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 heading back to Mount Sinai Memorial Park, to find such stars as Bob Saget, Sid Caesar, Dave
Fleischer, and many more. Join us, won’t you?
Mount Sinai Memorial Park is a Jewish cemetery
adjacent to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, just down the street from major studios like Warner
Bros. and Disney. This location has served the Jewish community of Los Angeles since the early
1950s. We first visited here way back in 2017, when Hollywood Graveyard was in its infancy.
We’re back today to find some stars we missed the first time around, and to remember others
we’ve lost since. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to check out our first
two videos from Mount Sinai.
We’ll begin today in Canaan section, just in from
the main entrance on the right. Our first star is one we actually visited in our original tour
here, but at the time her grave was unmarked. Since that time, this lovely marker has been
placed for Helen Forrest. She was a singer, one of the most popular female singers of the
big band era. She would be the girl singer for three of the biggest big bands of the swing era,
with Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, and Harry James, earning her the reputation as “The Voice of the
Name Bands.” The inscription here on her stone is an allusion to one of her hits with Artie
Shaw, “Thanks for Ev’rything.” Helen recorded some 500 songs over her career, and would also
appear on screen in a handful of musical films. She died from heart failure at the age of 82.
Just a few rows away we find an actress named Sara Berner. She appeared in over 200 productions
over her career, in films like Rear Window, and The Naked Street, but Sara is perhaps best
remembered today for her voice. She rose to fame on the radio, as Mabel the telephone operator
on The Jack Benny Program. She also had roles on Fibber McGee & Molly, and The George Burns and
Gracie Allan Show, and voiced cartoons as well, characters like Chilly Willy, and in various
shorts for Warner Bros and Disney.
“I’m Little Bo Peep. I’ve
lost my sheep, really I have. I can’t find them anywhere, really I can’t.”
Sara was once called the most famous voice in Hollywood. She passed away in 1969
at age 57 from undisclosed causes.
Let’s continue around to the Gardens
of Heritage, and the Heritage Mosaic. Dedicated in 1984, it is one of the
largest such historical mosaics in America, honoring Jewish heritage and figures
like Albert Einstein and Jonas Salk.
Beyond the mosaic is a courtyard
known as the Gardens of Heritage. Along the far wall we find the
crypt of songwriter, Walter Kent. Christmas is just around the corner, and odds are
between now and then you may find yourself humming “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” If so, you can thank
Walter here. He wrote the music for “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” with lyrics by Kim Gannon. The
song was written in 1943 during the war to honor soldiers who longed to be home for Christmas,
giving hope to war-weary servicemen abroad. He also had a hit in the song, “(There’ll
Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover.” Walter would be nominated
for two Oscars for his songwriting, for “Too Much in Love” in 1945, and
“Endlessly” in 1946. He lived to be 82.
Let’s head further along this wall, to find the
crypt of Dick Tufeld. He was an actor, best known for his work as a voice artist and announcer.
Perhaps his most famous role was voicing the robot in the television series, Lost in Space.
“You ran the last 300 yards in 3 minutes, a record for snails.”
He would reprise the role in the 1998 feature film. As a television announcer
he was known for shows like Peyton Place, and animated comic series of the 70s and 80s,
like The Fantastic Four, and Spider-Woman. Dick died from heart failure at age 85.
The next courtyard east is Garden of Blessing.
Heading to the wall of crypts on the right, way up at the top, we find Sid Melton. The
comedic actor entertained audiences on stage and screen for some 60 years. His memorable
television roles include as Alf on Green Acres, Uncle Charlie on the Danny Thomas Show, and
Salvadore Petrillo on The Golden Girls. And Sid’s memorable films include Lost Continent. He lived
to be 94, passing away from pneumonia in 2011.
