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 re back at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, to visit such
stars as Valerie Harper, Rance Howard, Eva Tanguay, and many more. Join us, won't you? Hollywood Forever Cemetery,
the most Hollywood of all cemeteries, nestled comfortably between
major film studios and the Hollywood sign, just off Santa Monica Blvd. Here the stars
from the very earliest days of silent Hollywood, and the even earlier days of Vaudeville, mingle
with legends of the modern era. It's been a few years since our last visit
here. We've lost some beloved stars since then, and the cemetery itself has undergone
some renovation. Most notably, the lake, which sometime in 2020 was drained and given a complete
scrub-down. After being refilled with clean water, it was truly a sight to behold. Even
the ducks couldn t get enough of their new playground. And as we roll into 2021, may
the Hollywood Forever Lake be a metaphor for this new year. Whereas 2020, and now the first
week of 2021, were murky, dark, full of grime, pathogens, and turtle poop-- as we move into
2021, let us hope the muck will be cleared away, cleansed and healed, revealing crystal
blue waters, and promise of brighter tomorrows. Let us hope, but more than hope, "Make it so."
As the pandemic has raged, and opportunities for venturing outside have become limited,
many, myself included, have found respite in the peace and beauty of these grounds.
What more balm for the soul can one ask for than taking a stroll with a couple of peacocks?
This is our fifth tour video here, so if you haven't done so already, be sure to check
out the first four parts of our tour of Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Let's begin back at the chapel columbarium, shall we? We're on the first floor. It's a
little dark because some of the lights didn't work, but here is the niche of editor Anne
Bauchens. In an industry dominated by men, Anne was a pioneer of women editors, a trusted
collaborator of filmmaker Cecil B DeMille. She stitched together every DeMille film from
1919 on, earning an Oscar for North West Mounted Police, and 3 additional nominations, for
The Ten Commandments, The Greatest Show on Earth, and Cleopatra. She died in 1967 at
age 85. Along the western border of the cemetery is
the Abbey of the Psalms mausoleum. Let's turn right into the Sanctuary of Faith, and take
the first right, where on the left we find the crypt of a famous offspring, Edward G
Robinson Jr. You know his father, Edward G Robinson, for his iconic roles as toughs and
gangsters, like Little Caesar. Junior followed in Robinson's footsteps, and though his career
didn't reach the same height as his father, he can be seen in iconic films like Some Like
it Hot, and in guest appearances on shows like Get Smart, and Gunsmoke. Edward was only
40 when he died of a heart attack. He's not the only famous offspring in these halls.
You'll recall that one corridor down is Charlie Chaplin Jr. Opposite the main courtyard is the Sanctuary of Peace. Let's head way to the last corridor
on the left. This is the final resting place of Charles Toberman. He wasn't an entertainer
but did exert an influence on the landscape of Hollywood. He s another of the men sometimes
dubbed The Father of Hollywood, or Mr. Hollywood, due to his real estate ventures a century
ago. He played a role in developing iconic landmarks like the Hollywood Bowl, Grauman's
Chinese Theater, the El Capitan, and the Roosevelt Hotel. He also built homes that
would be owned by stars like Bela Lugosi. He lived to be 101.
Just to the left of here we find Gary Corb. I was unaware of Gary until spotting his crypt
here while visiting Charles Toberman next door. Something of a renaissance man in his
creative endeavors, he's known locally, as indicated here, as the creator of Hallowed
Haunting Grounds, which was a popular amateur Halloween attraction here in LA. Gary was
the man behind the curtain of these treasured Halloween shows. He died after a sudden heart
attack in 2017. Let's cross over to the Sanctuary of Light.
