Bert Convy (actor/game show host)

Cause of death: Cancer

Birth: Jun. 23, 1933
Death: Jul. 15, 1991

Famous as the host of a multitude of popular TV game shows, he was also an accomplished actor in the light-leading man catagory. He appeared on stage, in movies and television shows dating from the 1950s through the 1990s. Some of them include "It's Garry Shandling's Show," "The Love Boat," "Murder She Wrote," "Charlie's Angels," " Hawaii Five-0," "MacMillan and Wife," "Love American Style," "Mary Tyler Moore," "Night Gallery," and many others. On stage he appeared in the original productions of the hits "Fiddler on the Roof," "Cabaret," and "The Impossible Years," as well as playing 'Hildy Johnson' in the 1969-1970 revival of "The Front Page" and was Raul Julia's replacement in the 1982 production of the Tony-award winning musical "Nine." Game shows that he hosted include "3rd Degree!" (1989), "Win, Lose or Draw" (1987), "Super Password" (1984), "Tattletales" (1982) and others.

Burial:
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Court of Liberty, Left of Washington statue
GPS (lat/lon): 34.14438, -118.31697

Natalie Schafer (actress)

Cause of death: Cancer

Birth: Nov. 5, 1900
Red Bank (Monmouth County)
Monmouth County
New Jersey, USA

Death: Apr. 10, 1991
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Natalie Schafer got her start doing Broadway plays then making the move to the big screen. Even before Gilligan's Island, she was typecast in roles as society women, or elegant, fashionable ladies. It was her role as "Eunice 'Lovey' Wentworth Howell" wife of multi-millionaire Thurston Howell III, that she was best known for. After the show ended it's run in 1967, Schafer did a few guest appearances on shows, most notably "The Brady Bunch."

Spouse:
Louis Calhern (20 April 1933 - 1942) (divorced)

Trivia:
Schafer had said she initially did the pilot to "Gilligan's Island" (1964), for the free trip to Hawaii. Afterwards, Schafer was in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on holiday when she got a telegram from the States. She read it and burst into tears. Everyone had thought Shafer's mother (who was ill at the time) had died, and offered their condolences, but Shafer had said no she didn't die, the reason she was crying was because the pilot for "Gilligan's Island" sold, and she had to stay in Los Angeles, and couldn't move back to New York.

Was engaged to comedic character actor Charles Butterworth in 1946 at the time of his tragic death in a single automobile crash.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes scattered at sea.

Specifically:
Ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean

Nancy Kulp (actress/politician)

Cause of death: Cancer

Birth: Aug. 28, 1921
Death: Feb. 3, 1991

Nancy Kulp wore many hats: Publicity person, actress, linguist, would-be politician and teacher. Originally from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Kulp attended college in Florida, then headed for Hollywood to work in publicity for the movies, not star in them. Soon after arriving in Hollywood, Kulp was convinced by director George Cukor and casting director Billy Gordon that she should be in front of the camera, not behind the scenes. What that began was a solid career as a character actress in films and television, including two memorable roles: on "The Bob Cummings Show" (1955) as bird-loving "Pamela Livingstone" and on "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1962) as the long-suffering, lovesick and bird-loving "Miss Jane Hathaway". After the Hillbillies ended its nine year run, Kulp found work in theater, Broadway and television, and dabbled in politics, making an unsuccessful 1984 run for congress in Pennsylvania. Later, she taught acting and retired to a farm in Connecticut and, later, Palm Springs, where she died in 1991 of cancer.

Spouse:
Charles Dacus (1951 - 1961) (divorced)


Trivia:

Was an avid football fan.

Loved taking cross country trips in car.

Was fluent in French.

Graduated from Florida State University (BA).

Was offered a movie role (The Model and the Marriage Broker (1951)) after being in Hollywood less than three weeks.

In 1984, she ran as a Democrat for Pennsylvania's Ninth Congressional District, but lost to Republican incumbent "Bud Shuster". She blamed her "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1962) co-star Buddy Ebsen for her defeat, because Ebsen taped a radio ad in support of Shuster, and deemed her "too liberal". She did not speak to Ebsen for several years afterward, but eventually made peace with him.

Long divorced, she came out of the closet at the age of 67 and admitted she was a lesbian.

Had a Masters Degree in English & French from the University of Miami (Fla.)

Was Arsenio Hall's very first guest on his talk show. She sat in with the house band.

Writers played a twist on naming Nancy's best-known character, Miss Jane Hathaway. They reversed Nancy's first and middle names, so Nancy Jane Kulp became Jane Nancy Hathaway. We learned Miss Jane's middle name in The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies (1981) (TV).

In contrast to her often befuddled and confused character of "Miss Jane" Hathaway, in real life she was a highly intelligent and cultured woman. Schooled in both languages and literature, she often impressed fans with her erudition.

Early in her acting career, one Hollywood gossip sheet named her "the homeliest girl on television", referring to her role as "Pamela Livingstone" on Robert Cummings's series. In actual fact, she was quite popular on the show-biz dating scene and never lacked for amorous companionship. Although admitting later in life to "swinging both ways", this did not seem to dampen the ardor of her admirers.

Personal Quotes
I was a brain symbol, not a sex symbol.

Burial:
Westminster Presbyterian Cemetery
Mifflintown
Juniata County
Pennsylvania, USA

Fred MacMurray (actor)

Cause of death: Pneumonia

Birth: Aug. 30, 1908
Death: Nov. 5, 1991

One of the most underrated actors of the 20th century, Fred MacMurray played bemused husband, unrepentant heel and perfect father with panache and style. His career took off after he and Claudette Colbert starred in the forgotten "Grand Old Girl;" they would make seven movies together. He was searing in "Double Indemnity," brilliant in "The Caine Mutiny," and unforgettable in "The Apartment." He was so good as a heel, in fact, that his many fans who enjoyed him in so many Disney movies and the legendary television series "My Three Sons" simply would not accept that Fred MacMurray could ever play a "bad guy." Yet he did, and in so doing, enriched movie history. His body of work is simply stunning, and underappreciated - except for those who recognize a great talent when they see it.

Burial:
Holy Cross Cemetery
Culver City
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Mausoleum, Room 7, Crypt D1

Redd Foxx (actor)

Cause of death: Heart attack

Birth: Dec. 9, 1922
Saint Louis
Missouri

Death: Oct. 11, 1991
Hollywood
California

Memorable comedian and television actor, best known for his role as junkman 'Fred G. Sanford' in the popular 1970's comedy "Sanford and Son," notorious for his frank, tell-it-like-it-is style and joking about everything from sex to color barriers, he brought taboo issues in the open. During his career Redd Foxx broke new ground for minorities and comedians alike. He was born John Elroy Sanford into poverty in St. Louis, Missouri in Dec. of 1922. At age thirteen Foxx dropped out of school and ran away to join a street band in Chicago, where he played the washboard. He eventually made his way to New York, to get into show business-and supported himself by washing dishes, while carving himself a place in show business. Foxx soon received his nickname "Redd" because of his hair color and light skin and derived Foxx from admirable Major League Baseball player Jimmie Foxx. He began performing as a comedian/ actor in black theaters and night clubs, often referred to as the "Chitlin Circuit." Foxx soon began to really make a name for himself as a comedian and his audiences grew steadily when he began using the foulest language in his routines on stage. Over the years to come he would record several albums. After his film debut in actor Ossie Davis's film "Cotton Comes To Harlem" in 1972, he really hit the big-time when he was signed by Norman Lear in the American version of the successful British sitcom, "Steptoe and Son", renamed "Sanford and Son in America which ran on NBC from 1972-1977. At one point NBC even ran the popular show twice a week, which he co-starred with Demond Wilson, Lawanda Paige, Whitman Mayo and Slappy White. After a turbulent relationship with NBC, Foxx called it quits in 1977 and the show left the air. It was reportedly because NBC wouldn't give him a dressing room with a window. It more than likely was because of the generous salary offered by ABC. At the same time he moved to Las Vegas, blowing most of his earnings on a expensive lifestyle, which would later catch up with him. In 1977, Foxx launched "The Redd Foxx Comedy Hour," which was canceled a year later. He also successfully performed in Las Vegas and worked on another short lived sitcom "The Redd Foxx Show." In the late 1980's the IRS seized most of what he owned because of back taxes. Desperately looking for work he was cast by actor Eddie Murphy with his long-time friend Della Reese in "Harlem Nights" in 1989. In 1991 Foxx and Reese were offered a series on CBS, which Murphy produced entitled "The Royal Family", which premiered on Sept. 18, 1991. In July of that same year Foxx married his last wife Ka Ha Cho, who was in her 30's. On Fri. Oct 11, 1991, Foxx arrived at the Paramount Studies in Los Angeles for a rehearsal for the show. During the rehearsal, he apparently suffered a massive heart attack on the set, which at first was thought to be a joke, with the cast and crew laughing at him. After discovering the reality of the situation and being rushed to the Emergency Room of Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital, Redd Foxx was pronounced dead at 7:45 PM that evening. That day the world lost a comic genius. Since his death, Redd Foxx was inducted by his hometown of St. Louis into the St. Louis Walk of Fame (located at 6331 Delmar Blvd.)on May 17, 1992.

