Archive for December, 2013

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Ronnie James Dio

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , on December 17, 2013 by Cade

dio1July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010

Ronald James Padavona, AKA Ronnie James Dio, was one of the most influential – and certainly most powerful – voices in Heavy Metal music history. He grew up around music and said he learned how to sing, not by formal education, but rather by implementing breathing techniques taken from playing brass instruments and watching singers like Mario Lanza perform. Dio eventually found his calling in a number of local bands and first started to gain notoriety in the groups Elf and Rainbow. But, it was when he was asked to replace Ozzy Osbourne in the ultra-popular Black Sabbath, that his career really took off. Continue reading →

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Alvy Moore

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , , on December 17, 2013 by Cade

moore4December 5, 1921 – May 4, 1997

Jack Alvin Moore was a comedic actor who appeared in many television shows – from The Dick Van Dyke Show to The Mickey Mouse Club – over the course of his 40+ year career. He is probably best known for playing county agent Hank Kimball on the perennial rural-centric CBS sitcom, Green Acres. Alvy Moore died of heart failure at the age of 75. Continue reading →

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Marty Feldman

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , , on December 17, 2013 by Cade

feldman1July 08, 1934 – December 02, 1982

Just about everyone knows Marty Feldman and his distinctive (and ridiculous) eyes from his performance as Igor in Mel Brooks’ classic comedy Young Frankenstein. But, Feldman got his start in more famous circles even than that. As a young comedian in the U.K., Feldman appeared on television and wrote with many future comedy legends, including John Cleese and Graham Chapman – who would go on to co-found the iconic Monty Python comedy group. In fact some of Python’s more memorable sketches (“Four Yorkshiremen,” “Bookshop”) were co-written by Marty. Continue reading →

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Bob Kane

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , on December 17, 2013 by Cade

kane2October 24, 1915 – November 3, 1998

He created Batman. What have you done? Continue reading →

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Georges Seurat

Posted in Père Lachaise Cemetery with tags , on December 17, 2013 by Cade

seurat1December 2, 1859 – March 29, 1891

The father of the post-impressionist movement known as “pointilism”, Georges-Pierre Seurat is one of the most recognizable French impressionist painters. His masterworks like A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884–1886) and Bathers at Asnières (1883) stand as monuments to the late 19th century French collection as much as any Monet or Cézanne piece. His direct impact on the world of art was confined to a mere 31 years. Seurat died at that age of undisclosed causes in Paris. Continue reading →

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Nicole Brown Simpson

Posted in Ascension Cemetery with tags on December 17, 2013 by Cade

brownsimpson1May 19, 1959 – June 12, 1994

Maybe, just maybe you have heard about the death of Nicole Brown Simpson.

Born in Germany, Nicole Brown’s family moved to California when she was young. She dabbled in acting, modeling and photography and lived the quintessential Orange County affluent life. When she was just 18, she met former football star O.J. Simpson. The two began a long relationship and were married seven years later. They had two kids together. However, the relationship – apparently – wasn’t all roses and sunshine. I know, right?

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Freddie Prinze

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , on December 16, 2013 by Cade

prinze1June 22, 1954 – January 29, 1977

Frederick Karl Pruetzel was a Hungarican (Hungarian/Puerto Rican – his word, not mine) actor and comedian who exploded onto the comedy circuit in the 1970’s. He wanted to be known as the Prince of Comedy, so he changed his name to Freddie Prinze and made people laugh. His short career was catapulted after an appearance on  The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and soon he was given his own sitcom: Chico and the Man. Continue reading →

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George Raft

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , , on December 16, 2013 by Cade

raft1September 26, 1895 – November 24, 1980

Some people are typecast from birth. For George Raft (Ranft), he was born to play a gangster. The rugged character actor was also an adept dancer and was a solid box office draw during his early career. But, when you are even friends with legit gangsters in real life, sometimes the image is hard to shake. Still, he turned it to his advantage, appearing opposite other perennial screen gangsters like Jimmy Cagney, he was poised to break through to be one of the biggest leading men of his generation. Continue reading →

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Mario Lanza

Posted in Holy Cross Cemetery (CA) with tags , on December 16, 2013 by Cade

lanza1January 31, 1921 – October 7, 1959

A handsome tenor with an astounding voice, Mario Lanza took various stages and – ultimately – Hollywood by storm in the late 1940’s and ’50’s. His ability to bring heavy doses of charm and romanticism to his roles set him apart from many of his contemporaries. He was discovered by Louis B. Mayer at a 1947 performance at the famous Hollywood Bowl. Mayer immediately signed Lanza to a multi-year contract with MGM. He appeared in films like The Great Caruso, The Toast of New Orleans and Because You’re Mine churning out popular recordings from each.

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