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 Hillside
Memorial Park, to find such stars as Peggy Lipton, Larry King, Rhonda Fleming, a cenotaph to Tony
Curtis, and many more. Join us, won't you?
Carrying over the spirit of the revisit from our
last video, today we’re heading back to Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City. Hillside is a Jewish
cemetery, founded in 1941. We first toured this cemetery in a pair of videos way back in 2017,
when gas was less than $3 a gallon, and Hollywood Graveyard’s banner looked like this. Here we found
quite a few legends, like Al Jolson, Jack Benny, Michael Landon, Shelley Winters, and Leonard
Nimoy. But like every cemetery we’ve ever been to, there’s always more to discover, more stories
to unearth beneath the gravestones. So we’re back again today to visit some stars we missed the
first time around, and others we’ve lost since.
Let’s begin today up the hill in
the mausoleum and courtyard areas. This southern courtyard is Courts of the Book.
Heading in we find the wall of Jacob, and the crypt of Billy Sands. He was a character actor
known particularly for his roles in television comedies in the 50s to the 70s. He was Pvt.
Dino Papparelli on over 100 episodes of the Phil Silvers Show, and followed this up with an equally
impressive run as Tinker Bell on McHale’s Navy. He’d make appearances in other shows,
like The Jeffersons, and The Odd Couple, and appear in movies like Rocky. Billy
died from lung cancer at age 73.
With the sequel series of Night Court
premiering this year, I’ve been enjoying going back and watching the original series,
which features a very funny lady, Selma Diamond. Her best-known role was as bailiff Selma
Hacker in some 36 episodes of Night Court.
“He took Skippy up on the roof.”
“What?”
“He said he was going to set him free.”
“Hey man, turkeys don’t fly!”
“I knew there was something
I wanted to tell him.”
Selma actually began her career as a comedy
writer, writing for radio, and television shows with the likes of Milton Berle and Sid
Caesar. A female comedy writer in a man’s world, Selma was the inspiration for the Sally
Rogers character on the Dick Van Dyke Show. She would be nominated for two Emmys, for
writing on Sid Caesar’s show, and for her role as Selma on Night Court. Selma died of cancer
at age 64 shortly after season 2 of Night Court. Her death was acknowledged on the show.
Way up at the top of this same column is actor and funnyman Sandy Baron. He began
his career as a standup comedian, before landing roles on stage and in television.
He had a co-starring role in the 60s sitcom, Hey, Landlord, and would make appearances in shows
like Love, American Style, and Starsky and Hutch. And you fans of Seinfeld will recognize
Sandy as Jack Klompus, who loves his pen that writes upside down.
“Take the pen.”
“Oh no.”
“Go ahead.”
“I couldn’t.”
“Come on, take the pen!”
“I can’t take it!”
“Do me a personal favor!”
“No I’m not comfortable!”
“Take the pen!”
“I cannot take it.”
“Take the pen!”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive, take the pen.”
Sandy’s film appearances include in Broadway
Danny Rose, Leprechaun 2, and he would replace Al Lewis as Grandpa in The Munster’s Scary Little
Christmas. He died from emphysema at age 64.
Let’s make our way up now to the second level.
Ah drat, the elevator is out of order. Well, maybe that’s the universe’s way of saying, “Son,
you need some exercise, so take the stairs.”
And here is Shelley Berman. Shelley was a
familiar face on television from the 50s, all the way into the 2000s. He’d make both comedic
and dramatic appearances in shows like Peter Gunn, The Twilight zone, Bewitched, The Man from
UNCLE, CHiPs, Night Court, LA Law, Friends, Boston Legal, and many many more. He’s perhaps
best-remembered today for his role as Nat David, Larry David’s father on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Berman was also a successful standup comedian, winning a Grammy for one of his comedy albums, the
very first awarded in the spoken comedy category. And Shelley Berman’s films
include Meet the Fockers, and The Holiday. He passed away from
complications of Alzheimer’s at age 92.
Back down to the main level, let’s head into the
mausoleum. In the Columbarium of Graciousness is the niche of Ben Blue. He began his career
as a dance instructor before he moved into motion pictures, headlining his own series of
comedy shorts for Warner Bros in the early 30s. Feature films would follow, like the 1937 film
Artists and Models, alongside his neighbor here in the mausoleum, Jack Benny, and The Big Broadcast
of 1938, alongside W.C. Fields. He also played the biplane pilot on It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad
World. Ben would appear on television as well, on shows like Accidental Family, and The
Magical World of Disney. He lived to be 73.