Burial:
Palm Valley View Memorial Park
Las Vegas
Clark County
Nevada, USA

Plot:
Devotion Section, Lawn Space 4091, 311 G. Just inside the main entrance and on the left...towards the middle of the section
GPS (lat/lon): 36.0536, -115.1183

Ken Curtis (actor)

Cause of death: natural causes

Birth: Jul. 2, 1916
Death: Apr. 28, 1991

Best known for his long-running role as Festus, the cantankerous deputy in the long-running TV series "Gunsmoke". Born Curtis Wane Gates in Lamar, Colorado to Dan Gates and Millie Sneed Gates. His father was Sheriff of Las Animas, Colorado. He worked at the town jail and played the saxophone in high school. He served in the Army during World War II. He attended Colorado College for a time wanting to study medicine but was so successful as a singer-songwriter that he left college and got a job in Los Angeles in 1938 as a singer on NBC Radio. He was a vocalist in the Tommy Dorsey orchestra. He entered films in the late 1940s in a series of low-budget westerns for Columbia Pictures. He then joined the singing group "Sons of the Pioneers." They did the soundtrack of John Ford's 1950 movie, "Wagonmaster." Curtis became a stock player with Ward Bond, Ben Johnson and Harry Carey in the Ford Production Company. At the time, he was married to Ford's daughter, Barbara. His film debut was in "Sheriff of Tombstone" (1941). His other film credits include: "Out of the Depths" (1946), "Cowboy Blues" (1946), "Rio Grande" (1950), "The Quiet Man" (1952), "Mister Roberts" (1955), "The Searchers" (1956), "The Wings of Eagles" (1957), "The Last Hurrah" (1958), "The Horse Soldiers" (1959), "The Alamo" (1960), "Cheyenne Autumn" (1964), Disney's animated "Robin Hood" (1973) as the voice of Nutsy, "Pony Express Rider" (1976), and "Lost" (1983) his last theatrical film. We know him best for his TV work which included regular roles on "Ripcord" (1961-63), "Gunsmoke" (1964-75), "How the West Was Won" (1978), and "Yellow Rose" (1983-84). He also appeared in mini-series and made for TV movies and guest starred on many TV series. He died in his sleep of natural causes in Fresno, California, at age 74.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes scattered.

Specifically:
Colorado flatlands

Danny Thomas (actor/producer)

Cause of Death: heart attack

Birth: Jan. 6, 1914
Death: Feb. 6, 1991

Actor, Singer, Producer. His career began as a nightclub comedian with a brief fling in the movies. His greatest success was achieved in television starring in long run sitcom's then a producer responsible for such shows as...Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Gomer Pyle and the Mod Squad. However, his show business career pales in comparison to his role as Humanitarian. As a young man, he embraced as his patron saint, St Jude Thaddeus, one attributed to lost or impossible causes and founded as a memorial, St Jude's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, using much of his own money while spearheading the fundraising for its construction. For good measure, Danny Thomas, founded ALSAC (American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities) an organization comprised of wealthy Arabs that raises funds for the maintenance and operating costs of the hospital allowing free treatment to needy children while finding cures for catastrophic children's diseases. He was born Muzyard Yaakoob (Amos Jacob) in Deerfield Michigan the fifth of 10 children born to Arab immigrants. The family moved to nearby Toledo, where he grew up considering the city his hometown. Schooled by Ursuline nuns at St. Francis de Sales parochial school then attended Woodward High School becoming a drop out in his junior year to pursue a show business career. Exposed to movies after taking a job selling snacks in the isles of the Empire Theater, St. Clair & Orange street, downtown Toledo, Amos became enamored as he watched during the course of his duties dreaming of a movie career. He began his career as a singer at a Detroit radio station while also performing as an MC-comedian in nightclubs. He first performed under his Anglicized birth name, Amos Jacobs, before settling on Danny Thomas, a derivative from first names of his two brothers. Danny debuted in 1946 with a brief film career with lead and supporting roles as a comic. He achieved success on television starring in the long running sitcom "Make Room for Daddy" then starring in a number of specials while making many guest appearances. Stepping behind the camera in late 1950's, he formed a partnership which produced many successful television shows. Danny worked for his St Jude Hospital project until the end of his life. While taking part in the hospital's 29th anniversary, he filmed a television commercial for the facility while signing fundraising copies of his autobiography in the Danny Thomas/ALSAC Pavilion. He pointed to the building's chapel uttering a wish to be buried there upon his demise. Returning to Los Angeles, he suffered, a massive heart attack, two days later, which claimed his life at age 79. His funeral was held at Good Shepherd Catholic Church located in Hollywood, attended by former Presidents Gerald Ford & Ronald Reagan and a huge crowd of Hollywood celebrities. A special message from President George Bush lauding the entertainer was read. His remains were transported to Memphis where he lay in state in the Pavilion, while families stood in line for hours, to pay tribute to this extraordinary compassionate man until he was interred on the grounds in a plot now known as the Danny and Rose Marie Memorial Garden. Legacy...He cornered the market in humanitarian awards receiving hundreds. Some of the most noteworthy...On April 16, 1984, President Ronald Reagan presented him with the Congressional Gold Medal for his work with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Pope Paul VI presented Danny the highest honor that could bestowed up a layman...Knight Commander with Star in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. The American Medical Association bestowed The Layman Award, it's highest honor to a nonmedical personal. He was the father of actress Marlo Thomas and TV producer Tony Thomas. Received an Emmy Best Actor starring in a Regular Series "Make Room for Daddy" in 1954 and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He authored an autobiography, "Make Room for Danny" in 1990. The Danny Thomas/ALSAC Pavilion is the repository for thousands of artifacts from his life. Its presence allows the hospital to further raise funds for the facility by operating an extensive gift shop with an on-line "The Hope Catalog." Adjacent to the Pavilion is the, Danny and Rose Marie Thomas Memorial Garden which is not only the site of the burial crypt of St. Jude founder Danny Thomas and his wife Rose Marie but a functional park which furnishes a contemplative setting for hospital staff workers and visitors alike to enjoy a peaceful place for relaxation.

Burial:
Saint Jude Hospital Grounds
Memphis
Shelby County
Tennessee, USA

Plot:
Danny and Rose Marie Thomas Memorial Garden

Michael Landon (actor)

Cause of death: Cancer of the pancreas

Birth: Oct. 31, 1936
Death: Jul. 1, 1991

Actor, Writer, Producer, Director. Born in Forest Hills, New York, to Eli Maurice Orowitz and Peggy O'Neal Orowitz. The family moved to Collingswood, New Jersey, when he was four. Eli and Peggy did not have the best of marriages and often times they had violent arguments. He experienced a stressful and unhappy childhood. His suffering from nocturnal enuresis (bed wetting) further complicated his life. His mother believed that she could cure this problem with shame. Therefore, every day she would hang his bedding out the window of his upstairs bedroom for all to see. Fearing that his friends would witness his private shame he would run home each day from school and remove the bedding, a practice that would help him in sports later on. He portrayed this part of his life in the 1976 movie "The Loneliest Runner," in which he acted, wrote, and produced. Although he had a genius level IQ he failed to maintain passing grades in high school. He was, however, a popular student and was considered by most to be very funny. Discovering the javelin turned his life around. He became so proficient in the sport that he was offered several athletic scholarships and accepted the offer from the University of California. While there he injured his arm and was forced to relinquish the scholarship. He dropped out of college and became employed at a warehouse in California. An audition was planned at Warner Brothers Studio for Michael and a co-worker. Warner Brothers was impressed with his audition. They signed him and sent him to acting school for four months. During this time he decided to take a stage name and chose the name Michael Landon, picking it from a telephone book. His first notable appearance on film was in "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" in 1957. Around this time producer David Dortort had a television show in the works that he had created called Bonanza. Dortorts successful persuasion to the network that he could make a hit television show with relatively unknown actors was another turning point in Michael's life and would form the basis of his career. Dortort chose him for the roll of Little Joe Cartwright. The show premiered on September 12, 1959 and was a hit for 10 of the 14 years it was on the air. While involved in Bonanza he was able to nurture his talent of writing and directing. He wrote and directed several of the episodes. His next project was Little House on the Prairie. The series, which premiered in 1974 and ended in 1983, was very successful. Relationships with his fellow actors on these projects were an essential part of his life and many remained close friends until his death. In 1984 he started his last television series, Highway to Heaven, which was to run until 1989. He was working on the production of a series when he became ill and was not able to see it to fruition. In April of 1991 he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was married three times. His first wife was Dodie Frasier. They were married from 1956 until 1962. In 1963 he married model Marjorie Lynn Noe and they divorced in 1982. He married makeup artist Cindy Clerico on February 14, 1983. He was the father of five sons and four daughters. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum posthumously inducted him into the Western Performers Hall of Fame in 1998. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located at 1500 N. Vine Street.

