The Roots Graveyard?

 

In January 1977, approximately 140 million Americans tuned in to the eight-part television mini-series Roots, based on author Alex Haley's book of the same name.  Spanning more than 100 years, it tells the story of Haley's ancestors, abducted from Africa and sold into slavery in Colonial America.

The main protagonist, Kunta Kinte (played by Levar Burton), was a fictional character based on one of Haley's Gambian ancestors.  Upon arriving in America, he was sold into slavery, eventually working on a plantation in Spotsylvania County, Virginia.

Today, that land has been reclaimed and turned into Loriella Park, which features hiking trails, a swimming pool, a frisbee golf course and more.  One area that remains undisturbed is the former slave graveyard.  While the headstones are no more, many historians and Roots aficionados believe that Haley's ancestor, who died around 1822, is among those buried in this sacred plot.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Roots: The Saga of an American Family, was one of 1976's top-selling books.  It spent 46 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller List.  You can pick up a copy on Amazon.
  
  
• Haley eventually passed away in 1992 at the age of 70.  He was buried on the grounds of his childhood home in Henning, Tennessee, which today serves as the Alex Haley Museum and Interpretive Center.
  
  
• The series had hundreds of well-known actors and others who were just starting out.  Many of them have since passed away, and some of those graves have been profiled by this blog.  You can re-visit Robert Reed, Vic Morrow, Carolyn Jones and Roxie Roker.
  
  
• Can't make it to Virginia to see for yourself?  Vlogger VA Travels posted an eight-minute walking and drone tour of the park and the burial grounds.  Check it out on YouTube.

Arnold Horshack!

 

Ronald Gabriel Paolillo was born in New Haven, Connecticut on April 2, 1949. He was the son of Gabriel and Carmel, the former of whom died of lung cancer when Ronald was just ten years old.  He graduated from high school in 1967 and attended the University of Connecticut at Storrs.  Intent on becoming an actor, he made his way to Hollywood, where he changed his name to Ron Palillo.

In 1975, he was cast in his signature role, that of Arnold Horshack on the sit-com Welcome, Back Kotter.  It was his first television role.  The series ran for four seasons totaling 94 episodes.  The final episode was a back-door pilot that would serve as a starring vehicle for Paolillo, but the new series was never produced.

In the 1980s, he made guest appearances on many popular shows of the day, including The Love Boat, Chips, and of course, Murder, She Wrote.  He also appeared in a number of feature films, including Friday the 13th, Part 6: Jason Lives (1986) and the charmingly titled Snake Eater (1989), an action vehicle for Lorenzo Lamas.  Apparently the movie was a success, because later the same year, he reprised his role in its sequel, Snake Eater 2: The Drug Buster.

In 1991, he returned to the New York stage, where he played Mozart in Amadeus and Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, among many other roles.  He was also a talented stage director, releasing his first full-length play, The Lost Boy, in 2006.  It told the story of Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie.

In 2012, Paolillo was living in Palm Beach, Florida with his partner of 41 years, Joseph Gramm.  It was there that he suffered a heart attack on August 14th.  Although he was rushed to a nearby hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival.  He was just 63 years old.  A memorial tribute, hosted by Cagney and Lacey star Tyne Daly, was held in New York City later that year.

Ron Paolillo was laid to rest in Saint Larence Cemetery in West Haven, Connecticut.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Paolillo was the second Sweathog to pass away in 2012, the first being Robert Hegyes, who also died of a heart attack.
  
  
• In the early 1980s, Paolillo became a voice actor for several Saturday morning cartoons, including Laverne and Shirley in the Army.  He provided the voice of Sargeant Squealy, a talking pig.  Think I'm making this up?  You can watch an episode in its entirety on YouTube.
  
  
• Paolillo was also an illustrator who worked on the children's book The Red Wings of Christmas with fellow former child star Wesley Eure.  You can pick up a copy on Amazon.  He illustrated a second children's book with author Michael Mele entitled A Gift for the Contessa, which is also available on Amazon.
  
  
• In 1983, Paolillo cut a public service announcement for The Alcoholism Center in Chicago.  Check it out on YouTube.
  
  
• In the 1990s, Paolillo returned to the University at Connecticut, this time as a professor.
  
  
• Remember Celebrity Boxing?  It was a guilty pleasure back in 2002.  During the second season, Paolillo fought a fellow TV nerd about three decades younger, Saved by the Bell's Dustin Diamond.  You can watch the fight in its painful entirety on YouTube.

