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 continue our tour of Orange County, where we’ll find
such stars as Carolyn Jones, William Hanna, Fender, Flo-Jo, and many more.
Join us, won’t you? In our last video we kicked off our tour of
Orange County. Today we’ll pick up where we left off, exploring several more cemeteries
in the OC. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to check out part 1. We’ll begin today at Melrose Abbey Memorial
Park in Anaheim, which is just down the street from Disneyland. Melrose Abbey was founded
in 1929, its namesake inspired by a monastery in Scotland. The crown jewel here is this
beautiful, Spanish Mission-style chapel mausoleum. Let’s head into the abbey mausoleum from
the north side. Taking a right into Magnolia, we find the crypt of Marshall Stedman. He
was an actor and director of the silent era. His career began on stage before discovering
the new medium of moving pictures. On screen he can be seen as King Ferdinand in The Coming
of Columbus, and as Fatty in Three Black Eyes. As a director he would helm films like A Motorcycle
Adventure, and A Romany Rose, which he also wrote. Marshall also taught drama, founding
the Marshall Stedman School of Drama in Culver City, California. He lived to be 68. The next corridor down is the Sanctuary of Devotion. Here on the left we find the niche
of Barbara Read. She was an actress in the 30s and 40s. Her big break was in the 1936
comedy, Three Smart Girls. She’s also remembered for playing Margo Lane in The Shadow Returns,
and The Missing Lady. Barbara died at age 45 from an apparent suicide. Back out to the outer wall of the mausoleum, along the bottom row, we find the final resting
place of Carolyn Jones. Generations of fans of television’s most creepy and cooky family
will remember Carolyn as Morticia Addams, the very first to portray the Charles Addams
cartoon character. “You remember our honeymoon, Gomez?”
“Who could forget our first night in Death Valley?" “There was a stillness in the air.”
"Tish." “The moon was full, and that lovely soft fluttering of bat wings, in that divine cave.” “You’re so romantic, Tish.” The Addams family ran from 1964 to 1966…
a short run for a show that has become an iconic part of the television landscape, and
has never been out of syndication. Before her defining role as Morticia Addams, Carolyn
had an impressive movie career, seen in films like The Man Who Knew Too Much, King Creole,
alongside Elvis Presley, and The Bachelor Party, which earned her an Oscar nomination.
Carolyn was just 53 when she died from cancer. She was cremated, her ashes entombed here
with her mother. Let’s head south out to the grounds, to
the Carnation Lawn. Here we find the grave of Jack Norworth. He was as songwriter who
penned a number of tin pan alley hits, perhaps most notably, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,”
which he wrote with Albert von Tilzer in 1908. The song would become the official anthem
of American Baseball. Another song he’s known for penning is “Shine On Harvest Moon,”
with wife Nora Bayes. [music] Jack was also an actor, appearing on Vaudeville, and as Jack in The Naggers series of short
films in the 30s. Jack Norworth was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
He died from a heart attack at the age of 80. This memorial marker was placed here,
not far from his actual grave, in 2010. Two sections west is Paradise Garden. Here
under a tree we find Robert Dudley. He began his career as a dentist before moving into
motion pictures. He can be seen in over 100 productions throughout his career, beginning
in the silent era. Among them are The Palm Beach Story, Son of Dracula, and Three Wise
Girls. Robert Dudley lived to be 86. Moving on, our next stop is one of the most
magnificent cathedrals in all of California, Christ Cathedral, also known as the Crystal
Cathedral. The reflective glass building, the largest of its kind when it was built
in 1980, is located in the Garden Grove area, part of the Catholic Diocese of Orange. On the grounds is a memorial garden, where the faithful are laid to rest.
Our first stop here is a man we’ve actually visited a couple of times before, in Special
Editions like our Viewers Special, and our Disney Special, so if you’ve seen those,
you know who Thurl Ravenscroft is. For those who haven’t, Thurl Ravenscroft was one of
the most famous bass voices of his generation. For decades he was the voice of Tony the Tiger.
