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 tour of New York,
in Westchester County, where we'll find such stars as Babe Ruth, Billie Burke,
James Cagney, and many more. Join us, won't you? Hard to believe it,
but we've reached the final stretch of our tour of New York. We'll continue to
make our way through Westchester County at Kensico and Gate of Heaven
cemeteries. If you haven't done so already be sure to check out parts one
through four. Just a few miles north east of Ferncliff, where we left off part 4, is
Kensico Cemetery. This is a non-denominational cemetery founded in
1889 as part of the surge of rural cemeteries in New York after the Rural
Cemetery Act was passed. It sits on close to 500 acres here in
the beautiful Valhalla area. Let's make our way in from the southern
entrance, off Grasslands, and head to section 93 northeast a ways. A short walk
in leads us to "The Iron Horse," legendary New York Yankee, Lou Gehrig.
He played major league baseball for the Yankees from 1923 until 1939, and remains
one of the sport's greatest players. His nickname, "The Iron Horse," comes from his
record-setting streak of continuous games played: 2,130, a record that stood
until 1995. He played first base, and was one of the most dominant hitters in
baseball, with a career batting average of .340 and 493 total home runs. The
Yankees won six World Series with Gehrig. In 1938 his performance began to slip, but
more than just the effects of age. He voluntarily took himself off the Yankee
lineup in 1939 and was soon after diagnosed with ALS, a neuromuscular
disease, now commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The disease forced him
to retire at 36, and two years later it took his life. "Today I consider myself the luckiest man
on the face of the earth." [applause] Let's head to the next section northeast.
Just north of the roundabout, near a statue, are the graves of husband and wife, Flo
Ziegfeld and Billie Burke. If you've watched many of our previous videos
you'll probably recall hearing the name Ziegfeld quite a bit. Here's the man
himself. Florenz Ziegfeld was a theatrical producer, known for his
Ziegfeld Follies. Inspired by the Folies Bergere of Paris, the Ziegfeld Follies
were an annual series of elaborate and extravagant theatrical revues that ran
on Broadway from 1907 to 1931, with a few revivals thereafter.
Some of Hollywood's biggest names would jump start their careers in the follies.
Comedians WC Fields and Ed Wynn were regular performers. Marilyn Miller and
Fanny Brice also rose to stardom on those spectacular stages. And then there
was a legendary Ziegfeld Girls - the quintessential Jazz Age American Beauty
who paraded before audiences in elaborate costumes. These were the chorus
girls and showgirls in the follies, as well as featured performers. Stars like
Olive Thomas, Louise Brooks, Dolores Costello and Billie Dove were Ziegfeld
Girls. Outside of the follies Ziegfeld produced other Broadway shows, including
the hit, Show Boat. He died in 1932 at the age of 66. A fictionalized biopic was
made about his life in 1936, The Great Ziegfeld, starring William Powell as Ziegfeld. The film won the Best Picture Oscar for that year. [music] Ziegfeld is buried next to his wife,
Billie Burke. She was an actress who caught the eye of Ziegfeld as she
performed on Broadway in the 19-teens. They married in 1914. She found great
success acting in silent films, beginning with the 1916 film, Peggy. But by the 20s
she began to focus more on stage acting. But after the stock market crash of 1929
and her husband's death in 1932, Billie returned to film to support herself. Her
best-known role of this period is perhaps as Glinda, the Good Witch of the
North, in The Wizard of Oz. "I am a witch. I'm Glinda, the witch of the north." "You are? Oh I beg your pardon. But I've never heard of a
beautiful witch before." "Only bad witches are ugly." She was nominated for an Oscar for her role
in Merrily We Live, and is also remembered for her appearances in the
Topper film series. Billie lived to be 85. This statue of a seated woman was
dedicated by Billie Burke in honor of her mother, Blanche. The next section north is Uncas section. Here is the final resting place of Ayn Rand. She was a Russian-born author, known for developing the Objectivist