Burial:
Hillside Memorial Park
Culver City
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Mausoleum, outside/rear, private room

David White (actor)

Cause of death: heart attack

Birth: Apr. 4, 1916
Death: Nov. 27, 1990

American stage actor who appeared frequently on television and occasionally but impressively in films. A Marine Corps veteran of the Second World War, he worked on Broadway and on tour in stage productions after the war. In the late 1950s, he became an increasingly familiar face on American television, following a strong performance in the film Sweet Smell of Success (1957), in which he played the smarmy fellow who gets a dalliance with the unwilling Barbara Nichols in exchange for a favor to Tony Curtis's Sidney Falco. Cads and pompous politicians became White's strong suit, but he achieved his greatest fame as the unctuous Larry Tate on the hit TV series "Bewitched" (1964). He continued to work in the theatre, particularly as a member of acclaimed Theatre West company in Los Angeles and at the Mark Taper Forum there. In December, 1988, White's 33-year-old son, Jonathan, was killed in the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, UK. White, who had been widowed soon after Jonathan's birth, was embittered and enraged by this new tragedy. He became reclusive for a time, but was returning to some social activity and theatre work when he died of a massive heart attack in 1990, just a few days prior to the second anniversary of his son's death. He was survived by his daughter.

Spouse:

Mary Welch (? - 31 May 1958) (her death) 1 child
Lisa Figus (? - 27 November 1990) (his death) 1 child

Had a son, Jonathan White who was killed on Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, UK.

Served in the US Marine Corps in WW II.

Best remembered by the public for his role as Larry Tate in Bewitched (1964).

Burial:
Hollywood Forever
Hollywood
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Alan Hale, Jr. (actor)

Cause of death: Cancer

Birth: Mar. 18, 1918
Death: Jan. 2, 1990

He is best remembered for his role of "The Skipper" in the classic television comedy series, "Gilligan's Island" (1964 to 1967). Born Alan Hale Mackahan in Los Angeles, California, he was the son of film actor Rufus Edward Mackahan (1892-1950), who used the stage name of Alan Hale. Young Alan adopted his father's stage name, adding the Junior to distinguish himself from his father; he would later drop the Junior after his father's death in 1950. Alan Jr literally began his acting career as a baby, when as an infant, he showed up in one of his father's silent films. His first important roles were as a member of Gene Autry's group of actors, frequently appearing in Gene Autry movies and on television's "The Gene Autry Show." He also played in such television series as "Biff Baker's USA" (1952-1953), "Casey Jones" (1957) and "The Good Guys" (1968-1970). Hale also tried his hand at movies, working in over 230 movies, including such films as "Wake Island" (1942), "Sarge Goes to College" (1947), "The West Point Story" (1950), and "Up Periscope" (1959), to name a few. His soon-to-be famous "Little Buddy" dialogue, made famous in Gilligan's Island, was first used during his guest appearance on the "Andy Griffith Show" in 1962, when he used it on the character of Deputy Barney Fife. But it was his role of Jonas Grumby, also known as "The Skipper," on the situation comedy "Gilligan's Island," for which he is most remembered. His role typecast him, making it difficult to find work after "Gilligan's Island," and Hale used the role to start up a trendy upscale restaurant in Beverely Hills known as "Alan Hale's Lobster Barrel," in which he would greet guests wearing his Skipper hat. He would later donate worn-out Skipper hats to charity for auction fund-raisers. But following "Gilligan's Island" he obtained guest spots on such television series as Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip, The Lucy Show, Ironside, Marcus Welby MD, Gunsmoke, Fantasy Island, Magnum PI, Simon and Simon, and Alf. Alan Hale died in Hollywood, California, following a liver ailment and viral infection.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes scattered at sea.

Ava Gardner (actress)

Cause of death: Pneumonia

Birth: Dec. 24, 1922

Death: Jan. 25, 1990
London, England

Born in a small town in North Carolina, after traveling to Virginia with her family for part of her childhood, she returned to the area to enjoy her teen years. After seeing a photo taken by her brother-in-law, who was a professional photographer, her looks caught the attention of MGM scouts and she was signed in 1940 to a contract with the studio. Initially her roles were very small and her salary equally paltry, but soon her talent proved her to be one of the most formidable leading ladies of her day. She made over 30 films in her career and garnered a "Best Actress" Oscar nomination for "Mogambo" in 1953. While she lost the award to Audrey Hepburn for her performance in "Roman Holiday," a Gardner was still a favorite with the fans and the tabloids. She married three times: to actor Mickey Rooney on January 10, 1942, also to bandleader Artie Shaw on October 17, 1945 but it was her much publicized marriage to Frank Sinatra on November 17, 1951, that kept her name in the gossip columns and tabloids. Even after their media scrutinized marriage and even more public divorce it was said that Ava Gardner truly was the love of Sinatra's life and he always treated her as such. While her romance with Sinatra kept her personal life in the limelight, her prowess as an actress and dancer kept her popular at the box office. She learned Flamenco dancing while living in Spain and demonstrated her skills in "The Barefoot Contessa." Her passionate performances and voracious style prompted one publicity campaign in the 1950s to bill her as "The World's Most Beautiful Animal." Memorable performances in such films as "Showboat," "The Snows of Killimanjaro" and many others have rendered the actress a classic film star of the era. After moving to London she went into semi-retirement in the 1960s but made film appearances until the late 1980s. Her career was halted due to a stroke after which she shortly succumbed to complications due to pneumonia.

Burial:
Sunset Memorial Park
Smithfield
Johnston County
North Carolina, USA

Barbara Stanwyck (actress)

Cause of death: Congestive Heart Failure

Birth: Jul. 16, 1907
Death: Jan. 20, 1990

Actress, Films, Television and Broadway. She was a forerunner of a long line of actors and singers born in Brooklyn which at the time had many influencing live performance theatres and cultural centers which drew many with show business aspirations. Barbara Stanwyck was a four time Oscar-nominated motion picture actress whose career spanned from the 1920's beyond the 1980's. Among her more then ninety movies are four definite classic films..."Stella Dallas" (Oscar nominated 1937), "Balls of Fire" (Oscar nominated 1941), "Double Indemnity" (Oscar nominated 1944), and "Sorry, Wrong Number" (Oscar nominated 1948). Never a winner and finally in 1982, the Academy presented her an Honorary Oscar for superlative creativity and unique contribution to the art of screen acting. She turned to television in the mid fifties when are movie career waned. Her brilliant new career sparkled..."The Barbara Stanwyck Show" consisted of thirty segments of drama and garnered her an Emmy for outstanding actress. From 1965 to 1969, she played the matriarch of a family of ranchers in "The Big Valley" for which Barbara received two Emmys during the series and the Screen Actors Guild Award while named Photoplay's "Most Popular Female Star." Even though her health was impaired by emphysema, she played the passionate matriarch in the television miniseries "The Thorn Birds." Her excellent performance brought another Emmy. She had further health complications, vision loss and spinal deterioration, but continued to perform and was presented the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1986. Barbara's final television appearance was in "The Colbys," a spin-off from the nighttime soap opera Dynasty. The curtain would drop and the end was near. She died at 82 from congestive heart failure complicated by pneumonia and emphysema at St. John's Hospital, Santa Monica. She did not want a funeral and was directly cremated with her ashes scattered over Lone Pine, California the location where many of her movies and television scenes were filmed. Born Ruby Catherine Stevens, her childhood in Brooklyn was dismal. Her mother would be killed in a trolley accident when she was three and her father Byron a bricklayer would simply vanish a few weeks after her mothers death while traveling to Panama to work on the canal construction. The family, Ruby the youngest, totaled five and would be split up. She and her brother Malcom were relegated to different foster families. Malcom would go on to Hollywood and also forge a successful show business career. At a early age, her older sister Mildred supported both children financially from earnings as a chorus girl while taking Ruby on the road three summers in a row thus lighting up the youngsters desire for a show business career. Barely enrolled at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, she would be forced to quit and find work to support herself. A typing job with the Remick Music Company, with the help of the manager, landed Ruby a job at a nightclub where she was taught to chorus dance. Bit parts led to Broadway with a debut in "The Noose." She became a major stage star in a subsequent show, "Burlesque" which headed her toward Hollywood. Legacy...She was the recipient of a Lincoln Center Life Achievement Award in 1983 and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Barbara was Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1973. Interesting footnotes...In 1981, newspapers across the country ran accounts of a bedroom intruder who robbed and beat her. One wonders why she would abandon her attractive birth name for a stage name difficult to pronounce yet spell. She would say, "it was studio pressure and then a whim after seeing a theatre poster promoting an actress Jane Stanwyck." "Afterwards, for a long time I could not remember my name and when called on location, Miss Stanwyck, Miss Stanwyck, I would fail to respond."

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes scattered.

