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 south to Orange County, to find
such stars as Eddie Cochran, Bradley Nowell, the Knott family, The Rev, and many more. Join us, won’t you? Orange County, home of oranges, Disneyland,
and of course, The OC. With Orange County now in the orange tier,
and parks like Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm reopening, it felt like a good time to
turn the compass south and head to the OC. On that note, enjoy this rare shot of the
Disneyland main gate completely devoid of people, before it re-opens April 30th. Anaheim here in Orange County was little more
than orange orchards when Disney chose this spot for his park. It’s now one of the most popular destinations
for seekers of entertainment around the world. Many notable figures have called Orange County
home, not only in life, but for their eternal home as well. This isn’t our first foray down to the OC. A few years back you’ll recall we visited
Pacific View Memorial Park, where stars like John Wayne are buried. Today we’ll explore a number of other cemeteries
throughout Orange County. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so we’ll
break up this tour into two parts. Let’s begin where LA County and Orange County
meet, at Forest Lawn Cypress… sister cemetery to the many Forest Lawn locations around LA
and Southern California at large. This is also where you’ll find my dream
car, parked out in front of the flower shop. Passing through the main gate we reach Abiding
Faith section on the left. Heading toward the fence, passing the statue
on the right, we find a legend of rock and roll, Eddie Cochran. He was a popular guitarist, singer and songwriter
in the 50s… a pioneer of the Rockabilly sound. He was the epitome of the 1950s rocker, sharply
dressed but with a rebellious attitude that struck a chord with teenage frustration of
the era. He shot to fame when he appeared in the 1956
Jayne Mansfield film, The Girl Can’t Help It, performing his song “Twenty Flight Rock.” [music] He’d go on to have a number of hits, like “C’Mon Everybody,” [music] and “Summertime Blues.” [music] In 1957 he made another film appearance, in Untamed Youth. By the late 50s Cochran had become one of
the biggest influences and voices of Rock and Roll. In 1959, three of his close friends, Buddy
Holly, Ritchie Valens, and Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash. Cochran was shaken by their deaths and developed
a morbid premonition that he too would die young. He grew anxious to give up life on the road
and focus on making music in the studio, to avoid a similar fate. But his premonition would prove prophetic. In 1960 Cochran was on tour in England. While riding in a taxi late on April 16th,
the driver lost control and crashed into a lamppost. Eddie was thrown from the vehicle and died
from his injuries. He was just 21. Other passengers in the car included fellow
rocker Gene Vincent, and his fiancée Sharon Sheeley, both of whom survived. Eddie Cochran was inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and his musical legacy endures to this day. Adjacent to Eddie we find a cenotaph to his
fiancée, Sharon Sheeley. She was a songwriter who wrote songs for many
of the popular artists of the day, including not only Eddie Cochran, but also Glen Campbell,
Ricky Nelson, Belinda Lee, and more. She wrote Ricky Nelson’s first #1 hit, “Poor
Little Fool,” [music] and the Eddie Cochran song, “Somethin’ Else,” alluded to right here on her marker. [music] She died in 2002 at the age of 62. This is a cenotaph, meaning this is a memorial
marker, and she’s not actually buried here. Let’s proceed west toward the churchyard. Just off of Denni St is the grave of Ken Maynard. In the 20s to the 40s he was considered one
of Hollywood’s biggest western stars. He began appearing in films during the silent
era, and his rugged good looks and skills as a horseman and stuntman made him a rising
cowboy star into the 30s, taking up the mantle from silent film cowboys like Tom Mix and
William S Hart. He starred in some 100 films of the era,
like The Lightning Legion, and Avenging Waters. But he could be hotheaded as a star, and frequent
clashes with cast and crew led to a decline in his career, and by the mid-40s he was done
making pictures, turning to state fairs and rodeos. He returned to the screen in the 70s to make
Bigfoot, and The Marshall of Windy Hollow, the latter of which has never been released
to the public. He died from stomach cancer at age 77. Here in the shadow of the Church of Our Fathers,
rests a young boy whose story marks one of the great tragedies to occur on a film set. Myca Dinh Le was from Vietnam, his family
settling in Los Angeles. Seven year old Myca was hired for a small
role in the 1983 film, Twilight Zone: The Movie. Myca and another child, Renee Chen, were hired
illegally, paid under the table, to circumvent child labor laws. In the early morning hours of July 23, 1982,
they were filming a scene re-enacting the Vietnam War. In this scene, actor Vic Morrow was carrying
the two children across a river. Flying above them was a helicopter. Two large special effect pyrotechnic explosions
were detonated too close to the hovering helicopter, causing it to lose control, and crash down