Pearl S. Buck

 

"The secret of joy is contained in one word - excellence.  To know how to do something well is to enjoy it."

Pearl S. Buck is not exactly a household name.  Chances are however, that at some point in your life, you were reading the dust jacket on a book and saw that it was recipient of the Pearl S. Buck Award. This prestigious honor is given to female American authors whose work reflects the same principles for whom the award is named.  But who exactly was she?

She was born Pearl Comfort Sydenstriker in Hillsboro, West Virginia on June 26, 1892.  She was the daughter of American missionaries, who took her to China when she was just four months old. She'd spend her formative years abroad, even learning to speak Chinese before English.  Then in 1911, she returned to the States and settled in Lynchburg, Virginia, where she enrolled in Randolph-Macon Woman's College.  She graduated Phi Beta Kappa just three years later.

Upon graduation, she returned to China where she married fellow missionary John Lossing Buck.  They'd settle in the Suzhou, Anhui Province, which would serve as the inspiration for her most famous work, The Good Earth, first published in 1931.  This influential novel won Buck the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1932, and later, the Nobel Prize for Literature.  It is today considered an American literary classic.

Buck died of lung cancer on March 6, 1973.  She was 80 years old.  She was interred on the grounds of Pearl S. Buck International, a non-profit organization founded in 1964 in Perkasie, Pennsylvania. It's mission is to "bridge cultures and change lives through humanitarian aid and intercultural education."

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Pearl S. Buck, take a voyage to Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• Winners of the Pearl S. Buck Award receive a medallion and a $25,000 prize.
  
  
• Randolph-Macon Woman's College is today known simply as Randolph College.
  
  
• In 1973, the National Women's Hall of Fame opened in Seneca Falls, New York.  Buck was the first inductee.

The MGM Lion

 

Since 1917, MGM movies have begun with a lion's roar, provided by a studio mascot named Leo.  Over the years, a series of lions have all portrayed Leo, including an Irish cat named Slats, who is today buried on a simple farm in New Jersey.

Slats was born at the Dublin Zoo in Ireland, on March 20, 1919.  Shortly thereafter, he was bought by famed New Jersey animal trainer Volney Phifer, who provided a variety of animals for the Broadway stage.  He took the cat to Hollywood, where in 1924, Slats became the official face of MGM, first appearing in that years' feature He Who Gets Slapped.  Slats would continue in the role, appearing in all MGM features through 1928.

In 1934, Phifer bought a farm in Gillette, New Jersey.  Slats would pass just two years later and Phifer buried him on the property.  For years, a simple granite marker adorned the grave, which has today been replaced by a tribute to Slats.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Slats is buried on private property.  If you go, please be respectful.
  
  
• Unlike those lions who would follow, Slats did not roar, rather, he simply looked back and forth.  This is perhaps due to the fact that films would not include sound until 1927.
  
  
• Since 2021, Leo has appeared via computer animation in all MGM films.  Although this new version is based on a Leo, it is not clear as to which cat is represented.
  
  
• On an unknown date in the mid-1990s, WABC-TV in New York did a story on Leo's grave and Phifer's connection to New Jersey.  Check out the grainy video on YouTube.
  
  
• Phifer died in December 1974 at the age of 76.  This blogger has been unable to locate his final resting place, if there is one.

Stephanie Zimbalist

 

"I have a personal connection with my Savior...I feel very beholden to Him...I feel He's there for me in my darkest moments."

No, you didn't miss a headline.  Stephanie Zimbalist is still very much alive, but why should that stop her from having a grave, or for this blog to cover it?

She was born Loranda Stephanie Zimbalist in New York City on October 8, 1956.  She is the daughter of actor Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., star of the 1960's television series 77 Sunset Strip, and the granddaughter of Efrem Sr., a renowned concert violinist and symphony conductor.  By age 11, she was already following in her father's footsteps, appearing in a 1969 stage production of Gypsy.

After graduating from an all-girls prep school in Virginia, she enrolled in the renowned Juilliard School in New York City.  While still studying drama, she began her acting career on the small screen, with roles in a variety of made-for-TV movies, including The Gathering (1978) with Ed Asner and The Awakening (1980) with Charlton Heston. One of her first guest roles on a television series was a two-part episode of The Love Boat in 1978. 

