Archive for Actors

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Bette Davis

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , on March 5, 2013 by Cade

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April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989

One of the biggest names in the golden era of Hollywood, Bette Davis carved a spectacular career for herself without the benefit of being beautiful (her words, not mine.) She accumulated 10 Academy Award nominations – nabbing 2 wins – over the course of 90 films.  Some of Davis’ most iconic films include All About Eve and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?  She was often erratic on set and many considered her difficult to work with.  Her daughter wrote a book about how difficult their relationship was. Kim Carnes wrote a song about her eyes.

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John Candy

Posted in Holy Cross Cemetery (CA) with tags , on March 4, 2013 by Cade

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October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994

John Candy was a comedic giant of the 1980’s. The Canadian actor created memorable roles on the sketch comedy show, SCTV, and found great success in films such as Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck and Spaceballs. The rotund actor was infinitely likable and beloved by audiences and costars alike.

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Janet Leigh

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

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July 6, 1927 – October 3, 2004

In the history of the world, it is entirely likely that no one has become more famous for taking a shower.

Janet Leigh’s most notable role, obviously, was as Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Legend has it that she was never again able to take a shower after making the movie.  True or not, it makes for a good yarn.

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Tony Curtis

Posted in Palm Valley View Memorial Park with tags , , on February 28, 2013 by Cade

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June 3, 1925 – September 29, 2010

Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz) was a devilishly handsome man. His looks and his broad range certainly made him one of the biggest stars of the 1950’s and 60’s.  He garnered attention with Oscar nominated dramatic roles (The Defiant Ones) as well as classic comedic turns (Some Like It Hot1 alongside Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe – directed by Billy Wilder) as well as more than 100 other projects.  He was also an avid painter – something he continued to do later in life, claiming to enjoy it more than making movies.

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Billie Burke

Posted in Kensico Cemetery with tags , , on February 27, 2013 by Cade

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August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970

Though a prolific stage, screen and radio actress, Mary William Ethelbert Appleton “Billie” Burke is remembered for two things:  1) she was married to legendary Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld and 2) she played Glinda the Good Witch in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. Personally, I believe she should be remembered for her glorious birth name above all else.

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John Ritter

Posted in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills with tags , , on February 26, 2013 by Cade

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September 17, 1948 – September 11, 2003

Few actors get to enjoy the kind of universal success that John Ritter did. Whether on television (Three’s Company, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter) or film (Problem Child, Noises Off, Sling Blade) Ritter was always charming.

Alas, charm can only get you so far.  And an undetected congenital heart defect will make sure you don’t get too far at all. Continue reading →

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Jerry Orbach

Posted in Trinity Church Cemetery with tags , , on February 24, 2013 by Cade

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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.

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Gilda Radner

Posted in Long Ridge Union Cemetery with tags , , , on February 24, 2013 by Cade

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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.

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John Wayne

Posted in Pacific View Memorial Park with tags , on February 24, 2013 by Cade

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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.

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Natalie Wood

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

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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.

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