Divine!

 

"All my life I wanted to look like Elizabeth Taylor.  Now Elizabeth Taylor looks like me."

Divine was born Harris Glenn Milstead in Baltimore, Maryland on October 19, 1945.  He was the only child of Harris Sr. and Frances Milstead, a loving couple who met as co-workers at the Black & Decker factory in nearby Towson.  They'd eventually move up in society, lavishing their son with anything he wanted, especially food.

As a teenager, Milstead embraced both his weight and his sexuality.  He dropped from 180 to 145 pounds while acknowledging his attraction to both men and women.  After graduating from Towson High School, he enrolled in the Marinella School of Beauty, where he learned to become a hairstylist.  His specialty was the beehive and other upswept looks.  

A few years later, Milstead met up-and-coming filmmaker John Waters, who like himself, was a homosexual.  It was Waters who first christened him "Divine," taking the name from Jean Genet's then-controversial novel Our Lady of the Flowers.  Then in 1966, Waters cast Divine in his first film role, an eight-minute production called Roman Candles.  Over the next decade, Divine would appear in seven more of Waters' films, including the most notorious of them all, Pink Flamingos.

On March 7, 1988, Divine was in Los Angeles rehearsing for an episode of the hit FOX sit-com Married With Children (see Trivia below), but he'd never make his curtain call.  He died of a heart attack at the Regency Plaza Suites Hotel.  He was 42 years old.

Divine was returned to Maryland and laid to rest next to his grandmother at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Towson.  Among the many tributes was a wreath from actress Whoopi Goldberg, which reportedly stated "see what happens when you get good reviews?"  Once the body was cold, the IRS confiscated and sold off many of Divine's possessions as restitution for unpaid taxes.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Divine, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• Divine was also an accomplished recording star.  Check out the album The Story So Far on YouTube.
  
  
• Divine had the unique opportunity to play dual characters, one male (Arvin Hodgepile) and one female (Edna Turnblad), in the 1988 film Hairspray.
  
  
• Divine was cast in a recurring role as Uncle Otto on the classic sit-com Married With Children, but passed away before shooting could begin.  The role was recast with actor James Haake, who can be seen in this clip wearing an ascot.
  
  
• In case it wasn't obvious, the character of Ursula in Disney's The Little Mermaid was modeled after Divine.
  
  
  
  

John Candy!

 

"I think I may have become an actor to hide from myself.  You can escape into a character."

John Franklin Candy was born in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada on October 31st, 1950.  On his fifth birthday, Candy's father, only 35 years old, died of heart disease.  

Candy attended Neil McNeil Catholic High School, where he played football as an offensive tackle.  He had professional football aspirations that were curtailed by a knee injury.  He literally fell into acting. 

He took his first courses in college and by the time he graduated, he had already been cast in the popular Canadian sketch-comedy series Second City Television (SCTV).  The show was picked up by NBC in 1981 and Candy became an instant favorite.

He went on to appear in some the 1980's most memorable films, including The Blues Brothers (1980), National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), Spaceballs (1987), and the perennial Thanksgiving favorite, Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987).

In 1994, Candy went to Mexico to film the western comedy Wagons East.  Before he left, he called his good friend and fellow SCTV alum Catherine O'Hara, reportedly telling her that he felt "something bad is going to happen there."  Truer words were never spoken.  During production of the film, Candy, like his father before him, died of a heart attack.  The date was March 4, 1994.  Candy was just 43 years old.

His funeral played out like an Oscar Awards ceremony, attended by only the cream of Hollywood, including Tom Hanks, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Mariel Hemingway, Ed Harris and many, many more.  The eulogy was delivered by longtime friend and co-star Dan Aykroyd.

John Candy was enshrined in the mausoleum at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Location: Room 7, Crypt B1 (look up)

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about John Candy, take a voyage to Amazon.  It's all in books, one of which was co-written by Dan Aykroyd.
  