In 1982, she was cast in the role for which she is most famously known, that of Detective Laura Holt on the NBC series Remington Steele.  The show ran for five seasons and made household names of her and future James Bond star, Pierce Brosnan.  When the series ended, she continued acting, racking up several film and stage credits.  Her most recent role was in the 2023 black comedy Lucky Louie.

In 2014, Efrem Jr. passed away.  He was buried at Town Hill Cemetery in New Hartford, Connecticut.  It is home to the Zimbalist Family plot, where several generations, including Efrem Sr., have all been laid to rest.  Although she is still very much alive, Stephanie's grave is prepared for inevitable arrival.

Here's to many more years. Stephanie.

Trivia

• This blog post will inevitably be updated, but hopefully not for many years to come.
  
  
• If you want to learn more about Stephanie, visit her website, at www.stephaniezimbalist.net.
  
  
• A woman of faith, Stephanie's headstone bears the Bible verse Ephesians 4:6, which says "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."  She also discussed her faith with the YouTube series Credo in Hollywood.
  
  
• Stephanie was originally cast to play Officer Anne Lewis in one of this blogger's favorite movies, RoboCop, but was unable to appear due to her filming commitment to Remington Steele.  The part ultimately went to actress Nancy Allen.
  
  
• Stephanie's co-star Pierce Brosnan later famously took on the role of James Bond, making him the second 007 she would appear with on television, the first one being Timothy Dalton in the 1978 mini-series Centennial.
  
  
• In recent years, Stephanie has narrated a number of audiobooks, including A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux.  For a complete listing of her work, please visit audible.com.

The Human Frisbee

 

Ed Headrick is not a household name.  Odds are, you've never heard of him.  But his contributions to the world of recreational sports cannot be overlooked, nor can his seemingly unusual and some would say bizarre, final request. 

Steady Ed, as he was known, was born on June 28, 1924.  As a member of the greatest generation, he enlisted in the army and served his country during World War 2.  After he was discharged, he returned to his native California, hoping to begin a career at Wham-O.  Although the toy manufacturer was not currently hiring, Ed was not to be deterred, and he offered to work for free in order to prove his worth.  Amazingly, Wham-O agreed to the offer.

His first assignment was to find a new use for the company's excess supply of Hula Hoops, as the craze had run its course in American pop culture.  It would become a theme throughout his career, as he was constantly improving older toys that were no longer marketable.

One such product was Wham-O's flying saucer, first invented by Walter Frederick Morrison in 1948.  Ed turned it into the modern-day Frisbee and began a marketing campaign like no other.  To him it was now more than just a mere toy, but rather its own recreational sport.

To that end, Ed left Wham-O in 1975, intent on furthering this idea.  The following year, he co-founded the Disc Golf Association with his son Ken and introduced a new sport, Frisbee Golf, to the world. The two would design and patent a series of courses and related equipment for their new sport.  

In 2002, Ed was competing in the Professional Disc Gold Association's 2002 Amateur World Championships in Miami when he suffered a series of strokes.  Although he was able to return to his home near Santa Cruz, California, he would pass away just a few days later on August 12th.  He was 78 years old.

Now here's where it gets crazy.  Before his death, Ed told his family that he wished to be memorialized with the product that he had made his life's work.  He was cremated, and his ashes were incorporated into a limited number of Frisbees.  One such Frisbee found its way to the Ripley's Believe it or Not! Odditorium in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Ed's final transformation was documented by the Ripley's Believe it or Not! TV series as hosted by Dean Cain.  You can watch the fascinating segment in its entirety on YouTube.
  
  
• Ten years after his passing, Ed was featured in the flying disc documentary The Human String.  Check out the trailer on IMDb.
  
  
• The proceeds from those discs that were sold were used to establish the Steady Ed Memorial Disc Golf Museum in Columbia County, Georgia.
  
  
• The Ripley's display case description misspells Ed's last name as "Hendricks."

Robin Leach

 

"Champagne wishes and caviar dreams."

Robin Douglas Leach was born in London, England on August 29, 1941.  As a young man, he attended the Harrow County School for Boys, where he first became interested in journalism, serving as editor of the school newspaper.  By the time he was 15, he was already a news reporter for the local paper.

When he was 18, Leach went to work for the Daily Mail, the same British tabloid that shows up on your Facebook page every day.  He was the youngest "Page One" reporter on staff, a record he still holds to this day.  Four years later, he emigrated to the United States (legally), where he went to work for such publications as the New York Daily News, the Ladies Home Journal and People.  He later became Show Business Editor for that classic American tabloid The Star.  