And as a singer he can be heard in the Christmas classic, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” [music] as well as in a number of Disney films and park attractions,
including Pirates of the Caribbean, The Enchanted Tiki Room, and as a singing bust in The Haunted
Mansion. A distinctive feature on his niche here is this QR code, which you can scan to
be taken to a memorial webpage for Ravenscroft. He lived to be 91. Turning north we find a piano inspired tomb, the eternal home of Roger Williams, considered
one of the most popular pianists of the 20th Century. He had a number of chart-topping
hits, like “Autumn Leaves,” and “Born Free.” [music] Throughout his career he would release dozens of gold and platinum albums, and perform for
nine presidents. He would become the first pianist to receive a star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame, and his music can be heard in a number of film soundtracks, like “Somewhere
in Time.” So popular was Roger Williams that Steinway made a limited edition gold
grand piano, named after him. He died from cancer at age 87. Our next famous grave wasn’t an entertainer, but she made sure starving artists like myself
stayed fed. Marie Callender began selling pies with her husband in the 30s. The first
official Marie Callender’s pie shop opened in 1964, named after Marie here. It would
gradually add more food, becoming a popular restaurant chain. In the 90s Marie Callender’s-brand
frozen food began appearing in store freezers, and subsequently, in my freezer. Thank you,
Marie, for the tasty treats. Just southeast, in Santa Ana, is Fairhaven
Memorial Park. It was founded in 1911 to serve the needs of the Santa Ana area.
In Lawn M, just next to the road, is Douglas “Wrong Way” Corrigan. He was an aviator
who garnered international fame in 1938 when he set out on a flight from New York to California,
but ended up in Ireland. This earned him the moniker, “Wrong Way Corrigan.” He claimed
it was a navigational error and was truly surprised when he landed in Ireland, but some
believe this navigational error was deliberate, so he could make a transatlantic flight, which
he had been denied permission to do. He returned to the states a hero, and even starred in
a film about his life, The Flying Irishman. Wrong Way Corrigan lived to be 88. In the north end of the cemetery are the Garden Courts. Here we find the niche of Pamela Courson.
She was the long-term companion, and purported wife, of legendary rock singer, Jim Morrison,
of The Doors. They met when she was 19 and dated for 5 years until his death. In 1971
Jim and Pamela went to Paris. In the early morning hours of July 3, Pamela found Jim
dead in the bathroom. The cause was heart failure, believed to have been brought on
by his drug use. Though they were never officially married, Jim’s will named Pamela as his
heir. Three years later, in 1974, Pamela died from a heroin overdose in Los Angeles. Like
Jim, she also was 27. The family apparently tried to have Pamela buried alongside Jim
in Paris, but due to the red tape constraints of having a body moved internationally for
burial, she was cremated and inurned here, as Pamela Morrison. Around the corner, in the Court of Prayer, above eye level, is Francis C. Hall. You guitar
afficionados will know him as the man behind Rickenbacker. He started a radio and electronics
store here in Orange county, which sold guitars and amps after WWII, including those made
by Leo Fender. Wanting to carve his own path in amplified music, Hall bought the Rickenbacker
Guitar Company from Adolph Rickenbacker, who had begun making electric guitars and amps
with George Beauchamp in the 1930s. Hall would spearhead the modernization of the Rickenbacker
guitar line, which would become a staple of Rock and Roll in the 50s on. Bands and artists
like The Beatles, Tom Petty, Motorhead, and REM, have all played Rickenbackers. Francis
C. Hall lived to be 90. The section south of the courtyards is Lawn
A. Here lies Fran Gerard. She was a model, Playboy’s Playmate of the Month in March
1967. She’s remembered for being the first Playmate to ever be shown wearing glasses…
even though she did not need them. Not much else is known about Fran, who sadly took her
own life at age 37. Let’s head to the middle of this lawn. This
is the final resting place of Corrie ten Boom. She worked with her father as a watchmaker
in Amsterdam when the Nazi’s invaded and occupied Holland during WWII. The ten Boom
family opened their home to those in need of assistance – particularly, they took
in Jews and hid them from the Nazis. As part of the resistance movement, they were eventually
caught and arrested. Corrie and her family were sent to prison, where her father died,
and they were eventually taken to the concentration camps. Corrie was released in late 1944. After
the war she wrote a best-selling book about her experiences, titled The Hiding Place,
which would be made into a film in 1975. Corrie ten Boom settled in California, passing away
on her 91st birthday. Just north, under a tree, rests Debbi Stone.