Specifically:
Ashes scattered in Lone Pine, California

Sammy Davis, Jr. (singer, actor, and dancer )

Cause of death: Throat cancer

Birth: Dec. 8, 1925
Harlem
New York

Death: May 16, 1990
Beverly Hills
California

American Entertainment Icon. Acclaimed and beloved singer, actor, and dancer. A multi-talented performer, Sammy Davis, Jr. recorded forty albums and made countless film, television and appearances in Las Vegas in his life time. He was born in Dec. of 1925 in Harlem New York to New York vaudeville star Sammy Davis, Sr., and the Puerto Rican dancer, Elvera "Baby" Sanchez. When Davis was two his parents divorced and he was raised by his father. He began performing at the age of four, and starred in his first film (Rufus Jones For President) when he was six. Coached by legendary tap dancer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Davis achieved success on the vaudeville circuit, dancing with his father and adopted uncle in the Will Mastin Trio. After a stint in the army, the triple threat singer/dancer/ actor launched his solo career. In 1946, Davis recorded "The Way You Look Tonight" for Capitol Records. In the late 1940s, Davis (still with the Will Mastin Trio) opened for Frank Sinatra at the Capitol Theatre in New York, which ignited a friendship that would last a lifetime. He toured six months with Mickey Rooney and performed in a Bob Hope benefit show. Through Jack Benny, the trio won a booking at Ciro's in Hollywood and an appearance on the Colgate Comedy Hour. After an appearance at the Copacabana in New York, Decca Records signed Davis in 1954 and released his first albums, Starring Sammy Davis, Jr., and Just for Lovers. In 1954, he made headlines when he lost his left eye in a near-fatal car crash while driving back to Los Angeles from Las Vegas. During his recovery in the hospital, he converted to Judaism, which was bruited about by the press. Davis continued treading on socially-controversial ground by carrying on a series of interracial romances, most notably with actress Kim Novak, and with the Swedish actress May Britt, whom he married in 1960. But even in these racially backward times, Davis came into his own on a professional level. He debuted on Broadway in 1956 with the Will Mastin Trio in the musical comedy Mr. Wonderful. Davis began making appearances on t! elevision, including, The Ed Sullivan Show. In 1959, he resumed his film career in a breakthrough role as Sportin' Life in Porgy and Bess (1959). In the early 1960s, he appeared with his "Rat Pack" cohorts Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford in a series of films including Ocean's Eleven (1960), Sergeants Three (1962), and Robin and the Seven Hoods (1964). Davis returned to Broadway in 1964 as boxer Joe Wellington in a highly successful musical adaptation of the 1937 Clifford Odets drama "Golden Boy." Davis was also heavily involved in the civil-rights movement of the 1960s, working with the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others being an international symbol of African-American and Jewish rapport. Davis continued appearing on television variety shows and performing in Las Vegas throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In 1972, he had a number-one hit on the top-forty charts with "Candy Man." Davis acted in two Cannonball Run films in the early 1980s. After undergoing reconstructive hip surgery in 1985, Davis recovered sufficiently to co-star and dance with Gregory Hines in the film "Tap" (1989). And, after announcing that he had successfully overcome an addiction to cocaine and alcohol, Davis embarked on a concert tour in 1988-1989 with fellow Rat-packers Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Although he did not show it or speak about it, Davis was said to be sick on the tour. On Sept. 14 1989, Davis publically announced that he had throat cancer and would begin radiation therapy. On Nov. 13, 1989, an unprecedented turnout of stars appeared at taping of Sammy Davis Tribute in Hollywood. Sammy Davis, Jr. succumbed to throat cancer at his Beverly Hills, California, home on May 16, 1990. His funeral attracted thousands of unknown individuals and the Who's Who of entertainment. Davis funeral was a moving, tear-filled ceremony, punctuated by applause and the standing ovations that characterized his life. A 300-car caravan followed his remains to his Forest Lawn, Glendale, gravesite. Davis was married three times, first to Loray White, a dancer; to actress May Britt, with whom he had one daughter and adopted two sons; and his wife at the time of his death, Altovise Gore, a former showgirl. Davis also wrote three autobiographies, Yes I Can (1965), Life In A Suitcase (1980) and Why Me? (1989).

Burial:
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
Glendale
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Garden of Honor (locked private area)

About Your Post: Vivian Vance (comic sidekick)

Hi! --
I think it's terrific that you have a page about Viv, but you need to do a little more fact checking because there is at least one major error: Viv didn't study under Pulitzer Prize winning playwright William Inge, as she was the same age as Bill and they were best friends as well as classmates. Both of them actually went to school together and studied under Miss Ingleman in Independence, Kansas, where Viv's father ran a local grocery store, located in the front downstairs portion of the house they lived in. Bill actually based on of the major characters in one of his works on Viv. And, also, though I don't know if it is public knowledge, the I945 breakdown was not Viv's first. Like Bill Inge, Viv was in therapy for most of her life, and spent her later years touring the country and lecturing on mental illness and depression, long before it became fashionable to talk about such things on TV shows like OPRAH. I know from whence I speak, as I was a close friend of Viv's. We met in 1971, when I played her son on tour in MY DAUGHTER, YOU SON, costarring Dody Goodman, which they had done on Broadway. And I also had the great honor of knowing Bill Inge, though not nearly as well. I knew his sister, Helene, however, quite well, and remain very close to his niece. I visit Independence for The Annual William Inge Festival, and event which I am proud to say I helped create in 1982, and which annually honors our greatest living American playwrights and theatre composers and lyricists with The William Inge Distinguished Achievement in The American Theatre Award. As even Lucy herself would have told you, Viv was an amazing and wonderful woman, and quite an underrated actress.
Best,
Walter Willison
NYC

Thank you for clearing that up,
All the best
gda

Greta Garbo (actress)

Cause of death: pneumonia and renal failure

Birth: Sep. 18, 1905
Death: Apr. 15, 1990

Greta Lovisa Gustafsson was born in Stockholm, Sweden on September 18, 1905. She was 14 when her father died, leaving the family destitute. Greta was forced to leave school and go to work in a department store. The store used her for her modeling abilities for newspaper ads. She had no film aspirations until she appeared in an advertising short at that same department store while she was still a teenager. This led to another short film when Erik A. Petschler, a comedy director, saw the film. He gave her a small part in the film, _Luffarpetter (1922)_. Encouraged by her own performance she applied for and won a scholarship in a Swedish drama school. While there she appeared in two films, Lyckoriddare, En (1921) and _Luffarpetter (1922)_ the following year. Both were small parts, but it was a start. Finally famed Swedish director, Mauritz Stiller, pulled her from drama school for the leading role in Gösta Berlings saga (1924). At 18, Greta was on a roll. Following Freudlose Gasse, Die (1925) both Greta and Stiller were offered contracts with MGM. Her first US film was Torrent (1926). It was a silent film where she didn't have to speak a word of English. After a few more films, such as The Temptress (1926), Love (1927/I), and A Woman of Affairs (1928), Greta starred in Anna Christie (1930) (her first "talkie"), which not only gave her a powerful screen presence, but also gave her an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress. Unfortunately she didn't win. Later that year she filmed Romance (1930) which was somewhat of a letdown, but bounced back as lead role in Susan Lenox (1931) with Clark Gable. The film was a hit and led to another exciting title role in Mata Hari (1931). Greta continued to give intensified performances in whatever was handed her. The next year Greta was cast in another hit Grand Hotel (1932). But it was MGM's Anna Karenina (1935) where she, perhaps, gave the performance of her life. She was absolutely breathtaking in the title role as a woman torn between two lovers and her son. Greta starred in Ninotchka (1939) which showcased her comedic side. It wasn't until two years later she made what was to be her last film that being Two-Faced Woman (1941), another comedy. After World War II, Greta, by her own admission, felt that the world had changed perhaps forever and she retired, never again to face the camera. She would work for the rest of her life to perpetuate the Garbo mystique. Her films, she felt, had their proper place in history and would gain in value. She abandoned Hollywood and moved to New York City. She would jet-set with some of the world's best known personalities such as Aristotle Onassis and others. She spent time gardening flowers and vegetables. In 1954, Greta was given a special Oscar for past unforgettable performances. She even penned her biography in 1990. On April 15, 1990, Greta died of natural causes in New York and with it the "Garbo Mystique". She was 84.

Interred at Skogskyrkogården Cemetery, Stockholm, Sweden.

Lived the last few years of her life in absolute seclusion.

October 1997: Ranked #38 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.

Letters and correspondence between Garbo and poet, socialite and notorious lesbian Mercedes de Acosta were unsealed on April 15, 2000, exactly 10 years after Garbo's death (per De Acosta's instructions). The letters revealed no love affair between the two, as had been rumored.

Garbo, according to movie director Jacques Feyder: "At 9 o'clock a.m. the work may begin. "Tell Mrs. Garbo we're ready" says the director. "I'm here" a low voice answers, and she appears, perfectly dressed and combed as the scene needs. Nobody could say by what door she came but she's there. And at 6 o'clock PM, even if the shot could be finished in five minutes, she points at the watch and goes away giving you a sorry smile. She's very strict with herself and hardly pleased with her work. She never looks rushes nor goes to the premières but some days later, early in the afternoon, enters all alone an outskirts movie house, takes place in a cheap seat and gets out only when the projection finishes, masked with her sunglasses".

Once voted by The Guinness Book of World Records as the most beautiful woman who ever lived.

Her parents were Karl and Anna Gustafson, and she also had an older sister and brother, Alva Garbo and Sven Garbo. Her father died when she was 14 of nephritis, and her sister was also dead of lymphatic cancer by the time Greta was 21 years old.

Her personal favourite movie of her own was Camille (1936).

She disliked Clark Gable, a feeling that was mutual. She thought his acting was wooden while he considered her a snob.

Left John Gilbert standing at the altar in 1927 when she got cold feet about marrying him.