In the 1970s, he began appearing on television, as a regular contributor on AM Los Angeles, hosted by Regis Philbin and Sarah Purcell.  From there, he went national, reporting for both CNN and Entertainment Tonight. 

In 1984, he began hosting the show for which he is most famously associated, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.  It ran in syndication for the next twelve years, making Leach a household name.  When the show was canceled in 1995, he'd stay in the public spotlight, appearing as himself on such programs as Boy Meets World, The Surreal Life, and Celebrity Wife Swap, wherein his wife Judith went to live with Eric Roberts, whose wife Eliza visited Leach at his home in Las Vegas.

In 2017, Leach suffered a stroke while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas.  He'd never fully recover, eventually ending up in hospice care, where he suffered a second stroke in 2018.  By now the clock was ticking, and he ultimately passed on August 24th.  He was just 76 years old.

Robin Leach was laid to rest at Palm Memorial Park in Las Vegas.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• In 1994, Leach co-authored a celebrity cookbook with the ridiculous title The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous Cookbook: Recipes and Entertaining Secrets From the Most Extraordinary People in the World.  Pick up a copy from Amazon.
  
  
• In 1988, the producers of the ABC sit-com Sledge Hammer! asked Leach to introduce their first season finale, where he bluntly told the audience it was a ratings grab, which ultimately worked.  Check it out on YouTube.
  
  
• In 1993, Leach hosted an unauthorized documentary of the material girl herself entitled Madonna Exposed.  Before the program aired, he gave Madonna a cell phone number, inviting her to call in at any point to refute the show's claims, which she did not.  You can watch the film in its entirety on YouTube.
  
  
• Palm Memorial Park is also the final resting place of comedian Redd Foxx, previously profiled by this blog.

George Steinbrenner - The Boss

 

"Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing.  Breathing first, winning next."

George Michael Steinbrenner III was born in Rocky River, Ohio on July 4, 1930.  He was the oldest of three children to Irish immigrant parents and was of the first generation to be born in America.

After graduating from military school in 1948, Steinbrenner went on Williams College in Massachusetts, where, like his father before him, he was an accomplished track and field star who later joined the football team.  He was also gifted academically, playing the piano and serving as sports editor of the college newspaper.  After earning his bachelor's degree, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and was commissioned a second lieutenant, stationed in Columbus, Ohio.  Upon his discharge in 1954, he earned his master's degree in physical education.

His education behind him, Steinbrenner took over his family's shipping business in 1957, eventually becoming Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.  By the time he stepped down in 1972, the company was pulling in $100 million in annual sales.

With a renewed interest in sports, Steinbrenner and a group of fellow investors bought the New York Yankees in 1973 from former owner CBS.  He was known for his hands-on ownership style, which earned him the nickname "The Boss."  During his tenure, turnover was high as he was often replacing his management team.  Behind his back, he was also known as "Manager George," a derisive nickname given to him by former manager Dallas Green. 

By 2007, Steinbrenner had relocated to Florida as his health was in decline.  He officially retired that year, handing control of the team over to his sons Hal and Hank.  Steinbrenner eventually died of a heart attack on July 13, 2010, the morning of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.  He was 80 years old. 

George Steinbrenner was entombed in a palatial family mausoleum at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Trinity, Florida.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about George Steinbrenner, take a voyage to Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• From 1973 to his death in 2010, Steinbrenner was the longest-serving owner in club history.  Under his ownership, the Yankees won seven World Series and eleven American League pennants.
  
  
• Steinbrenner was the second in a Yankee death trifecta that week.  He was preceded in death by longtime P.A. announcer Bob Sheppard and was followed by former manager Ralph Houk.
  
  
• Steinbrenner became something of a pop culture icon, even hosting a 1990 episode of Saturday Night Live.  Really.  He later became a running joke on the hit sit-com Seinfeld, as portrayed by series creator Larry David.

Cokie Roberts

 

Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs, aka Cokie Roberts, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 27, 1943.  As you might have guessed from the name, she was born to a Catholic family.  Her parents were career politicians, Lindy and Hale Boggs, both of whom represented Louisiana in the U.S. House of Representatives (see Trivia below).

Cokie began her high school education at the Academy of the Sacred Heart, an all-girls Roman Catholic school in New Orleans.  She'd follow her family to Washinton, DC, where she'd eventually complete her diploma.  She then attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts, where she earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1964.

