Welcome to Hollywood Graveyard. If you love food as much as I do, then stay
tuned as we set out to remember and celebrate the lives of those who lived
to tickle our taste buds and fill our bellies.
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Well, one man has helped generations of us start our
day off on the right foot, and we travel across the country to Battle Creek, MI
and Oak Hill Cemetery to find him:
WK Kellogg, the founder of the Kellogg's cereal company.
In the late 1890s Kellogg
was experimenting with flaked corn, and would change breakfast forever with his
new cereal product: cornflakes. He formed his company in 1906, originally called
The Battle Creek Toasted Cornflake Company, and later renamed Kellogg's.
Cornflakes became immensely popular, and other products would soon follow,
including bran flakes, raisin bran, and rice krispies. Over the years Kellogg's
would expand its product line to include everything from biscuits to Eggo waffles.
Prefer breakfast on the go? Let's stop at one of LA's most iconic food landmarks,
the most famous donut in the world: Randy's Donuts, which has been seen in
a number of movies over the years.
"Sir! I'm gonna have to ask you to exit the donut."
We head down to Orange County, to Pacific View Memorial Park, to find the
man behind the big donuts, Russell C. Wendell. Wendell was a doughnut machine
salesman who in the 1950s founded a series of drive-through donut shops
called Big Donut Drive-in. They were notable for, you guessed it, the
big donuts on the buildings. There were 10 of these big donuts in the LA area.
In the 70s Wendell sold off his big donuts to
focus on his other restaurant chain, Pup 'N Taco. Many of the big donuts
were demolished but this one in Inglewood remains. It was renamed Randy's
Donuts after the new owners son, and has since become the most iconic.
If a more substantive breakfast is more your speed, let's head north to Eden Memorial
Park and pay a visit to Al Lapin Jr. He was the co-founder of the International
House of Pancakes: IHOP. The first IHOP opened in 1958 in Burbank California, and
within a few years began to expand across the country through franchising,
with now over 1,600 locations worldwide, feeding all your pancake needs 24 hours
a day. And just in time for our video, IHOP just announced a name change to IHOB.
Hmm, I wonder what the B stands for... bacon?
I hope it's bacon.
Lunch time already? How about burgers for lunch?
At Forest Lawn out in Covina Hills, about 30 miles east of Hollywood,
we find the couple who would define the Southern California burger experience...
"animal style" if you're so inclined.
Harry and Esther Snyder were the founders of In-N-Out.
The couple founded the first In-N-Out in Baldwin Park in 1948 as the first
drive-through hamburger stand in California. And a stand it was - a mere 10
square foot building. Harry would visit the local meat and produce markets for
their burger ingredients while Esther handled the accounting. Harry also
innovated the two-way speaker system which would allow customers to place an
order without having to leave their cars. Over the decades In-N-Out has become
the quintessential Southern California burger joint, with its fresh ingredients,
simple no frills menu, and affordable prices.
Looking for a few more options in your burger? Let's head to Carl's Jr. At Holy
Sepulchre Cemetery in Orange County we find the founders of Carl's Jr., Carl and
Margaret Karcher, whose grave rests here next to the statue of St. Francis of Assisi,
donated by the Karchers.
The couple's first foray into fast food began as a hot dog stand in Los Angeles in 1941,
followed by a restaurant in Anaheim called Carl's Drive-in Barbecue.
Carl expanded the business by opening the first two Carl's Jrs in Anaheim and
Brea in 1956. They were named Carl's Jr. as they were smaller versions of his
original restaurant. That same year the chain was officially renamed to Carl's Jr,
and the fast-food chain took off from there.
While In-N-Out has forged a special place in California and the West,
and Carl's has a pretty decent presence nationally,
another burger chain has pretty much taken over
the entire world: McDonald's.
We head out to Cathedral City and Desert Memorial Park
to find one of two brothers who founded McDonald's: Maurice McDonald.
With his brother, Richard, Maurice opened a barbecue restaurant that would become
the very first McDonald's, in San Bernardino, California. In 1948 they
redesigned and rebuilt the restaurant to focus just on hamburgers, fries, and
milkshakes. In the age of the slow and inefficient drive-in and car hops, the
brothers introduced a new style of fast-food service which they coined the
Speedee Service System. It consisted of a restaurant with no interior dining, no
waitstaff, disposable single-use packaging, a highly efficient assembly
line kitchen, and precooked hamburger patties. McDonald's hamburgers was a hit.
To find the other McDonald brother, Richard, we have to head across the
country to Manchester New Hampshire and Mount Calvary Cemetery. Richards niche
is located in the Chapel American Saint Mausoleum. With the success of their
Mcdonald's restaurant, the brothers began to franchise in Phoenix and elsewhere in
California. It was Richard who suggested the implementation of the double golden
arches into the architecture of the restaurants. As the chain grew, the
brothers were eventually bought out, and sadly the original McDonald's in
San Bernardino no longer exists, but the site has become a historical landmark and museum.