Before making it big, she worked as a soap-latherer in a barber's shop back in Sweden.

During filming, whenever there was something going on that wasn't to her liking she would simply say "I think I'll go back to Sweden!" which frightened the studio heads so much that they gave in to her every whim.

In the mid-1950s she bought a seven-room-apartment in New York City (450 East 52nd Street) and lived there until she died.

1951: Became a US citizen.

Garbo's sets were closed to all visitors and sometimes even the director! When asked why, she said: "During these scenes I allow only the cameraman and lighting man on the set. The director goes out for a coffee or a milkshake. When people are watching, I'm just a woman making faces for the camera. It destroys the illusion. If I am by myself, my face will do things I cannot do with it otherwise."

Garbo was criticized for not aiding the Allies during WWII, but it was later disclosed that she had helped Britain by identifying influential Nazi sympathizers in Stockholm and by providing introductions and carrying messsages for British agents.

Garbo was prone to chronic depression and spent many years attacking it through Eastern philosophy and a solid health food regiment. However, she never gave up smoking and cocktails.

Except at the very beginning of her career, she granted no interviews, signed no autographs, attended no premieres, and answered no fan mail.

Her volatile mentor/director Mauritz Stiller, who brought her to Hollywood, was abruptly fired from directing her second MGM Hollywood film, The Temptress (1926), after repeated arguments with MGM execs and was soon let go. Unable to hold a job in Hollywood, he returned to Sweden in 1928 and died shortly after at the age of 45. Garbo was devastated.

Garbo actually hoped to return to films after the war but, for whatever reason, no projects ever materialized.

She was as secretive about her relatives as she was about herself, and, upon her death, the names of her survivors could not immediately be determined.

Never married, she invested wisely and was known for her extreme frugality.

Related to Anna Sundstrand of the Swedish pop group Play.

Although it was believed that Garbo lived as an invalid in her post-Hollywood career, this is incorrect. She was a real jet setter, traveling with international tycoons and socialites. In the 1970s she traveled less and grew more and more eccentric, although she still took daily walks through Central Park with close friends and walkers. Due to failing health in the late 1980s, her mobility was challenged. In her final year it was her family that cared for her, including taking her to dialysis treatments. She died with them by her side.

She was originally chosen for the lead roles in The Paradine Case (1947), My Cousin Rachel (1952), and The Wicked Dutchess. Garbo turned down these roles, with the exception of The Wicked Dutchess, which was never shot due to financial problems.

Measurements: 35 1/2-26-38 (in July 1930), 35 1/2-28-33 1/2 (according to MGM designer Adrian), 35B-27-38 (noted in "Those Glamorous Years" book), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine).

Popularized trenchcoats & berets in the 1930s.

According to her friend, producer William Frye, he offered Garbo one million dollars to star as the Mother Superior in his film The Trouble with Angels (1966). When she declined, he cast Rosalind Russell in the part - at a much lower salary.

She was voted the 25th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Sister of Sven Garbo and Alva Garbo.

Her favorite American director was Clarence Brown, who directed her in six films, including the classics Flesh and the Devil (1926), A Woman of Affairs (1928), Anna Christie (1930), and Anna Karenina (1935).

Her first "talkie" film was Anna Christie (1930).

She was voted the 8th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine.

Was named #5 Actress on The American Film Institute's 50 Greatest Screen Legends

Spanish sculptor Pablo Gargallo created three pieces based on Garbo: "Masque de Greta Garbo à la mèche," "Tête de Greta Garbo avec chapeau," and "Masque de Greta Garbo aux cils."

Is one of the many movie stars mentioned in Madonna's song "Vogue"

Pictured on a 37¢ USA commemorative postage stamp issued 23 September 2005, five days after her 100th birthday. On the same day, Sweden issued a 10kr stamp with the same design. The likeness on the stamps was based on a photograph taken during the filming of As You Desire Me (1932).

Once lived in the famed Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles (8221 Sunset Boulevard).

Aunt of Gray Reisfield (daughter of Sven Garbo).

Grandaunt of Derek Reisfield and Scott Reisfield, children of Gray Reisfield and Donald Reisfield.

Her first film appearance ever was in a short advertising film that ran in local theaters in Stockholm.

Her performance as Ninotchka in Ninotchka (1939) is ranked #25 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

Her performance as Ninotchka in Ninotchka (1939) is ranked #53 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Garbo's greatest confidant was Salka Viertel, a German friend who had known Garbo back in Sweden. Viertel proved to be very manipulative of Garbo, including relationships (particularly with that of Mercedes de Acosta), film choices, and general living. It was in fact Salka that kept Garbo from returning to films due to her persuasive workings. Salka was ironically friendly with Marlene Dietrich, Garbo's enemy, whom Salka had known back in Germany's Weimer Republic and whom had much dirt on Dietrich's deepest secrets and past. Garbo's film choices are largely based on Salka's persuasion; they co-starred in the German version of Anna Christie (1930), soon after Garbo insisting that Salka be placed on the MGM payroll as a writer for her films.

Is portrayed by Kristina Wayborn in The Silent Lovers (1980) (TV)

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 316-319. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999.

In Italy, her first films (like Mata Hari (1931) and Grand Hotel (1932)) were dubbed by Francesca Braggiotti. Because Braggiotti had been living in the United States for many years and had a slight American accent, the Italian public didn't really accept her voice so the very Italian Tina Lattanzi was chosen as Garbo's official Italian voice instead (she even re-dubbed Mata Hari (1931)). For her last two films Ninotchka (1939) and Two-Faced Woman (1941), she was dubbed by Andreina Pagnani. When some of Garbo films were re-released in Italy in the 1960's, they were re-dubbed once more. This is how stage actress Anna Proclemer lent her voice to the divine Garbo.

Gary Cooper was reportedly one of her favorite actors. She requested him for several of her films, but nothing ever materialized.

Throughout her entire MGM career, insisted that William Daniels be cinematographer on her pictures. This may not have been purely superstition, as the two notable films she made without him: Conquest (1937) and Two Faced Woman (1941) were her only notable flops.

She was Adolf Hitler's favorite actress.

In late 1934, after Queen Christina (1933) and The Painted Veil (1934), which were both gigantic European successes (making twice their budget in the UK alone), but underwhelming US successes, Garbo signed a contract with MGM saying that she would only make films under David O. Selznick and Irving Thalberg. Her next two films, Anna Karenina (1935) and Camille (1936) were notable hits at the US box office, and produced by Selznick and Thalberg respectively. In 1937 her contract had to be revised as Selznick left the studio in 1935 and Thalberg had died. She made only 3 films after Camille (1936).

When she heard that David O. Selznick, who had produced her hit Anna Karenina (1935), was leaving MGM in 1935 to start his own studio, she begged him to stay saying that she would let him personally supervise all of her pictures exclusively. He said that it would be a great honor, but he had other plans. Ironically, the usually very finicky Irving Thalberg, Garbo's other favorite producer, was the first person to give Selznick money to start his company ($U200,000).

Mentioned in The Killers' "The Ballad of Michael Valentine".

Personal Quotes:

There is no one who would have me...I can't cook.

Being a movie star, and this applies to all of them, means being looked at from every possible direction. You are never left at peace, you're just fair game.

You don't have to be married to have a good friend as your partner for life.

I wish I were supernaturally strong so I could put right everything that is wrong.

Life would be so wonderful if we only knew what to do with it.

Anyone who has a continuous smile on his face conceals a toughness that is almost frightening.

I never said, 'I want to be alone.' I only said, 'I want to be left alone.' There is a whole world of difference.

I don't want to be a silly temptress. I cannot see any sense in getting dressed up and doing nothing but tempting men in pictures.

The story of my life is about back entrances, side doors, secrets elevators and other ways of getting in and out of places so that people won't bother me.

If only those who dream about Hollywood knew how difficult it all is.

Your joys and sorrows. You can never tell them. You cheapen the inside of yourself if you do." "There are some who want to get married and others who don't. I have never had an impulse to go to the altar. I am a difficult person to lead.

[When asked in her later years by a fan if she is Greta Garbo]: "I * was* Greta Garbo."

If you're going to die on screen, you've got to be strong and in good health.

There are many things in your heart you can never tell another person. They are you, your private joys and sorrows, and you can never tell them. You cheapen yourself, the inside of yourself, when you tell them.

I live like a monk: with one toothbrush, one cake of soap, and a pot of cream.

Salary:

Two-Faced Woman (1941) $150,000
Ninotchka (1939) $125,000
Conquest (1937) $500,000
Camille (1936) $500,000
Anna Karenina (1935) $275,000
The Painted Veil (1934) $250,000
Queen Christina (1933) $250,000
Grand Hotel (1932) $7,000 per week
Mata Hari (1931) $7,000 per week
Susan Lenox (1931) $250,000
Inspiration (1931) $250,000
Anna Christie (1931) $250,000
Love (1927/I) $5,000/week
Flesh and the Devil (1926) $600/week
Torrent (1926) $400/week

Burial:
Skogskyrkogården (The Woodland Cemetery)
Stockholms län, Sweden

Jim Davis (actor)

Cause of death: Brain cancer

Birth: Aug. 26, 1909
Death: Apr. 26, 1981

Tall, rangy character actor in many westerns and outdoor dramas. Born and raised in Missouri, Jim Davis' relaxed, easygoing manner and Southern drawl typified the image of the cowboy, and he spent many years at Republic doing just that. He alternated between good-guy and villain roles, one of his better roles being that of the devious, murderous fur trapper working for Kirk Douglas' competition in The Big Sky (1952). He is best known, however, for his role as the Ewing family patriarch Jock in the long-running TV series "Dallas" (1978).