  
• The inscription "One Heart and One Soul" has its origins in the Bible, specifically Acts 4:32, "and the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them."
  
  
• Following his passing, the Canadian Screen Award, similar to America's Oscar and Emmy awards, was renamed "the Candy" in his honor.
  
  
• Candy sang on the 1984 We are the World album, singing Tears are Not Enough with the group Northern Lights.  Take a listen on YouTube.
  
  
• In 1989, Candy was given his own Saturday morning cartoon entitled Camp Candy.   You can watch an episode (with commercials) in its entirety on YouTube.

Richard Simmons - Sweatin' With the Holies

 

"Everyone has a story that makes me stronger.  I know that the work I do is important and I enjoy it, but it is nice to hear the feedback of what we do to inspire others."

Admittedly, this blog post is something of a cheat.  When I first created Six Feet Under Hollywood, my goal was to showcase the photos I've taken on grave visits over the years.  I've never been to Richard Simmons's grave and I probably never will be, as it lies behind a locked gate with private member access.  

Recently however, a Facebook friend of mine who runs the fantastic Dearly Departed website gained access and documented Richard's grave.  It was just too good not to share.

First, a quick recap.  Richard Simmons was born Milton Teagle Simmons in New Orleans, Louisiana on July 12, 1948.  He was the self-described son of "show-business parents."  When he later entered show business himself, he adopted the name Richard, as a way of thanking the uncle who paid his college tuition.

From the start, Richard struggled with obesity, eventually topping out at 268 pounds.  He was finally motivated to lose weight when someone placed an anonymous note on his car.  It read "fat people die young.  Please don't die."

After graduation, Richard moved to Beverly Hills, where he eventually opened his first exercise studio - The Anatomy Asylum.  He provided his students with a supportive atmosphere while encouraging smaller portions.  His popularity continued to grow, eventually catching the eye of Hollywood casting agents.  He landed his first role on the soap opera General Hospital, in which he played himself for four years.  This led to his own workout series, the aptly-titled Richard Simmons Show, which ran from 1980 to 1984 and earned him multiple daytime Emmy awards.  He followed it up with a five-volume video series called Sweatin' to the Oldies.

By 2024, Richard had become something of a recluse, having giving up public appearances and seldom leaving his home.  In March of that year, he drew speculation when he took to Twitter and encouraged his followers to embrace every day.  He died four months later on July 13th due to complications from a fall, with heart disease as a contributing factor.  He was 76 years old.

Richard Simmons was laid to rest in his trademark exercise outfit at Pierce Brothers Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles.  While this park usually caters to celebrities and their fans, Richard opted to be buried in a private section.  The inscription, which reads "forever sweatin' with the holies," pays tribute to his home video empire.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Richard, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• As mentioned above, YouTuber Scott Michaels visited the grave for his Dearly Departed channel.  Check out the video on YouTube.  Bonus: Scott cooks a pizza in Richard's Cuisinart.
  
  
• As an obese college student, weighing 268 pounds, Richard appeared in two Federico Fellini films, Satyricon (1968) and The Clowns (1970).  
  
  
• In 2006, Richard was inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame.  That same year, actress Marilu Henner was also recognized.
  
  
• Richard once marketed his own line of dolls on the Home Shopping Network.  Interested?  You can find some for sale on eBay.
  

Conchata Ferrell - Two and a Half Men

 

"I don't trip all over my ego.  I don't mind being a second banana."

Conchata Galen Ferrell was born in Loudendale, West Virginia on March 28, 1943.  Her family later relocated to Circleville, Ohio, a quaint town in the Buckeye state where she is laid to rest today.

In the late 1960s, Ferrell graduated from West Virginia's Marshall University with a degree in history education.  The stage was her true calling however, and by 1969, she had relocated to New York City, where she joined the Circle Repertory Company.  Through this association, she'd earn a series of awards for her performance in the off-Broadway production The Sea Horse.