While the McDonald brothers founded McDonald's and innovated the
fast-food industry, it was another man who turned it into the International
juggernaut that it is today. We now head down to San Diego and El Camino Memorial Park
In the Mausoleum of the Bells we find Ray Kroc. He was a milkshake mixer
salesman when he learned of the McDonald brothers restaurant in San Bernardino.
Impressed by what they were doing Ray wanted in on the action. In 1954 Kroc
partnered with the McDonald brothers to spearhead the franchising. Kroc's first
McDonald's franchise opened in Des Plaines Illinois in 1955, often
misidentified as the first McDonald's. It was Ray's first, but not the first.
Ray worked tirelessly to expand the brand, setting strict guidelines for
franchisees and making sure it remained a family-friendly restaurant. When his
vision of expansion began to clash with the McDonald brothers he bought them out.
McDonald's is now the world's largest restaurant chain by revenue. But one
restaurant has them beat in sheer number of locations: Subway.
A biopic was made about the McDonald's story, starring Michael Keaton
as Ray Kroc, Nick Offerman as Richard, and John Carroll Lynch as Maurice.
Maybe burgers aren't your thing... how about a hot dog?
In Hollywood Pink's is the hot dog that reigns supreme.
At Hillside Memorial Park we find the graves of Paul
and Betty Pink, founders of Pink's Hot Dogs - a Hollywood legend since 1939.
Nearly 80 years ago the Pink's opened a little hotdog stand on wheels at the
corner of La Brea and Melrose, selling their trademark chili dogs with an
oversized hot dog for 10 cents. In 1946 they traded their wheels in for a
building, which has stood ever since. Several other locations have since
opened, including at City Walk and Las Vegas. It wouldn't be unusual to spot one
of your favorite stars at Pink's enjoying a hot dog. And over the years
Pink's has even crafted and named specialty dogs for Hollywood like the
La La Land Dog, the Marlon Brando Dog, the Hollywood Walk of Fame Dog, and the
Betty White Naked Dog, which has nothing on it.
Maybe someday they'll make a Hollywood Graveyard Dog. What do you suppose would
be on a Hollywood Graveyard Dog? Some gravy? A couple of sliced grapes maybe?
Mmmm, yeah that sounds about right.
Outside of LA if you want a hot dog
you might head to Wienerschnitzel, the world's largest hot dog chain.
Back down at Pacific View in Orange County we find the founder of Wienerschnitzel,
John Galardi. The chain was founded by Galardi, a former Taco Bell employee, in the Los
Angeles area in 1961. To date there are over 350 Wienerschnitzel locations,
famous not just for hot dogs, but chili dogs, and corn dogs as well.
After lunch our breath could probably use a little freshening before heading back to work.
William Wrigley Jr helped us out with that. Entombed here in the Great
Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Glendale, Wrigley is famous for Wrigley's chewing gum.
In the 1890s Wrigley was selling baking powder and offering two packages
of chewing gum as a bonus. Well, turns out the bonus product was more popular so
Wrigley shifted his focus to the manufacture and sale of chewing gum, with
which he made his fortune. Popular products include Wrigley's Spearmint,
Doublemint, and Juicy Fruit gum. Wrigley's has since become the largest
chewing gum manufacturer in the world.
In 1921 Wrigley became majority owner of
the Chicago Cubs and their ballpark, Wrigley Field, bears his name.
The day has worn on, we're home from work now... what to do for dinner?
After a fast-food lunch
maybe we should think a little more healthy for dinner.
"How come we can't ever have just like a salad?"
Good idea!
If you've ever made or ordered a Caesar salad you can
thank Cesare Cardini, buried here at Inglewood Memorial Park. Cardini was an
Italian born chef, hotel owner, and restaurateur.
He created the Caesar salad in the 1920s when, according to his daughter, the
kitchen was low on supplies and he had to make do with what was available.
There are many variations of the Caesar salad, but core elements include romaine
lettuce, croutons, Parmesan cheese, oil, lemon juice, and pepper.
Want more stuff in your salad?
Try another Hollywood legend, the Cobb salad,
created a named for restaurateur Bob Cobb, whose crypt is found here in the
Freedom Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Glendale. In addition to lettuce, the Cobb
salad includes tomatoes, bacon, chicken breast, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, cheese,
and more. The salad is said to have either been created by Cobb himself or
by a chef at Cobb's restaurant, and named in his honor. It was created sometime in
the late 20s early 30s at Cobb's infamous Hollywood restaurant, the Brown Derby.
The Brown Derby restaurant chain, notable for its original building that actually
resembled a brown derby hat, became iconic Hollywood landmarks and hotspots
beginning in the 30s. On any given night you might have bumped into your favorite
stars dining there, from Clark Gable to Gloria Swanson. And if you didn't see
them in person their caricature was likely on the wall. The Brown Derby even
made guest appearances in movies and TV shows, including an episode of I Love Lucy
with William Holden.