Spouse
Blanche Hammerer (1945 - 26 April 1981) (his death) 1 child

In the early 1970s, he appeared in a widely aired television commercial for Carnation non-dairy coffee creamer. He played a man who found and used it in an apartment that friends lent him.

Only child Tara Diane (15 January 1953-9 February 1970) died in a car crash at age 16.

He was very close to "Dallas" (1978) co-star Victoria Principal, who bore a strong resemblance to his late daughter, and he had Principal's picture along with his daughter's in his pocket when he was buried.

In April 1981 the writers of "Dallas" (1978) decided not to write his death into the storyline right away. They initially thought about replacing him with another actor, but out of respect decided that only Davis should play Jock Ewing. Jock was kept alive on the show (he was down in South America drilling for oil) until early 1982 when it was learned that he died in a plane crash.

Best remembered by the public for his role as Jock Ewing on the 1980s soap opera Dallas (1978).

Burial:
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)
Glendale
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Great Mausoleum, Iris Terrace, Niche 24961

Raymond Bailey (actor)

Cause of death: Heart attack

Birth: May 6, 1904, USA
Death: Apr. 15, 1980, USA

Raymond Bailey was a great example of "If at first you don't succeed..." After high school, Bailey headed for Hollywood with the intent on becoming a movie star, but soon found it tougher than he thought. Instead Bailey went into a high finance career working as stockbroker and banker. He made a second stab at Hollywood, and again had no success. He then became a seaman, working on various freighters and travelling all over the world. Bailey also worked on a pineapple plantation in Hawaii, and tried his luck in the local theatre. Deciding to give Hollywood one more try in 1938, he got lucky getting several small parts in the movies which eventually evolved into bigger character roles. When television became a big, Bailey was in demand for parts and it was there he got his most famous part on the hit sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1962), as (ironically) banker Milburn Drysdale, whose fists were tighter than Elly May's pants. After the show ended, he did a few movie roles.

Spouse
Gaby George (? - 15 April 1980) (his death)


Trivia
Worked as a deckhand on a freighter in China, Japan, Hawaii, the Philippines and the Mediterranean.

His first job in Hollywood was as a laborer, but he was fired for sneaking into a mob scene during a movie shoot.

Before joining the cast of the "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1962), he could be seen without his toupee for many of his roles.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes scattered at sea.

Victor Sen Yung (actor)

Cause of death: Accidentally asphyxiated by an apartment gas leak.

Birth: Oct. 18, 1915
San Francisco
San Francisco County
California, USA

Death: Nov. 9, 1980
North Hollywood
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Achieving both film and TV notice during his lengthy career, this diminutive Asian-American character was born Sen Yew Cheung on October 18, 1915 in San Francisco of humble Chinese émigrés. When his mother died during the flu epidemic of 1919, his father placed Victor and his sister in a children's shelter and returned to his homeland. He arrived back in America in the mid-20s having remarried, and the children were released back to his guardianship where they began learning Chinese. To contribute to the family income, young Sen Yung was employed as a houseboy at age 11 and managed to earn his way through college at the University of California at Berkeley with an interest in animal husbandry and receiving a degree in economics.

Following a move to Hollywood for some post graduate work at UCLA and USC, Victor gained an entrance into films via extra work, where he was in such roles as a peasant boy in _Good Earth, The (1937), and a soldier in Mr. Moto Takes a Chance (1938), among others. During this early period he also worked as a salesman for a chemical firm. In one of Hollywood's more interesting tales of being "discovered", the story goes that Victor was on the Twentieth Century-Fox studio lot at the time trying to pitch one of his company's flame retardant compounds to industry techies when one of them suggested he check out casting. The original Charlie Chan, Warner Oland, had passed away and the series was undergoing a major casting overhaul. In the end, Sidney Toler, who was replacing the late Mr. Oland and received cast approval, chose the fledgling actor following a screen test to play his #2 son, Jimmy Chan, for the film Charlie Chan in Honolulu (1938). Victor went on to play the role for seventeen other "Charlie Chan" features. Needless, to say he quit the sales business for good.

Victor enjoyed playing Jimmy, the earnest rookie detective who, to his chagrin, was always under the watchful eye of his famous father while trying to help solve murder cases. Outside the role, however, Victor (billed as Sen Yung, Victor Yung and Victor Sen Yung at different times) found the atmosphere oppressive. Usually cast in nothing-special Asian stereotypes, sometimes villainous, in war-era films, parts in such movies as The Letter (1940) starring Bette Davis, _Secret Agent of Japan (1942), Little Tokyo, U.S.A. (1942), Moontide (1942), Across the Pacific (1942), Manila Calling (1942), China (1943) and Night Plane from Chungking (1943), did little to advance his stature in Hollywood. His career was interrupted for U.S. Air Force duty as a Captain of Intelligence during WWII. His part in the Chan pictures was taken over by actor Benson Fong.

Victor was able to pick up where he left off in Hollywood following the war and returned to his famous role as #2 son. The character's name, however, was eventually changed from "Jimmy" to "Tommy" after a third installment of Charlie Chan pictures were filmed with Roland Winters now the title sleuth after the passing of Mr. Toler in 1947. While Victor's workload was fairly steady, again the roles themselves were meager and hardly inspiring. Most were in "B" level crime mysteries and war pictures and many were accepted with no screen credit at all. Reduced often to playing middle-age servile roles (houseboys, laundrymen, valets, clerks, dock workers and waiters), some of his slightly more prominent roles include those in Woman on the Run (1950), Forbidden (1953), Target Hong Kong (1953), and Trader Tom of the China Seas (1954). His last film appearance was in The Man with Bogart's Face (1980).

On TV, Victor appeared in two familiar recurring roles. On the John Forsythe series "Bachelor Father" (1957), he showed up as "Peter Fong" on the final season of the sitcom. He played the cousin to houseboy Sammee Tong's regular character. Victor is better remembered, however, for the part of Hop Sing, the earnest, volatile cook to the Cartwright clan, provided sporadic comic relief on the long-running "Bonanza" (1959) western series. He also appeared in the TV pilot and in several episodes of the popular philosophical western series "Kung Fu" (1972), as well as popping up in dramatic episodes of "Hawaiian Eye", "The F.B.I. and "Hawaii 5-0". Sitcoms gave a hint of his gentle, humorous side in "Here's Lucy", "Get Smart" and "Mister Ed", but there was not a single role that truly improved his standing in Hollywood.

Married and divorced with one child, Victor was looking for work outside of acting by the mid-1970s. At one point he was giving cooking demonstrations in department stores. An accomplished chef who specialized in Cantonese-style cooking, he wrote the 1974 Great Wok Cookbook and dedicated the book to his father, Sen Gam Yung. Victor was working on a second cookbook when he was suddenly found dead in November of 1980 under initially "mysterious circumstances" in his modest San Fernando Valley bungalow. Following an investigation it was determined that Victor was accidentally asphyxiated in his sleep after turning on a faulty kitchen stove for heat. He was survived by his son and two grandchildren.

Remembered as "No. 2 Son," Jimmy Chan, in Sidney Toler's Charlie Chan movies of the 1930s and '40s.

Perhaps more familiar to TV audiences as Hop Sing, the ranch cook, in "Bonanza" (1959).

Played the role of "Number Two Son" in 25 Charlie Chan films during the late 1930s and most of the 1940s; his comedic character was alternately named James, Jimmy, or Tommy Chan.

He majored in animal husbandry at the College of Agriculture at the University of California, Berkeley, and has a memorial scholarship named after him, awarded each year by the Chinese Alumni Association.

In 1972, Yung, returning to Los Angeles from San Francisco, was among the passengers on a PSA airliner hijacked by two Bulgarians demanding ransom and passage to Siberia. Yung was wounded along with another passenger, and a third passenger and the two hijackers were killed when FBI agents stormed the plane on the ground at San Francisco.

Was an accomplished Cantonese cook and penned the book "Great Wok Cookbook" in 1974.

Yung served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, first making training films at the First Motion Picture Unit, then as a member of the cast of "Winged Victory," the Air Forces' theatrical play and film (as Sgt. Victor Young). He then requested officer training and apparently reached the rank of captain.