After graduation, Cokie went to work at WRC-TV in Washington, DC, where she hosted a weekly public affairs program called Meeting of the Minds.  The gig was short lived however, as she'd spend the next few years following her husband Steve, a fellow journalist, from place to place.  His career took them to New York, Los Angeles, and Athens, Greece.  It was there that Cokie first went to work as a stringer for CBS News.

In 1978, Cokie joined National Public Radio.  She'd spent the next ten years as a Congressional Correspondent, making frequent appearances on PBS's MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour.  Then in 1988, she joined ABC as a Political Correspondent for ABC's World News Tonight with Peter Jennings.  She would make frequent appearances on the network's Sunday morning public affairs program This Week with David Brinkley.  Upon Brinkley's retirement in 1997, she became a permanent co-host of the program, which was redubbed This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts.  They were both replaced in 2002 however, when the show was given to Clinton ally George Stephanopoulos.

In 2002, Cokie was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.  Although she was successfully treated for it at the time, it would eventually take her life on September 17, 2019.  She was 75 years old.

Cokie Roberts was laid to rest in Washington, DC's Congressional Cemetery, next to both of her parents.  A memorial bench honoring both Roberts and her mother was placed nearby.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Cokie authored enough books to start her own library.  After her passing, husband Steve wrote the definitive biography, Cokie: A Live Well Lived.  Check out the selection at Amazon.
  
  
• The nickname "Cokie" was first started by her younger brother, Tommy, who, as a child, could not pronounce Corinne.  The nickname stuck, and she eventually adopted it as her professional moniker.
  
  
• The phrase that emblazes Cokie's headstone, "put on the jewels and take up the tools," comes from a commencement speech she delivered to the graduates of Wellesley College, her alma mater, in 1994.
  
  
• Cokie won a several awards throughout her career, including the Edward R. Murrow Award, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, and an Emmy Award for the documentary Who is Ross Perot.
  
  
• As mentioned above, Hale Boggs represented Louisiana in the U.S. House of Representatives.  He served for more than thirty years, eventually becoming House Majority Leader during the Nixon Administration.  In October 1972, Boggs and his team were flying from Anchorage to Juneau when their plane disappeared.  Today, more than fifty years later, no trace of the plane has ever been found.  The story of their disappearance has been chronicled in a number of documentaries, including the History Channel's Missing in Alaska: Vanished in a Vortex.

Otto Warmbier

 

"I beg of you and the North Korean government of the DPRK for your forgiveness.  Please, I've made the worst mistake of my life!"

Otto Frederick Warmbier was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on December 12, 1994.  He was the oldest of three children to Cynthia and Fred Warmbier, the latter of whom worked as a metal finisher in Cincinnati.

Otto was a popular student at Wyoming High School, where he graduated as salutatorian in 2013.  He enrolled at the University of Virginia where he pursued a double major in commerce and economics. 

In late 2015, Warmbier enrolled in a study abroad program, intent on spending a year in Hong Kong.  Before heading to Asia's World City, however, he decided to visit North Korea.  He contacted Young Pioneer Tours, a Chinese-based travel firm with the slogan "destinations your mother would rather you stayed away from."  It would prove to be prophetic.

On December 29, Warmbier's tour group arrived in Beijing.  They would celebrate New Year's Eve in Kim II Sung Square before returning to their hotel, where Warmbier noticed a propaganda poster on display.  It read "let's arm ourselves strongly with Kim Jong II's patriotism."  Having had a few drinks, Warmbier attempted to take the poster, but he was ultimately unsuccessful.  He was arrested the following day at the airport, moments before flying home.

Warmbier was detained for six weeks, before giving a prepared statement that many felt was coerced.  He took responsibility for attempting to steal the poster, claiming he had done so at the behest of his Ohio church and the University of Virginia, claims that Time Magazine would brand as "fanciful and implausible."  For his actions, Warmbier was sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor.

Back in America, Warmbier's parents were not only being stonewalled by the North Korean government, but by their own as well.  According to Fred, the two were repeatedly asked by members of the Obama Administration, including then-Secretary of State John Kerry, to "maintain a low profile" on their son's situation.  The Warmbiers would not comply.  In fact, years later, the two would become actively involved in Republican presidential campaigns.

In June 2017, more than a year after his imprisonment, North Korea announced that it was releasing Warmbier, albeit in a vegetative state.  He was flown to Cincinnati, where he ultimately died on June 19th.  He was 22 years old.  A postmortem examination suggested his death was the result of a blood clot, pneumonia, sepsis, or kidney failure.