- "Cobb salad." - "Yes, sir."
- "Cup of coffee." - "Yes, sir."
The Brown Derbys have all but disappeared from the world
over the years, but you can still find one at Disney World in Florida.
Another popular restaurant chain started right here in Southern California is Bob's Big Boy.
We're back yet again at Pacific View in Corona del Mar to find a man behind
the boy in checkered overalls, Bob Wian. In 1936 Wian founded Bob's Pantry in
Glendale, a hamburger stand that later expanded into a drive-in restaurant.
Soon after opening Bob's Pantry he created a special double-decker hamburger called
Bob's Big Boy. The popularity of the name and the
burger soon led to a rebranding of the chain as Bob's Bit Boy, and soon Big Boy
restaurants began popping up across the country.
The iconic Big Boy mascot was spoofed on the Simpsons as Lard Lad.
If you love fried chicken, if you crave those 11 secret herbs and spices, then
Louisville Kentucky is our next stop. At Cave Hill Cemetery we find the Colonel of
fried chicken, Harland Sanders. His mother taught him to cook from a young age, a
skill that would come to define his legacy. In the 1930s he was running a
Shell service station in Kentucky. There he would feed weary travelers the
recipes he had learned as a child, including fried chicken. His chicken
became so popular over the years he was given the honorary title of Colonel by
the governor of Kentucky. His successes soon expanded from a service station
into his own restaurant, Sanders' Court & Cafe. In the 50s
Sanders traveled the country to franchise his chicken to restaurants.
The very first Kentucky Fried Chicken, believe it or not, was actually opened in
Salt Lake City, Utah. Franchises began popping up all over, challengers to the
ubiquitous burger restaurants. Sanders would become the symbol and brand
ambassador of KFC, with his silver goatee white suit and string tie.
"It's nice to feel so good about a meal."
KFC is now the second largest restaurant chain in the world by sales, after McDonald's.
After dinner comes my favorite meal: dessert. It's hot here in
LA so how about some ice cream? At Home of Peace Cemetery we find Burton Baskin,
the Baskin in Baskin-Robbins. During World War II Baskin was a lieutenant in the
US Navy and produced ice cream for his fellow troops. In 1946 Baskin opined
Burton's ice cream in Pasadena. A year earlier his brother-in-law,
Irv Robbins, had opened an ice cream shop in Glendale. In 1953 they combined forces
and became Baskin-Robbins. The 31 flavors in their logo was meant to represent a
flavor for every day of the month.
We'll head back to Cathedral City to find the
other half of Baskin-Robbins, Irv Robbins. whose crypt is found here at Forest
Lawn Cathedral City. Baskin-Robbins is said to have introduced around a
thousand unique original flavors, including mint chocolate chip, and
pralines and cream. They've also since become the largest
ice cream chain in the world. Irv & Burton certainly have made a lot
of people happy.
If you love chocolate then this next, sweet-sounding Cemetery
is a must-see. In Hershey Pennsylvania we find Hershey Cemetery, final resting
place of the man who invented American chocolate: Milton Hershey.
Once a luxury only the rich could afford, Hershey is credited with bringing the
sweet confection to the masses. His first foray into confections was caramel, but
in the 1890s he had his eyes set on developing a milk chocolate recipe for
the American public. Hershey's was founded in 1894, and the
first Hershey's bar was produced in 1900 - the very first mass-produced chocolate
bar in the US. It was an instant hit with young and old across the country, many of
whom had never tasted chocolate before in their lives. The Hershey kiss followed
in 1907. In 1903 Hershey built his Factory in Pennsylvania, and subsequently
built an entire town around the factory for his employees, complete with homes,
schools, and yes, even a cemetery. In 1907 he founded Hershey Park, which has since
become a sort of Disneyland of chocolate, allowing his employees to relax and
enjoy life. Other classic products that followed included Hershey's chocolate
syrup, allowing kids to make their own chocolate milk at home. And during World
War 2 Hershey provided special D-ration chocolate bars for troops. Hershey's now
stands as the most recognized chocolate brand in the world.
As I see it, in the long history of our species there have been three innovations that have
improved the quality of life for humankind by leaps and bounds:
the wheel, penicillin, and the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.
The man we have to thank for the
latter is also here at Hershey Cemetery: HB Reese. He was working for Hershey when
he began to experiment with his own confections in the basement of his home,
and by 1923 he had formed his own candy company, HB Reese Candy Company.
In 1928 he introduced the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup which quickly became the company's
most popular product.
In 1977 Reese's Pieces were introduced, and after M&Ms
declined to be featured in the 1982 film E.T., Reese's Pieces took their place,
boosting their popularity immensely.
As one of your biggest fans, Mr. Reese,
thank you! I'm still holding out hope for a peanut
butter cup the size of a tire or even a dinner plate... but in the meantime, this
one the size of a pot pie will do nicely.
And that concludes our tour.
Are you hungry yet? I know I am. Thanks for watching!