Louise Brooks - Silent Film Star

 

"Love is a publicity stunt, and making love - after the first curious raptures - is only another petulant way to pass the time waiting for the studio to call."

Mary Louise Brooks was born in Cherryvale, Kansas on November 14, 1906.  Her father, Leonard, was a lawyer who had little time to be a parent, preferring that his wife Myra assume those responsibilities.  An artist herself, she instilled in Louise a love of music and books.

By her late teens, Louise was already a very skilled dancer, having toured with a national company.  She then joined the famed Ziegfeld Follies as a semi-nude dancer in New York City.  Her act caught the attention of a producer at Paramount Pictures, who signed her to a five-year contract.  She made her screen debut in the 1925 silent film The Street of Forgotten Men.

For the next fifteen years, Brooks enjoyed steady work in both America and Europe, becoming an icon of the flapper girl culture.  She starred in a number of silent film classics, including Beggars of Life and Diary of a Lost Girl.  Her most famous film during this time was Pandora's Box (1929), which is often cited as her best work.  Produced and later banned in Germany, the film tells the story of Lulu, an uninhibited and seductive ingenue who brings ruin and shame to those closest to her.  You can watch the film, complete with English subtitles, on YouTube. 

By 1940, her career had run its course, so Louise returned to her native Kansas, where she opened a dance studio.  It didn't last long however, so she returned to the Big Apple, ultimately finding work as a call girl.  Of this time in her life, she would later write "I found that the only well-paying career open to me, as an unsuccessful actress of thirty-six, was that of a call girl...and I began to flirt with the fancies related to little bottles filled with yellow sleeping pills."

Wiser heads prevailed however, and by 1955, she experienced something of a career resurgence, culminating in a Louise Brooks film festival in 1957.  She shied away from interviews, but had special relationships with film historians, and ultimately wrote her memoirs (see Trivia below).

By 1985, her health was in decline, having suffered from emphysema and osteoarthritis of the hip for several years.  She ultimately died of a heart attack on August 8th.  She was 78 years old.  Mary Hart filed a report on her passing for Entertainment Tonight.

Louise Brooks was cremated and her ashes were laid to rest at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Rochester, New York.  Beethoven's Ode to Joy was played during her memorial service while passages from her memoir were read to attendees.

Location: Section #33S, Lot #133F

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Louise Brooks, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• While there is no Louise Brooks Museum per se, there are a number of exhibits dedicated to her in the United States.  The Cherryvale Historical Museum in her hometown features a permanent exhibit on her life, while the George Eastman Museum in Rochester has an impressive collection of her memorabilia.  Fans are also welcome to visit the Louise Brooks Society online, which has been keeping fans connected since 1995. 
  
  
• The last known interview with Brooks was for the acclaimed 1980 documentary series Hollywood.  Check out this clip on YouTube, wherein she discusses fellow silent film star and close personal friend Clara Bow.
  
  
• In 1991, the British band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark released their single Pandora's Box as a tribute to Brooks.  The music video, available on YouTube, incorporates footage from the 1929 film.
  
  
• As a child, Brooks was good friends with fellow Cherryvale resident Vivian Vance, who would later rise to stardom herself as co-star of I Love Lucy.

The Reverend Billy Graham

 

"I am the greatest failure of all men.  I was too much with men and too little with God.  I was too busy with business meetings and even conducting services.  I should have been more with God, and people would've sensed God's presence about me when they were with me."

William Franklin Graham, Jr. was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on November 7, 1918.  He was the oldest of four children born to a dairy farmer and his wife.  As a young boy, Graham enjoyed reading the Tarzan novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs and echoing the hero's famous jungle call.  Graham's father would later declare that it was this famous yell that led his son to becoming a minister.

As a young man, Graham attended several universities, eventually earning a degree in anthropology from Wheaton College.  He would later write that it was during this time in his life that he decided to become a minister, stating he had answered the call while on the 18th green of a Florida golf course. 

Graham's career was the stuff of legends.  During a period of racial strife in the 1950s, he often preached for integration, even convening a joint crusade with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1957. Through his travels and his broadcast ministry, he is estimated to have preached the word to more than 210 million people worldwide and three presidents called him friend.  He is considered among the most influential Christian leaders of the 20th Century. 

By 2018, Graham's health was in decline.  He ultimately died of natural causes on February 21st at the age of 99.  He received tributes from around the world, with President Trump declaring him "an ambassador for Christ."  He became only the fourth private citizen to lie in honor at the Capitol rotunda in Washington, DC.  