Then it was off to Hollywood, where she began a steady string of television appearances.  Her first credit was a 1974 episode of Maude.  She'd later appear in other classics such as Good Times, The Rockford Files and The Love Boat.  This blogger first noticed her as attorney Susan Bloom in the later seasons of L.A. Law.

In 2003, she was cast in the role for which she is most famously associated, that of housekeeper Berta on the CBS sit-com Two and a Half Men.  She was twice Emmy-nominated as Best Supporting Actress for her work on the sitcom (see Trivia below), which ended in 2015.

On October 12, 2020, Ferrell died of cardiac arrest in Sherman Oaks, California.  She was 77 years old.  She was returned to her home of Circleville, Ohio, where she was laid to rest at Forest Cemetery.

Location: Section 71
Inscription: Love and Laughter

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Throughout the show's twelve-season run, Berta's last name was never revealed.
  
  
• Upon Ferrell's death, co-stars Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer both took to Twitter to offer their sympathies.  An unusually coherent Sheen would tweet "an absolute sweetheart, a consummate pro, a genuine friend, a shocking and painful loss.  Berta, your housekeeping was a tad suspect, your "people" keeping was perfect."
  
  
• As noted above, Ferrell was twice nominated as Best Supporting Actress for Two and a Half Men.  In 2005, she lost to Doris Roberts of Everybody Loves Raymond.  She lost again in 2007, this time to Jaime Pressly of My Name is Earl.  Really.
  
  
• Ferrell was no stranger to the silver screen either, with memorable roles in such films as Mystic Pizza, Erin Brockovich and Edward Scissorhands.
  
  
• Despite her age, Ferrell enjoyed role-playing video games, an interest she shared with her Two and a Half Men co-star Angus T. Jones.

The Richmond Vampire!

 

Richmond, Virginia is home to Hollywood Cemetery, which takes its name from the native Holly trees that you'll find throughout the park.  It is the final resting place for a number of famous individuals, including two former U.S. presidents - James Monroe and John Tyler.  You'll also find many veterans of the Confederate army, including J.E.B. Stuart, George Pickett, and the CSA's one and only president, Jefferson Davis.  It is also home to more recent notables, including Tom Wolfe, author of The Bonfire of the Vanities, and Dave Brockie, lead singer of the rock group GWAR. 

The park also harbors a local legend - William Wortham Pool, aka The Richmond Vampire.  Despite this moniker, he was not native to Transylvania, rather, he was born in Mississippi in 1842.  As a young man, he moved to Virginia, where he had a successful career as a bookkeeper.  He married Alice Purdue, with whom he raised four children.  In 1922, just two months shy of his 80th birthday, Pool passed away and was entombed at Hollywood Cemetery.

Three years after Pool's passing, disaster struck the community with the collapse of the Church Hill train tunnel.  Several workers were buried and killed, but legend tells of a bloody figure seen escaping from the wreckage and taking refuge in Pool's mausoleum.  In the century since, Pool has gained notoriety as a supernatural creature due to this event. 

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about the Richmond Vampire, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• Pool's wife preceded him in death, passing in 1913, the number that appears atop their mausoleum.  
  
  
• The internet is home to a series of fan-produced videos highlighting the Richmond Vampire and the Church Hill tunnel collapse.  Check out this collection on YouTube.

Happy Halloween!

The Salem Witch Memorial

Last summer, this blogger visited Salem, Massachusetts, a city with a dubious history dating back to 1692.  That year, a wave of "witch hysteria," started by two bratty schoolgirls, overtook the community, which ultimately sent 20 innocent people to their deaths for witchcraft.

In the years since, Salem has often sought to atone for its actions by remembering those whom it condemned.  One result is the Salem Witch Memorial, a serene park in the heart of the tourist district.  Designed by architect Jim Cutler and artist Maggie Smith, the memorial first opened to the public in 1992.

