Hollywood Forever, formerly Hollywood Memorial Park, is located on Santa Monica Blvd in Hollywood, CA, and is such an intriguing place. Here, some of the luminaries of the screen, both silent and talkies, are here. Yet, it was left in a state of disarray for many years. It has now been restored to a beautiful cemetery, with a fountain in the middle of the lake with the William C. Clark Mausoleum and well-kept lawns, with private, outdoor mausoleums. It is the final resting place of stars like Valentino, Tyrone Power, and Douglas Fairbanks. Sadly, the former owner of the park (who has since died and is now resting in the Cathedral Mausoleum), embezzled most of the endowment funds.
Thankfully, Tyler Cassity has restored the park to its former greatness. He has brought the park a long way from its dismal look in 1997. I am so grateful that Mr. Cassity has taken over. It was a shame to see Valentino lie in a dank mausoleum and see so many of the great legends’ last resting places go unkempt. Tyler has already replaced many things and redone the Chapel, flower beds, and lawns. He has even added a beautiful fountain with an eternal flame in the Beth Olam section, memorializing the victims of the Holocaust. Hollywood Forever is looking more and more like it did in its heyday.
It is a magnificent park with palm trees and ponds, the final resting place of celebrities like Toto and Mickey Rooney, and is home to some somewhat bizarre and extravagant mausoleums. It is immediately north of Paramount Studios in the middle of the crowded Melrose neighborhood. Where else can you visit the graves of famous Hollywood personalities at a short distance from the city’s center?
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Aldon, Louis – d. 1947 – Actor
Location: Section 8
Adrian, Gilbert – d. 1959 – Costume Designer, chief costume designer for MGM. He developed the MGM “look” for the female stars, like Joan Crawford and Jean Harlow.
Location: Section 8, Lot 193, next to his wife, Janet Gaynor.
Adoree, Renee – d. 1933 – Silent actress, most famous for her role in “The Big Parade” with John Gilbert.
Location: Abbey of the Psalms, Foyer, Crypt 219
Ashley, Lady Sylvia – d. 1977 – widow of Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and fourth wife to Clark Gable (they divorced after 18 months of marriage). She is buried under her last husband’s name, Djordjadze, who was supposedly a prince.
Location: Section 8. Take the back road. She is to the left of the NE Rice monument, second row, third in.
Balboni, June Mathis -d. 1927 – Screenwriter and the person who discovered Valentino.
Location: Catherdral Mausoleum, off Corridor A, right next to Valentino.
Beckley, Tony – d. 1980 – Actor
Location: Section 8
Bell, Monta – d. 1958 – Director, Producer, Writer
Location: Section 8, right next to Nelson and Ann Eddy
Berger, Elmer – d. 1952 – Inventor of the rear view mirror
Location: Cathedral Mausoleum
Bing, Herman – d. 1947 – Character Actor, usually played a German
Location: Section 8
Blanc, Mel – d. 1989 – Actor, Voice of Looney Tunes
Location: Pineland Section, on the left hand side of the main road.
Bruni, Peter – d. 1992 – actor
Location: Section 8, near Janet Gaynor
Calhern, Louis – d. 1956 – Actor
Location: Cathedral Mausoleum
Chaplin, Charles, Jr. – d. 1968 – Actor (Son of Charlie Chaplin)
Location: Abbey of the Psalms, Corridor E-2, Crypt 1065
Chaplin, Hannah – d. 1928 – Mother of Charlie Chaplin
Location: Section 8, right next to Marion Davies mausoleum. Facing the mausoleum, walk up the left side of it. Hannah is right there.
Clark, William, Jr. – June 14, 1934 – Founder of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Location: the Clark Mausoleum, in the middle of the pond in section 8.
Clarkson, Lana – d. February 3, 2003 – Actress, murder victim. Was found shot to death in record producer, Phil Spector’s home. Spector was arrested for Lana’s murder but the case has not gone to trial, as of 2005.
Location: Chapel Columbarium, second floor. At the top of the stairs, turn right and she is on the right hand wall, in a very large niche with her picture, You can’t miss her.
Cody, Iron Eyes – d. 1999 – Actor, best remember as the Crying Indian in the “Keep America beautiful” ads of the 70’s.
Location: Abbey of the Psalms
Cohn, Harry – d. 1958 – Head of Columbia Pictures
Location: Section 8, Lot 86
Dane, Karl – d. 1934 – Silent Actor. When his career ended, he wound up selling hot dogs from a stand in front of his former studio.
Location: Section 8
Daniels, Bebe – d. 1971 – Actress
Location: Chapel Mausoleum, second floor with her husband, Ben Lyon
Davies, Marion – d. 1961 – Actress, W.R. Hearst’s mistress
Location: Douras Mausoleum, Section 8, Lot 261-264
de Mille, Cecil – d. 1959 – Director and icon. Famous for huge production movies.
