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.

Victor Buono - King Tut

 

"Being on Batman allowed me to do something we actors are taught never to do: overact."

Victor Charles Buono was born in San Diego, California on February 3, 1938.  He was named after his father, a former police officer and bail bondsmen who himself went to prison for murder and armed robbery (see Trivia below).

As a teenager, Buono began appearing on local television and radio stations in America's Finest City before joining the Globe Theater Players.  This further enhanced his appreciation for Shakespeare, appearing in such adaptations as A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Buono was discovered by a Warner Brothers talent scout in 1959, who invited the heavyset actor to Hollywood for a screen test.  This led to early television roles on such series as 77 Sunset Strip and The Untouchables.  In 1962, he made his feature film debut in the Bette Davis and Joan Crawford classic, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane.  The role would win Buono an Academy Award nomination.

In 1966, Buono was cast in the role for which he is most famously associated, that of King Tut on the Adam West Batman TV series.  Tut was an original villain created for the series, who was later reimagined and rebranded for DC Comics.  Buono proved so popular in the role that producer William Dozier later cast him as the lead villain in his TV pilot Dick Tracy, which unfortunately never sold (see Trivia below).

Victor Buono died of a heart attack on New Years Day, 1982.  He was only 43 years old.  He was entombed with his mother Myrtle, who died in 1979.  They are laid to rest at Greenwood Memorial Park in San Diego.  Victor's name does not appear on the crypt.

Location: Lily Lake Crypt 1, Tier A

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Although given a life sentence for murder, Buono Sr. was released after only seven years (it is California, after all).  He'd ultimately return to prison however, on a new charge of bird smuggling (yes, really).  While in the joint, he continued serving as his son's business manager (you can't make this stuff up).  
  
  
• As mentioned above, William Dozier's Dick Tracy pilot failed to sell the series to a network, but you can watch it for free on YouTube.  Special bonus: Eve Plumb!
  
  
• In 1972, Buono released a book of salty poetry called It Could Be Verse.  Pick up a copy here.
  
  
• Buono was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, back when late-night TV was actually funny.  Here's one such appearance from 1975.
  
  
• Buono also released a series of self-deprecating comedy albums, including 1971's Heavy.  You can hear it in its entirety on YouTube or pick up a copy on Amazon.
  
  
• Exactly twelve years after Buono's death, fellow Batman villain Cesar Romero, aka The Joker, died on January 1, 1994.

Motorcycle Legend Randy Renfrow

 

Randy Renfrow is not exactly a household name.  He was born in Boonville, Missouri on April 9, 1956, and by the time he passed a mere 46 years later, he'd be enshrined in the American Motorcycle Association's (AMA) Hall of Fame.

Renfrow wound up on this blogger's radar when I discovered that he was laid to rest in Virginia just a short distance from my home.  As of this posting, I can find no connection to the Old Dominion, so his burial here remains a mystery to me.

He began his professional road racing career in 1981.  A few quick stats - altogether, he won a total of 17 AMA Nationals, including the 250 Grand Prix (1983), the Formula One (1986), and the Pro Twins Series (1989).  In 1998, he was named AMA's Sportsman of the Year.

In late March 2002, Renfrow was participating in another race at the Daytona International Speedway when he crashed.  He broke nine ribs, as well as his right knee, ankle, and foot.  Upon release from the hospital, he continued to recuperate at his parent's home in Pickerington, Ohio.  Five months later on August 9th, while still on crutches, Renfrow tragically fell down a flight of stairs, suffering multiple head injuries from which he'd ultimately pass away.

He was laid to rest at Stafford Memorial Park in Stafford, Virginia.

Note the remains of a Dunlop tire sticker, lower right.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Renfrow died in Pickerington, Ohio, the same city where the AMA Hall of Fame opened twelve years earlier.  Coincidence?
  
  
• AMA's Hall of Fame produced a five-minute tribute video to Renfrow.  Check it out on YouTube.
  
  
• Ironically, there is a retired NASCAR driver also named Randy Renfrow, who won an impressive 237 races throughout his career.

Stonewall Jackson - A Man With Two Graves!