philosophy. She achieved fame with her 1943 novel, The Fountainhead, and in 1957
published her best-known work, her magnum opus, Atlas Shrugged. The book was
eventually made into a multi-part film series, beginning in 2011. A short distance east is the grave of
Tommy Dorsey, a trombone player and popular
band leader of the swing era. He was known as the sentimental gentleman of
Swing for his mellow and smooth tone. No one could make the trombone sing quite
like Tommy Dorsey. Early in life he played with his brother, Jimmy, who played
saxophone and clarinet. He then broke out on his own to lead one of the most
popular bands in the 30s through the 50s. Among his hits are "I'll Never Smile
Again," and his theme song, "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You." The first five
notes of which are right here on his marker. [music] Tommy died suddenly in his sleep at the
age of 51. Continuing north we make our way
to Mineola Lake. Across the street to the east of the
lake we find the bench that marks the final resting place of Danny Kaye,
another of the entertainment world's all-around great talents who found
success in nearly every facet of entertainment. He was known for his
idiosyncratic performances and rapid-fire tongue twisters. Kaye found
success on Broadway in the 30s and 40s including in the Moss Hart comedy, Lady in
the Dark. In the 40s and 50s he had a string of successful films, including The
Secret Life of Walter Mitty, White Christmas, and The Court Jester.
Many of his film roles were made memorable by his musical performances, including the
song that is perhaps most closely associated with him, "Inchworm,"
first performed in the 1952 film Hans Christian Andersen. [music] He had his own radio show in the 40s, The
Danny Kaye Show, and in the 60s would host a popular variety show of the same
name. The show won four Emmys and a Peabody Award. Danny Kaye continued to
sing, act, dance, and make audiences laugh until he died of heart failure at the
age of 76. Kaye is buried here with his wife, Sylvia
Fine, who was his creative partner. She would
not only help manage her husband's career, but also wrote songs and music
for many of his projects, including The Five Pennies, and The Court Jester.
She was nominated for two Oscars for her songs. Just north of here is the Friar's
Club section. Near the road is Soupy Sales. He was an early pioneer of
children's television, known for his show Lunch with Soupy Sales, which ran from
1953 to 1966. The silly sketches on his show often ended with him getting a
whipped cream pie to the face. He estimates that over the span of his
career he and his guests took over 20,000 pies to the face. His high-energy
antics and rubberface performances made him one of the most popular performers
among children in that era. One infamously improvised gag came on New
Year's Day 1965 when he told all the kids to take dollars from their parents'
wallets and send them to him. Many children did and they received thousands
of dollars. The gag got him suspended but only increased the popularity of his
show. Later in life he also made regular appearances as panelists on game shows
like What's My Line and the $10,000 Pyramid. He died of cancer at the age of 83. Let's now turn west to the other side of
the cemetery. Off the roundabout and Pocantico Avenue
is the grave of Sergei Rachmaninoff. He was the Russian pianist and composer
of the Romantic period. Among his best-known works are Prelude in C#
Minor, and Piano Concerto #2. After the Russian Revolution he fled to
the US in 1918 where he continued to write and perform. One of his personal
favorite works, and mine as well, was Vespers (The All-Night Vigil), the
stunningly beautiful angelic choral work. He requested the fifth movement of this
piece be performed at his funeral. [music] As his health began to fail he moved to
California for the warmer weather, passing away in 1943 at the age of 69. Just west of here is a special section of the Actor's Fund of America and
National Vaudeville Association. Not all stars die wealthy as fame can be fickle
and fleeting. So these charities were established to help aging stars, even
with funeral expenses. In this section we find Olive Deering.
