Archive for Actors

« Older Entries

Bob Hope

Posted in Mission San Fernando Rey de España with tags , , on October 26, 2026 by Cade

May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003

One of the most recognizable and popular entertainers of the 20th Century, Leslie Townes “Bob” Hope literally did it all. Born in England, Hope’s family immigrated to the United States when he was four years old. As a young man, he had a wide range of interests, including boxing and dance. While he dabbled in a career in the former, it was the latter – along with comedy – that really took hold.

Finding gigs with his partner, George Byrne, led to solo stints in Vaudeville and, eventually, on Broadway. He started going by “Bob”, moved to radio. Radio led to television. Television led to movies. Movies led to the world.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

Alice Faye and Phil Harris

Posted in Forest Lawn Cathedral City with tags , , , , , on October 19, 2026 by Cade

May 05, 1915 – May 09, 1998
June 24, 1904 – August 11, 1995

Celebrity couples take note. This is how you do it.

Alice Faye was a singer and actor who was one of the top box office draws throughout the 1930s and ’40s. Working under contract for 20th Century Fox (and its head, Darryl Zanuck), Faye made over 30 movies during her early career including hits like In Old Chicago, Alexander’s Ragtime Band and The Gang’s All Here. Her most famous song, “You’ll Never Know” from the 1943 movie Hello, Frisco. Hello won an Academy Award and remained her signature for year.

Phil Harris started his career in show business playing in a number of swing orchestras in California, including several that he founded. He was known for his distinct baritone singing voice and comic timing. He appeared in dozens of movies and television shows over his decades-long career. In 1950, he recorded the hit novelty song “The Thing”. Harris also did extensive voice acting work including iconic roles in classic Disney films like The Jungle Book, The Aristocats and Robin Hood. His version of “The Bare Necessities” from The Jungle Book remains a fan favorite to this day.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

Groucho Marx

Posted in Eden Memorial Park with tags , , , on October 5, 2026 by Cade

October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977

Widely considered one of the sharpest wits in American comedy history, Groucho Marx was as known for his zings and punchlines as he was for his distinctive appearance.

As the middle of 5 boys growing up on the upper east side of Manhattan around the turn of the 20th century, Julius Henry Marx wanted to be a doctor. The only thing that stood in the way of that goal was an abject lack of money, talented siblings, a famous Vaudevillian uncle and mother with dreams. All the boys were talented, but Julius could sing like an angel. By the time he was 15, he was on tour singing with the Gene Leroy Trio. By 19, his mom had he and his brothers Arthur (Harpo) and Milton (Gummo) singing in vaudeville houses throughout the northeast. Billed as “The Four Nightingales”, they ended up moving to the Midwest, where the boys started riffing on stage when shows didn’t go well. They soon found out two things: 1) They were better at being funny than singing. And 2) Audiences LOVED it.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

James Caan

Posted in Eden Memorial Park with tags , on August 17, 2026 by Cade

March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022

“A lot of stars take a while to warm up – Caan was good from the beginning.” – Stephen Vagg

As a kid in New York, James Edmund Caan, fancied himself a boxer. He often fought in the streets with friends and when he went to college, football was his life. He never graduated from college and football soon took a back seat to something new and exciting for the young man: acting.

Off-Broadway led to Broadway, which led to television and, ultimately, film. By his mid-20s, Caan was filming alongside the likes of Olivia de Haviland, John Wayne and Robert Mitchum. He gained fans – both the public and his co-stars – with every performance. In 1969, he starred in the movie, The Rain People, which was written a directed by Francis Ford Coppola and co-starred Robert Duvall.

It would not be the last time the three worked together.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

Suzanne Somers

Posted in Desert Memorial Park with tags , , on August 10, 2026 by Cade

October 16, 1946 – October 15, 2023

We have all heard every adage about blondes. Blondes have more fun. Gentlemen prefer blondes. She’s having a blonde moment…

Whatever stereotype you choose to accept or deny, one thing can’t be argued: Blondes get noticed.

So, when a bubbly blonde from California gets her first role in a motion picture (1973’s American Graffiti) and is billed as “Blonde in Thunderbird”…well, you better believe a career arc has been born.