 

"Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees."
  -- Stonewall Jackson's dying words

When most people pass away, they're typically laid to rest or cremated and that's the end of it.  There are some occasions however, when the deceased will have more than one final resting place.  This was the case for both Judy Garland and Anton Yelchin, both previously covered in this blog.  

In both of those cases, family members had the final remains moved from one cemetery to another, in order to better accommodate grieving fans.  Yelchin even got a statue!  Like those two Hollywood notables, Confederate General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson also has two graves, but he's actually buried in both of them!

On May 2, 1863, Jackson was wounded by friendly fire at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia.  He took three bullets to the arm, which necessitated its amputation.  Regiment Chaplain Beverly Tucker Lacy buried the limb in a field behind Ellwood Manor in Fredericksburg.  A stone marker was set in place, which still welcome visitors to this day.

Jackson died of his wounds eight days later on May 10th.  He was 39 years old.  He was laid to rest at Oak Grove Cemetery in Lexington, about 120 miles away.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Stonewall Jackson, take a voyage to Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• Jackson earned his nickname during the Battle of Bull Run, where General Barnard Bee noted "there is Jackson standing under a stone wall."
  
  
• Legend tells that the arm was exhumed by the military in 1921, but this has never been substantiated.  Whatever the truth may be, the marker remains as a local tourist attraction.
  
  
• Several museums honoring Jackson can be found in Virginia.  They include Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters in Winchester, the Jackson House Museum in Lexington, and the Jackson Death Site in Woodford.
  
  
• In recent years, several memorials to Jackson have been removed, including a monument in Richmond, Virginia and a stained-glass window at Washington National Cathedral.

Merv Griffin - I Will Not Be Right Back After This Message

 

"You know I never really get down.  My philosophy is that you have to constantly be turning the page, which prevents me from getting caught up in any negativity.  It's all about change for me.  I just keep moving and enjoying the ride."

Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin was born in San Mateo, California on July 6, 1925.  He was the son of a stockbroker and a homemaker, both active in their local church.  It was there that Griffin got his first taste of music by singing in the choir, then later serving as the official organist.

After graduating from high school, Griffin wanted to serve his country in World War 2.  His dreams were cut short, however, when he was classified as 4F, a status that would exempt him from military service.  He launched his professional singing career instead.  In 1949, he released the curiously titled single I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts, which sold three million copies.

Griffin began performing in nightclubs, where he was soon discovered by Doris Day.  She brought him to Hollywood for a screen test, where he was subsequently cast in a number of films, including The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) and Phantom of the Rue Morgue (1954).  Griffin was dissatisfied with the films however, and turned his attention to television.

By 1958, Griffin was an established game show host working for friends Mark Goodson and Bill Todman.  He had a few ideas of his own however, including one initially dubbed What's the Question?, wherein contestants are given the answer and must come up with the question.  This concept, which he credited to his wife Julann, evolved into the worldwide phenomenon called Jeopardy!, a series initially canceled by NBC, but which now flourishes in syndication.  In 1975, he created companion series Wheel of Fortune, which has found equal if not greater success in worldwide syndication.

Between hosting game shows and launching his own, Griffin found equal success as a daytime talk show host, first at NBC before setting out on his own.  He launched The Merv Griffin Show in 1965 and spent the next two decades interviewing actors, politicians, and all sorts of newsmakers.  His show is credited with introducing America to an as-yet-unknown actor named Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In 1996, Griffin was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer.  It bought him another decade, but by 2007, it had returned with a vengeance.  He ultimately died on August 12th at the age of 82.  He was laid to rest at Pierce Brothers Westwood Memorial Village.  His headstone contains a humorous nod to his show business career.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Merv, take a voyage to Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• The musical interlude that accompanies "Final Jeopardy" was written by Griffen himself.  Take a listen on YouTube.
  
  
• Griffin owned more than 20 hotels, gaming resorts, and riverboats throughout the world.
  
  
• Griffin's sexuality was a source of constant speculation for the tabloids.  Although divorced with a son, it was generally accepted in Hollywood's inner circles that Griffin was gay.  In 1991, he was even sued for sexual harassment by Dance Fever host Deney Terrio.  The case was later dismissed.
  
