Archive for Actors

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Spencer Tracy

Posted in Forest Lawn Glendale with tags , , on June 17, 2013 by Cade

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April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967

Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (real name) was a fixture in the so-called “Golden Age” of Hollywood. The Milwaukee-born actor was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor nine times. He won twice. His onscreen partnership with Katharine Hepburn as well as their “private” decades-long affair made for, perhaps, the biggest Hollywood romance of the 20th century. The pair made 9 movies together and shared a 26 year relationship despite Tracy still being married to his estranged wife, Louise.  Ah, but it’s Hollywood. Who cares?  What’s important is that Spencer Tracy is routinely mentioned in conversations about the greatest actors of all time. Continue reading →

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Telly Savalas

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , , on June 8, 2013 by Cade

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January 21, 1922 – January 22, 1994

Aristotelis “Telly” Savalas was probably best know as the lollipop-chomping title character in the popular CBS drama Kojak.  Of course, he did a lot of other things, including co-starring roles in The Dirty Dozen, Kelly’s Heroes and – as supervillain, Ernst Blofeld – in the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. He also was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance opposite Burt Lancaster in The Birdman of Alcatraz. Continue reading →

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Burt Lancaster

Posted in Westwood Memorial Park with tags , , on June 8, 2013 by Cade

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November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994

It’s the age-old Hollywood story: Athletic boy grows up to become a circus acrobat, joins the military and becomes a film legend. Standard stuff, really.

Burt Lancaster was a tall, muscular actor who started off his long career playing tough guy roles. Eventually, he managed to land roles with more depth like Sergeant Warden in From Here to Eternity or his Academy Award winning titular character in Elmer Gantry. Lancaster was so serious about taking on roles with more substance that he often took pay cuts to play better characters. He even put his own money into projects he truly believed in.  All in all, he made over 60 films throughout his career. Not bad for a kid who started off as a gymnast. Continue reading →

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Donna Reed

Posted in Westwood Memorial Park with tags , , on June 8, 2013 by Cade

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January 27, 1921 – January 14, 1986

Donna Belle Mullenger was born in Iowa, moved to Los Angeles to attend college and accidentally became a Hollywood superstar. After being noticed on stage in school productions, she was offered a number of screen tests and eventually a contract with MGM studios. She changed her name to Donna Reed and went on to star in immortal classic films like From Here to Eternity (for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress) and It’s a Wonderful Life opposite Jimmy Stewart. Continue reading →

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Audrey Meadows

Posted in Holy Cross Cemetery (CA) with tags , , on May 30, 2013 by Cade

Audrey Meadows The Honeymooners, c. 1955 - 1957

February 8, 1922 — February 3, 1996

If your one and only claim to fame is playing the straight foil to Jackie Gleason’s frenetic and iconic Ralph Kramden, then you’re still doing alright.  Audrey Meadows was a stage and TV actress who just happened to win the role of Alice Kramden despite being “too pretty.” Meadows played Alice a couple of times prior to The Honeymooners becoming a hit TV show and she never looked back. Continue reading →

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Heather O’Rourke

Posted in Westwood Memorial Park with tags , , on May 28, 2013 by Cade

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December 27, 1975 – February 1, 1988

For all the glitz and glamour that is represented in a large cross-section of the population in tiny Westwood Memorial Park, there is also a fair amount of tragedy present. Many of the permanent residents there died way too young.  There’s no better example of that than Heather O’Rourke.  The adorable, blonde child star was made famous by her portrayal of Carol Anne in the Poltergeist film trilogy. She also went on to guest star on a number of mid-’80’s television shows.  Heather became sick in 1987 and was misdiagnosed with Crohn’s disease.In early 1988, at the age of 12, she collapsed and was rushed to the hospital where she later died while in surgery for a congenital bowel obstruction – the true cause of her illness.

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Audie Murphy

Posted in Arlington National Cemetery with tags , on May 26, 2013 by Cade

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June 20, 1925 – May 28, 1971

Lieutenant Audie Leon Murphy was perhaps the most famous and one of the most decorated infantry soldiers from World War II. During his tours in the Mediterranean and Europe, Murphy received a number of honors including, but certainly not limited to, a Medal of Honor, THREE Purple Hearts, Silver Stars, Bronze Stars, a Legion of Merit…you get the picture. Audie Murphy was not messing around.  He was a true hero.

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Walter Matthau

Posted in Westwood Memorial Park with tags , , on May 22, 2013 by Cade

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October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000

Walter John Matthow (NOT Matuschanskayasky – as he would often regale) was born in New York City to Jewish immigrant parents.  He was an Academy, BAFTA and Tony Award-winning actor who was known for curmudgeonly lovable characters.  The most famous of which was, of course, Oscar Madison opposite Jack Lemmon in both the stage and film versions of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple. Matthau’s career was decorated and lengthy.  Starring in more than 60 films and more than a dozen Broadway productions, he built a resume of comedy and emotional performances that few can match.

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Errol Flynn

Posted in Forest Lawn Glendale with tags , , on May 16, 2013 by Cade

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June 20, 1909 – October 14, 1959

I don’t throw the term “swashbuckler” around lightly.  But Errol Flynn was a swashbuckler if there ever was one.  The Australian-born star of  early Hollywood flicks such as The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Charge of the Light Brigade and Santa Fe Trail was known for his devil-may-care attitude and suave persona.   He famously womanized and drank and had contentious working relationships with a number of his female costars, most notably, Bette Davis, who used opportunities to hit Flynn on camera as opportunities to HIT him. Continue reading →

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Rodney Dangerfield

Posted in Westwood Memorial Park with tags , , on May 12, 2013 by Cade

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November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004

To the best of my knowledge, Jacob Rodney Cohen, known simply as Rodney Dangerfield, got no respect.  At least that’s what he told us over and over again. Dangerfield was a lovable actor/comedian whose bumbling roles in films like Caddyshack and Back to School embodied the public persona for which he was best known.  In the late 1960’s, Dangerfield’s comedy career started exploding with appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show and The Dean Martin Show.He parlayed his over-the-top character into co-starring and starring film roles, television commercials and even, for reasons known only to God and himself, rap.

Seriously.

Seriously.

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