on Vic and the two children. All three were killed instantly. Their deaths led to high-profile and decade-long
civil and criminal action against the filmmakers, but in the end, no one was ever found criminally
liable for the accident. It did, however, lead to markedly improved
safety regulations on set, particularly when children are involved. In response to the accident, Steven Spielberg
said, “No movie is worth dying for. I think people are standing up much more now
than ever before to producers and directors who ask too much. If something isn't safe, it's the right and
responsibility of every actor or crew member to yell, 'Cut!' The western-most section of Forest Lawn Cypress
is called Fond Remembrance. Here we find a famous aviatrix, an inspiration
to women everywhere, Joan Merriam Smith. As noted right here on her marker she was
the first woman to fly solo around the world at the equator, the longest solo flight undertaken
at that time. The year was 1964. She was also the first woman to fly a twin-engine
aircraft around the world. Tragically, Joan died in 1965, when the aircraft
she was piloting out of Long Beach crashed into the San Gabriel Mountains. She was 28. If you’ve watched our videos before, you’ll
know that Forest Lawn is renowned for featuring some magnificent works of art in their memorial
parks: mosaics, statues, paintings, etc. Let’s admire some of those found here. They even have a bronze replica of Michelangelo’s
David… hopefully this one is a bit more steady on his feet than his marble cousin
in Glendale. This is the Ascension Mausoleum. You’ll be curious to know that this sarcophagus
here was the original resting place of singer Karen Carpenter. She rested here from 1983 until 2003 when
she was moved to Valley Oaks in Westlake Village with her family. The section south of the Ascension mausoleum
is Eternal Peace. Here rests H.B. Halicki He was a filmmaker and stunt driver, known
for writing, directing, producing, and starring in the 1974 film, Gone in 60 Seconds. “You owe it to your car to see Gone in 60
Seconds. It’s grand-theft entertainment. Gone in 60 Seconds.” The film is known for being done mostly guerilla-style,
and having damaged or destroyed some 127 cars in the production of the film. The popularity of Gone in 60 Seconds led to
a remake in 2000, starring Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie. In 1989 Halicki began production on a sequel,
Gone in 60 Seconds 2. In another tragic incident on a film set,
Halicki was preparing for a dramatic stunt sequence when a cable holding up a water tower
snapped, knocking over a telephone pole, which toppled and killed Halicki. He was 48. Crossing the street east is the Garden of
Protection. Close to the wall is Abe “King Kong” Kashey. He was born in Syria, and began his career
in the 30s as a professional wrestler as King Kong Kashey. In the 40s he was introduced into the movies,
having small roles in films like Tarzan and the Leopard Woman, and That Nazty Nuisance. He died from heart failure at the age of 61. Heading back toward the sidewalk we find Harold
“Bouncy” Wertz. He had a brief but memorable acting career
in the 30s, as one of the Little Rascals, known as Bouncy. He can be seen in 3 Our Gang shorts, Choo-Choo!,
The Pooch, and Hook and Ladder. He retired from acting after this, later joining
the marines during the war, and later entering the private sector. He lived to be 72. If you watched our Viewers Special you’ll
recall that here in this section is the grave of Glenn Quinn. Since that time, this beautiful new marker
has been placed. Glenn was an Irish actor, active mainly in
the 90s, early 2000s. He’s known for playing Mark Healy on Roseanne,
and for his portrayal of Doyle, a half-demon, on the series Angel, which was a spin-off
of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Glenn struggled with substance abuse, dying
from a heroine overdose at age 32. North in the Garden of Protection, off Cypress
Drive, we find Richard Street. He was a Soul and R&B singer, known as one
of the vocalists of the popular Motown group, The Temptations, from 1971 to 1993. Several of the group’s hits featured Street
on lead vocals, like “Superstar,” [music] and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.” [music] After the Temptations he toured and performed as a solo artist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame with the Temptations in 1989. Richard died from a pulmonary embolism at
the age of 70. Crossing to the eastern end of the Garden
of Protection, behind the statue of David, near the wall, is Sandy West. She was a musician, best known as a founding
member of the all-girl 70s rock band, The Runaways. Sandy played drums and sang in the band. Among their popular songs was “Cherry Bomb,” [music] and “Hollywood.” [music] They achieved moderate popularity here in the states, but were a sensation overseas,
particularly in Japan. The Runaways disbanded in 1979. After The Runaways she continued to perform,
until a cancer diagnosis in 2005. The disease took her life a year later at
the age of 47. She was portrayed by Stella Maeve in the 2010
film, The Runaways. Let’s leave the Garden of Protection for
the Dawn section to the north. Here, in the shade of a tree, is Tonya Crews. She was a Choctaw American model from Oklahoma,