Suzanne Somers (née Mahoney) didn’t have the best home life growing up. Her father was an alcoholic and was abusive. She was dyslexic and struggled in school. She dropped out of college after becoming pregnant. But she found a positive outlet in performing. She modeled in her native San Francisco. She appeared in some local TV game shows. She wrote poetry. After being noticed in the NBC Commissary in Los Angeles, she was asked to appear on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson to promote a book of poetry she had just written. Watching that night was ABC President, Fred Silverman, who remembered Somers a few years later when trying to find the third lead in a new sitcom called Three’s Company.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

Dom DeLuise

Posted in Calvary Cemetery (NY) with tags , , on July 13, 2026 by Cade

August 1, 1933 – May 4, 2009

“I’m actually a thin serious person but I play fat and funny, but only for the movies.” – Dom DeLuise

Actor.
Comedian.
Author.
Musician.
Chef.

In the 1970s and ’80s, you could not look anywhere without encountering the brilliance of Dom DeLuise. Whether he was stealing scenes in classic Mel Brooks’ movies (History of the World Part I, Silent Movie, Spaceballs), buddying up on the open road with real-life pal and frequent co-star, Burt Reynolds (Cannonball Run I & II, Smokey and the Bandit II) or appearing on stage at the Metropolitan Opera, DeLuise was everywhere.

And absolutely no one complained.

Dominick DeLuise was born in Brooklyn and immediately sought a life in show business. After graduating from a performing arts high school and by way of college/regional theater in Massachusetts, he started finding work back in New York. He appeared in a number of Off-Broadway and Broadway shows and eventually made his way onto television. He appeared in a season 2 episode of The Munsters and was featured on The Dean Martin Show, where he became a crowd (and host) favorite. This led to his own, short-lived eponymous variety show…and so much more.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

Cicely Tyson

Posted in Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx) with tags , on June 29, 2026 by Cade

December 19, 1924 – January 28, 2021

A legend of the stage and screen, Cicely Tyson was a trailblazing performer whose career spanned more than 70 years. Born and raised in New York City, Tyson wanted to be an actor from an early age. She was brought up in a religious home and her parents were initially reluctant for her to enter the profession…until they saw her perform.

Tyson studied under the renowned acting coach, Lee Strassberg. She got her first part at a YMCA production of Dark of the Moon. In 1961, she appeared in Jean Genet’s The Blacks opposite an array of future stars including Louis Gossett, Jr., Maya Angelou, Roscoe Lee Brown and an actor Tyson would go on to perform with many times over the decades, James Earl Jones. The Blacks ran off-Broadway for a record-setting 1,408 performances.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

Diahann Carroll

Posted in Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx) with tags , , on May 18, 2026 by Cade


July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019

Golden Globe and Tony winning actress, Diahann Carroll, likely didn’t intend to spend her career kicking down barriers, but that’s exactly what she did. Her 1962 Tony win for No Strings was the first time an African American actress had won the category. Her Golden Globe win in 1968 was for the title role in the television series, Julia, which was the first starring role for a black woman that was not a domestic worker or servant.

In 1963, Carroll received her first Emmy nomination (for Naked City) – again, one of the first for a black actress. And in 1996, she played the role of traditionally-white character, Norma Desmond, in a Toronto production of Sunset Boulevard.

And those are just the groundbreaking accolades.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

Robert Mitchum

Posted in Cremated, Sharon Hills Odd Fellows Cemetery with tags , on July 28, 2025 by Cade

August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997

Robert Charles Durman Mitchum grew up on a farm in Delaware. A prankster and somewhat rebellious child, by the time Mitchum was 14 he had lived in South Carolina, Connecticut, Delaware, Philadelphia, and New York City with various parts of his family. He was expelled from at least 2 schools and ran away from home a number of times. He lived for a while hopping freight cars and was arrested for vagrancy and put on a chain-gang (from which he claims to have escaped). He worked his way across the country digging ditches, picking up odd jobs and boxing semi-professionally before suffering a career-ending facial injury. 

THEN he became one of Hollywood’s greatest antiheroes.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

K. T. Oslin

Posted in Woodlawn Memorial Park (TN) with tags , , , on September 30, 2024 by Cade

May 15, 1942 – December 21, 2020

As the old adage goes: “Good things come to those who wait.” For Kay Toinette “K. T.” Oslin, this doesn’t EXACTLY fit…but it’s not a bad start.

K. T. Oslin grew up in the American south (Arkansas>Alabama>Texas, to be precise). As a theatre major in college, she discovered a love for folk music. She would form a folk trio alongside a young Guy Clark, and enjoyed performing in clubs and anywhere there was an audience. At the age of 24, Oslin joined the touring production of Hello Dolly! that eventually led to her moving to New York to pursue acting. While in New York, she appeared in a number of musicals, found work in commercials and – most importantly – began to explore songwriting. At this same time, she began to have an affinity for country music and the possibilities her songwriting might have in that genre.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment »

« Older Entries