October 20, 1935 – December 28, 2004
Despite a prolific career both on and Off-Broadway, Jerry Orbach was probably best known for his work as Lt. Lennie Briscoe on NBC’s Law & Order…or, more likely, as Baby’s father in 1987’s Dirty Dancing. He was also, for those that care, the voice behind everyone’s favorite singing and dancing candlestick, Lumière, in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
June 28, 1946 – May 20, 1989
Best known for the hilarious characters she created as an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, Gilda Radner was a beloved comedienne and actress. Her exposure on SNL as well as movie roles and Broadway shows made her one of the most popular comic actors of the 1970s and ’80s. She was married twice, most notably to actor Gene Wilder.
October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953
American playwright Eugene O’Neill was literally born on Broadway – the Bartlett Hotel, to be precise – and found a figurative home there for his entire life churning out more than 30 full-length plays including the classics The Iceman Cometh, A Long Day’s Journey Into Night, A Moon for the Misbegotten and Mourning Becomes Electra.
O’Neill won many awards for his works, including several Pulitzers and a Nobel Prize for Literature. Continue reading
April 25, 1918 – June 15, 1996
A celebrated jazz vocalist, “Lady Ella” Fitzgerald was known as the “Queen of Jazz” and the “First Lady of Song.” She earned 13 Grammy awards as well as a number of other honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Ella’s unmistakable voice is often praised for its pure tone and flawless diction.
May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979
Who would have guessed that a little boy named Marion would grow up to become the quintessential American badass? Yet, that’s exactly what John Wayne did. “The Duke” personified masculinity in everything he did. Whether portraying war heroes in The Flying Leathernecks or The Green Berets or classic icons of the old west in…every…Western…ever…made, he was always John Wayne, and he was always awesome.
May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963
The 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the youngest man ever elected to the office when he defeated Richard Nixon in the 1960 election. Charismatic and energetic, Kennedy ushered in an era of youthful optimism through his presidency. He was far more media and pop-culture savy than any previous administration and was the first President to regularly broadcast his press conferences live on television.
July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981
Natalia Nikolaevna Zacharenko was born in San Francisco to a Russian immigrant family in July of 1938. For some reason, her name was changed when she began acting at the age of 5, and the world met Natalie Wood.
A star from early on, her first major role was that of young Susan Walker in the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th St. She earned 3 Academy Award nominations by the time she turned 25, starring in such classics along the way as Rebel Without a Cause, The Searchers, Splendor in the Grass and as the face and body in front of Marni Nixon’s voice in West Side Story.
December 08, 1925 – May 16, 1990
“THE ENTERTAINER” HE DID IT ALL
The inscription on Sammy Davis, Jr.’s grave marker could not be more accurate. He DID do it all. The multi-talented singer/dancer/actor/impersonator was a dynamo packed into a skinny, 5′ 5″ frame. By the age of 3, he was already performing on stage with his father, Sammy Davis, Sr. and Will Mastin as part of the Will Mastin Trio (Davis, Sr. and Mastin are also buried at Forest Lawn Glendale, right next to Sammy.) His career would see great heights despite personal setbacks. In 1954, Davis was in a serious car crash that resulted in the loss of his left eye, something he would use to his own self-deprecating sense of humor throughout his life. He found even greater fame along side pals Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin in the legendary Rat Pack. The friends remained close throughout their lives and Sinatra remarked upon his death that Sammy was “one of the finest human beings I ever knew in my life.”
May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a star brighter than Katharine Hepburn. The actress’s career spanned more than 6 decades. She racked up 12 Oscar nominations for Best Actress (winning 4 – a record.) She worked with everyone from Cary Grant to Humphrey Bogart and Jimmy Stewart…and outshone all of them. She was versed in theatre, film, televison and, in later years, continued to challenge herself by taking on difficult Shakespeare roles. She is perhaps best known – to my generation, at least – for playing opposite Henry Fonda in his final role in 1981’s On Golden Pond.
Hepburn was very publicly involved with actor Spencer Tracy for many years. Continue reading
December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998
“The Chairman of the Board.” “The Voice.” “Old Blue Eyes.” Francis Albert Sinatra had a lot of names. But, mostly, everyone just called him “Frank.”
Hoboken, New Jersey’s favorite son was one of the largest entertainers in the world for decades. His smooth and unmistakable baritone catapulted him into super-stardom and made him the idol of a generation. From his early days singing with bandleaders Harry James and Tommy Dorsey to his unprecedented success as a solo artist, Sinatra wowed audiences and radio listeners with his rich voice and unique phrasing.
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Celebrity Graveland 