Archive for March, 2013

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Brandon Lee

Posted in Lake View Cemetery with tags , on March 31, 2013 by Cade

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February 1, 1965 – March 31, 1993

Brandon Lee was an actor whose life and career were both cut short during the filming of what would be his breakout role, 1994’s The Crow. The son of legendary martial artist/actor, Bruce Lee, Brandon was on the cusp of Hollywood stardom when he was killed after a prop gun on the set accidentally fired a bullet that was unknowingly lodged in the barrel. Given the mysterious circumstances surrounding his father’s death some 20 years earlier, many cried conspiracy or, at the very least, some sort of familial curse. Continue reading →

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David Nelson

Posted in Westwood Memorial Park with tags , , on March 26, 2013 by Cade

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October 24, 1936 – January 11, 2011

David Nelson was the oldest son of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson. He, his parents and his brother, Ricky, rose to popularity with the highly successful radio and television program The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.  David also directed a number of episodes of the show and continued acting and directing long after the show ended.  Though, he stepped out of the public life for the last nearly 20 years of his life.

David died in 2011 of colon cancer. Continue reading →

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Ricky Nelson

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , , on March 26, 2013 by Cade

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May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985

Sometimes you are just born into show business.  Eric “Ricky” Nelson was certainly that.  At the age of 9, he began playing himself on the long-running radio and television show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, alongside his mother and father and brother, David.  During the run of the show, and well after it ended, Ricky became a very successful musician.  He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and had over 50 singles on the Billboard charts during his career.

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Ozzie and Harriet Nelson

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , , on March 26, 2013 by Cade

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March 20, 1906 – June 3, 1975
July 18, 1909 – October 2, 1994

Oswald Nelson and Harriet Hilliard were married in 1935.  Harriet was a singer in Ozzie’s band (he also sang and played saxophone) and the two began a foray into show business that would entertain millions for decades.  Their biggest success was by way of the 1940’s radio program The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet which followed the Nelsons and their two sons, David and Ricky (portrayed by actors until 1949).  The popularity of the show and the dawn of a newfangled medium led, of course, to the 14-year running television sitcom of the same name – this time, with each of the four Nelsons portraying him/herself as America watched the family grow up on a box in their living rooms.

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Michael Jackson

Posted in Forest Lawn Glendale with tags , , , , on March 23, 2013 by Cade

jackson3August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009

I hesitated adding a post about Michael Jackson for one, simple reason: I have not personally visited his grave, nor do I see it happening any time soon.  He is interred within the halls of the most secure, private mausoleum in Los Angeles – and probably the whole country: The Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Glendale.

However, A) I didn’t feel right posting about Farrah without posting about Michael, given the close proximity of their deaths sort of bind them together forever. And B) His death and burial was the single, biggest celebrity death media spectacle this side of Elvis, so he sort of needs to be included.

So… Continue reading →

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Farrah Fawcett

Posted in Westwood Memorial Park with tags , , on March 23, 2013 by Cade

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February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009

Few women defined “sex-symbol” in the late 1970’s the way Farrah Fawcett did.  After appearing in small roles on a number of television shows and movies, she shot to superstardom when she was cast in Aaron Spelling’s Charlie’s Angels. Farrah left the show to pursue other Hollywood opportunities, but never fully reproduced the success she had on Angels.  She also starred in a pretty famous poster.

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Walter Cronkite

Posted in Mt. Moriah Cemetery with tags , on March 23, 2013 by Cade

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November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009

Dubbed “The Most Trusted Man in America,” Walter Cronkite delivered the news into American living rooms for nearly 20 years.  Cronkite’s distinguished career, both as anchor and reporter, saw him reporting on some of the 2oth century’s most memorable moments, including (but certainly not limited to) World War II, the Apollo moon landing, the Watergate scandal and the assassination of President Kennedy. Continue reading →

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Joan Crawford

Posted in Ferncliff Cemetery with tags , on March 23, 2013 by Cade

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March 23, 1904 – May 10, 1977

Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur) was one of Hollywood’s brightest stars in the 1930’s.  Her meteoric rise from “flapper” to sliver screen legend paved the way for a roller coaster of a life.  Her motion picture career stalled out and was revived a number of times over its course. She died a recluse in 1977 at the age of 73.

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Tennessee Williams

Posted in Calvary Cemetery (MO) with tags , , on March 20, 2013 by Cade

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March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983

Thomas Lanier Williams was an American writer who is primarily known for his plays The Glass Menagerie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire, among others. After a staggeringly successful run that saw at least 10 of his plays produced on Broadway, his career and personal life started a steady downward spiral.  Following the death of his long-time partner, Williams struggled with depression and addiction to alcohol and narcotics.  Though he continued to write throughout his life, his style mirrored his mood and his later work was never as well-received as his early work. Continue reading →

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Cyd Charisse and Tony Martin

Posted in Hillside Memorial Park with tags , , on March 19, 2013 by Cade

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March 8, 1922 – June 17, 2008

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December 25, 1913 – July 27, 2012

Actress/dancer Cyd Charisse and crooner Tony Martin were married for 60 years, a rarity for a Hollywood couple.

Charisse (born Tula Ellice Finklea) had a storied career throughout the so-called Golden-Age of Hollywood.  Her stunning looks and remarkable dancing made her a popular star.  She is probably most known to audiences for her turn opposite Gene Kelly in the “Broadway Melody Ballet” in 1952’s Singin’ In The Rain.

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