remembered for being Playboy’s playmate of the month in March 1961. Tonya was just 25 when she died in an automobile
accident. East is Everlasting Hope, off Guardian Drive. Here rests Angel Florez. Young Angel loved to sing and dance, and when
Disney relaunched The Mickey Mouse Club in 1977 as The New Mickey Mouse Club, Angel’s
dream of performing came true when he was chosen as one of the 12 new Mouseketeers. As the demographic of the United States was
changing, Disney wanted to reflect this in the Mouseketeers, representing different ethnic
groups. Angel was half Mexican-American, half Apache,
and was known for his comedic flair. He was just 31 when he died from complications
of AIDS. Farther east in this section, not far from
the canal, is the grave of musician, Chuck Rio. He was a composer and saxophone player, best
known for writing and performing the hit song, “Tequila,” with The Champs. It was Chuck Rio on sax, and who spoke the
one word in the song. [music] The song won a Grammy in 1959, and has been featured in countless TV and film productions,
like Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. Chuck Rio, whose real name was Danny Flores,
suffered from Parkinson’s later in life, and died from complications of pneumonia at
age 77. South, just across the street from the new
Heritage Mausoleum, we find Jack Sheldon. The legendary jazz trumpeter, singer, and
actor is remembered as Merv Griffin’s sidekick on the Merv Griffin show in the 70s. And younger audiences will recognize him as
the voice of Schoolhouse Rock, including the iconic, “I’m Just
a Bill.” [music] Jack even starred in his own sitcom in 1966, Run Buddy Run. And throughout his career he continued to
play music, releasing dozens of jazz albums. Jack Sheldon lived to be 88. For our last stop here at Forest Lawn Cypress,
let’s cross the street south, to Sheltering Trees section. Just past one of these sheltering trees we
find the grave of Downtown Ollie Brown. He was a major league baseball player, who
played pitcher and outfield for the Giants, Padres, Athletics, Brewers, Astros, and Phillies. He was named MVP while playing for the Giants. Ollie was known for his throwing accuracy
from deep in the outfield, and after hitting 40 home runs in a season, was given the moniker,
“Downtown” Ollie Brown. He retired in 1977, and lived to be 71, passing
away from mesothelioma in 2015. Our next stop through the graveyards of Orange
County brings us to Loma Vista Memorial Park, in the Fullerton area. Here’s one for you thrill seekers, and lovers
of berry preserves, Walter and Cordelia Knott. They were farmers here in Orange County who
popularized the boysenberry, a cross between a blackberry, loganberry, and raspberry. They sold berries and preserves from a roadside
stand in Buena Park, and soon grew into a restaurant where Cordelia served her famous
chicken and pies. So popular was the restaurant that long lines
would form. To keep customers entertained while they waited,
Knott built a ghost town… the beginnings of the modern theme park, years before Disneyland
would open. Knotts would evolve into a summer fair with
rides, and over the decades, into the modern amusement park we know today, one of the most
popular in the country. Cordelia lived to be 84, and Walter, 91. Also here at Loma Vista is author C.S. Forester. He was an English novelist, known for his
tales of naval warfare, particularly, his 10-book Horatio Hornblower series, which depicts
a Royal Naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars. His other works include “The African Queen,”
which was made into a popular film starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, and
“The Good Shepherd,” which was adapted as Greyhound by Tom Hanks. Forester lived to be 66. Let’s move on now to the Westminster area,
and Westminster Memorial Park. It was founded as Central Memorial Park in
1924, and later re-named to Westminster. Heading in from the main entrance, we take
a left to find the Mausoleum of Eternal light. In the north end, above eye level, is the
niche of actress and model, Chili Williams, whose real name was Marion. She was known as “The Polka Dot Girl,”
a popular pinup among WWII servicemen. She then landed a movie contract and began
appearing in small roles in films like Having Wonderful Crime, Captive Women, and Raw Deal. She retired from acting in 1952, and lived
to be 81. Back out to the grounds let’s head to Remembrance
section. Here lies Stafford Repp. You Batman fans will remember Stafford Repp
for his role as Police Chief O’Hara in the 60’s Batman series and 1966 movie. He would appear on many of the other great
TV shows of the era, like Gunsmoke, and Perry Mason. His films include I Want to Live! and The
Brothers Karamazov. Shortly before his death he filmed several
scenes for the unfinished Orson Welles film, The Other Side of the Wind, which wasn’t
released until 2018. Repp died from a heart attack at age 56. North of here on the left is block 19-A. Just
in from the road a short ways is Loyal Griggs. He was a cinematographer and special effects
photographer, one of the most innovative in the 30s through the 60s. Early in his career he helped create the spectacular
earthquake sequence in 1936’s San Francisco. He would go on to film some of the great films