More than 2,500 people attended Warmbier's funeral, including Ohio Senator Rob Portman.  It was conducted at his alma mater, Wyoming High School.  He was then laid to rest in Oak Hill Cemetery in Glendale, Ohio, just outside of Cincinnati.  Though hard to read in this photo, the inscription reads "Son - Brother - Friend."

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• A number of books on the case have been published since Warmbier's death, in varying degrees of taste.  Check out the selection at Amazon.
  
  
• As a college student of the Jewish faith, Warmbier was a member of Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life.
  
  
• After Warmbier's death, North Korean officials continued to claim that they had treated him humanely, adding that their country was the biggest victim in the case.  A spokesman for the Korean Central News Agency told ABC News "although we had no reason at all to show mercy to such a criminal of the enemy state, we provided him with medical treatments and care with all sincerity on humanitarian basis until his return to the U.S., considering that his health got worse."
  
  
• In 2018, Warmbier's parents successfully sued the North Korean government, which was ordered to pay the family $501 million in damages.  However, there is no mechanism in place to enforce the ruling.  
  
  
• After his death, Warmbier's parents established a college scholarship in his name.  In 2022, they awarded it Seohyun Lee, a North Korean defector.
  

Sharon Tate

 

"My whole life has been decided by fate.  I've never planned anything that's happened to me."

Sharon Marie Tate was born in Dallas, Texas on January 24, 1943.  Her father was an army intelligence officer, and as such, the family was often moving from one city to another.  By the time she was 16, she had lived in six cities and had few friends.

Seeking to change that, she began entering beauty pageants when she was 16.  In 1959, she won the title of Miss Richland in Washington State.  A swimsuit photo from the pageant was published in Stars and Stripes, turning Tate into a local celebrity overnight.  While she planned to compete for the title of Miss Washington, her family relocated to Italy before the pageant.

While in Verona, Tate and her friends were cast as extras in the 1962 film Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man.  During production, she met actor Richard Beymer, who encouraged her to come to Hollywood and be a star.  She did just that, winning small roles in such popular TV shows as Mister Ed and The Beverly Hillbillies.  

In 1967, Tate was in London starring in a film that would eventually be released as The Fearless Vampire Killers.  During production, she fell in love with the director, Roman Polanski, and the two were subsequently married on January 20, 1968. 

By 1969, the two had settled into married life.  On August 8, while Polanski was out of town, a very pregnant Sharon Tate entertained a group of friends, including celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring, Wojciech Fryowski and Abigail Folger.  Shortly after midnight, members of the Manson Family cult broke into the home.  What happened next has become the stuff of Hollywood legend.

According to cult member Susan Atkins, the family wanted "to do a crime that would shock the world, that the world would have to stand up and take notice."  One can't deny that they did just that.

Tate and her friends were repeatedly stabbed by the group, with Fryowski and Folger succumbing to their wounds.  Still alive, Tate and Sebring were hanged on a support beam in the living room.  The coroner would later cite a massive hemorrhage as her cause of death.  Her unborn baby died in utero.  Before leaving the scene, cult members wrote the word "pig" on the front door, using Tate's own blood.

Sharon Tate and her baby were laid to rest at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.  Her mother Doris passed away in 1992 and was subsequently buried with them, marking three generations within the same plot.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Several books have been written on Sharon's life and of the crime itself, including one co-written by Polanski and Tate's sister Debra.  Check out these selections on Amazon.
  
  
• Tate was offered the role of Billie Jo Bradley on the sitcom Petticoat Junction, but she ultimately turned it down.
  
  
• Mattel's "Malibu Barbie" was based on Tate's character in the 1967 film Don't Make Waves.
  
  
• Tate became close friends with actress Victoria Vetri during production of the 1968 film Rosemary's Baby.  Vetri was to have been a guest of Tate's on the night of the murders, but she canceled at the last minute due to poor health.
  
  
• Musician Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails recorded his 1994 album "The Downward Spiral" in the murder house, which was subsequently demolished in 1994.  Reznor purportedly took the "pig" door with him, which is now a part of his Louisiana studio.
  
  
• Tate was a distant cousin of brothers Dennis and Randy Quaid.

Nancy Parsons - Coach Balbricker

 

Nancy Anne Parsons was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin on January 17, 1942.  She was one of three children to parents Charles and Mary Margaret.