She played Miriam in two Cecil B DeMille biblical epics: The Ten Commandments
and Samson and Delilah. She was also frequently seen on television in the 50s and 60s, including
on Suspense, Perry Mason, The Outer Limits, and Kraft Theater. She died of cancer at
the age of 67. Also here, further north past a tree is Howard Smith. The heavyset character actor was known for roles as judges, police
officers, or gruff corporate bigwigs. He had a role in Orson Welles' infamous
radio production of War of the Worlds in 1938, and had roles in films like Death
of a Salesman and Murder Inc. On television he made guest appearances on
many of the great shows of the era, from Bewitched, to The Twilight Zone,
and is known for playing Harvey on the sitcom, Hazel. He died of a heart attack
at the age of 74. Our last stop in Kensico is in the
southwest corner of this same lawn, near the roundabout. Here is the final resting
place of Anne Bancroft. She honed her skills as an actress at the Actors
Studio under Lee Strasberg and would go on to become one of the finest actresses
of her generation. After a slow start in Hollywood Anne focused on Broadway
performances. She won a Tony for her role in The Miracle Worker, as the woman who
teaches Helen Keller. She would appear in the 1962 film version of the play, which
won her the Oscar. "Teacher. Teacher." Having also won an Emmy, Anne Bancroft is
one of only a handful of actors to have won an Oscar, Tony, and Emmy. Today though
she's perhaps best remembered for her role as Mrs. Robinson, the married woman
who tries to seduce Dustin Hoffman in the Graduate. "Mrs. Robinson you're trying
to seduce me." Anne was married to legendary comedic filmmaker
Mel Brooks, and would appear in a number of his films as well, including Dracula:
Dead and Loving It. She died of cancer at the age of 73. Farewell Kensico.
Next stop: Gate of Heaven. Gate of Heaven is a Catholic cemetery
adjacent to Kensico to the north. It was organized between 1916 and 1918. Like Kensico, Gate of Heaven is
surrounded by the beauty of nature. We're not in upstate New York, but were
definitely no longer in the city. We'll begin our tour of Gate of Heaven
in section 47, which is in the southeast portion of the cemetery. Close to the
southwest intersection we find the grave of Fred Allen. He's considered one of the
most popular humorists of the Golden Age of Radio, in his absurdist radio program,
The Fred Allen Show, which ran from 1932 to 1949. Fred innovated radio comedy, with
topical humor examining current events and presenting skits with recurring
characters. And he's remembered for his long-standing mock feud with fellow
radio comedian, Jack Benny. After radio he became a regular panelist
on the game show What's My Line. He died of a heart attack at the age of 61. One section north of here, section 48, is where we find the final resting place of
Bess Houdini. If you saw part two of our tour of New York you'll recall our visit
to legendary magician, Harry Houdini. Bess was not only his wife but also a
performer and his stage assistant. After her husband's death she worked to
promote Houdini's memory and legacy. Additionally, because of Houdini's
interest in and skepticism toward spiritualism, before he died he told his
wife that after his death if he could find a way to communicate with her, he
would send her the secret message: "Rosabelle Believe." Every year on Halloween after Houdini's death Bess held a
seance, but never heard from Houdini. On the tenth anniversary of his death,
she extinguished a candle she had kept burning beside a photo of Houdini since
his death. "The Houdini shrine has burned for 10 years. I now, reverently, turn out the light. It is finished. Goodnight, Harry." Later she famously quipped, "Ten
years is long enough to wait for any man." Bess had intended to be buried with
Harry after her death, in fact her name was even placed on the marker with the
dates blocked out in anticipation of her death. But when the time came her family,
being Roman Catholic, did not want her buried in a Jewish cemetery.