Reverend Graham was laid to rest on the grounds of the Billy Graham Library in his hometown of Charlotte.  His pine coffin was handcrafted by convicted murderers at Louisiana State Penitentiary. While you're there, be sure to visit Bessie, the talking animatronic cow who welcomes the faithful to the site.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about the Reverend Billy Graham, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• In the early 1950s, Graham founded World Wide Pictures, a production company that produces short, inspirational films for churches.  You can see many of them today on the company's YouTube channel.
  
  
• Graham was the first televangelist to speak behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War, sharing his message of peace with the Soviet Union and countries throughout Eastern Europe.
  
  
• Graham founded the magazine Christianity Today.  Pick up a copy now!
  
  
• Graham was the first non-musician to be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
  
  
• While you're in Charlotte, be sure to visit Graham's birth marker, located at 4601 Park Road.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Gilda Radner

 

"Some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end.  Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.  Delicious ambiguity."

Gilda Susan Radner was born in Detroit on June 28, 1946. In her autobiography, she stated that she was named after Rita Hayworth's character in the film Gilda, which premiered three months earlier.

Through her father, Radner developed a love of the theatre, as he would often take her to New York for shows on the Broadway stage.  Back in their native Detroit, he managed the famed Seville Hotel, where countless artists stayed while performing in the Motor City.

In 1969, Radner dropped out of college and moved to Toronto.  It was here that she made her theatrical debut, in a production of Godspell, opposite future box office stars Eugene Levy, Victor Garber, and Martin Short.  From there, she joined Toronto's famed Second City comedy troupe, working with future greats like John Candy, Catherine O'Hara, and Dan Aykroyd.

Of course, Radner is most famous as one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live, which she began in 1975.  Over the next five years, she introduced a slew of classic characters, including the hard-of-hearing Emily Litella and advice specialist Roseanne Roseannadanna, roles that would land her an Emmy Award in 1978.  She left the show in 1980 and appeared in a string of mostly forgettable box office comedies.

In 1985, Radner was on location with her husband, actor Gene Wilder, her co-star in one of the aforementioned films, the 1986 bomb Haunted Honeymoon.  It was during production when Radner first started to notice that something was wrong.  She complained of severe fatigue and leg pain, but doctors were stumped.  She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  She'd spend the next four years as the public face of the disease, but, with Gene at her side, she ultimately passed away on June 28, 1946.  She was just 42 years old.

Gilda Radner was laid to rest in Long Ridge Union Cemetery in Stamford, Connecticut.

Location: Center of the cemetery
Inscription: Comedienne - Ballerina

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Gilda Radner, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• Despite the inscription on her headstone, this blogger can find no evidence that Radner was into ballet.
  
  
• Following her death, Radner was recognized with a series of awards, including a 1990 Grammy for the narration of her memoirs.  She was also inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.  Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the same hospital where she passed, now has the Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Center.
  
  
• According to Penny Marshall, Radner was considered for the role of Shirley Feeney on Laverne and Shirley, the role that ultimately went to Cindy Williams.
  
  
• In 1991, Gener Wilder co-founded Gilda's Club, a national non-profit organization that offers support to people living with cancer.  In 2009, it was rechristened as the Cancer Support Community, but still offers many of the same services.  Check out their website for more information.
  
  
• Two years after Radner's passing, Gene Wilder took his fourth wife, a speech pathologist he'd worked with on the film See No Evil, Hear No Evil, which could never be made today.  They remained married until his death in 2016, which could explain why he was not buried with Radner.  He was cremated and his ashes were scattered.

Take This Grave and Fill It - Johnny Paycheck

 

"I'm a man who believes that right is right and wrong is wrong.  Treat me right, and I will give you my all.  Treat me wrong, and I will give you nothing.  They don't like me for that, but that's the way I am."

Johnny Paycheck was born Donald Eugene Lytle in Greenfield, Ohio on May 31, 1938.  He is remembered as one of the pioneers of outlaw country music, most famously remembered for his 1977 signature hit Take This Job and Shove It, an anthem still played on radio stations every Friday afternoon at 5:00.

He started playing the guitar when he was only six and was performing professionally by 15.  It was then that he picked up stakes and hit the rails as a drifter, performing in clubs under the stage name the "Ohio Kid."  

After an unsuccessful tour of duty with the United States Navy, resulting in a court martial and dishonorable discharge, Paycheck made his way to Nashville, where he worked with such artists as Portner Wagoner and George Jones (more on him later).  It was during this time that he adopted his now famous stage name, in honor of a former heavyweight champion from Chicago.