Continuing east we reach the Court of Tanach,
where we’ll pay a quick re-visit to Hollywood’s favorite insult comic, Don Rickles. We
visited him in our original tour here, but at the time his grave was unmarked. Since
that time, this marker for Don has been placed. Don was a stand-up comedian and actor, a master
of insult comedy. It was a badge of honor to be on the receiving end of a zinger from Don. He
was a frequent guest on talk shows, and kept us laughing with appearances in everything from The
Munsters to The Twilight Zone. And his memorable film roles include Kelly’s Heroes, and the voice
of Mr. Potato Head in the Toy Story series.
“Hey Ham, look, I’m Picasso.”
“I don’t get it.”
“You uncultured swine!”
The beloved funnyman passed away
from kidney failure at age 90.
Making our way around southeast,
we arrive at Ramah, on the left. Here lies Saul Chaplin. He was a composer for
stage and screen, from the days of Tin Pan Alley. He won three Oscars for his work as music
director, for the films An American in Paris, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and West Side
Story. Among his best-known song compositions are “The Anniversary Song” and “Please Be Kind.”
Chaplin was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985. He lived to be 85.
Let’s double back toward the street, to find the grave of one of the most beloved comedic actors of
the 80s, 90s, and 2000s: Bob Saget. If you’re of my generation, you have fond memories of Bob as
Danny Tanner, head of a full house of memorable characters, in the hit sitcom, Full House.
“I told Tommy what a big fan Stephanie is, and he agreed to stop by her party after school today.”
“Dad, Stephanie is going to go nuts!”
“I know. Am I the raddest,
baddest dad a kid ever had?”
“You were until you said that.”
He would reprise the role in the Netflix sequel, Fuller House in 2016. You probably
also laughed with Bob as the long-running host of American’s Funniest Home Videos, and as
the narrator of How I Met Your Mother. His film work includes directing Dirty
Work, and appearing in Half Baked. Bob was also well-known for entertaining audiences
in the stand-up comedy circuit for decades. He left us far too soon, though. While on a stand-up
comedy tour in Florida, Bob was found unresponsive in his hotel room. He is believed to have suffered
a blow to the head from a fall, and died in his sleep from the injury. Bob Saget, who brough
people together and made them laugh, was 65.
Circling around north we reach Garden of Covenant
on the right. Our next famous figure owned a comedy club that once hosted Bob Saget, among
many other legendary comedians. Meet Mitzi Shore, owner and operator of The Comedy Store in West
Hollywood, from 1974 until her death. Mitzi and The Comedy Store would develop and launch
numerous names that have become legendary in the comedy world, like Robin Williams,
Jim Carey, Rosanne Barr, Chevy Chase, Whoopi Goldberg, Jay Leno, and more. And in an
age when stand-up comedy was seen mostly as a “boys club,” Mitzi dedicated a section of her
club to booking exclusively female comedians. Mitzi was the mother of comedian
Pauly Shore. She lived to be 87.
In the next garden north, we find a name familiar
to you if you saw our Disney special. Here lies Marty Sklar. He joined Disney Imagineering in
1961, where he would help design the Enchanted Tiki Room and It’s a Small World. By 1974 he
became vice president of concepts and planning, guiding the development of EPCOT, Walt’s
Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. He was a dedicated torchbearer of Disney’s
philosophy throughout his career as principal creative executive at Walt Disney Imagineering,
supervising design and construction of Disney’s global park expansion, including Disneyland
Tokyo, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disney. He is the only person to have attended
the grand opening of all Disney parks. Marty Sklar was named a Disney Legend in 1994.
Across the street straight west is Garden of
Ramah. This is the grave of actress Florence Stanley. On television she’s remembered
for playing Bernice on Barney Miller, and the spinoff, Fish, Judge Margaret Wilbur on
My Two Dads, and voiced Grandma on Dinosaurs. Florence also lent her voice to animated
characters like Mrs. Packard in Atlantis: Lost Empire. She lived to be 79,
passing away from a stroke in 2003.
