. Further in this garden and
one tier north we find the grave of Jay Ward, right against the wall.
He was an animator and producer whose studio, Jay Ward Productions, created and
produced a number of beloved cartoons, like Crusader Rabbit, Rocky and
Bullwinkle, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, and George of
the Jungle. And if you think Ward bears a striking
resemblance to Cap'n Crunch, you're not wrong... the character was created by Ward. Southwest across the street are the
Gardens of Ascension. Right of the sidewalk, next to the wall, we find the
grave of Wally Albright, buried here next to his father, also named Wally Albright.
As a child star Wally can be seen in a handful of Our Gang shorts in the 30s,
becoming one of the series more popular characters. After he left Our Gang he had
small roles in a number of films, like The Grapes of Wrath, but by adulthood he
had retired from acting and became a champion water sportsman. Following the sidewalk further into these Gardens we find the grave of pioneering
African-American performer, Ethel Waters. She began her career as a singer,
performing in clubs and on Broadway, quickly becoming one of America's most
celebrated entertainers. She was the first black performer to share equal
billing with her white co-stars on Broadway, in Irving Berlin's As Thousands
Cheer, in 1933. Six years later, in 1939, she became the first African-American,
male or female, to star in her own TV show, The Ethel Waters Show. She's
believed to be the very first black performer ever seen
on television. Years later, also on television, she would star in Beulah, the
first sitcom to star an African-American actress. And in 1950 she became the
second African-American nominated for an Oscar, for her role in Pinky. The
inscription on her marker is her favorite hymn, "His Eye Is on the Sparrow." [music] Further down but still in the Gardens of
Ascension, on the left, we find the grave of Robert Alda. He was an actor, singer,
and dancer, who found his greatest success on vaudeville and Broadway. He
won a Tony in 1950 for Guys and Dolls. He's also known for portraying George
Gershwin in the biopic, Rhapsody in Blue. Robert is the father of MASH actor, Alan
Alda. Finally we make our way around to the
Cathedral Slope section. Halfway up the hill is the final resting place of one
of Hollywood's most celebrated costume designers, Edith Head, who in her day was
nearly as famous as many of the stars she would dress for the screen. She
worked at Paramount for 44 years where she would dress stars like Audrey
Hepburn in Sabrina, and Ginger Rogers in Lady in the Dark, Hollywood's biggest
actresses often requested Edith, leading her to be loaned out to other
studios by Paramount. And she was a favorite of Alfred Hitchcock, who hired
her to design dresses for Grace Kelly and Kim Novak. In 1967, at age 70, she left
Paramount for Universal, where she remained for the rest of her life.
The massive prop and costume building at Universal Studios is named in her honor.
Over her career she won a record eight Oscars for costume design. And if you're
a fan of Pixar's The Incredibles, the character, Edna Mode, was inspired by
Edith. 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. We've come across some pretty unique
graves in our wanderings, but there's one here at Forest Lawn that might just
lay claim to the title of "most unusual." Factory Reject. We don't know much about this individual, but it's clear, they had a wicked sense of humor.