Over the course of his career, Paycheck released 70 albums, spawning dozens of hit singles, only one of which made it to number one.  Unfortunately, his legal problems continued during this period as well.  In 1985, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for a shooting a man in Ohio.  Paycheck claimed self defense and was ultimately released just two years into his sentence.  He became a born-again Christian while in the joint, giving up many of the vices of his former life.

Years of smoking took their toll however, and Paycheck died of emphysema and asthma on February 19, 2003.  He was just 64 years old.  He was laid to rest at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville, Tennessee.

Location: Chapel Garden

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Johnny Paycheck, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• Paycheck was broke at the time of his death.  Country music legend George Jones covered all of the funeral expenses and donated a spot in his family plot.  Now that's a good ol' boy.
  
  
• Early in his career, Paycheck used the stage name Donny Young, even recording songs under that name.  Take a listen to Shakin' the Blues on YouTube.
  
  
• Paycheck was one of the many country music stars to portray themselves on The Dukes of Hazzard when he found himself snared in Boss Hogg's celebrity speed trap.  You can watch him sing his signature hit, much to the disdain of Boss himself, on YouTube.
  
  
• Speaking of that signature hit, it inspired a movie of the same name starring Robert Hays and Barbara Hershey.  Paycheck even had a small role in the film and is credited as "Man with Hamburgers."  You can check out the trailer for Take This Job and Shove It on YouTube.

Shirley Booth - TV's "Hazel"

 

"Burt Lancaster advised me against doing 'Hazel.'  'Don't do television,' he warned.  'It'll ruin you!'  Burt is a doll and a heck of an actor, but I'm glad I didn't follow his advice.  Everybody under 40 knows me better from 'Hazel,' not from my movies."

Shirley Booth was born Marjory Ford in Brooklyn, New York on August 30, 1898.  Admittedly, she's an actress that I know very little about, but she has a pretty cool grave.  She grew up in Brooklyn and then later Philadelphia, where she learned to appreciate the theatre.

She first hit the stage when she was just 17 years old, playing Lola Delaney in the drama Come Back, Little Sheba, a role she'd later reprise on the silver screen.  She made her Broadway debut just a few years later, starring opposite Humphrey Bogart in the three-act play Hell's Bells.

After an early Hollywood marriage that ended in divorce, Booth married William H. Baker, Jr., a regular joe serving his country during World War 2.  This marriage was short-lived too however, as Baker died of heart disease in 1951.  Booth never remarried.

Shirley Booth is best remembered for her role as the wisecracking housekeeper Hazel on the sit-com of the same name.  It premiered on NBC in 1961 and ran for four seasons before being canceled.  CBS picked it up for an additional season, before Booth finally called it quits in 1966.  Along the way, she won two Emmy awards for the role, which she'd continue to play in commercials after the series was canceled (see Trivia below).

Booth retired from acting in 1974.  For her final acting role, she provided the voice of Mrs. Claus in the animated special The Year Without a Santa Claus. 

By 1976, her health was in decline.  Over the next decade, she'd break her hip and suffer a stroke, the latter of which caused mobility issues and took her sight.  She ultimately died on October 16, 1992, at the age of 94.  She was laid to rest in the Baker family plot in Mount Hebron Cemetery in Montclair, New Jersey. 

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Shirley Booth, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• In 1979, Booth was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in New York City.  She was unable to attend the ceremony however, and the award was accepted on her behalf by actress Celeste Holm.  Additionally, she is one of 15 actresses to have won the Triple Crown of Acting - an Oscar, a Tony, and an Emmy Award.
  
  
• As her Hazel character, Booth did a series of commercials for the Ford Motor Company.  Here's one.  Here's another.  Here's one more.
  
  
• Ever watch Seinfeld?  George Costanza once referenced Shirley Booth and Hazel in this classic clip.
  
  
• Mount Hebron is also the final resting place of several other notable figures, including actress Olympia Dukakis, paint tycoon Benjamin Moore, and Allen Balcom DuMont, the man who gave the world television.

Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!

 

"I would never watch my show.  I'm not interested in it."

I honestly do not know why I haven't done this blog sooner.  Back in the 90s, I was a huge fan of The Jerry Springer Show, so when I was passing through Chicago in 2024, I knew I had to stop and pay my respects. 

Jerry Springer was born Gerald Norman Springer in London, England on February 13, 1944, during the height of World War 2 (see Trivia below).  His family immigrated to America in 1948, eventually settling in Queens, New York.

As a teenager, Springer became interested in politics.  He was impressed by then-Senator John F. Kennedy and decided to pursue a similar career for himself, earning a Bachelor's degree in political science from Tulane University.