The park contains twenty individual stones like the one shown above, each one in tribute to the 13 women and 7 men who were put to death.  These include Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator, Bridget Bishop, Elizabeth Howe, George Burroughs, George Jacobs, Giles Corey, John Proctor, John Willard, Margaret Scott, Martha Carrier, Martha Corey, Mary Easty, Mary Parker, Rebecca Nurse, Samuel Wardwell, Sarah Good, Sarah Wildes, Susannah Martin and Wilmot Redd.

While Hollywood would tell you that these twenty were burned at the stake, the majority of them were actually hanged, the exception being Giles Corey, who was pressed to death in a pit of boulders.  It took him three days to die.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about the Salem Witch trials, take a voyage to Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• The two schoolgirls who started it all were Betty Parris (8) and Abigail Williams (11).  The two exhibited strange fits, which they attributed to being under the spell of a witch.
  
  
• Every November, an organization called Voices Against Injustice presents the Salem Award for Human Rights and Social Justice to an individual or organization who works to end discrimination.  The awards began in 1992 and the first recipient was actor GregAlan Williams, co-star of the underrated sit-com Baywatch Nights.  He was honored for helping to save a motorist who was being beaten during the Los Angeles riots that year.
  
  
• Hollywood has produced several adaptations of the trials, including 1996's The Crucible, an adaptation of Arthur Miller's celebrated stage production, which starred Winona Ryder and Daniel Day-Lewis.  Check out the trailer on YouTube.
  
  
• Salem is also home to a number of other attractions, many of them cheesy, that celebrate the town's history.  This blogger highly recommends the Salem Witch Museum, the Witch Dungeon Museum, and Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery, among others.  Salem is also home to a statue, donated by TV Land, that honors the famed television sit-com Bewitched.
  
  
  

Happy Halloween!

Bela Lugosi

 

"Every actor's greatest ambition is to create his own, definite and original role, a character with which he will always be identified.  In my case, that role was Dracula."

Bela Lugosi was born Bela Ferenc Dezso Blasko in Hungary on October 20, 1882.  He was the youngest of four children to father Istvan, a baker turned banker, and mother Paula de Vojnic.  When Bela was just 12 years old, he gave up school to help support his family, but he had already set his sights on a career on stage.

By the time he was 20, Lugosi had already carved out a name for himself, having appeared in more than 170 stage productions.  With the onset of World War I however, he'd emigrate first to Germany, then later to New Orleans, eventually becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen.  

Lugosi first played Count Dracula in a 1927 Broadway adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel.  He followed the play out to the West Coast, where he caught the eye of Universal Studios, who cast him in the role he'd be most famously known for.  Dracula, directed by Tod Browning, was released in 1931, cementing Lugosi's role as a horror screen legend.  Despite a slew of horror films that followed, Lugosi only played Dracula in one subsequent film - 1948's Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.

Bela Lugosi died of a heart attack on August 16th, 1956.  He was 73 years old.  In a funeral service conducted at Los Angeles's Holy Cross Cemetery (oh the irony), Lugosi was laid to rest wearing a replica of his famous Dracula costume.

Happy Halloween!

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Bela Lugosi, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• At the time of his passing, Lugosi was working with Director Ed Wood on the film that would come to be known as Plan 9 From Outer Space.  Wood subsequently served as a pallbearer at Lugosi's funeral.
  
  
• As noted above, Lugosi was buried in a replica of his famous Dracula cape.  In 2019, his son, Bela George Lugosi, donated the original to the museum for the Academy of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.  A swatch of this cape is also on display at the Ripley's Believe it or Not Odditorium in Ocean City, Maryland.
  
  
• Lugosi was a noted stamp collector, who would himself later adorn two U.S. stamps.
  
  
• Similarly, there are two flowers named after the actor - the Bela Lugosi daylily and the Dracula-Bela Lugosi orchid.