  
• There's a classic episode of Seinfeld from 1997 wherein Cosmo Kramer finds the remains of Griffin's set in a New York City dumpster and recreates it in his living room.  That was quite an accomplishment, considering that Griffin's series, which was filmed in Los Angeles, ended its run in 1986.  Check out a clip on YouTube.
  
  
• Pierce Brothers is the final resting place for hundreds of Hollywood notables, most famously Marilyn Monroe.  Griffin's plot can be found among its famed "Celebrity Row," which includes the likes of Farrah Fawcett, Carroll O'Connor, George C. Scott and more.
  
  
• Scroll back up and look at Merv's profile picture.  What's he hiding in his pocket?

The Final Flight of Carole Lombard

 

"Heads up, hands up, America!  Let's give a cheer that will be heard in Tokyo and Berlin!"

A few years ago, my friend Tom gave me a fantastic biography of actress Carole Lombard called Fireball (see Trivia below).  Author Robert Matzen shares the fascinating story of Lombard's rise to fame, her marriage to the legendary Clark Gable, and the horrific plane crash that took her life while serving her country.  It offers much more than this blog post will ever convey, and I highly recommend it.

Carole Lombard was born Jane Alice Peters in Fort Wayne, Indiana on October 6, 1908.  She was born into a lap of luxury, and by the time she was 12, the family had relocated to Los Angeles, where she made her debut in the 1921 film A Perfect Crime.  Her career was almost cut short, however.  When she was just 19, she was involved in a horrible car accident, a precursor for tragedies to come.  Her face was severely scarred, threatening any hopes for a Hollywood career.  She'd spend more than a year in physical therapy and would often wear her hair so as to cover the scar.

In 1927, she began her comeback by appearing in a series of short sketch comedies.  They caught the eye of Paramount Pictures, who signed her on as its next leading lady.  During this time, she married Hollywood hearthrob William Powell, but the marriage was doomed from the start.  By 1937, they were divorced, at which time she married Clark Gable.  They were Hollywood's first power couple.

Hollywood stars of the day tended to be quite patriotic, and Gable and Lombard were no different.  When America entered World War 2, they wrote to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, asking how they could help serve their country.  As a result, Lombard became the public face of America's war bond campaign.  In early January 1942, she traveled by train to her native Indiana, where she kicked off the campaign by raising more than $2 million (in 1942 dollars).

After the event, Lombard was in a hurry to return to Los Angeles, having recently fought with her husband.  Against the wishes of both Gable and the studio, Lombard and her party, which included her mother, opted to fly home.  While that may seem like an everyday occurrence now, air travel in 1942 was not the refined operation that exists today.  The Lombard Party boarded TWA Flight #3.  Although bound for Boulder City, it would reroute to Las Vegas, where it would meet with tragedy.

On Friday, January 16, shortly after 7:00 p.m., Flight #3 took off from Vegas bound for Los Angeles.  A few minutes into the flight, it disappeared from radar.  In the nearby town of Goodsprings, locals heard a fiery explosion atop Mount Potosi.  A command center was established at the Pioneer Saloon (see Trivia below), where a team of volunteers launched their search and rescue operation.  Upon hearing of the crash, Gable immediately traveled to Goodsprings, though his exact mode of travel is still a subject of great debate.

It took the rescue team more than a day to locate the wreckage, which ended all doubt of any possible survivors.  Lombard and 21 others, including members of the Army Air Corps, all perished in the crash, which was later attributed to pilot error.  Fireball describes the exact condition of Lombard's charred remains, which were missing the head and left arm.

In accordance with his wife's wishes, Gable conducted a fairly low-key service at Forest Lawn Glendale, a dual ceremony for both Carole and her mother.  Lombard was interred in the Great Mausoleum.  Despite remarrying twice in the years that followed, Gable would claim his final resting place next to her when he ultimately passed away himself in 1960.

Location: Memorial Terrace, Sanctuary of Trust, Crypt #5874

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• For more information on Lombard's life, the accident, and the aftermath, this blogger recommends Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3, by author Robert Matzen.
  
  
• Two months after Lombard's death, her final film, To Be or Not to Be, a satirical look at the rising Nazi threat, was released in theatres.  It was a box office success, in part due to morbid curiosity.  Out of respect for Lombard, producers deleted a sequence in which her character asks the question "what can happen in a plane?"
  