Hers is one of the very rare but tragic stories of death at a theme park… specifically,
at Disneyland. She was working as a hostess there in the summer of 1974. But on July 8th,
the happiest place on earth became the saddest, when she was killed after accidentally getting
caught between the rotating wall of the America Sings attraction. She was just 18. After her
death the attraction was re-modeled to prevent such an accident from happening again, and
stricter safety measures were put in place. Moving on now east to Section J. Near the
east side of the lawn we find CJ Pappy Hart. He was a pioneer of drag racing, who helped
create the first commercial drag strip in America. As drag racing grew in popularity
after WWII, Hart worked to make it an organized sport, to charge admission and race on an
unused runway at the Orange County Airport, known as the Santa Ana Drag Strip. Pappy Hart
was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Motorsports Hall
of Fame of America in 1999. He lived to be 93. Continuing in toward the middle of this lawn we find another one for you guitar afficionados,
Leo Fender… a name that has become synonymous with the electric guitar. He opened the Fender
Radio Service company in the 30s, then began to dabble with musical instruments, mainly
guitars, basses, and amps. In 1946 he founded the Fender Electric Instrument Company, where
he would be the first to design and market solid body electric guitars. His Telecaster
and Stratocaster guitars have become synonymous with Rock and Roll, played by legends like
Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, and Kurt Cobain, and modern groups like Blink-182. Leo Fender
was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Curiously, Fender never learned
to play his namesake instruments. He lived to be 81. At the heart of the cemetery is the Fairhaven Mausoleum. Built in 1916 it was one of the
very first mausoleums here in Orange County. And you’ll be curious to know that in the
1950s, when Charlton Heston needed to record his voice of God for The Ten Commandments,
he recorded parts of those lines of dialogue here, because of the “God-like quality of
the acoustics.” “For the place whereon thou standest is holy
ground.” Left at the entrance, at the end of the hallway,
in Room 2, is the niche of actress Margaret Irving. You saw her as Mrs. Whitehead in the
popular Marx Bros film, Animal Crackers, and as Mamie in Captain Calamity. On television
she’s remembered for her long-running role as Aunt Gus in the 50s sitcom, The People’s
Choice. Margaret lived to be 90. Back toward the entrance, in the Alcove of
Remembrance, is the niche of Linda Cordova. She had a minor acting career in the 60s.
She was a virgin sacrifice in Virgin Sacrifice, and made appearances on TV shows like The
Untouchables, and Have Gun – Will Travel. She retired from acting in 1967, and lived
to be 68. Over now into Room 1, is the niche of Bessie
Raiche, another famous aviator here in Orange County. She was the first woman in the United
States accredited with flying an airplane solo, which she did on September 16, 1910.
The flight was all the more impressive as she had no training or experience before her
flight. Later in life she would work as a physician. Bessie died from a heart attack
in her sleep at age 56. Making our way now to the far south of the
cemetery, to section AG. Here lies Clyde Bruckman. He was a writer and director, perhaps best
remembered for his work in silent comedy. He directed and wrote for many of the legends
of this era, like Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, WC Fields, Laurel and Hardy, and more. His
films include Buster Keaton’s The Cameraman and The General, Harold Lloyd’s Movie Crazy,
and Laurel and Hardy’s The Battle of the Century. By the advent of television he was
out of work and out of money. With nowhere to turn, Bruckman borrowed a gun from Buster
Keaton, claiming to need it for a hunting trip. He dined in a Santa Monica restaurant,
then made his way to the restroom, where he shot himself in the head. The note he left
read “I have no money to pay for a funeral.” Clyde Bruckman was 60. Years later, the X-Files
would borrow from his life, in the episode “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose.” Adjacent to Fairhaven is Santa Ana Cemetery… it’s easier to walk there than to drive
around to the separate entrance. Here in section P, in the southeast, we find
Richard Cromwell, whose real name was Roy Radabaugh. The boyishly handsome leading-man
of the 30s may be less remembered today, but was a star in his day. He’s best remembered
for his co-starring role alongside Gary Cooper, in The Lives of a Bengal Lancer, and alongside
Bette Davis in Jezebel. He also played the title character in 1942’s Baby Face Morgan.
He joined the coast guard during the war, but afterwards found returning to film difficult.
He was finally cast in the film The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come, but after a cancer diagnosis,
was forced to withdraw. He died in 1960 at the age of 50. We now head head several miles southeast to the Lake Forest area, and Ascension Cemetery.