Burial:
Greenlawn Memorial Park
Colma
San Mateo County
California, USA

Jay Silverheels (actor)

Cuase of death: stroke

Birth: May 26, 1919
Death: Mar. 5, 1980

He is best remembered for his role of 'Tonto', the faithful Indian companion of the 'Lone Ranger'. Born Harold J. Smith, at the Six Nations Indian Reservation in Ontario, Canada, to a Mohawk Chief, he excelled in sports during high school, and became a noted Lacrosse player, before entering films as a stuntman in 1938. After military service in World War II, he returned to films, landing small roles, usually as stereotyped Indians, in such films as "Canyon Passage" (1946), "Northwest Outpost" (1947), "The Last Roundup" (1947), "Captain from Castile" (1947), "The Prairie" (1947), "Yellow Sky" (1949), and many other B-movies. In 1949, he played in the movie "The Cowboy and the Indians" with actor Clayton Moore, and together, they were both hired to play the roles of the Lone Ranger and his Indian friend, Tonto, in the television series, "The Lone Ranger." Silverheels played the role during the entire period from 1949 to 1957, even when Clayton Moore was replaced one season by John Hart (1952 to 1953), winning respectability for Indians at a time when most Hollywood movies and television portrayed them as the bad guys. He reprised the role of Tonto for the two Lone Ranger movies, "The Lone Ranger" (1955) and "The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold" (1958). When the series ended in 1957, Silverheels found his fame as Tonto overshadowed everything else he did, and he continued to reprise the role in commercials, guest spots, and small bit parts. Later films include "True Grit" (1969), "Cat Ballou" (1971), "The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing" (1973), and "One Little Indian" (1973). In later years, he became a spokesman for Indian rights and a respected teacher within the Indian acting community, appearing on talk shows and variety shows. In his late years, he became a harness racer, giving it up only as his health began to fail, in the mid-1970s. He died of a stroke in 1980 in Woodland Hills, California. His son, Jay Silverheels, Jr, has become a television actor in his father's footsteps. In 1993, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers in the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes scattered.

Specifically:
Ashes Spread On Homestead on Six Nations Indian Reserve

William "Buckwheat" Thomas (little rascal)

Cause of death: Heart attack

Birth: Mar. 12, 1931
Death: Oct. 10, 1980

One of the most popular of "The Little Rascals". Thomas played Buckwheat in 93 "Our Gang" films, beginning in 1934. Conceived as a replacement for Matthew "Stymie" Beard, Buckwheat was originally an androgynous character with a tangle of braids, but with time he assumed his true gender and standard costume of floppy hat, striped shirt, and tattered pants precariously held up by one suspender. His garbled English---punctuated by his signature exclamation, "Otay!"---belied a craftiness that put him one step ahead of the bigger kids, and he was often paired with the inscrutable Porky as a sort of Greek chorus to the Gang's antics. Buckwheat stayed with "Our Gang" until the series' demise in 1944. Described by his co-stars as easygoing and cooperative, Thomas had seemingly little difficulty adjusting to life outside of show business. After serving in the Army during the Korean War (and obviously not World War II, as noted on his grave marker), he worked for many years as a lab technician at Technicolor and made few attempts to cash in on his fame. When he was given a standing ovation at an "Our Gang" reunion in August of 1980, Thomas was moved to tears. Two months later he died of a heart attack. He was 49. His Buckwheat character was affectionately spoofed by Eddie Murphy during the comedian's stint on TV's "Saturday Night Live" in the early 1980s. Thomas was born in Los Angeles.

Burial:
Inglewood Park Cemetery
Inglewood
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Acacia Slope Plot, Lot 773, Grave D. In Northeast corner of plot, next to roadway and directly across from Fairhaven Plot
GPS (lat/lon): 33.964, -118.3371

Milburn Stone (actor)

Cause of death: Heart attack

Birth: Jul. 5, 1904
Death: Jun. 12, 1980

Character Actor. He labored and toiled for twenty years with background parts, literally appearing in hundreds of uncredited character roles as clerks, reporters, sailors, detectives, convicts, robbers and henchmen. In 1955, he became an "instant" star on the television series "Gun Smoke." The appreciative and exasperated actor, after years of futility, found long lasting success as "Doctor Adams," remaining on the show for its entire 20-year run (500 episodes). Although sidelined with health problems, he missed only seven episodes. After the show's cancellation in 1975, he retired to his ranch near San Diego, fishing and making furniture for his residence. Five years later, a heart attack claimed him at age 75. He was born in Burrton, Kansas. His inspiration was his father's brother, Broadway comedian Fred Stone. The family moved from Burrton to nearby Frizell at the age of three, where he attended grade school. Following the death of his father, Milburn and his mother returned to his birth place of Burrton where he attended and graduated high school. Upon graduation, Milburn was offered a congressional appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, but declined the offer to pursue his goal of becoming an actor. Still a teenager, he found work with various touring repertory troupes, then tried vaudeville with a song-and-dance team called "Stone and Strain." Stone made a minor appearance on Broadway in "The Jayhawkers" then headed to Los Angeles in 1935 in an attempt at a movie career. A few of his movies where he was credited..."Federal Bullets" "The Great Alaskan Mystery" "The Master Key" "The Long Gray Line" "The Private War of Major Benson" and "Young Mr. Lincoln." Legacy...For his contribution to the television industry, Milburn has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was inducted posthumously into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Stone received an Emmy award for his crusty role on "Gun Smoke." He was awarded an honorary doctorate from St. Mary of the Plains College located in where else but Dodge City, Kansas. He was nominated in 1971 as best supporting television actor for a Golden Globe Award in the Gunsmoke series but did not win. In a bit of trivia...From its premier in 1955 to the last run in 1975, "Gunsmoke" was the longest running dramatic series in the history of television. James Arness and Milburn remained all 20 seasons and Amanda Blake departed after 19 years.

Burial:
El Camino Memorial Park
San Diego
San Diego County
California, USA

Plot:
Vista del Lago Section, Lot 401-D

Jimmy Durante (comic, "singer")

Cause of death: pneumonia

Birth: Feb. 10, 1893
Brooklyn (Kings County)
Kings County
New York, USA

Death: Jan. 29, 1980
Santa Monica
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Legendary actor, comedian and vaudeville star for over 50 years. He is fondly remembered for his trademark large nose (which he referred to as the Great Schnozzola), gravel voice, and slaughter of words. His signature sign off, "Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are" is a tribute to his first wife, Jeanne Olsen, who had died in 1943. Born James Francis Durante in New York City, he dropped out of school in the eighth grade when his schoolmates made fun of his big nose, large ears, and stuttering; he would later reveal that he made up his mind never to make fun of anyone else, but to laugh at his own looks. Durante initially worked the city bars, clubs, and vaudeville shows as a ragtime pianist. Eventually, he hooked up with the Original New Orleans Jazz Band (where it was said that he was the only band member not born in New Orleans) where he polished his routine and timing, using songs to introduce his jokes. By 1920, he had become so popular that the band renamed itself as Jimmy Durante's Jazz Band, and made him bandleader. With the advent of radio in the 1920s, Jimmy became part of a music and comedy trio called Clayton, Jackson and Durante. His whimsical song, Inka Dinka Doo, was introduced on radio in 1934; it would become his signature song for the remainder of his life. He began to appear in motion pictures, often in cameo roles playing himself, including such films as "The Passionate Plumber" (1932), "Palooka" (1934), "You're in the Army Now" (1941), and later, on a number of television shows during the 1950s and 1960s. Jimmy married his first wife, Jeanne Olsen, on June 19, 1921; when she died on Valentine's Day 1943, he was extremely distraught, and added the famous signature signoff line to his act; the name Calabash is a typical Durante mispronunciation of Calabasas, a town in California where they last lived. Durante would remarry, on Christmas Day 1960, to Marjorie Little, a hatcheck girl at the Copacabana Club, whom he would court for 16 years before she agreed to marry him. He was 67 and she was 39, but they never looked back upon their age difference except with humor and love. They would adopt a daughter, Cecelia Alicia Durante, whom they nicknamed "Ce Ce." Durante was well known for his love of children and he often volunteered his services to help raise money for handicapped and abused children. His free work with the Fraternal Order of Eagles was so well known that they named the children's fund after him. In his later years, he would continue to work in television, narrating the children's Christmas special, "Frosty the Snowman" (1969), adding his voice talents to the such cartoons as the bulldog Spike who's puppy son is always getting into trouble (adding yet another Durante quote to posterity "Dat's my boy"), and doing occasional guest appearances. He was often caricatured in film and television by other comedians, since his trademarks were so easy to mimic. Durante died of pneumonia in Santa Monica, California at the age of 86.

Burial:
Holy Cross Cemetery
Culver City
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
F, T96, space 6

Steve McQueen (actor)

Cause of death: Heart attack after cancer surgery

Birth: Mar. 24, 1930
Death: Nov. 7, 1980

Movie and television Actor. Most remembered for his roles in "The Great Escape" (1963), Papillon (1973), and a host of other action movies. Born in Beech Grove, Indiana, he dropped out of school in the 9th grade, was sent to reform school, and enlisted in the US Marine Corps. Later, he studied acting, breaking into films in 1956 with bit parts. In 1958, he got the lead in the teen movie "The Blob" (1958), which lead to his role of bounty hunter Josh Randall in the TV series "Wanted: Dead or Alive" (1958-1960). His career continued to grow with films such as "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), Hell is for Heroes (1962) and "The Great Escape" (1963), in which he performed many of his own stunts on a motorcycle. For his role as Jake Holman in "The Sand Pebbles" (1966), he received an Oscar nomination. His most successful film was "Bullitt" (1968), which he again performed his own stunts, running up and down San Francisco hills in a car. Diagnosed with mesothelioma lung cancer (caused by exposure to asbestos - it is thought that the asbestos lined crash suit from his race car driving days was one potential source) in December 1979, he kept it a secret while filming "The Hunter" (1980), and died within a day after undergoing surgery to remove tumors from his right lung. He was married three times, to Neile Adams (1957 to 1972, divorced), to actress Ali MacGraw (1973 to 1978, divorced), and to Barbara Minty (1980 until his death). He often carried a pistol after it was determined that he topped the list of celebrities to be killed by the Charles Manson "Family;" oddly enough, he would claim to have a dinner appointment at the home of Roman Polanski-Sharon Tate the night she was murdered by the Manson group, but had to cancel the appointment; this claim is disputed by other Hollywood star watchers.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes scattered at sea.