Near the end, above eye level, is the crypt of Vladimir Sokoloff. The Russian-born actor
began his career in Europe in the silent era before coming to the states in the 30s. His
distinctive looks made him a great character actor on stage and screen, often playing roles
of foreigners of just about any nationality. Speaking essentially no English when he arrived,
his English was coached by Orson Welles and executed phonetically before he mastered the
language. His films include The Magnificent Seven, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Life
of Emile Zola. He died at age 72 after suffering a stroke. Heading in now to the Abbey, to the Sanctuary of Refuge, we find the niche of a rock music
legend, Dick Dale. He's considered a pioneer of surf rock music in the early 60s, sometimes
called The King of the Surf Guitar. Bands like The Beach Boys were influenced by Dick
Dale. And his speedy staccato guitar playing style is also said to have influenced greats
like Eddie Van Halen. The crafting of his own distinct style and sound even went so
far as working directly with Fender to produce custom made guitars and amps. Tarantino fans
will recognize his track, Misirlou, from the film Pulp Fiction. [music] Dick Dale was ranked #31
on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitar Players of All Time. He lived to be 81. Crossing over to the sanctuary of hope, near the middle, high above a new columbarium,
is Mary Nolan. She began her career as a Ziegfeld Girl, the beautiful and glamorous showgirl
performing under the nickname Imogene Bubbles Wilson. In the early 20s she was caught up
in a scandal for a much publicized and sometimes abusive affair with actor Frank Tinney. Due
to the negative publicity, she was fired from the Follies. Mary fled to Europe to escape
the scandal, where in Germany she would begin to make films, under her real name, Imogene
Robertson. She returned to the states, and rebranded herself as Mary Nolan, and performed
in films like Docks of San Francisco, Desert Nights, and Shanghai Lady. Her film career
dwindled into the 30s and she returned to the Vaudeville stage and performing in night
clubs. But on Halloween in 1948 Mary was found dead in her apartment from an overdose of
Seconal. She was just 45. Continuing farther down this corridor, high
on the right, is the crypt of Eva Tanguay. At the height of her career she was dubbed
the Queen of Vaudeville. She would be for a time the highest paid performer on the stage,
out-earning the likes of Enrico Caruso and Houdini. Eva became a nation-wide audience
favorite on stage for her enthusiastic performances, suggestive songs, and lavish costumes, including
in the Ziegfeld Follies. She was a symbol of the emancipated woman at the dawn of the
20th century. Eva also made two silent films, including 1917s The Wild Girl. In 1922 she
recorded a song titled I Don t Care. It would be her only recording, and would give her
a new nickname as well. The I don t Care Girl. Hello everybody! They say I'm crazy and got
no sense, but I don t care! She retired from showbusiness in the 30s,
and lived to be 68. Eva was portrayed by Mitzi Gaynor in the 1953 film, The I Don t Care
Girl. Adjacent to the Abbey of the Psalms, to the
south, is the New Beth Olam Mausoleum. Let's head into the Hall of David and up to the
second floor, where we find the crypt of Rolfe Sedan low on the wall. Rolfe Sedan was another
of those prolific actors whose name may never appear atop the marquee, but who you saw everywhere.
His films include Ninotchka alongside Greta Garbo, Young Frankenstein, and The Wizard
of Oz, as the Balloon man. And on TV? Well, name a program in the 50s to the 70s and he
likely appeared on it. He was George and Gracie's mailman on the George Burns and Gracie Allen
Show. Mrs. Burns, I have to return this letter you
sent to your mother. There's three cents postage due. Postage due, Mr. Beasley? Yes, you see, the letter is a little heavy.
You have to put another stamp on it. Well, wouldn't another stamp make it even
heavier? You also saw him on the Jack Benny Program,
The Addams Family, and Mister Ed. He died from a heart attack at age 86. At the very southern end of the cemetery is the original Beth Olam Mausoleum. Taking the
first left, about half way down, we find Felix Slatkin. As a violinist, arranger, and conductor,
he was one of Hollywood's most versatile musicians. In the 40s he became concert master, the first
chair violin player, at 20th Century Fox, where he played music on films from How Green
Was My Valley, to How to Marry a Millionaire. He also formed the Grammy-winning Hollywood
String Quartet, and conducted and arranged music for popular performers like Frank Sinatra.
He was just 47 when he died from a heart attack. Felix is entombed here with his wife, Eleanor,
also a talented musician. For some 20 years, beginning in the 40s, she was first cellist
of the Warner Bros Orchestra, playing on the scores of films like Deception. John Williams
wrote a cello solo specifically for her in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. She was
also co-founder of the Hollywood String Quartet with her husband. Eleanor lived to be 78. Many people may not be aware of the fact that here in the very southwest corner of the cemetery,
off the old Beth Olam entrance on Gower Street, is a Holocaust memorial garden and fountain.
Dedicated in 2000, this fountain represents the rebirth of the Jewish people out of the
ashes of the holocaust. Also here but rarely seen, almost hidden,
is a cenotaph to Anne Frank. She's perhaps the most well-known victim and chronicler
of the Jewish holocaust during WWII, thanks to the diary she kept, which was published
after the war as The Secret Annex, also known as The Diary of a Young Girl. The Franks went
into hiding in Amsterdam in 1942 during Nazi occupation. This is when Anne began writing
in her diary. As noted here on this plaque, little Anne loved the movies, and dreamed
of one day coming to Hollywood, and someday to become a writer. But as she lived in hiding
from the Nazis, even at the tender age of 13, her mature-beyond-her-years writings depict
a sinking realization that this dream may never come true. And because of the evil atrocities
of men, that dream would never come true. Anne's family was captured in 1944 and sent
to Auschwitz. 15-year-old Anne would be stripped, shaved, and tattooed, spared from the gas
chambers only because she had just turned 15 and was old enough to work. Anne and her
sister Margot were then transferred to Bergen-Belsen, where they endured the cold winter in the
most inhumane of conditions, succumbing to typhus in early 1945, just months before liberation.