After graduation, Springer worked on Robert F. Kennedy's political campaign, which was cut short by an assassin's bullet.  Springer relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he began practicing law and running for office.  He was first elected to the city council in 1971 but resigned three years later after being caught with a prostitute (see Trivia below).  The voters forgave him however, and he was re-elected the following year.  He'd eventually retire from politics after losing his bid for the Ohio state house in 1982.

Around the same time, Springer began his career as a political journalist and commentator for the local NBC affiliate.  He was an overnight success, and it was clear that the public wanted more.  The Jerry Springer Show was launched in September 1991 to meet that need.  When it began, it reflected his experience and interest in politics.  Early guests included Oliver North and Jesse Jackson, and it would cover broad social topics still in play today, such as gun control and homelessness.  The best was yet to come.

By 1994, the show's ratings were in serious decline.  Springer and his producer revamped the format to appeal to a broader audience.  Gone were the politicians and issues, replaced by transvestites, cheaters, and midgets.  The switch worked, so much so that by 1998, Jerry was winning the daytime ratings war, beating out the longtime queen herself, Oprah Winfrey.  It remained a television staple for the next 27 years, most of which I watched.  He finally called it quits in 2018.

This blogger attended a taping of The Jerry Springer Show in 2016.

In early 2023, Springer was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  The battle would not be a long one however, as it took his life just a few months later, on April 27th.  He was only 79 years old.

Jerry Springer was laid to rest at Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie, Illinois.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Jerry Springer, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• Jerry was born in London's Highgate station, an underground facility used as a bomb shelter during World War 2.  Both of his grandmothers perished in concentration camps, one in Poland, the other in Czechoslovakia.
  
  
• Springer's visit with a prostitute came to light as a result of his having paid for it with a personal check, something he'd admit to in later political campaigns.  Check out his confessional campaign spot on YouTube.
  
  
• This blogger was fortunate enough to attend a taping of The Jerry Springer Show in 2016.  Prior to the show, Springer addressed the audience, taking questions from a few of the fortunate, this blogger included, while passing out "Jerry beads" to others.
  
  
• During the early days of the show, Springer appeared as himself in a classic episode of Married With Children, wherein Al Bundy and his friends take "the masculine feminist" hostage during his talk show.  Check out a clip on YouTube.
  
  
• In 1998, Springer appeared as himself in the box office film Ringmaster, which was loosely based on the show.  You can check out the trailer on YouTube.
  
  
• Memorial Park Cemetery is also the final resting place of Brady Bunch star Robert Reed, previously profiled by this blog.

Danny Kaye is now a Bench!

 

"I became an entertainer not because I wanted to but because I was meant to."

Danny Kaye was born David Daniel Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York on January 18, 1911.  He was the youngest of three sons born to Russian-Jewish immigrants.  Sadly, his mother would pass away when he was still just a teenager.

As a young boy, Kaye aspired to be a surgeon, but medical school was not a financial reality.  His second option was show business, a career that would sustain him for the rest of his life.

He got his first break in 1933, when he joined a vaudeville dance act.  It was during this period that he adopted his stage name.  He had also recently met Miss Sylvia Fine, the woman he'd spend the next five decades with.

Kaye's career lasted just as long.  He'd star in such box office hits as White Christmas with Bing Crosby and The Court Jester with Angela Lansbury.  He was no stranger to television either.  After a slew of specials in the early 1960s, he'd eventually host his own variety series, The Danny Kaye Show, which ran from 1963 to 1967.  

In 1983, Kaye underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery.  During the procedure, he contracted Hepatitis C, from which he'd never recover.  It ultimately contributed to his death on March 3, 1987.  He was 76 years old.  He was cremated and the ashes were given to Sylvia.

Now, this is where it gets weird.  Sylvia died four years later and she was cremated as well.  Her ashes, as well as her husband's, were placed inside of a memorial bench at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.   

Location: Valhalla Plot, Section #19, Lot #1

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Danny Kaye, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• A one-hour documentary entitled American Masters: Danny Kaye - A Legacy of Laughter was released in 1996.  You can watch it in its entirety on YouTube.
  
  
• Prior to her death, Sylvia donated a score of materials to the Library of Congress, including recordings, scripts, awards and other memorabilia.  Many of these items are available online via the Library of Congress website.  Check out the Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Collection.
  
  
• Kaye served as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, eventually raising more than $5 million for the charitable organization.  For his work, he was awarded France's highest civilian accolade, the Legion of Honor. 
  
  
• Kaye was a certified commercial pilot.  During one flight, he correctly diagnosed himself as having appendicitis.  He landed the plane at the nearest airport and went to a hospital, where he underwent an emergency appendectomy.  Believe it or Not!