Waking the Dead: Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills

For many, that first trip to the cemetery is a one-way ticket; once you go in, you go in for good.  Not quite ready to succumb to death's inevitable grasp, I'm already planning my return visit to Forest Lawn Mortuary in Hollywood Hills.  On my most recent grave-hunting expedition, I was kicked out (closing time) before I could see the final resting places of the Nelson Family - Ozzie, Harriet, and Ricky.  "You mean you never heard of him?  Where do you come from, outer space?!!"

Forest Lawn Mortuary - Hollywood Hills, CA

Frankly, I couldn't be more excited to once again haunt the lovely grounds of a cemetery that houses some of Hollywood's most famous spirits.  One in a chain of themed mortuaries, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills' inspiration is Americana, employing giant statues of the founding fathers and a replica of the Old North Church.  While it may not be as big as its cemetery siblings, what FLHH lacks in size, it more than makes up for in patriotic fervor and A-List clientele.

"Pater Patriae" - Georgaeus Washingtonus

The first grave marker I noticed was that of Horace Heidt, a big band orchestra leader that did not get as much recognition as his contemporaries but who, nonetheless, knew how to swing.

Horace Heidt

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Like many other band leaders of the era, Heidt made appearances in films.  My favorite moment from the Jimmy Stewart/Paulette Goddard vehicle, Pot O' Gold, was a musical number called, "A Knife, a Fork, and a Spoon."

"A Knife, A Fork, and A Spoon" - Horace Heidt & His Musical Knights in Pot O' Gold (1941)

There are plenty more famous music makers in residence at Forest Lawn as well.

Lou Rawls
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Julie London & Bobby Troup
She gained acting fame playing Nurse Dixie with her husband on Emergency!,
but it is the sultry singing of the husky-voiced siren that sets our hearts aglow

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The most flamboyant melody man at Forest Lawn dropped the "Wladziu Valentino," choosing to be known by the mononymous moniker, Liberace!

The family tomb is grand but, all things considered,
it is rather understated - even with the signature.

Liberace
In the end, maybe too much of a good thing
was just too much of a good thing.
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It isn't all one big, Hollywood Hills jam session, however.  As irreverent as it seems, there are so many funny men at Forest Lawn that it is a veritable laugh riot as well.

Buster Keaton
An old headstone for the "Old Stone Face"
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Marty Feldman
"Walk this way."
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Stan Laurel
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Morey Amsterdam
With a career spanning eight decades, including vaudeville, 

television, and movies, we best love Morey as Cappy in 

Muscle Beach Party and Buddy Sorrell in The Dick van Dyke Show. 

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John Ritter
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Leon Ames
Sure, Ames tackled some tough roles, but my favorite characterizations of his 

were comic (see: The Misadventures of Merlin Jones and Meet Me in St. Louis).

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This is purported to be the largest historic mosaic in the world.

It's a wonder why more elementary school field trips aren't scheduled for Forest Lawn.

Yes, Forest Lawn has big murals, but it has even bigger stars; some of Hollywood's most celebrated figures invested in this prime Hollywood Hills real estate.

Bette Davis
When it comes right down to it, you can bet that I'm team Bette!
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Charles Laughton
I thought it was odd that Elsa Lanchester was not laid to rest in close proximity
to her husband.  As it turns out, she wished her ashes to be scattered at sea.
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Sandra Dee
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George Raft
In a way, Humphrey Bogart owes his career to George Raft.
Bogart took all the roles that Raft, at one time the bigger star, turned down.
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So this is something of a tease.

The blank marble vault in the center of the photo used to house

the remains of the most famous comedienne in history, namely

Lucille Ball.  A few years after her interment, her children decided 

to move her back to Jamestown, NY and the familty crypt.

Lucille Ball
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Speaking of Lucy, my first introduction to the final few stars we will feature here came via I Love Lucy/The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour!

Clyde Beatty
It would have taken me so much longer to learn about one of the 20th-Century's
greatest circus showmen had Lucy not been such a kleptomaniac!
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Ernie Kovacs & Edie Adams
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The appearance of real-life couple, Kovacs and Adams, on The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour would mark the end of the on-and-offscreen pairing of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz; the day after filming was completed, divorce papers were filed.  Adams has said that a pall of sadness hung over the set.  I think it factored in her somewhat-melancholy rendition of the love song "That's All." 

"That's All" - Edie Adams in The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour

That's all.

Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills

6300 Forest Lawn Dr

Los Angeles, CA

(800)204-3131

forestlawn.com/hollywoodshills

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

The "Lost Highway": Hank Williams, Sr. Memorial Road

Aside from Pearl S. Buck, Don Knotts, Chuck Yeager, and Jennifer Garner, most West Virginians would be hard pressed to think of another native son to complete their handful of West Virginia celebrities.  While the grasp on native-born notables might be somewhat tenuous, West Virginians know for darn sure who died in their midst, and danged if they ain't proud!

Hank Williams, Sr. died here
"Lost Highway" might have been a more fitting tribute.

A mild controversy between the neighboring towns of Hilltop and Oak Hill, WV has ensued over the years as to the esteemed title of Hank Williams Sr.'s Official Place of Death.  The matter appears to have been resolved by dividing the honor between "Last place seen alive" and "Discovered dead."  Not knowing when I would be returning to West Virginia, you bet your sweet life that I eschewed Hank's directive to "Mind Your Own Business" and I made the pilgrimage to both locations.

SKYLINE DRIVE-IN

In the wee morning hours of January 1, 1953 Hank Williams' chauffeured Cadillac pulled into the Skyline Drive-In for some solid sustenance on his trip to Charleston, WV for a scheduled concert.