Anne and Margot were buried in a mass grave on the grounds of the camp. Her father Otto
was the only one to survive the holocaust. It was he who later published Anne's diary,
a tribute to a beautiful and talented young girl, who showed dignity in the face of pure
evil. This monument to Anne was placed here in 2000, in the shadow of Paramount Studios,
to honor perhaps in some small way her dream of coming to Hollywood. Anne Frank's story
has been depicted in movies and on stage, which one hopes not only do her life justice,
but would also make her proud. Moving into the cemetery now, to section 13,
just off the road from the main entrance. Here lies Rudi Sieber. He was a filmmaker
who worked in various capacities, as producer, writer, or director on films in Europe in
the 20s and 30s. He was an assistant director for Paramount in France, responsible for foreign
language dubbing. But he's perhaps best remembered today as having been married to screen legend
Marlene Dietrich for some 50 years. They had one daughter together, actress Maria Riva.
He died from cancer at age 79. Continuing farther into this same section,
we find the head of a Hollywood dynasty, the Howard family. This is patriarch Rance Howard.
His career as an actor began in the late 40s and would span close to 7 decades, in films
like Nebraska. Perhaps his biggest claim to fame in Hollywood was his role as producer
of Ron Howard. His son Ron also became an actor, notably as Opie in The Andy Griffith
Show and Richie in Happy Days, and he would go on to become one of Hollywood's great directors.
Rance would appear in more than a dozen of his son's films, including Cocoon, Apollo
13, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. His other son Clint also became an actor, and
his granddaughter is actress/director, Bryce Dallas Howard. Rance also received an Emmy
nomination for producing the children's program, Through the Magic Pyramid. He died from heart
failure brought on by a viral infection at the age of 89.
Next to Rance is his wife of 50 years, Jean Howard. Jean was also an actress, who can
not only be seen in a number of her son's films, but also movies like Matilda and Scrooged.
She also made us laugh in sitcoms like Married with Children. Jean passed from heart and
respiratory failure at age 73. She was originally interred at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, but
moved here to be alongside Rance after his death. Her son's film, How the Grinch Stole
Christmas, was dedicated to her. Also here is Rance's second wife, Judy Howard.
They had both become widowed around the same time, and found love in their golden years.
Jean was a writer who worked for a time as a journalist, and also wrote a novel titled
Lolly. She lived to be 76. South across the street is section 21. Not far in from this large obelisk is the grave of Joe Mantell. As an actor he's perhaps best
remembered today, as indicated here on his stone, for his supporting role in the 1955
film, Marty, which earned him an Oscar nomination. He's also remembered for delivering the famous
final line of the film, Chinatown. Forget it, Jake, it s Chinatown. On television he made multiple appearances on shows like Mannix, Pete and Gladys, and
The Twilight Zone, as the nervous man in a four-dollar room. He lived to be 96, and rests
here with his wife Mary, an inspiring child educator and artist. Back across the street and further east in section 13 we find Marjorie White. Rarely
the leading lady, the lovely and spunky Marjorie often stole the spotlight from bigger name
stars. She began performing on stage at a young age in Canada before breaking into movies.
She's perhaps best remembered for her starring role in the very first Three Stooges film
at Columbia, Woman Haters, in 1934, which, incidentally, was her final role. [music] Other films include Sunny Side Up, and Diplomaniacs.
Tragically, she died at just 31 after sustaining injuries in a car accident in Santa Monica. Proceeding east along this southern road we reach section 19. Here on the right lies the
man credited with bringing symphonic music to Los Angeles, Harley Hamilton. In 1893 he
founded the LA Women's Orchestra, and in 1897 he founded the LA Symphony, which primed the
growth of symphony music's popularity here. Hamilton was one of the very first American
symphony conductors, as most in the era were from abroad. He died after suffering a stroke
in 1933. Let's head up to the lake now. In our original
tour we visited Johnny Ramone, one of the most unique and iconic monuments here. We
only gave you a macro view, though, so let's take a closer look at the various inscriptions
here, with dedications from friends including Rob Zombie, Eddie Vedder, and his wife Linda.