During her high school years, Parsons was a member of the drama department, where she earned the praise of both faculty and students alike.  Upon graduation in 1960, she accepted a full scholarship to the Pasadena Playhouse and was off to California.  After she completed her studies there however, she soon met her husband and spent the next decade raising a family.

She returned to acting in 1974, making her mark on the Los Angeles stage scene.  Her first screen credit was the 1977 film American Raspberry, also known as Prime Time.  This blogger has never heard of it, and after viewing the trailer on YouTube, you'll understand why.

In 1980, Parsons was cast in a schlocky, low-budget horror film called Motel Hell, where as the tagline suggests, "it takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent's fritters."  In other words, while guests check into this hotel, they never check out.

Her claim to fame however, is the role of coach Beulah Balbricker in the Porky's films of the early 1980s, a trilogy this blogger has always deemed to be overrated.  When the series ended in 1985, she continued acting in Hollywood, most notably in the 1989 hit Steel Magnolias.  She also appeared on such notable TV series as Charlie's Angels, Family Ties, and Star Trek: The Next Generation, seemingly typecast as a nurse.

Nancy Parsons died of congestive heart failure on January 5, 2001, two weeks shy of her 59th birthday.  She was laid to rest at Viroqua Cemetery, near her hometown of La Crosse.

The two inscriptions read "we love you mom" and "mother of Elizabeth & Margaret."

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Parsons appeared in the 1985 Motley Crue video Smokin in the Boys Room.  See if you can spot her on YouTube.
  
  
• Daughters Elizabeth and Margaret both tried their hand in Hollywood as well, with limited success.  Margaret's only credit is the Lingerie Football League (?).  Elizabeth fared slightly better, appearing with her mom in the sequel Porky's Revenge.  Today, they are both retired from acting.
  
  
• To date, Porky's is the highest-grossing Canadian film of all time in the United States and Canada.  It was also a video game for the Atari 2600.  You can't make this stuff up.

Tim Russert

 

"The primary responsibility of the media is the accountability of government, whether it's about lying under oath - which upsets Democrats - or about the mismanagement of responding to a hurricane...which happens to upset Republicans."

Timothy John Russert was born in Buffalo, New York on May 7, 1950.  He came from humble beginnings - his mother a homemaker and his father a sanitation worker.  Like most parents, they wanted better for their son, opting to send him to private school. 

Russert set his sights on law, first graduating from John Caroll University in Ohio, later earning his law degree at Cleveland State University College of Law.  After graduation, he went to work for U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, heading up his Buffalo field office.  In 1983, he became a special aide to New York Mayor Mario Cuomo.

The following year, Russert joined NBC News as an executive, never intending to appear on camera.  However, he would take the helm of the network's long-running Sunday morning political affairs program Meet the Press.  He served as anchor for the next 17 years, the longest of any host to date.  Under his watch, the program extended from 30 to 60 minutes, adding in-depth interviews with high-profile guests, a tradition still done today by his inferior successor.

On Friday, June 13, 2008, Russert was at his Meet the Press studio in Washington recording voice-over segments for Sunday's show.  He collapsed in the soundproof booth, asking his colleagues "what's happening," which would prove to be his final words.  Although both co-workers and EMS personnel attempted to revive the host, he ultimately passed from a heart attack.  He was just 58 years old.

Tim Russert was buried in scenic Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Russert was both the author and subject of several books on politics, family, and his life.  His most famous work was Big Russ and Me, Father and Son: Lessons of Life, a book devoted to the wisdom he gained from his father, Timothy Joseph "Big Russ" Russert.  Sadly, Russert would precede Big Russ in death by one year. 
  
  
• The Buffalo History Museum has a special exhibit on Russert's life and career, entitled Inside Tim Russert's Office: If it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press.
  
  
• In 2000, Russert provided the voice of our 13th President Millard Fillmore for the PBS series The American President.
  
  
• One month before he passed, Russert was included among Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World." 

Philip McKeon

 

Philip Anthony McKeon was born in Westbury, New York on November 11, 1964.  When he was four years old, his parents took him and his sister Nancy, age 2, to a modeling audition, the first step in what would become two very lucrative Hollywood careers.

He began working as a child model, appearing in magazines, newspapers, and television commercials.  This led him to the Broadway stage, where in 1974, he was spotted by actress Linda Lavin, who had recently filmed a television pilot based on the Martin Scorcese film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.  Although actor Alfred Lutter had reprised his theatrical role of Tommy Hyatt for the proposed new series, Lavin recommended McKeon to producers, and the role was recast.

