Archive for May, 2014

Alan Ladd

Posted in Forest Lawn Glendale with tags , , on May 22, 2014 by Cade

Disclaimer: The last time I visited Forest Lawn Glendale and the Freedom Mausoleum, this blog wasn’t even a thought in my mind. So, there were a number of graves I visited but didn’t photograph. I hesitated to write a post about these celebrities, but, in the end, figured “why not?”. This is one of those posts.

 

ladd1September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964

Alan Walbridge1 Ladd was an athletic young man who struggled to catch a break in the film industry (due, largely, to his lack of height.) But, once he did, he came to personify the genres in which he worked. After a bit part in a small film called Citizen Kane, Ladd found steady work in westerns and gangster movies throughout the 1940’s and ’50’s. It was the former that landed him his most iconic role, that of the titular drifter in Shane. Alan often costarred with the beautiful – and equally diminutive – Veronica Lake. The pair made seven films together. Many of which are Film Noir classics. Continue reading →

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Natasha Richardson

Posted in Saint Peter's Episcopal Cemetery with tags , , , on May 8, 2014 by Cade

richardson1May 11, 1963 – March 18, 2009

“Darling. I’ve taken a tumble in the snow.”

Natasha Jane Richardson was born into an incredibly famous and talented family. Her mother is actress Vanessa Redgrave and her father director Tony Richardson. Her great-grandfather, maternal grandparents, aunt and sister are all in the business. Of course, she was going to be an actor. Natasha’s career spanned 5 decades. She is perhaps best known for her films The Parent Trap, Maid in Manhattan and Nell and for her Tony-winning performance as Sally in the 1998 Broadway revival of Cabaret.Richardson was married twice, most notably to Irish actor, Liam Neeson.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt

Posted in Franklin D. Roosevelt Historic Site with tags , on May 7, 2014 by Cade

fdr1January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945

The former Governor of New York and 32nd President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the only President to have served more than two terms and be elected FOUR times. Of, course, with term limits now in place, no President will ever again get the chance to do that. FDR was more than just the name of a highway. His optimism and overcome-all-odds spirit helped pull the U.S. out of the grips of the Great Depression. His New Deal policies shaped modern American society and transformed the political landscape of the country for decades. Continue reading →

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Lynn Redgrave

Posted in Saint Peter's Episcopal Cemetery with tags , , on May 6, 2014 by Cade

redgrave1March 08, 1943 – May 02, 2010

As a prominent third generation member of the famous British acting family, Lynn Rachel Redgrave followed – alongside sister, Vanessa – in the footsteps of her grandfather, Roy, and her mother and father, Rachel and Michael as a performer. Trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, Lynn quickly made a splash in regional theatre and on the West End. The transition to film was natural and her early roles in such classics as Tom Jones and Gregory Girl earned her high praise and award nominations. Continue reading →

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Sal Mineo

Posted in Gate of Heaven Cemetery with tags , on May 5, 2014 by Cade

mineo1January 10, 1939 – February 12, 1976

Salvatore Mineo, Jr. skyrocketed to stardom in his breakout role as Plato opposite James Dean in 1955’s Rebel Without A Cause. The performance landed the 16 year-old his first  Academy Award nomination. His star continued to rise as he starred alongside Dean for a second time in Giant and in the titular role of The Gene Krupa Story. He also earned a second Academy Award nomination for his role in 1960’s Exodus. The exotic-looking Mineo was quickly typecast as a troubled teen and rarely had the chance to break it. Continue reading →

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