You'll recall that Johnny was guitarist and songwriter for the pioneering punk rock band,
The Ramones, with fellow bandmates Joey, DeeDee, and Tommy. Moving in toward the lake we find the grave of Harry Haines. His career was just getting
off the ground in recent years, as a model and also an actor. He made appearances on
shows like American Horror Story, and The OA, and can be seen in a number of films as
well, like 2015's The Surface. He was a dreamer, dreaming things into existence. Sadly, those
dreams would sometimes become a nightmare, as he struggled with mental illness. Harry
died from an accidental drug overdose at just 27.
The sudden arrival of the sun and clarity of the lake reveal a Hollywood Graveyard secret:
we don t always film chronologically. Here, with a lakeshore view, is the legendary
Valerie Harper, known and beloved to generations of TV fans as Rhoda. She originated the role
of Rhoda Morgenstern, the neighbor and best friend of Mary Tyler Moore's character, on
The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the 1970s. The popularity of her character led to a spinoff
series, Rhoda, which debuted on television in 1974. Valerie won a Golden Globe and four
Emmys for her role. My name is Rhoda Morgenstern. I was born in
the Bronx, New York, in December 1941. Now I'm back in Manhattan. New York, this is your
last chance. Her films include Freebie and the Bean, and
Chapter Two. And the talented actress also shone on stage, receiving a Tony nomination
for her performance as Tallulah Bankhead in the play Looped. Valerie battled cancer
later in life, dying from the disease at the age of 80. Let's head now into the Cathedral Mausoleum. Built in 1919 it was once the largest in the
world. Let's take the second left to the Valentino
Shrine where, above eye level, is the niche of filmmaker Curtis Harrington. His niche
features a picture of him filming in a cemetery, looks like Angelus-Rosedale. Fitting, as he was
known for independent, avant-garde, and offbeat horror films. Among these unconventional gems
are titles like Whoever Slew Auntie Roo, Queen of Blood, and Night Tide. An avid film buff,
he was also responsible for helping Universal find the James Whale film, The Old Dark House,
once thought to have been lost. His last film was an adaptation of Poe's The Fall of the
House of Usher, with Curtis himself in the title role. He died after suffering a stroke
at age 80. While we re here, let s stop and say hello
to a shiny old friend... Hello shiny old friend! For those who didn't see our Hollywood Graveyard
Niche video last year, let me elucidate. This is Hollywood Graveyard's silver YouTube award.
As it in honor of you the subscribers, we wanted to find a way to share it with you.
So, Hollywood Forever was kind enough to allow us to display the award here in a niche for
a year, so you all might have a chance to come see it for yourself. We didn't exactly
choose the best year to display it, not sure how many of you have actually been able to
make it out to see it, but it will be here until March if you d like to do so. After
that, the plaque will be exhumed, and the niche vacated for its someday forever occupant.
Speaking of awards, the award for the best Halloween decorated crypt goes to a man who
is still alive, writer and Friday the 13th part 6 director, Tom McLoughlin. Enter at your own risk, hahaha! This is his future entombment site. Back outside, along the eastern border of the cemetery is a wall of niches where we
find a few entertainers. This is Larry Siegel, who won 3 Emmys, and won our hearts by making
us laugh those... laughs coming to us most frequently by way of The Carol Burnett Show in the 70s,
on which he was a head writer. The three Emmys alluded to here are for the Carol Burnett
Show. Other shows include Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, and That's My Mama. Outside film
he was a regular contributor to Mad Magazine, frequently movie and television parodies.
He lived to be 93. Just left is Bob Esty. He was a songwriter,
arranger, and producer of a number of musical hits in the 70s, a few mentioned right here
on his niche, like Cher's "Take Me Home," and Donna Summer's "Last Dance." The song would
win an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Grammy. He died from cancer at age 72. Up top we find husky baritone, Herb Jeffries. He's known as the entertainment world' s first
black singing cowboy, performing in westerns like Two-Gun Man from Harlem, and The Bronze
Buckaroo, and Harlem on the Prairie, the first black western of the talkie era. He had set
out to create a cowboy hero for boys who went to black-only theaters, thus opening the doors
to black audiences in the Western genre. [music] As a singer he also performed with the likes
of Duke Ellington, and performed on a number of albums throughout his career. At the age
of 93 he received a star on the walk of fame, and lived to be 100. I know, it sucks. So reads the inscription on the niche of Larry Drake. He was an actor,
perhaps best known for his role as Benny in LA Law, which won him two Emmys. Some of his
notable film roles are in Darkman, and as the title character in Dr. Giggles. Larry
did voice work as well, including as Pops in Johnny Bravo. He died at the age of 66
from blood cancer. This area surrounding the lake is known as
the Garden of Legends. On the east side we find Al Christie, one of the very early filmmakers
here in Hollywood, beginning in 1909 on the east coast. He relocated here in 1911 to open
the Nestor Film Company, the first permanent film studio in Hollywood, owned by David Horsley
who we previously visited here. Al started off directing mainly silent westerns, but
soon found his niche in comedies, which became known as Christie Comedies. He was a busy
busy man, having directed close to 500 films, and produced almost 800. He lived to be 69. Farther north we find a child actor named Breezy, dubbed Universal's Littlest Cowboy
during his short film career in the silent era. He made his debut in 1918, going on to
be seen in some one dozen films, like The Big Adventure. But the unthinkable happened
in 1921 when he was struck and killed by a truck while filming the movie The Fox. He
was only 6 years old. Little Breezy was the son of Reeves Eason,
who also went by Breezy. He was a filmmaker and actor from the silent era into the 60s.