The courtyard north of here is the Garden
of Solomon. Here just off the sidewalk is the OG cool girl, Peggy Lipton. She shot
to fame on the 60s and 70s crime drama, The Mod Squad, as flower child Julie
Barnes, in more than 100 episodes. Peggy would be nominated for 4 Emmys and win a
Golden Globe for her role on The Mod Squad. She would go on to find fame in the Twin Peaks
universe, as Norma Jennings. And her films include The Postman, and A Dog’s Purpose. Peggy
was diagnosed with cancer in 2004, passing away from the disease years later at the age of 72. She
was the mother of actress Rashida Jones.
It’s an open secret in the entertainment world
that not all music stars actually write their own songs. No, many of your favorite songs performed
by your favorite artists were likely written by someone you’ve never heard of, and these
behind-the-scenes songwriters hardly get the glory for their creations that the performers do.
Jerry Leiber was half of songwriting duo Leiber and Stoller, with Jerry being the lyricist
in the partnership. The duo penned numerous hits you would recognize. They wrote songs for
Elvis Presley, like “Jailhouse Rock,” the Big Mama Thornton hit, “Hound Dog,” several of The Coasters’
hits, including “Yakety Yak,” and the Ben E. King classic, which also
inspired the title of a film, “Stand By Me.” Leiber and Stoller wrote over 70 chart hits, and were inducted into the Songwriters
and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame. His epitaph, “If that’s all there is, then let’s
keep dancing,” is a lyric from another of his hit songs, “Is That All There Is?” Jerry Leiber
died from cardio-pulmonary failure at age 78.
Let’s circle around to the garden areas
at the southern end of the cemetery. First up is Laurel Gardens. Just before the
wall of crypts is a name familiar to you fans of the original Press Your Luck, Peter
Tomarken. His first gameshow hosting gig was for the 80s show Hit Man, before landing
the show for which he would be best known. Peter hosted Press Your Luck between 1983 and 1986
in close to 800 episodes, trying to help players steer clear of that pesky Whammy. Come one big
bucks. No whammy, no whammy, no whammy… STOP!
“Stop at a whammy!
This is Peter Tomarken saying so long for Press Your Luck. Bye Bye!”
Peter dabbled in acting as well, appearing in shows like Ally McBeal, and in films like Heaven
Can Wait. Peter Tomarken was a private pilot who volunteered for a non-profit that provided free
air transportation to needy medical patients. On March 13, 2006, he and his wife were en-route
to San Diego to pick up a cancer patient, when their plane crashed off of Santa Monica.
Both were killed in the crash; Peter was 63.
Along the southern border are the
Laurel Garden crypts. Here we find Howard Morris. He’s remembered
as both a television director, and actor. He would direct episodes of some of
the great television comedies of the 60s and 70s, including The Andy Griffith Show, and The
Dick Van Dyke Show. Howard would appear in front of the camera as well, in episodes
of Your Show of Shows, The Twilight Zone, and perhaps most notably, on The Andy Griffith
Show, as referenced right here on his marker.
“Ernest T. Bass, you come in here!”
“Howdy do to you and you! It’s me, it’s me, it’s Ernest T!”
But Howard worked most prolifically as a voice actor, lending his vocal talents to
countless animated and voice over productions. You heard him in The Flintstones and The Jetsons,
he voiced Gopher in several Winnie the Pooh films, Mayor McCheese and the Hamburgler
in McDonaldland, Jughead Jones on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Flem on Cow and
Chicken, and Wade on Garfield and Friends. Howard Morris died from
heart failure at age 85.
A little father west in this same Laurel
Garden, is the grave of Sammy Lerner. He was a Romanian-born songwriter who began his
career writing songs for vaudeville acts and the Ziegfeld Follies. He’d go on to write
music for motion pictures, most notably with the Fleischer Brother’s animation studio.
He would co-write the Betty Boop theme song, “Don’t Take My Boop-Boop-a-Doop Away,” and
the theme for another iconic character, seen right here on his marker. Do you recognize
this spinach-eating sailorman? Sammy wrote the iconic theme song, “I’m Popeye the Sailor Man.”
Samuel Lerner died from cancer at age 86.
The next section west is Acacia Garden.
