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're exploring Holy Cross Cemetery where we'll find such stars as
Bela Lugosi, Sharon Tate, Rita Hayworth, and many more.
Join us won't you?
Holy Cross is a Catholic cemetery located in Culver City, California, just a few miles
southwest of Hollywood. It was founded in 1939 and at over 200 acres is the largest
Catholic cemetery in Los Angeles. The grounds are beautified with ponds,
statuary, and for my money some of the loveliest and most interesting trees
you'll ever see in a cemetery. There's also a majestic mausoleum, whose marble
crypts mirror the stone sepulcher entombment of Christ himself.
Here at Holy Cross
Mother Mary and all the saints watch over the dead.
We'll begin our tour
just to the left of the entrance, in an area known as the grotto. This part of
the cemetery features beautiful rock formations, a pond, and statues where the
faithful can pray for the souls their dearly departed.
Just south of the grotto,
several spaces in from the road, we find Jack Haley. Vaudeville actor Jack Haley
is best remembered for his portrayal of the Tin Man in the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz."
The role went to him after the actor who was originally cast, Buddy Ebsen,
suffered an allergic reaction to the metallic makeup.
[music]
A few rows straight up from Jack is Hollywood's most legendary vampire,
Bela Lugosi.
If Count Dracula is immortal perhaps so too is the man who portrayed him.
Hungarian born actor Bela Lugosi's portrayal of the infamous Transylvanian
vampire has come to define our modern perceptions of the vampire as both
alluring and terrifying at once. He first appeared as the count onstage in
Broadway before taking on the role for the silver screen in Universal's 1931
production of "Dracula."
"I am Dracula."
"Oh, it's really good to see you.
I don't know what happened to the driver and my luggage and, well,
and with all this I thought I was in the wrong place."
"I bid you welcome."
"Listen to them, children of the night.
What music they make."
He died in 1956 and
was buried wearing one of his Dracula capes.
West on this same row is crooner Bing Crosby, whose silky baritone voice was a
staple on radio and film making him one of the best-selling recording artists of
the 20th century. His biggest hit was Irving Berlin's "White Christmas," which he
premiered on a radio broadcast in 1941. The song resonated with war-weary
servicemen abroad, painting comforting images of home and family during the holidays.
The song remains the best-selling single of all time.
[music]
Let's head past the grotto to the area just west. Here we find Sharon Tate.
She was a model and actress best known for films like "Eye of the Devil," and
"Valley of the Dolls," which earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
Sadly though her death often overshadows anything she accomplished in life.
On the evening of August 8, 1969, followers of Charles Manson broke into her home and brutally
attacked her and her companions. She was married to director Roman Polanski at
the time and was eight and a half months pregnant with their son.
Sharon pleaded to be allowed to live long enough to give birth to her son,
offering herself as a hostage, but the pleas fell on deaf ears, and she was
mercilessly stabbed to death at just 26. Her son Richard was buried in her arms.
Sharon's final film "12+1" was released after her death. Her mother and sister
worked hard in the years that followed to transform her legacy from murder
victim to a symbol of victims rights, seeing to it that her murderers were
never granted parole.
West of Sharon several rows is French actor Charles Boyer.
He found his greatest success in the 30s and 40s in films like "Gaslight,"
"Algiers," and "Love Affair." He was nominated for four Academy Awards in his career.
His voice and mannerisms were also the inspiration for the Looney Tunes
character Pepe LePew.
He committed suicide by Seconal overdose just before his 79th birthday.
A few spaces further, right up against the wall, is ZaSu Pitts.
She was an actress and comedienne from the silent era to the 60s known for
timid and fidgety persona. Early in her career she starred alongside Mary
Pickford in "The Little Princess." Here they are in a scene that may just have
inspired "Toy Story."
Her most notable performance is perhaps the 1924 silent epic "Greed," considered
one of the greatest films ever made. Her mannerisms are also the inspiration for
the Popeye character Olive Oyl.
Heading back toward the grotto there's a
small lawn just past it on the left. Here we find one of Hollywood's most
legendary beauties, Rita Hayworth. Born Margarita Cansino she began her career
as a dancer. By the 1940s she had become Hollywood's most glamorous screen
actress, and was one of the most popular pinup girls for servicemen during
World War II. Some of her best-known roles were in two
of the eras iconic noir films, "The Lady from Shanghai" with Orson Welles, and
"Gilda."
"Gilda, are you decent?"
"Me?"
"Sure I'm decent."
She also shone in the Technicolor musical "Cover Girl."
In 1949 she married Prince Aly Khan, making her Hollywood's
first bona fide princess. Later in life she suffered from Alzheimer's and became
one of the early public faces of the disease, helping to raise awareness.