He was known for staging spectacular action sequences in large-budget films, perhaps most
notably the chariot race in Ben Hur, which required 42 cameras, and the burning of Atlanta
in Gone with the Wind. In another notable sequence, for the 1936 film The Charge of
the Light Brigade, so many horses died or were wounded that it resulted in the industry
requiring then on that the Humane Society be on set for any picture with animals in
it. Breezy also directed a number of films of his own, like Darkest Africa, and acted
as well, but only during the silent era. He died from a heart attack at age 69. If you've ever strolled along the lake shore of the lake you may have stumbled onto a grave
that looks like it was plucked right off the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It belongs to Peter
Bruni. He may not have a star on the real walk of fame, but by his marker here you can
guess that he loved to entertain nonetheless. On film he played the Ice Cream Man in Assault
on Precinct 13. And on television he had guest roles in shows like The Incredible Hulk, The
Wild Wild West, and played Mr. Gridley in Disney's Wonderful World of Color. He died
from heart failure at age 60. Let's cross over to the west side of the lake.
Here, just before the bridge, is Mabel Fairbanks. She was the world's first figure skating star
of African American and Native American descent, known for her athletic leaps on the ice. As
a child she took up skating, but was denied into the rinks because of her race. But young
Mabel persisted, and as her talents grew, she would soon find herself performing on
ice across the country. But again, because of her race, she was not allowed into the
US Olympic trials or any competitive events. Instead, she would teach the next generation
of skaters who would not be denied such privileges because of the color of their skin. Mabel
was inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame, and the International Women's Sports
Hall of Fame. She died from leukemia at age 85. The grandest and perhaps most iconic monument here at Hollywood Forever is this private
family mausoleum on an island in the lake. The man whose final resting place is his own
private island is philanthropist, William Andrews Clark Jr. He was the son of politician
and copper baron, William Andrews Clark, the source of his inherited wealth. He worked
as an attorney, but is remembered here in LA for his philanthropic efforts. In 1919
he founded the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which he funded until his death. He also had a rare
book collection, which he bequeathed to UCLA after his death. Clark built this mausoleum
in 1921 at a cost of around half a million dollars. He laid his first and second wives
to rest herein, and later his son, before he himself checked in at the age of 57 in
1934. The interior walls are decorated in a blue mosaic motif, featuring biblical scenes,
though the mausoleum is closed to the public. For our last stops of the day, we're going
to visit a couple silent film stars whose graves had remained unmarked until 2020, when, through
the efforts of Jessica and Samantha from Marking the Stars, and the fundraising support of
silent film fans like you, they finally got their markers.
The northeast corner of the cemetery is section 1. Here lies Andrew Arbuckle, not to be confused
with another silent film star, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. Andrew was one of the notable character
actors of the silent era, with close to 50 credits to his name. Look for him in films
like Little Mary Sunshine, and Big Tremaine. He died from a suspected heart attack in 1939
attack at age 52. Finally, in the northwest corner of the Garden
of Legends, not far from DeeDee Ramone, is the grave of Marion Fairfax. She began her
career as a playwright, becoming quite accomplished in the New York Theater, before establishing
herself as a screenwriter -- another pioneering woman in an industry dominated by men at that
time. She wrote scripts and stories for close to 50 films between 1915 and 1926. Notable
among them are The Lost World, and The Lying Truth, which she also directed and produced
herself, under Marion Fairfax Productions. The quote here on her marker is from Photoplay
in 1926. Marion lived to be 94. 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 seen a death metal duck? Check out this band of misfits, Donald Duck's hardcore
cousins, the quacking rock-stars of Hollywood Forever, who after the gates of the cemetery
shut at night, can likely be seen rocking out until the sun rises.