Location: Section 8
de Mille, William Cecil – d. 1964 – Director and brother to Cecil B. de Mille
Location: Abbey of the Psalms
Eddy, Nelson – d. 1967 – Actor, singer. Sang in many movies with Jeanette MacDonald.
Location: Section 8, Lot 89
Fairbanks, Douglas Sr. – d. 1939 – Actor, the first action hero, famous for swashbuckling roles and being married to America’s Sweetheart, Mary Pickford.
Location: Section 11 (sunken garden next to the Catherdral Mausoleum). His son, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. was recently interred in the sarcophagus with his father.
Finch, Peter -d. 1977 – Actor, most famous for uttering the line, “I’M MAD AS HELL AND I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!!” from the film, “Network”. He won Best Actor for the role posthumously.
Location: Cathedral Mausoleum, Crypt 1224, off Corridor A
Fleming, Victor – d. 1949 – Director, famous for directing films like “Red Dust”, “The Wizard of Oz” and “Gone With the Wind”.
Location: Abbey of the Psalms, Crypt 2081, Corridor G-2
Gable, William Henry – d. 1948 – Father of Clark Gable
Location: Chapel Mausoleum
Gaynor, Janet (Gregory) – d. 1984 – Actress, won the first Best Actress award back in 1928. Also famous for starring in the original “A Star Is Born”. She died soon after a car crash she was in with Mary Martin.
Location: Section 8, Lot 193, next to her husband, fashion designer Gilbert Adrian.
Hackett, Joan – d. 1983 – Actress
Location: Abbey of the Psalms
Herman, Woody – d. 1987 – Bandleader
Location: Behind the Cathedral Mausoleum
Huston, John – 1987 – Writer and Director. Directed such movies as “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”, “The African Queen”, “The Maltese Falcon” and “The Misfits”.
Location: Section 8, Lot 8
Jurmann, Walter – d. 1971 – Composer, famous for movies like “Day at the Races”, “Three Smart Girls” and “San Francisco”, amongst others.
Location: Section 8, between Harry Cohen and Nelson Eddy
Korngold, Erich Wolfgang – d. 1957 – Composer
Location: Section 8
Lake, Arthur – 1987 – Actor , best known for playing Dagwood Bumstead in the “Blondie” movies.
Location: Douras Mausoleum (See Marion Davies)
LaMarr, Barbara – d. 1926 – Actress, “The Girl That Was Too Beautiful”
Location: Cathedral Mausoleum, off Corridor A, right side of the corridor, same wall as Peter Finch
Landau, Martin – Agent for Jean Harlow
Location: Beth Olam “T” Building. As you enter, turn right. On your left will be a small room (no bigger than a closet) with cremation niches. He is on the left had side. You have to look hard.
Lasky, Jesse Sr. – 1958 – Founded Famous Players-Lasky, which became Paramount Pictures
Location: Abbey of the Psalms, Crypt 2196, Corridor G-3
Jesse Lasky, Jr. – d. 1988 – Screenwriter and son to Jesse Lasky, Sr.
Location: Chapel Mausoleum, second floor
Lawrence, Florence – d. 1938 – Actress, The Biograph Girl
Location: Section 2, all the way back, near the wall. She now has a marker.
Lehrman, Henry “Pathe” – Director, Actor, Screenwriter
Location: Section 8, Lot 257, next to VIRGINA RAPPE
Lorre, Peter – d. 1964 – Actor, famous for his bulging eyes and his raspy, sinster voice that spoke with an accent.
Location: Cathedral Mausoleum, Niche 5, T-1, Corridor C (You have to lay on your stomach to get this picture….it’s at the very bottom)
Lyon, Ben – d. 1979 – Actor
Location: Chapel Mausoleum, second floor, with his wife, Bebe Daniels.
Menjou, Adolphe – 1963 – Actor, known as the “Best Dressed Man” for his natty attire, spats, cane and trademark moustache.
Location: Section 8, Lot 11
Muni, Paul – d. 1967 – Actor. Famous for roles like “The Life of Emile Zola” and “The Story of Louis Pasteur”.
Location: Section 8
Powell, Eleanor – d. 1982 – Actress, tap dancer
Location: Cathedral Mausoleum, left side, cremation niches
Power, Tyrone – d. 1958 – Actor
Location: Section 8, near
Marion Davies and right next to the pond.
Quinn, Christopher – d. 1941 – Three year old son of Anthony Quinn. He died in a drowning accident.
Location: Section 8
Ramone, Dee Dee (Douglas Glenn Colvin) – d. June 5, 2002 – Bass Player and one of the founder’s of the legendary punk band, The Ramones.