Do she was laid to rest here, alone at Gate of Heaven. Heading now to the
western edge of the cemetery in section 23 we find the grave of Dorothy
Kilgallen. She began her career as a columnist, mostly writing show business
news and gossip, but also politics sent true crime. Her column, The Voice of
Broadway, was eventually syndicated in over 140 newspapers. In
the 1950s she was often seen right alongside Fred Allen as a panelist on
What's My Line, remaining on the show 15 years until her death at the age of 52
of an apparent accidental overdose. In section 2 north of here, just in from
the road is the final resting place of actor Sal Mineo. He was one of the rising
stars of the 50s and 60s. He dropped out of school as a child and joined a street
gang, and after an arrest for robbery the age of 10 was given two choices: juvenile
detention, or acting school. He chose the latter. And it wouldn't be long until he
appeared on Broadway. He reached the peak of his success playing play-doh
alongside James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause. His performance earned him an
Academy Award nomination. Other memorable performances include the title role in
The Gene Krupa Story, and Exodus, which earned him another Oscar nomination. But
like so many this young talent's life was cut far too short, depriving the world of
what might have been. While in Los Angeles rehearsing for a play he was
stabbed to death in a botched robbery attempt in an alley near the Sunset
Strip. He was 37. Curving around to the northeast we reached section 25. Up the
hill a short ways is the unmistakable grave of the Sultan of Swat, the Bambino,
or as most people know him: Babe Ruth. If it isn't evident from all the balls and
bats surrounding his grave, he was one of the greatest baseball players in history,
if not the greatest. He began as a left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red
Sox, winning three World Series with the Sox. In an unprecedented move the Red Sox
sold Ruth to the Yankees in 1919, ushering in an 86 year World Series
drought for the Red Sox, known to many as the Curse of the Bambino. With the
Yankees Babe Ruth became a megastar, an unparalleled hitter, winning for
additional World Series with the team. By the end of his career he had set
countless records many, of which took decades to be broken, and some still
stand. His 714 career home runs have only been surpassed by Hank Aaron and Barry
Bonds. His charismatic personality made him the larger-than-life cultural figure
off the field as well in the roaring 20s, becoming not just a sports hero but an
American Hero. Babe Ruth retired from the game in 1935
and was one of the first five inaugural members of the Baseball Hall of Fame In 1936. He was diagnosed with cancer in 1946 and died two years
later at the age of 53. Babe Ruth was portrayed by John Goodman in the 1992
film, The Babe. Finally, for our last stop, not just of the day but of our entire
New York trip, we make our way up to one of the iconic landmarks of Gate of
Heaven, past the lake to the St. Francis of Assisi mausoleum and chapel, in the very
northern end of the cemetery. There are no filters on this. This is
actually how it looks here inside the Saint Francis of Assisi Chapel. It's quite surreal. Fitting that our last stop on our tour of New York is an actor
considered one of the greatest of Hollywood's golden age: James Cagney.
Early in his career he was known for his tough-guy gangster roles, shooting to
stardom in the 1931 film, The Public Enemy. Along with the likes of Edward G
Robinson, Humphrey Bogart, and George Raft, James Cagney would come to define the
movie gangster. "Come out and take it ya dirty yellow-bellied rat or I'll give it
to you through the door!" "Made it Ma! Top of the world!" His role in Angels with Dirty Faces
would earn him an Oscar nomination, and White Heat is considered one of the
greatest gangster movies of all time. So after cementing himself as a gangster,
audiences were surprised and delighted to discover that Cagney could sing and
dance, quite adroitly at that. In 1942 he
portrayed George M Cohan in the biopic, Yankee Doodle Dandy. The role earned him
the Oscar, and is considered by many to have been his best. His final film role
was in Ragtime in 1981. He died of a heart attack at the age of 86 and his eulogy was read by Ronald Reagan. The American Film Institute has ranked James
Cagney number 8 on their list of top male stars of the 20th century. And that concludes our tour of New York. 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. Thank you for watching, we'll see you back in LA. It's a bittersweet moment as the sun sets on us for the last time in New York.
Our time here has been amazing, challenging, inspiring, and unforgettable.
We're honored to have visited so many amazing people from history and to have
been able to share these moments with you. As we pack our bags and head back to
LA there are some people I'd like to acknowledge who made this trip possible:
to Jason and everyone on Patreon and GoFundMe who helped fund this expedition,
thank you! We never would have gotten here without
you. To John who wrangled up some additional footage for us, thank you. And
most of all, my good buddy, Will, who was at my side every minute and every mile
of this trip, sacrificing sleep, shins, and sanity to get us around to New York at a
back-breaking pace, all without a hitch. Thank you, brother! Farewell New York.
Until next time, thanks for the memories... and also for the pastrami.