"Hank's Last Stop"

It is rumored that Hank penned the tune, "Hey, Good Lookin'"

after a previous visit to the Skyline Drive-In...but only by me

(I dabble in creating unsubstantiated internet rumors).

"Hey, Good Lookin'" - Hank Williams

I read that his driver, rather than Williams himself, ordered food for the journey.
It would be just moments before Hank Williams would never blink his lights for service ever again.
Sadly, the drive-in is no longer in service.  Signs in the windows indicate a forthcoming Bar-B-Q
restaurant, but it was impossible to determine the age and accuracy of the signs. 

HERBERT E. JONES LIBRARY

Williams was never to honor that engagement as just two short miles down the road he passed away from heart failure (allegedly caused by a combination of drugs and alcohol).

When his driver asked Williams to "Move It On Over," he was dismayed to receive no reply.
According to official documents, it was the road directly in front of the Herbert E. Jones Library
where Williams was discovered unresponsive and ultimately dead in the backseat of his Cadillac.

Williams was on tour when he passed, leaving many ardent fans with a serious case of the "Lovesick Blues."

Whatever happened that night, it was clear that old Hank was fixing to be "Settin' the Woods on Fire."  Obviously, he instead "Saw the Light" and went right toward it; perhaps "Build Me a Cabin in Gloryland" was on his playlist for that fateful day.  I guess timing is the only real difference separating us from the same fate.  After all, no one gets out of this world alive.

"I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" - Hank Williams

Skyline Drive-In "Hank's Last Stop"
6329 Legends Hwy
Hilltop, WV

Herbert E. Jones Library

108 Lewis St

Oak Hill, WV

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

wacky tacky Icons: Huell Howser

Outside of California (and maybe some parts of Tennessee), the name Huell Howser probably doesn't mean very much.  Within our borders, however, it is a venerated name that invariably elicits a smile and/or a goofy impression.  Just about everyone in California does a Huell Howser impression (to varying degrees of accuracy/success), with everyone thinking their impression is the best.  A native son of Tennessee (with the accent to prove it), he moved to California in 1981 as a television news reporter and quickly became the unofficial, one-man Chamber of Commerce for our entire state.

Huell Howser
(October 18, 1945 - January 6, 2013)

Best known for his PBS series, "California's Gold," Huell had a folksy charm and guileless innocence that gave him entree into countless businesses, museums, homes, landmarks, monuments, parks, restaurants, and the hearts of history lovers and wacky tacky-ites all over the state. It was with great sadness that we learned he passed away last night at the age of sixty seven.

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To be honest (and it might be obvious by now), Huell is a huge hero of mine.  Whenever anybody asked me what my dream job would be, I always said, "Huell Howser's;" he showed us everything in our state that makes it so uniquely fun and fascinating.

His sunny disposition and optimism made him watchable.
His restored, mid-century volcano house made him wacky tacky!
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If you needed further proof...
Dolly, Huell & Loretta
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It is funny that it took a Southerner to remind us of the vitality and excitement of our western landscape; I guess that sometimes it takes a keen and objective eye and the wonder of a child to show you the beauty of your own hometown/state.

Huell at The Apple Pan

Huell Howser as himself with Tracey Ullman

in "Tracey Takes On Hollywood"

Huell's Videolog - "The Elephant Man"

Growing up in Southern California, Huell has been a fixture of our regular family viewing since my earliest days.  Indeed, in the war for the remote control, "Visiting," "Videolog," and "California's Gold" were always the unspoken, entertainment peace treaty.  Huell's show and his unbridled enthusiasm are the unquestionable inspiration for our desire to explore, create, report, and celebrate the joy that surrounds us.  As my mom said, "It felt like he did nothing but go around and bring out the good in people and places...he will be missed.  We need more people like him on the earth...take the bad ones away and leave the Huell Howsers of the world."  Even though his place of birth was Gallatin, TN he was truly a part of California's gold.

Huell & The Del Rubio Triplets
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Many celebrities pass every year; some deaths are a surprise, some are tragic, and some come sweetly at the end of a long life well-lived.  Few have left me feeling more sad than good old Huell's.  In general, I'm not one to experience disproportionate emotion over things not directly related to my family.  In fact, in a world rocked by mass killings and war, it feels strange (and self-indulgent) to be so sad over the death of someone I have never met, but this one has hit me hard.  I keep thinking of the illustration of Mickey Mouse (his head the globe) crying over the death of Walt Disney.  In my mind, I can see a similar image of California mourning the loss of our patron saint, Huell Howser.  Huell stood for something good in this world; his was an example of positivity and light that helped me not be swallowed by the hate and ugliness that can exist.  As has been said, "All the darkness in the world can not extinguish the light of a single candle."  He gave hope to those of us who want to preserve a sense of our past.  He legitimized the old buildings, landmarks, watering holes, and traditions of California's rich heritage.  He gave credence to the notion that exploring your own backyard for a living was not just acceptable but of great import.  As was the tradition on his show, we close this post with the song "California, Here I Come," this time as performed by Huell himself.

R.I.P. Huell Howser

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

p.s. For local readers, I would love to find a time and place to get together and remember Huell and celebrate his legacy.  In my mind, Clifton's is the most obvious choice but it is still under renovation.  Pink's, Philippe's, Palm Springs...I'm open to suggestions.

UPDATE:  You are invited to our unofficial, wacky tacky Huell Howser memorial to be held on Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 2:00pm at Philippe's in downtown Los Angeles.  We'll meet there for food, fun, prizes, and sharing our best memories of our pal, Huell.  This is an informal gathering of wacky tacky and Huell Howser fans and is a totally unsponsored event.

Philippe the Original
1001 Alameda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA

Please let us know if you are interested in raising a glass of
Broguiere's to our wacky tacky friend and icon too.
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