Location: Section 8, Lot 2003, Space 4. Dee Dee is pretty easy to find……..go up the road from Johnny Ramone (the one to the left) and walk all the way up to the corner. Dee Dee is on the right hand side, under the tree. He has a big, upright black marker.
Ramone, Johnny ( John Cummings) – d. September 15, 2004 – Lead Guitarist and one of the founder’s of the legendary punk band, The Ramones.
Location: Section 8. You cannot miss his monument……it’s right by the lake and has Johnny on the top, playing guitar. Note that his remains are not there. This is just a monument for him.
Rappe, Virginia – d. 1921 – Actress, Model. She was the young actress that collapsed at a party that Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle gave and caused the scandal that ruined Arbuckle’s career.
Location: Section 8, Lot 257, next to HENRY LEHRMAN
Riddle, Nelson – d. 1985 – Composer
Location: Beth Olam “T” Building. As you enter, turn right. On your left will be a small room (no bigger than a closet) with cremation niches. He is on the right had side. You have to look hard.
Ritz, Al – d. 1965 – Actor, part of the “Ritz Brothers”.
Location: Beth Olam “T” Building
Ritz, Harry – d. 1986 – Actor, part of the “Ritz Brothers”.
Location: Beth Olam “T” Building, third floor
Ritz, Jimmy – d. 1985 – Actor, part of the “Ritz Brothers”.
Location: Beth Olam “T” Building
Robinson, Edward G. Jr. – d. 1974 – son of actor Edward G. Robinson (Edward Sr. is buried back east in New York)
Location: Abbey of the Psalms
Schildkraut, Joseph – d. 1964 – Actor, best known as playing Anne Frank’s father in “The Diary of Anne Frank.”
Location: Beth Olam Mausoleum.
Schlessinger, Leon – d. 1949 – Head of animation at Warner Bros.
Location: Beth Olam Mausoleum. Go through the Main Entrance, go down the first corridor on the left. He is eighteen crypts on the right hand side at the very bottom.
Sheridan, Ann – d. January 21, 1967 – Actress, best known as “The Oomph Girl”.
Location: Chapel Columbarium, second floor. As you come up the stairs, she is on the farthest wall to your right, near the window, just past Lana Clarkson.
Siegel, Benjamin “Bugsy” – d. 1947 – Gangster
Location: Beth Olam Mausoleum, Crypt 3087, Corridor M-2
Switzer, Carl “Alfalfa” – d. 1959 – Actor, famous for his role in the “Our Gang” and “Little Rascals” series.
Location: Section 6, Lot 26, Grave 6
The Talmadge Sisters (Norma, Constance and Natalie) – Actresses
Location: Abbey of the Psalms, Family Room, Corridor G-7
Taylor, William Desmond (Marked William Deane Tanner) – Director. Taylor was the victim of murder that, to this day, remains unsolved. He was believed to be murdered by the mother of one of his lovers, actress Mary Miles Minter. Her mother, Charlotte Shelby, was said to have murdered him because she was jealous that he was fooling around with her daughter, especially since Taylor was said to be fooling around with Charlotte, too. He was also seeing actress Mabel Normand. The careers of Mabel and Mary were destroyed by the scandal.
Location: Cathedral Mausoleum, Crypt 594, Corridor C
Toland, Gregg – d. 1948 – Cinematographer, famous for films like “Citizen Kane”, “The Little Foxes” and “Intermezzo” among others.
Location: Chapel Mausoleum
Valentino, Rudolph – 1926 – Actor, icon
Location: Catherdral Mausoleum, Crypt 1205, off Corridor A
Wallace, Jean – d. 1990 – Actress, second wife of actor Franchot Tone
Location: Abbey of the Psalms
Webb, Clifton – d. 1966 – Actor of stage and screen, famous for roles like “Cheaper by the Dozen”, “Titanic” (the 1953 version) and the haunting “Laura”.
Location: Abbey of the Psalms, Crypt 2350, Corridor G-6
Westmore, Ern – d. February 1, 1967 – Make-up artist, part of the famous Westmore family of make-up artists. His brothers were Mont, Perc (his identical twin), Wally, Bud and Frank. A Westmore headed up the make-up department for most of the major studios at one time and had a famous beauty salon on Sunset Blvd called “The House of Westmore”. Ern was head of the make-up department of 20th Century-Fox.
Location: Section 8
White, Mae E. “Nanny” – Grandmother of Carol Burnett. When Carol tugged on her ear at the end of her show, that was a signal to her grandmother that she was saying “hi”.
Location: Section 8
Wilcox, Harry – d. 1889 – Founder of “Hollywood”
Location: Cathedral Mausoleum
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