Jack Kent Cooke

 

"I don't intend to die."

Jack Kent Cooke was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on October 25, 1912. His family later relocated to Toronto, where Cooke attended Malvern Collegiate Institute.  He had an eye for business from an early age, and by 14, he was already selling encyclopedia door to door.

When he was in his early 20s, Cooke became a runner on the floor of the Toronto Stock Exchange, which served to enhance his business acumen.  He then went to work for Colgate-Palmolive, where he met his future business partner Roy Thomson.  The two would later co-own a series of radio stations and newspapers in Quebec and Ontario.

With his eye on the sports world, Cooke came to America in 1950, later becoming a legal American citizen.  Ten years later, he acquired 25 percent interest in the Washington Redskins, a football franchise he would become associated with for the rest of his life.  By 1985, he was sole owner of the team.  During his tenure, they'd win the Super Bowl an impressive three times.  During this time, Cooke also owned the Los Angeles Lakers (basketball) and the Los Angeles Kings (hockey).

Jack Kent Cooke died of congestive heart failure on April 6, 1997.  He was 84 years old.  He was laid to rest at Trinity Episcopal Church Cemetery in Uppperville, Virginia, about an hour outside of Washington, DC.  The service was attended by more than 400 local dignitaries and sports figures.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Jack Kent Cooke, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• Upon his death, the Redskins franchise was sold to businessman Daniel Snyder.  Under his ownership, the team would experience three decades of loss.  Despite years of Cooke saying otherwise, Schneider ultimately changed their name to the Washington Commanders in 2022.
  
  
• Cooke was married an astounding five times to four women, remarrying wife #4 Marlene Ramallo Chalmers.  It was a scandalous marriage that brought headlines of infidelity on a near daily basis, as the younger Mrs. Cooke was known to have a host a male paramours at the ready.  Despite this, Cooke remained married to her until his death.
  
  
• The majority of Cooke's estate, valued at $825 million, helped establish the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, an organization that offers scholarships to help the young reach their maximum potential.  He left both Ramallo and wife #2 out of his will, but the former successfully sued the estate for a reported $20 million.
  
  
• Cooke's first divorce was presided over by a then unknown judge by the name of Joseph Wapner.  Years later, he would become a household name as star of The People's Court, and his grave would be profiled by this blog.

Elly May!

 

"This has been a Filmways presentation!"

Donna Douglas was born Doris Ione Smith in Pride, Louisiana on September 26, 1932.  She was the youngest of Emmett and Elma's two children and had show business aspirations from an early age.  In 1957, she was named both Miss Baton Rouge and Miss New Orleans.

She moved to New York to pursue an acting career and soon found work as a model in a series of toothpaste advertisements.  That led to her being cast in small roles on both The Perry Como Show and The Steve Allen Show in small, recurring roles.  These and other parts earned her a role in the Dean Martin and Shirley MacLaine feature Career (1959).  The following year, she'd make a memorable appearance in the classic Twilight Zone episode Eye of the Beholder.

In 1962, Donna was cast in the role for which she is most famously identified, that of Elly May Clampett on the CBS sit-com The Beverly Hillbillies.  The series ran for nine seasons and made household names of Donna and her co-stars.

When the series was canceled in 1971, Donna remained active in Hollywood, while pursuing other career opportunities as well (see Trivia below).  She would also continue to make public appearances as Elly May, raising money on telethons, serving as grand marshal in parades, or signing autographs at celebrity conventions.

In 2005, Donna returned to her hometown in East Baton Rouge, where she would spend her final years.  By 2014, she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which ultimately took her life on January 1, 2015.  She was 82 years old.

Donna is buried at Bluff Creek Community Cemetery in Bluff Creek, Louisiana.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Donna had a second career as a gospel singer and released several such albums, the first being Donna Douglas Sings Gospel, released in 1982.  Take a listen on YouTube, then pick up a copy on Amazon.
  
  
• Donna was also a published author, releasing two children's books and a cookbook, the latter of which contains recipes from some of her show business friends, including Buddy Ebsen, Debbie Reynolds, Gavin MacLeod and more.  You can pick up a copy of Southern Favorites with a Taste of Hollywood on Amazon.
  
  
• When production on the series concluded in 1971, Donna earned her real-estate license in Beverly Hills.  She didn't stay in the profession for long however, as she remained active in Hollywood.
  
  
• In 1993, Donna reunited with her Beverly Hillbillies co-stars Buddy Ebsen and Max Baer for an episode of The Jerry Springer Show, at a time when the talk show was still relatively legit.  Curious?  Check it out on YouTube.
  
  
• In 2011, Donna successfully sued Mattel Toys claiming they had appropriated her name and likeness for a Barbie doll without her approval.  You can buy one on Amazon.
  
  
• The grave of Donna's co-star Nancy Kulp, who played Miss Jane Hathaway on the series, has also been profiled by this blog.  Click here for the September 2023 report.

The Pyramid Tomb of Nicolas Cage

 

It isn't often that this blog gets to report on someone who's still among the living.  Last year, we showed you the Connecticut grave of actress Stephanie Zimbalist, alive and kicking at 68.  Another Hollywood notable to have already procured their final resting place is actor Nicolas Cage, owner of a unique pyramid tomb in New Orleans, Louisiana.

He was born Nicolas Kim Coppola in Long Beach, California on January 7, 1964.  If that name sounds familiar, its because he is the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola, director of such Hollywood classics as The Godfather and the over-appreciated The Godfather, Part 2. 

By the time he was a teenager, he was already asking his famous uncle to give him a screen test, hoping to show off his acting chops.  Then in an effort to avoid the appearance of nepotism, he changed his name to Nicolas Cage, his surname in tribute to the Marvel Comics character Luke Cage.  He has since starred in such blockbusters as National Treasure (2004), Con Air (1997), and Face/Off (1997). 

From a young age, he would visit his famous family at their property in New Orleans' famed French Quarter.  Cage grew to appreciate the gentile, southern town, which he would later call his home.  After achieving great success in Hollywood, he bought a number of properties in the area, including the LaLaurie Mansion, purported to be the most haunted house in all America.

Having developed deep ties to the Big Easy, Cage opted to make it his final resting place.  In 2010, he purchased space in the famed St. Louis Cemetery #1, just outside the French Quarter, much to the chagrin of local residents.  Hoping to be eternally housed next to the city's famed Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, Cage knocked down pre-existing graves that had long since fallen into disrepair.  Ironically, he would choose the perpetual care option for his tomb, guaranteeing that it will always be maintained following his death.

Rest in peace.  Eventually.

Trivia

• St. Louis Cemetery #1 is the only graveyard that this blogger has ever had to pay to get into.  Tours are by appointment only.  Interested?  Visit the official tour site.  Be sure to ask for Zelda.  She is a fantastic tour guide who answered all of our questions.
  
  
• The Latin inscription "Omnia Ab Uno" translates to "everything from one."
  
  
• Other famous internments include civil rights activist Homer Plessy and chess master Paul Morphy.  Musician Dr. John is purported to be there as well, but his final resting place cannot be confirmed.
  
  
• In recent years, Cage has run afoul of the IRS, who've ceased most of his properties.  Under Louisiana law however, his final resting place cannot be claimed.