A few spaces to the right is actress Bonita Granville. She was nominated for an
Academy Award at the age of 13 for her role in "These Three," the youngest actress
at the time to ever receive a nomination. She went on to play girl-detective Nancy Drew
in the 1930s. Later in life she produced and acted in the TV series
"Lassie."
Rounding the corner to the north side of the grotto we find the
multi-talented Jimmy Durante.
He was known as the schnozzola because of...well
He began his career in the 19-teens as a pianist and soon became a popular
musician, actor, and comedian on stage radio, television, and film. He can be seen
in films like "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World," and had his own variety TV show in
the 1950s. He also sang and narrated the classic Christmas cartoon "Frosty the Snowman."
"...and as any child can tell you, there's a certain magic in the
very first snow, especially when it falls on the day before Christmas. For when the first
snow is also a Christmas snow, well, something wonderful is bound to happen."
"Frosty the Snowman, was a jolly, happy soul. With a corn-cob pipe and a button nose,
and two eyes made out of coal."
Let's head into the lawn behind the grotto. Straight up
several spaces from a white tree is actor Pat O'Brien. He was of Irish descent,
and often played Irish-American characters. In the 1930s he was part of
what Hollywood columnist dubbed the "Irish mafia," with fellow Irish actors
including James Cagney and Spencer Tracy. His films include "Some Like it Hot,"
"Knute Rockne All American," and "Angels with Dirty Faces," co-starring James Cagney.
One row east and just a few spaces up is actress Ann Miller. She began her career
as a dancer - specifically tap-dance. She was renowned for her speed.
Her talents landed her roles in films like "You can't Take it with You," and "On the Town."
She also found great success on Broadway in such productions as "Mame,"
and "Sugar Babies." Her final film appearance was in David Lynch's
"Mulholland Drive."
Back one row and several more spaces north we find Jackie Coogan,
an actor whose career spanned six decades. He is considered Hollywood's
first child star after appearing in the Charlie Chaplin classic "The Kid" when he
was six. In the years that followed young Jackie was used not only to promote
movies but merchandise as well... from peanut butter to figurines, Jackie was a
sensation. As a child star it's estimated that he turned around three to
four million dollars, but at the age of 21 when he went to claim his fortune he
discovered that it had been squandered by his mother and stepfather on
extravagances like diamonds and cars. A legal battle with his parents ensued and
as a result the California Child Actors bill, known as "Coogan's Law," was enacted
in 1939 to protect the earnings of child actors. Later in life he found success on
television and will forever be remembered as Uncle Fester
on the original Addams Family.
Heading straight east we reach a double row of grave markers.
Here we find legendary actress Loretta Young. Her career began on screen as a child in
small uncredited roles in silent films like "The Sheik." By the 1930s and 40s she
had become a leading lady in Hollywood starring in such films as "Come to the Stable,"
and "The Farmer's Daughter," which earned her an Oscar. In the 1950s she
moved to the relatively new medium of television where she had her own
anthology series, "The Loretta Young Show," which became the longest-running Network
program hosted by a woman at the time. The role earned her three Emmys.
"Starring Loretta Young.
Miss Loretta Young."
"Thank you for accepting my invitation to come back here again tonight."
A&E described Loretta in their biography of her as a "symbol of beauty,
serenity, and grace. But behind the glamour and stardom is a woman of
substance is true beauty lies in her dedication to her family, her faith, and
her quest to live life with a purpose."
Finally we take a long walk west.
Part way down the hill, near the middle of the lawn, is Audrey Meadows.
She was a popular
television actress of the 1950s, starring as Alice Kramden on "The Jackie Gleason Show,"
and "The Honeymooners." The role earned her an Emmy.
"You know something
right after you left the house this morning I got one of those silly moods of mine, you
know I guess sometimes? So just for laughs I thought, we'll I'll do the breakfast dishes,
make the bed and take the garbage down. Then when I came back up I was still in such a funny mood
you know I thought why should I settle down to the drudgery of mending your socks?
So I scrubbed the kitchen floor. Then you know something,
I was still so giddy and so gay over this whole thing
that I thought I'd really enjoy myself... so I washed all the windows.
Then, Ralph, I went out I did a marketing and I came back with a pot roast and I
put the pot roast on the stove and while it was cooking I went in and I cleaned
up the bedroom closet. Now I know this may sound like work to you now but it isn't...
it's fun!"
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!
We've made a lot of animal
friends during our wanderings through the graveyards: the deer at Forest Lawn,
geese at Inglewood. Here at Holy Cross it's turtles. So who's your favorite Hollywood turtle?
The Ninja Turtles? Crush from "Finding Nemo?" Or how about Turtle-man?
"Are you a member of the Turtle Club?"
"Well not exactly."
"Not exactly, but am I not turtley enough for the turtle club?"