  
• Lombard's childhood home in Fort Wayne is a recognized historical site.  There is also a memorial bridge named in her honor.
  
  
• Lombard and Gable honeymooned at Palm Spring's historic Willows Inn, which is still in service today.  The couple shared what's known as the Library Room, which you and your party can custom reserve.  
  
  
• Following her death, the Navy christened the S.S. Carole Lombard, a cargo ship that saw great service during World War 2 and beyond.  It has since been decommissioned and scrapped.
  
  
• Wanna see the crash site for yourself?  Plan your hike today!
  
  
• As noted above, much of the rescue effort was headquartered in Goodsprings, Nevada.  Today, the Pioneer Saloon, which first opened its doors in 1913, maintains a Clark Gable Room which tells the story.  This blogger first visited the saloon in 2008.  
  
  
  
  
  

Rebecca Schaeffer - The "My Sister Sam" Murder

 

Rebecca Lucile Schaeffer was born in Eugene, Oregon on November 6, 1967.  She was the daughter of Benson, a child psychologist, and Danna, a community college professor.  As a junior in high school, she began her modeling career, appearing in a slew of commercials and department store magazines.  With her parents' blessings, she moved to New York when she was only 16.  

Shortly after signing with a prominent modeling agency, Schaeffer was cast on the long-running soap opera Guiding Light, and later, its CBS sister show One Life to Live.  These small roles led to her being cast in the Woody Allen film Radio Days, though all but one of her scenes wound up on the cutting room floor.

In 1986, Schaeffer appeared on the cover of Seventeen magazine.  It caught the attention of the folks at Warner Brothers, who were casting a new series starring Mork and Mindy veteran Pam Dawber.  Schaeffer was quickly signed to the project, a sit-com called My Sister Sam.  It was an initial hit for the Tiffany network, but it was ultimately canceled just two years later.

After the series ended, Schaeffer continued to find small roles on the big screen.  In late 1989, she was being considered for the role of Michael Corleone's daughter in Francis Ford Coppola's ill-conceived Godfather 3.  On the morning of July 18th, she was at her apartment awaiting a script from the studio when she opened her door for Robert John Bardo.  The 19-year-old had traveled from his home in Tucson to meet his favorite star, whom unbeknownst to Schaeffer, he'd been stalking for two years.  Finding her home address had been as simple as going to the DMV.

After a brief conversation, Schaeffer sent a dejected Bardo on his way.  He returned one hour later, and since Schaeffer was still awaiting the overdue script, she opened the door one last time.  Bardo shot her at point-blank range, later stating that her final words were simply "why, why?"  She was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.  

Rebecca's parents returned her to her native Oregon, where she was laid to rest in Portland's Ahavai Sholom Cemetery.

Location: Row #232, Plot #75

Bardo fled to Tucson, where he was arrested the next day.  He was returned to Los Angeles, where he went on trial for the murder, ultimately pleading guilty.  He is currently serving a life sentence in Avenal, California.

Rest in peace, Rebecca.

Trivia

• The inscriptions read "Beloved daughter and courageous spirit" as well as "I am so wise to think love will prevail.  I am so wise."  The latter quote is attributed to Schaeffer herself, shortly before her death.
  
  
• There haven't been many books written about Rebecca's life or the case itself, but you can find one on Amazon.
  
  
• Pam Dawber and her My Sister Sam co-stars appeared in a public service announcement advocating for stricter gun laws.  You can see a clip of it on YouTube.
  
  
• In response to the killing, California passed the first anti-stalking law in 1990.  Since then, every state has passed similar legislation.
  
  
• At the time of her death, Schaeffer was dating director Brad Silberling.  The experience would later influence his 2002 film Moonlight Mile, which tells the story of a man coping with the death of his fiance.  Check out the trailer on YouTube.
  
  
• During Bardo's trial, the state was represented by Marcia Clark, who would become famous just a few years later in the case against OJ Simpson (he did it).
  
  
• Rebecca's mother Danna passed away in 2022.  She was laid to rest next to her daughter
  

* Editor's Note: While this blog was created to display the photos I've taken in my travels, the photo in this article is courtesy of Find a Grave.  While I did travel to Oregon to pay my respects, a winter storm and icy roads prevented me from accessing the cemetery.