It’s a Catholic cemetery, founded in 1965. Our first stop here is in section A, just
south of the office. Here lies Jean Vander Pyl. She was an actress, best remembered in
particular for her voice work. She was the voice of Wilma Flintstone in the landmark
animated sitcom, The Flintstones, in the 1960s. “Oh Wilma, do you think twenty brontoburgers
are enough?” “For Fred? Yes. We can eat something else.” She did voice work for a number of other Hanna-Barbera shows, including as Rosie the Robot on The
Jetsons. Jean can also be seen in front of the camera, in shows like Leave it to Beaver,
and Petticoat Junction. She died from lung cancer at age 79. The Guardian Angel mausoleum is near the end of this main road on the left. In the lawn
south of the mausoleum we find William Hanna. Bill here is the Hanna in Hanna-Barbera, one
of the leading animation studios of the golden age of animation. He teamed up with Joseph
Barbera to create Tom and Jerry cartoons in the 40s, the success of which allowed them
to create Hanna-Barbera in 1957. They were pioneers of cartoons created for television,
most notably The Flintstones, which was a stone-age parody of The Honeymooners. It was
the first animated show to find prime-time success, paving the way for shows like The
Simpsons. Other shows Hanna-Barbera produced include Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, The
Jetsons, The Smurfs, and Scooby-Doo. Hanna-Barbera continued until 2001. Now Warner Bros carries
on the catalog. Bill Hanna died from cancer at age 90. Our next notable figure was once married to one of the most famous sports and entertainment
figures of the 80s and 90s, but is sadly remembered for her tragic death and its aftermath. Nicole
Brown Simpson met football legend and budding movie star O.J. Simpson in the early 80s.
The two married in 1985. Less than a decade later, citing spousal abuse, the two divorced.
On June 12, 1994, Nicole was found murdered, along with friend Ron Goldman, outside her
Brentwood home. They had been stabbed multiple times. O. J. Simpson was arrested and charged
in their murder, in what would become the most watched criminal trial of the century.
Despite physical evidence that allegedly linked O. J. to the murders, he was eventually acquitted.
In a later civil trial O. J. Simpson was found liable for Nicole and Ron’s deaths. Nicole
was just 35, and rests here alongside her parents. The last cemetery we’ll visit during our time here in Orange County is just a few minutes
southeast. El Toro Memorial Park. The first section on the right is Los Alisos.
All the way to the edge of the cemetery is legendary sprinter Flo-Jo, Florence Griffith-Joyner,
considered the fastest woman of all time. In 1988 she set a record time of 10.49 in
the 100 and 21.34 in the 200… both records stand to this day. Her record-setting speed
and flashy style made her a global media sensation. She won a total of three gold and two silver
medals at the ‘84 and ‘88 Olympics, and in 1995 was inducted into the USA Track and
Field Hall of Fame. After the Seoul Olympics she shifted her focus to art and design, creating
the uniforms for the Indiana Pacers, as well as clothing and nail products. In the early
90s, Flo-Jo began suffering seizures, caused by an undiagnosed cavernous hemangioma. In
September of ‘98, Florence died in her sleep from asphyxiation after suffering a seizure.
She was 38. Just across the street west, a few feet up
the hill is actress Marjorie Stapp. Her first big role came in the 1949 Western, The Blazing
Trail. That same year she starred as Queen Guinevere in The Adventures of Sir Galahad.
From the 50s on she’d make appearances on the small screen, and in a number of B-movies
like The Monster that Challenged the World. Her final screen appearance was in Columbo
in 1991. Before acting, she actually worked as a receptionist for mob boss, Bugsy Siegel.
Marjorie lived to be 92. We’re heading northeast now, to Live Oak
section. Here we find Ralph Reed Freeto. As an actor he’s known for his many Western
roles in the 50s and 60s, shows like Rawhide, and The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp as Billy
Clanton, and movies like Lone Star as Bud Yoakum. Ralph retired from acting in the 60s
and went into real estate. He lived to be 65. Across the street south is Old Section. Meet Warren Foster. You may not know his name,
but if you love classic cartoons, you likely know his work. He was a prolific writer of
cartoons for decades. He began his career at Warner Bros. in the 30s, writing Porky
Pig, Tweety Pie, and Bugs Bunny cartoons. He even co-wrote the Tweety Pie song, “I
Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat.” [music] At Warners he wrote some 170 cartoons, then made his way to Hanna-Barbera, writing for
Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, and The Flintstones. Warren Foster lived to be 67. Finally, we head around to the west, to Centennial section. Up the hill a short ways is Gordon
Jump. He’s best remembered today for his role as station manager Arthur Carlson in
the 70s and 80s sitcom, WKRP in Cincinnati, as the incompetent Police Chief Tinkler on
Soap, and as Ed Malone on Growing Pains. He also made guest appearances on shows like
Diff’rent Strokes, and Get Smart. Later in life he took over from Jesse White as the
Maytag repairman, from 1989 until 2003. Gordon Jump died from pulmonary fibrosis in 2003
at the age of 71. 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! You just never know who you might find when you’re wandering a cemetery. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. And look, down the hall, it’s Beethoven! I kid of course. Both of these composers
are buried in Europe. These are just the names
of the corridors here in the mausoleum.