Let’s continue further west in the Garden of
Ramah. Here we find the unmarked grave of another comedy legend, Sid Caesar. In the 50s he was known
for two pioneering TV shows, Your Show of Shows, and Caesar’s Hour. The shows would make him a
household name. And Caesar’s shows would cultivate comedy writing greats like Mel Brooks, and Carl
Reiner. Sid Caesar would go on to appear in classic comedy films like It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad
World, and played Coach Calhoun in Grease. Over his career he was nominated for 11 Emmys, winning
twice. He passed away in 2014 at the age of 91.
Still further west, on the right, is Moses
section. Next to the road we find the grave of Mark Tulin. He was bass player and original
member of the 60s psychedelic rock band, The Electric Prunes. They had a hit in the
song “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night).” Tulin would also collaborate with The
Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan in the 2000s. And if you saw 1972’s Poseidon Adventure,
you saw Mark playing bass with the band on the ship. He died after suffering a heart
attack in Avalon, at the age of 62.
Straight across the street south
is the Court of the Psalms. Heading to the south wall we find Nat Hiken.
If you’re a fan of 50s and 60s TV comedies, you likely know the name Nat Hiken. He created, wrote,
and produced two of the biggest show of this era: The Phil Silvers Show, starring Phil Silvers,
who rests nearby, and Car 54, Where Are You?, starring Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynne. He won 5
Emmys for these shows. He also wrote for comic greats like Carol Burnette. Nat was just 54
when he suffered a fatal heart attack.
Let’s head into the next courtyard west. High on
the east wall is the crypt of Irving Mills. He was a music publisher and lyricist, known particularly
for his work with big band and jazz artists. He managed Duke Ellington early in his career,
writing lyrics for some of his hits like “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing). Mills
also contributed lyrics to the Cab Calloway hit, “Minnie the Moocher.” He was also one of the
first producers to record African-American and white musicians playing together on the
same record. Irving lived to be 91.
Continuing west, we cross
back over to Moses section. Down the hill a little ways we find the
grave of Eli Broad. He was a businessman and philanthropist, at one time one of the richest men
in America. His philanthropic efforts supported education, the arts, and scientific and medical
research. An avid collector of art, Eli and his wife funded The Broad Museum of Contemporary
Art here in Los Angeles. And he endowed millions to medical and scientific research programs,
including stem cell research. As of 2017 the Broads had given more than $4 billion to support
public schools, higher education, scientific research, and bring contemporary art to as many
people as possible. Eli Broad lived to be 87.
Still further west, let’s stop at the staircase
that takes us down to the Garden of Shemot. Here is the crypt of Billy Halop. He began
his acting career as one of the Dead End Kids, in the popular film series of the 30s and 40s.
In this same vein, he’d appear alongside James Cagney in Angels With Dirty Faces, as gang
leader, Soapy. After the war he’d appear in films like Dangerous Years, then made his way to
television, appearing on shows like Perry Mason, and as Bert Munson on All in the Family. Billy
was just 56 when he died from a heart attack.
Let’s make our way to the lawn just west of here. This is the grave of Laurie Mitchell. Her
epitaph gives us a good idea of what she is best remembered for. It reminds us of her starring
role alongside Zsa Zsa Gabor in the 1958 film, Queen of Outer Space. She played Queen Yllana of
Venus. She’d become known for B-movies of the 50s, like Attack of the Puppet People, and Missile to
the Moon, and would make appearances on shows like The Virginian and The Addams Family. She retired
from the screen in the 70s, and lived to be 90.
Just east of here is another series of courtyards,
the Garden of Eternal Promise. Low on the wall of crypts we find Ziggy Elman, another big name
from the big band era of the 30s and 40s. He played trumpet with Benny Goodman’s Orchestra in
the 30s, and later with Tommy Dorsey in the 40s. He would even lead his own band, Ziggy Elman and
his Orchestra. His biggest hit was “And the Angels Sing.” Ziggy fell on hard times after the big
band era ended, and passed away in 1968. His birth year is given here as 1911, but online records
list it as 1914, so he was either 57, or 54.