Billie Burke - The Good Witch

 

"Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese."

Mary William Ethelbert Appleton "Billie" Burke was born in Washington, DC on August 7, 1884.  She was named after her father William "Billy" Burke, a famed clown and comedian with the Barnum & Bailey Circus (pre Ringling Brothers).

As a child, Billie traveled with her parents throughout the United States and Europe, eventually settling in London's West End.  It was here that she made her stage debut in 1903, before returning to America and finding a home on the Broadway stage. During a production of The Amazons around 1913, she met producer Florenz Ziegfeld (Ziegfeld Follies), marrying him one year later.

In 1915, Burke made her film debut in the title role of Peggy, a comedy from the silent film era. A slew of films would follow, but she is best remembered for her immortal role of Glinda, the Good Witch, in Victor Fleming's 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz.

She enjoyed numerous stage and film appearances over the next thirty years and penned two autobiographies (see Trivia below). By 1970 however, her health was in decline.  She ultimately died of natural causes in Los Angeles on May 14th at the age of 85. 

Billie Burke was returned to Valhalla, New York and interred next to her husband at Kensico Cemetery.  There was no funeral or memorial service, but a statue stands in silent watch over her grave.

Location: Powhatan Plot, Section #78, Lot #6588

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Billie Burke, take a voyage to Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• In 1936, Burke founded the Ziegfeld Club, a non-profit organization devoted to supporting women in musical theatre, which is still in operation today.  Visit them on Facebook.
  
  
• In 2024, the Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast devoted an episode to the life of Billie Burke.  Check it out on YouTube.
  
  
• Someone at NASA sure loves Billie Burke.  In 2015, a crater on the planet Mercury was named in her honor.
  
  
• Clive Cussler, a best-selling author (this blogger's favorite) and noted car collector, bought a 1919 Cadillac owned by Burke and Ziegfeld and added it to his collection.  With Cussler's passing in 2020, the car's current location is unknown.

Brock Peters - Twice the Star Trek Star

 

Note: This blogger just returned from the 2025 Star Trek convention in Las Vegas and was inspired to blog a Star Trek grave.

Brock Peters was born George Fisher in Harlem, New York, on July 2, 1927.  He was the son of a sailor and from a nearly age, set his sights on a career in show business.  Encouraged by his mother, he studied the violin and honed his singing abilities at New York's famed High School of Music & Art.  He later studied Physical Education at the City College of New York.

Upon graduation, he changed his name and pursued a career on the Broadway stage, landing a role in the 1949 touring production of Porgy and Bess.  Hollywood was calling however, and he made his film debut in the 1954 Otto Preminger film Carmen Jones.  Eight years later, he would co-star with Gregory Peck in the role for which he is most famously known, that of Tom Robinson in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.

Over the next 25 years, Peters enjoyed steady guest work in television and film, including the role of Admiral Cartwright in the 1986 sequel Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home. Peters would reprise the role five years later in the final installment of the Star Trek series, The Undiscovered Country.  He returned to the franchise in 1995 with a recurring role on Deep Space Nine, playing Joseph Sisko, father of station commander Benjamin Sisko.

In the early 2000s, Peters was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  It ultimately took his life on August 23, 2005.  He was 78 years old.  He was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.

Location: Revelation Section, Map #G01, Lot #3529
Inscription: Your strings of life touched music empyrean, singing your memory
as actor, husband, father, friend better than you knew.  May your spirit rest in peace.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• A talented singer, Peters provided back-up vocals on Harry Belafonte's 1956 classic Banana Boat (Day-O).  Take a listen on YouTube.
  
  
• Peters was the chairman and co-founder of the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
  
  
• Peters stepped into the role of Darth Vader for NPR's radio adaptations of the original Star Wars trilogy, including The Empire Strikes Back.  Take a listen on YouTube.  His dialogue begins at the 1:16:35 mark.

• Peters provided the narration for an audio adaptation of Richard Wright's 1945 novel Black Boy.  You can hear it in its entirety on YouTube.
  