Here lies Rhonda Fleming. She was one of Hollywood’s Queens of Technicolor, becoming one
of the most glamorous stars of the 40s and 50s. Rhonda rose to prominence in films
like Spellbound and Out of the Past, and dazzled audiences with her flaming red
hair, green eyes, and porcelain skin, as well as her singing voice, her first technicolor
musical appearance, in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, alongside Bing Crosby. She’d
follow this up with a successful comedy, The Great Lover, alongside Bob Hope. In the 50s she’d become
known for historical epics, like Queen of Babylon, Gunfight at the OK Corral, and Serpent of the
Nile, as Cleopatra. Rhonda also continued to sing throughout her life, including in a quartet
with Jane Russell. She lived to be 97.
Let’s say a quick hello to Milton Berle,
who we visited in our previous tour here, Hello Mr. Berle, then head around the corner to
the columbarium, and find the niche of Louis Nye. He was another of television’s great comedic
performers, often seen Steve Allen’s Tonight Show in the 50s, and The Merv Griffin Show
and Mike Douglas Show in the 60s and 70s. As an actor he also made numerous appearances
on shows like Inspector Gadget, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Love Boat, and Curb Your
Enthusiasm, as Jeff Greene’s Dad. And you fans of The Munsters will remember him as Zombo.
Louis never slowed down, performing into his 90s before passing away in 2005 at age 92. As of
filming, his marker is still temporary.
Our journey takes us now to the western end
of the cemetery, the Garden of Memories. First up here is the Court of Honor, wherein
we find the grave of another of Hollywood’s great songwriters and producers
of classic musicals, Arthur Freed. In the 20s he was a frequent collaborator as
a lyricist with composer Nacio Herb Brown, who we visited in our last video. The two penned
songs for early musicals like The Broadway Melody, and Hollywood Revue of 1929, which debuted their
song, “Singin’ in the Rain,” for which Freed wrote the lyrics. Arthur Freed was an associate
producer on The Wizard of Oz in 1939, and after the success of that film, Freed would be hired to
head up MGM’s musical department, overseeing the production of many of the great musical films
to come out of that studio in the 40s and 50s. These films include Babes in Arms, Meet Me in St.
Louis, Show Boat, and Singin’ in the Rain, based on their earlier song. He would win two Oscars,
for the films Gigi, and An American in Paris. In 1972 Freed was inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame. One year later he passed away from a heart attack at age 78.
The next courtyard north is Court of Devotion. Along the southern wall we find the crypt of Sol
Lesser. He was a film producer, with over 100 credits to his name. His career began in the
silent era, including a number of films with child star Jackie Coogan, like Oliver Twist. Come
the talkies, Lesser became known for producing more than a dozen of the Tarzan films, between
the 30s and the 60s. Sol lived to be 90.
Just across the street from the Court of
Devotion is the Valley of Remembrance. Just off of the central wall is Monty Hall. He
was a familiar face to television audiences in the 60s to the 80s, as the co-creator and host
of the various incarnations of the gameshow, Let’s Make a Deal. He hosted more than
4,000 episodes of Let’s Make a Deal, the show known for audience members dressing in
outrageous costumes to increase their chances of being chosen to “make a deal” with the
host and win money or prizes. Monty Hall’s name would be linked to a probability puzzle,
dubbed “The Monty Hall Problem,” which relates to the probability of choosing a prize behind
door number 1, 2, or 3, similar to the kind of challenge players faced on Let’s Make a
Deal. Monty Hall lived to be 96.
Let’s double back to the east, all the
way to the Court of the Matriarchs. In our previous tour you’ll recall our visit
to Tony Martin and Cyd Charisse. At that time, the crypt had only a temporary marker for Tony. Since that time, this permanent marker has been
placed. Tony Martin was a singer and actor whose career spanned some 7 decades. He had a number
of hits in the 50s, known particularly for his anglicized versions of European songs, like La Vie
En Rose, and O Sole Mio, aka There’s No Tomorrow. Tony ranked among the great crooners
of the era, and like many of his peers, took his talents to the screen as well. His
earliest appearances on film were in the 1930s, and in the decades that followed he performed
in numerous musicals, like Ziegfeld Girl, and ‘Till the Clouds Roll By. And by
the late 50s, Tony was the highest-paid performer in Las Vegas. He continued
performing into his 90s, living to be 98. He rests here alongside his wife of 60
years, dancer and actress, Cyd Charisse.