of the era, including White Christmas, The Ten Commandments, and Shane, which won him
an Oscar for best cinematography. He also won an honorary Academy Award for
Spawn of the North. Griggs lived to be 71. Let’s head farther north, toward the middle
of this lawn. Here lies Neal Fredericks, another noted cinematographer. He’s perhaps best remembered for filming
The Blair Witch Project, released in 1999. The ground-breaking “found footage” style
horror documentary became immensely popular, and would grow to become one of the most successful
independent films of all time. “I’m so scared!” Other of his films include Dreamers, and Abominable. Tragically, in 2004, marking our third incident
of death while filmmaking in this one video, Neal died during the production of the film
CrossBones while shooting aerial footage. The small aircraft he was in crashed into
the sea when an engine failed. Others on the plane were able to escape, but
Neal had tied himself into the airplane to operate the camera, and was unable to escape
before it submerged. He was just 35. It is a hot one today. Let’s go cool off in Westminster’s fountain. On hot summer strolls through California graveyards,
I wish all cemeteries had one of these. For our last stop here at Westminster, we
head northeast to Ivy section. Look for the area on the north side of the
road where people have left messages right on the curb. These messages are for Sublime front man,
Bradley Nowell. Sublime was a ska punk band from the Long
Beach area, which formed in 1988. Bradley was vocalist, guitar player, and songwriter
for the band. Their 1996 self-titled album generated a number
of hits, many of which still get airtime today, like “What I Got,” [music] “Santeria,” [music] and “Wrong Way.” [music] The album sold over 5 million copies, and remains one of the greatest of 90s alternative
rock. But Nowell wouldn’t live to see the album’s
success. He often struggled with heroin addiction. In May of ‘96 Bradley Nowell died from a
heroin overdose at the age of 28 in a San Francisco hotel while on tour. He was found by his bandmate – Nowell’s
dog, Lou Dog, sat whimpering close to him. Sublime’s self-titled album was released
two months later, when the band had already dissolved. The fact that the album found such success
without the band touring to promote it made it all the more remarkable. Bradley was cremated, his ashes scattered
over his favorite surfing spot outside Surfside. This marker was later placed here in his memory
for people to visit. The last cemetery we’ll hit for this first
half of our OC tour is not far south of Westminster, in the Huntington Beach area. Good Shepherd is a catholic cemetery. Originally named Roselawn, the cemetery was
purchased by the Los Angeles ArchDiocese in 1952, and then the Diocese of Orange in 1967. We’ll begin here to the west, in section
D. Not far from the large bible monument
is the grave of Robert Burks. He was another of the great cinematographers
of the mid-20th century. He was the favorite cinematographer of legendary
filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. It was Robert Burks who would capture on film
Hitchcock classics like Vertigo, To Catch a Thief, Strangers on a Train, The Birds,
and Rear Window. He was nominated for four Oscars, winning
for To Catch a Thief. Burks was gearing up to shoot Hitchcock’s
Topaz when tragedy struck. He and his wife were killed in a house fire
in 1968, believed to have been caused by him falling asleep with a cigarette in bed. He was just 58. Finally, we circle back around to section
F. This is the final resting place of Jimmy Sullivan,
known as The Rev (short for The Reverend Tholomew Plague). He was a drummer, best remembered as a founding
member of the heavy metal band, Avenged Sevenfold. The band formed in Huntington Beach in 1999,
and rose to prominence playing gigs like Ozzfest and the Vans Warped Tour. Their hit single “Bat Country” reached
#2 on the mainstream rock charts. [music] The band had just begun work on their fifth studio album, Nightmare, in late 2009, when
The Rev died suddenly from an accidental drug overdose. He was 28. The band was devastated, but completed the
album with the help of drummer Mike Portnoy, and dedicated Nightmare to Sullivan. The tombstone on the album features the word
forever, with REV being emphasized, in honor of The Rev. The single, “Welcome to the Family” was
co-written by Sullivan, and the song “Fiction,” was written by Sullivan three days before
his death. “So Far Away,” another single from the
album, was released as a tribute to their lost bandmate. [music] Jimmy The Rev Sullivan jumped into life, and never touched bottom. 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! Earlier we referred back to our tour of Pacific
View Memorial Park here in Orange County. If you’ve followed recent events, you’ll
know that legendary basketball player Kobe Bryant was reportedly laid to rest here. However, the family has chosen to keep the
location private for now, to avoid it turning into a shrine, and the cemetery does not reveal
the location either. So until that time when his location is revealed
and we can come back to visit him, we will continue to send our love and remembrances
of Kobe from afar…