Doubling back toward the east, we
reach Maimonides section on the left. Just down the hill we find the grave
of Bambi Allen. She was an actress, known for low-budget exploitation
films of the 60s and 70s. Notable among them are Angels Die Hard, and
the cult drive-in flick, Satan’s Sadists. Bambi passed away at just 34. Her cause of
death was listed as cancer, but producer Samuel Sherman claimed her death was caused by
complications from silicone breast enhancement.
Let’s hop back across the street to Moses section.
Pop quiz for you Seinfeld fans: Which character appeared in more episodes of Seinfeld, outside of
the main 4 characters? If you guessed Newman, or the Costanzas, you’d be wrong. The correct answer
is Ruthie, the wholesome cashier at Monk’s Café. Ruth can be seen in 101 episodes of the show,
and the character was even named after her.
“You’re not so tough when you’re
not on your horse, are you Ruthie?”
“Your car’s on fire.”
“Merry Christmas”
“Fire!”
Ruth also appeared in episodes of The Golden Girls, and
Malcolm in the Middle. She lived to be 78.
Driving along Covenant Way to the eastern
end of the cemetery we stop at Gardens of Moriah on the right, just past the Memorial
to the Six Million. Here is Art Aragon, a professional boxer known as “The Golden
Boy.” He boxed professionally in the 40s and 50s, in the lightweight class. By his
retirement in 1960 he had 90 career wins, 62 by KO. Aragon enjoyed popularity
in Hollywood circles, and would translate that popularity onto the big screen,
appearing in films like The Ring, Off Limits, and Fat City. He died from complications
of a stroke at age 80.
We turn back now toward the setting sun in the
west, and reach Kedron section on the right. Here lies Gregg Hoffman. He was one of the
producers behind the immensely popular horror franchise, Saw. Australian filmmakers James Wan
and Leigh Whannell made a 7-minue short film to pitch the idea of the Saw film to producers.
When the short film came to Gregg Hoffman here in Los Angeles, they formed Twisted Pictures
to make the movie. It was a huge success, and would spawn 8 sequels, and additional
media. Hoffman was working on producing Saw III and IV when he died suddenly after
being admitted to the hospital for neck pain. He was just 42. The movie Dead
Silence was dedicated to his memory.
And finally, we’ve come full circle, back
toward the entrance. Stopping on the left in Maimonides section, we find a name familiar
to you classic animation enthusiasts: Fleischer. Dave Fleischer. In the 1930s and 40s there
were three big names in animation: Disney, Warner Bros, and Fleischer. Along with his
brother Max, Dave founded Fleischer Studios in 1929. While Disney and Warner’s
stars were anthropomorphic animals, the Fleischers made stars of animated human
characters, like Betty Boop, Popeye the Sailor, and Superman. And The Fleischers stood in stark
contrast to Disney stylistically, with edgier, grittier, darker, content, sometimes with elements
of surrealism and sexuality. They would also cleverly integrate filmed 3D elements in their
animations, to give the worlds unique depth. The brothers started experimenting
with filmmaking as early as the 19-teens. Max was a creative inventor
and artist, who innovated rotoscoping, the process of using projected filmed images
as tracing reference for animated motion. Their earliest series of films was called Out
of the Inkwell, drawn by Max, and using Dave as the model of their first character, Koko the
Clown. As their studio grew, Max would produce, and Dave would be director of most of their
output… with over 650 credits to his name. And in addition to their series with stars like
Betty Boop, Fleischers would produce features, like Gulliver’s Travels, and Mr. Bug Goes to Town.
Fleischer Studios didn’t endure the way Disney did, but we are fortunate in the age of streaming
to still be able to enjoy the priceless gems of classic animation that came out of that studio,
including some of my own personal favorites, like “The Cobweb Hotel,” “Christmas Comes but
Once a Year,” and “Somewhere in Dreamland.” Dave Fleischer died after suffering
a stroke at age 84.
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!
I don’t know who Milton and Betty Kent are,
but they win the prize for most romantic graves in the cemetery. Put their two crypt
markers together, and they form a heart.