  
• In June 2003, Peters gave the eulogy at the funeral for his friend and co-star Gregory Peck, with whom he had shared the screen in the 1962 classic film To Kill a Mockingbird.

Larry Drake - I Know, It Doesn't Suck

 

"People were always coming up to me and treating me like I was slow.  I would have to tell them that I'm not really retarded, the character I play on TV is retarded.  It was actually pretty flattering because it showed that these people thought my acting was really that convincing."

Larry Richard Drake was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on February 21, 1949.  Like many from the Sooner state, his father was an engineer in the oil industry, while his mother raised the family.  After high school, Larry graduated from the University of Oklahoma.

His first film was a 1971 moonshine flick entitled This Stuff'll Kill Ya.  Over the next 45 years, he'd amass more than 80 credits in film and television, but he is best remembered for his portrayal of Benny Stulwicz, a mentally disabled man, on the hit NBC drama L.A. Law, for which he'd win two Emmy awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

In the 1990s, Drake made a new name for himself in the horror genre, appearing in the Darkman film series and Dr. Giggles.  He also appeared in the comedy sequel American Pie 2. 

Drake's death was rather sudden.  On March 17, 2016, he was found dead in his home.  His manager later revealed that Drake was in poor health in the months prior his passing.  His final cause of death was listed as blood cancer.  He was 67 years old.

Larry Drake was cremated and his ashes were interred at the famed Hollywood Forever Cemetery, a place where this blogger hopes to one day work.

Location: East Lake View Mausoleum, Niche AD-4

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• The inscription on Larry's marker, "scio, non sugit," is Latin for "I know, it doesn't suck."  This blogger would love to know the backstory for that!
  
  
• In 1992, Drake reprised his role of Durant for a proposed Darkman series on FOX.  It was never picked up by the network, but you can watch the pilot episode on YouTube.
  
  
• In addition to his on-screen work, Drake was a popular voice-over artist as well.  His most notable role was that of "Pops" on the Cartoon Network series Johnny Bravo.  Take a listen on YouTube.
  
  
• Does anyone besides me and his mother remember that Pat Sajak once left Wheel of Fortune to host his own nighttime talk show?  Here's a clip from 1989, in which he interviewed Larry about L.A. Law.  Skip to the 19-minute mark.

Shelley Winters

 

"I think on-stage nudity is disgusting, shameful and damaging to all things American.  But if I were 22 with a great body, it would be artistic, tasteful, patriotic and a progressive religious experience."

Shelley Winters was born Shirley Schrift in St. Louis, Missouri on August 18, 1920. She was the daughter of Austrian-Hungarian immigrants, her mother a singer, her father a clothing designer.  Her parents were in fact, third cousins. 

In 1929, the family moved to Brooklyn.  It was here that she took her first steps towards stardom.  As a young woman, she worked as a model, before embarking on a career on the Broadway stage.  Her first role was in a 1941 production of The Night Before Christmas. 

By the mid-1940s, Winters had relocated to Los Angeles, where she was under contract with Columbia Pictures.  Her career would span more than four decades, and she appeared in nearly 40 films.  She was twice named Best Supporting Actress by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, for The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) and A Patch of Blue (1965).  This blogger could never do her career the justice it deserves.

On October 14, 2005, Winters suffered a heart attack, from which she'd never fully recover.  She ultimately died of heart failure just three months later, on January 14, 2006.  She was 85 years old.

Shelley Winters was laid to rest at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, California.

Location: Hillside Slope, Block #11, Plot #358, Grave #8

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Shelley Winters, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• During a 1975 episode of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Winters got into a heated debate with fellow guest Oliver Reed.  She walked off stage, retrieved a glass of whiskey, and dumped it on Reed's head, much to the shock of Carson.  Fortunately, you can watch the entire segment on YouTube.
  
  
• Winters donated her Oscar for The Diary of Anne Frank to the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam.
  
  
• In 1966, Winters appeared on the Adam West Batman TV series, playing one-off villain Ma Parker.  Four years later, she'd play the real thing, Ma Barker, in Roger Corman's Bloody Mama.
  
  
• Vlogger and friend to Winters Jordan the Lion shared a video on the 2023 demolition of her Los Angeles home.  You can check it out on YouTube.