When the series ended in 1985, McKeon continued working in Hollywood, mostly in a string of low-budget horror films, including Return to Horror High (1987), 976-EVIL 2 (1992) and Ghoulies IV (1994).

In the early 2000s, he began working in radio.  He began his new career working in the news department at 980 AM in Los Angeles.  He eventually relocated to Wimberley, Texas, where he hosted his own morning show called The Breakfast Taco on 94.3 FM.

Philip McKeon died on December 10, 2019, after a long, as-yet-unspecified illness.  He was just 55 years old.  He was laid to rest at Saint John Cemetery and Mausoleum in Queens, New York.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• McKeon was cremated, and his ashes were buried in the same plot as his father Donald, who had died a mere six weeks earlier.
  
  
• McKeon was a frequent guest at the Chiller Theatre convention in Parsippany, New Jersey, where this blogger saw him shortly before his death.
  
  
• Saint John Cemetery is also known as "The Mafia Cemetery," and was the subject of a recent blog post here at Six Feet Under Hollywood.

The Vampire of Dusseldorf - GRAPHIC

 

Peter Kurten is not exactly a household name. By way of introduction, he was a serial killer who roamed the streets of Germany in the late 1920s.  His crimes included murder, rape, arson, and more.  He also had a tendency to drink the blood of his victims, earning him the nickname "The Vampire of Dusseldorf."  In 1931, he was convicted and sentenced to death by beheading. 

Ordinarily, a killer forgotten to history would not necessarily merit a blog post.  Indeed, it is in fact his final resting place that makes this story so unique.  You see, his mummified head is on permanent display at Ripley's Believe it or Not! 

For those unfamiliar, Ripley Entertainment runs a series of "odditoriums" throughout the United States.  They were originally founded by the late Robert Ripley back in the 1930s, but today they're a corporate entity, displaying artifacts he collected throughout his travels.  Ripley once famously quoted "I've been to 200 countries and the strangest thing I've seen is man."

Unlike most Ripleys, which are traditional walk through museums, the odditorium in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, is very unique.  Many of the traditional Ripleys artifacts are hidden throughout the building, and its something of a scavenger hunt to track them down, making this a much more interactive museum.  Kurten's mummified head is the crown jewel in their hidden collection.


Finding Kurten is no easy task.  You must first find an area called "Ripley's Grotto" and look for a 19th Century torture device known as the iron maiden.  While this is a common display at most Ripleys museums, here in Wisconsin, it serves as the entrance to a secret passageway.

Once inside, you'll see a host of Ripley's artifacts on display, including some native statues and more torture devices, as you make your way through a metal catacomb.  You'll also notice a series of numbers along the wall, each one baring a different color (1 is green, 2 is yellow, etc.).  You'll need to remember these colors and numbers later on.

At the end of this labyrinth, you'll find yourself in a room baring more artifacts and what looks to be a combination lock vault, baring the name "Ripley Vault Company."  A sign indicates that the vault can be opened by matching a set of colors to the numbers you saw earlier in the hallway.  This blogger figured out the combination on his first try.

Enter the code on the keypad, then hit the key in the middle.  If you've successfully entered the combination correctly, then the vault will open to reveal another secret chamber.

At first, it seems as if you've hit a dead end, because the only thing you'll see hanging on the wall is a portrait of a cat made from laundry machine lint.  Its hardly a grand prize worthy of the time and effort put into uncovering this hidden lair, but don't walk out just yet!  Look behind you and you'll see the first sign that you've stumbled on to something bigger - a portrait of Kurten himself.  

If you try to pull on the photo, it won't get you anywhere.  This is just a clue to let you know that you're on the right track.  At this point, you need to carefully re-examine that seemingly innocent cat lint portrait.

Put your hand on the right side of the picture frame and gently pull it towards you.  Its actually on a hinge, as this seemingly ordinary cat portrait hides an ever bigger prize - the mummified head of serial killer Peter Kurten.  Look below if you dare!

Normally, I end these blogs by saying rest in peace, but this guy doesn't deserve it.  A fitting end for such a cruel human being.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about the life and crimes of Peter Kurten, take a voyage to Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• In 2009, Kurten's crimes were the subject of the German theatrical release Normal.  Check out the trailer on YouTube.
  
  
• There are 17 Ripley's odditoriums in the United States, and this blogger has been to nine of them.  The one is Wisconsin Dells is by far the best.