A few corridors in on the left we find the crypt
of Sammy Shore. He was a stand-up comedian, performing comedy as an opening act for numerous
legends, like Elvis Presley, and Barbra Streisand. In the 1970s he opened the legendary West
Hollywood comedy club, The Comedy Store. The club would help launch the careers of countless comedy
legends, like David Letterman, Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, and more. Sammy would make us
laugh on screen as well, appearing in shows like The Munsters, and films like History of the
World: Part 1. Sammy was the father of another funnyman, Pauly Shore. He lived to be 92.
Let’s get a little more exercise by taking the stairs up to the second level. Just before
the gardens we find the crypt of legendary radio and television broadcaster, Larry King. For more
than two decades he hosted Larry King Live on CNN, in over 6,000 shows, and later hosted Larry King
Now on Hulu. He would interview notable figures from all walks of life, from Presidents and world
leaders, to entertainers, spiritual leaders, sports figures, and even a Muppet or two.
“It’s time to get things started with the Muppets here tonight. Joining us are
the Muppet leader, Kermit the Frog…”
“Thank you very much.”
“And his beloved Miss Piggy. And they are dressed appropriately –
you both wore braces in my honor.”
It’s estimated that he conducted some 50,000
interviews over the course of his career. Larry King would be honored with two Peabody Awards, an
Emmy, and numerous other accolades for his work, including being inducted into the National
Radio Hall of Fame in 1989. Larry would also make numerous appearances as himself in film and
television shows, like Ghostbusters and 30 Rock. In January 2021, Larry King was hospitalized
with Covid-19. He died from sepsis days later as a complication, at the age of 87. As of
filming, his marker is still temporary.
Let’s proceed east into the Garden of Leah. Here we find the grave of Connie Sawyer. Known as
“The Clown Princess of Comedy,” Connie was one of the longest-living entertainers in Hollywood
history. She began performing as a child, and by the 20s was entertaining in nightclubs,
vaudeville theaters, and on the Broadway stage. Her film debut was in 1959, playing Miss Wexler in
A Hole in the Head. Over the next 5 decades she’d appear in more than 150 film and television
programs, including memorable appearances in the films Pineapple Express, Dumb and Dumber,
and When Harry Met Sally. In her later years, Connie was known as the oldest working actress
in Hollywood. She lived an astounding 105 years. Her memoir was hilariously titled: “I Never
Wanted to Be a Star – And I Wasn’t.”
And finally, we make our way around
to the west, to Sunset Slope. Here we find a cenotaph to Tony Curtis. Tony is
buried at Palm Memorial Park in Las Vegas, but recently this memorial marker has been placed for
him here with his family. Tony Curtis was an actor whose career spanned six decades. He was one of
the big screen’s leading men in the 50s and 60s. In 1959 he’d be nominated for an Academy Award for
Best Actor, for his role in The Defiant Ones. That same year he’d co-star alongside Marilyn Monroe
and Jack Lemmon in the hilarious Some Like it Hot, performing much of the film dressed as a woman.
“It is so drafty! They must be catching cold all the time, huh?”
“Will you quit stalling, we’re gonna miss the train.”
“I feel naked. I feel like everybody’s staring at me.”
“With those legs? Are you crazy? Now come on!”
Continuing to show his range, the following year
he played Antoninus in Spartacus. On television he had a co-starring role in the 70s series,
The Persuaders, and a recurring role on Vega$. Tony was married to Janet Leigh, and they are
the parents of Academy-Award-winning actress, Jamie Lee Curtis. After passing away from
cardiac arrest in 2010 at age 85, Tony Curtis was laid to rest in Las Vegas. This cenotaph
was later placed here with his family, and we here in Los Angeles now have somewhere close by
where we can come remember him.
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.
Have you ever wanted to learn to
speak Italian? Well how about a quick lesson right here at the tomb
of Michael Landon? Caro Angelo Michael Landon. Come ho promesso, sono venuta dall’Italia,
precisamenta da Milano, per dire una preghiera sulla tomba di ringraziamento per l’aiuto che
mi dai ogni giorno. Grazie Ancora, Silvana.
Dear Angel Michael Landon. As I promised, I came
from Italy, specifically from Milan, to say a prayer of thanks at your tomb, for the help you
give me every day. Thank you again, Silvana.
And thank you, Silvana, for the
beautiful gesture.