Specifically:
Ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean

Hope Summers (actress)

Cause of death: congestive heart failure

Birth: Jun. 7, 1896
Mattoon
Coles County
Illinois, USA

Death: Jun. 22, 1979
Woodland Hills
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Hope Summers (June 7, 1902 – July 22, 1979) was an American character actress known for her work on The Andy Griffith Show playing Clara Edwards. She was born Sarah Hope Summers in Mattoon, Illinois, the daughter of John W. and Jennie B. (Burks) Summers, and raised in Illinois and in Walla Walla, Washington.

A regional actress who had often performed in one-woman shows, Summers was past 50 when she came to Hollywood to begin her career as a character player. She made her television debut in 1951 on the series Hawkin Falls, Population 6200 but it was not until the late 1950's when she kicked off a career as one of the most in-demand character performers on television.

Summers first attracted attention in 1958 in the semi-regular role as Hattie Denton on the western series The Rifleman. She guest starred on dozens of series including Wagon Train, Divorce Court, Hazel, Gunsmoke, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Bewitched, Hawaii Five-0, M*A*S*H, Starsky and Hutch, Welcome Back Kotter, and Little House on the Prairie but will be forever known for her work as Clara Edwards, Aunt Bee's slightly gossipy best friend on The Andy Griffith Show. Summers made 36 appearances on the program during the 1960's (in earlier episodes her character was called Bertha) as well as five appearances on the post-Griffith spinoff Mayberry R.F.D..

Her film work usually was in quite small parts, occasionally unbilled, but she had a good-sized role in the most unGriffith-like Rosemary's Baby in 1968. She was still a very active actress until the year before her death from congestive heart failure at age 77 in 1979. She died in Woodland Hills, California.

Burial:
Unknown

Jack Soo (actor)

Cause of death: Cancer

Birth: Oct. 28, 1917
Death: Jan. 11, 1979

Born Goro Suzuki in Oakland, California, he was swept up in the relocation of those of Japanese descent during the Second World War. He was sent to Topaz Relocation Center in Utah where he was a camp favorite serving as entertainer and singer at dances and events. After the end of the war, he changed his name and began a career as a stand up comedian touring the Midwest circuit. In 1958 he made his Broadway debut in Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical, 'Flower Drum Song.' He then appeared in the film of the same name in 1961. He managed to find a niche as a character actor, appearing in such films as 'Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?' in 1963, 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' in 1967, and 'The Green Berets' in 1968. In the early 1970s he made guest appearances on television programs such as 'Hawaii 5-0,' 'M*A*S*H,' 'Police Story,' and 'Ironside.' In 1975 he was cast in what was to be his best remembered role, Detective Nick Yemana on the sitcom, 'Barney Miller.' His wry, dry character quickly became a favorite. During the show's fifth season, Soo was diagnosed with throat cancer and succumbed after a short battle at the height of his popularity. The cast of 'Barney Miller' stepped out of character in a retrospective episode that aired in May of 1979 in tribute to Soo.

Burial:
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Eternal Love, Lot 3980

Ted Cassidy (actor)

Cause of death: Complications from open heart surgery

Birth: Jul. 31, 1932
Death: Jan. 16, 1979

Although born in Pittsburgh, Cassidy was raised in Philippi, West Virginia, 120 miles south of Pittsburgh. He played basketball (center position) and football (tackle) for Philippi High School. At that time, he was an imposing figure in both venues, being the tallest player in the conference. Early in his academic career, Cassidy attended West Virginia Wesleyan College, in nearby Buckhannon, WV, where he was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity. He later attended Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, as a Speech Major. Active in student government, he also played basketball for the Hatters, averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds in his only season as a player. Early in his show business career, he worked as a mid-day disc jockey on WFAA-AM in Dallas, Texas. He also occasionally appeared on WFAA-TV Channel 8, playing "Creech," an outer space creature on the "Dialing for Dollars" segments on Ed Hogan's afternoon movies. An accomplished musician, Cassidy moonlighted at Luby's Cafeteria in the Lochwood Shopping Center in Dallas, playing the organ to entertain patrons. On November 22, 1963, shortly after the John F. Kennedy assassination, Cassidy interviewed several of the witnesses, including two very close witnesses, William and Gayle Newman, after the Newman's had appeared on WFAA-TV, but before they left to go to the Dallas Sheriff’s office (No tape exists of that interview for the radio station did not start recording their broadcasts until about 1:45 PM)

Cassidy's unusual height (6 feet 9 inches tall, or 206 cm) gave him an advantage in auditioning for unusual character roles. He is probably best known for playing the tall butler, Lurch (in which role he feigned[1] playing the harpsichord), and the "helpful hand in a box" character named Thing, on the 1960s American television series, The Addams Family (A crew member would take over the "Thing" role in those scenes which had both Lurch and Thing).

Cassidy portrayed the voice of the more aggressive version of Balok in the Star Trek episode "The Corbomite Maneuver", and he played the role of the android Ruk in the episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?." He also voiced the Gorn in the Star Trek episode "Arena".

Cassidy did more work with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry in the early 1970s, playing Isiah (pronounced "Eye-SIGH-ah") in the pilots of the post-apocalyptic dramas "Genesis II" and "Planet Earth."

Ted appeared in several episodes of I Dream of Jeannie in 1968. Once appearing as the master to Jeannie's devious sister in part 3 of the 4-part episode "Genie, Genie, Who's Got the Genie?", and again in the episode "Please Don't Feed the Astronauts."

Concurrently with his appearances on The Addams Family, Cassidy began doing character voices on a recurring basis for the Hanna-Barbera Studios, culminating in the role of Frankenstein Jr. in Frankenstein Jr. and The Impossibles series. Cassidy also voiced Ben Grimm aka The Thing in the 1978 animated Fantastic Four.

After The Addams Family, Cassidy began to add the desire for more voice-over work to his résumé; in that acting field, most notably, he narrated the opening of the TV series The Incredible Hulk. Cassidy also provided the Hulk's growls and roars. He also provided the growls and roar for Godzilla in the 1979 cartoon series and the gurgling voice of Black Manta on Superfriends. He detested being compared or confused with acromegalic actor Richard Kiel, who played "Jaws," the assassin with stainless steel teeth, in two James Bond films.

Other film work included his appearance in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He also co-wrote the screenplay of 1973's The Harrad Experiment, in which he made a brief appearance.

Cassidy died in 1979 at age 46 from complications following open-heart surgery. Fellow actor Sandra Martinez assisted and took care of Ted during his final years. Cassidy's remains were cremated, and buried in the backyard of his Woodland Hills home. An Addams Family movie was dedicated to him.

Burial:
Cremated, Ashes scattered.

Specifically:
Ashes Buried in the front lawn of his home

Darla Hood (actress)

Cause of death: Acute hepatitis contracted while in the hospital for a minor operation

Birth: Nov. 8, 1931
Death: Jun. 3, 1979

Darla Jean Hood (November 8, 1931 – June 13, 1979) was an American child actress, best known for her lead roles in Our Gang (Little Rascals) shorts during the late 1930s and early 1940s. She was born in Leedey, Oklahoma, the only child of James Claude Hood and Elizabeth Davner. Her father worked in a bank and her mother was a music teacher.

Darla's mother started her in singing and dancing at an early age, taking her to lessons in Oklahoma City. Just after her third birthday, she was taken to New York City, where she was seen by Joe Rivkin, a casting director for Hal Roach Studios, who arranged a screen test. She was then taken to Culver City, California, to appear in the Our Gang movies.

Hood made her debut in The Bohemian Girl with Laurel and Hardy. From 1935 to 1941, she played Darla in Our Gang. Her coquettish character typically was the love interest of Alfalfa, Butch, or (usually) Waldo. One of her most memorable moments was singing a romantic song entitled "I'm in the Mood for Love" in The Pinch Singer.

When she outgrew her role in Our Gang, she appeared in a couple of other movies and attended school in Los Angeles. While at Fairfax High School, she organized a vocal group called the Enchanters with four boys. Shortly after graduation, the quartet was booked by producer and star Ken Murray for his famous "Blackouts", a stage variety show. The group remained with Murray's Blackouts during its long run in New York and Hollywood.

Hood then went out on her own with singing engagements in nightclubs and guest appearances on TV. She was a regular on The Ken Murray Show from 1950 to 1951. In 1955, she was a leading lady in the act of ventriloquist Edgar Bergen. She had a hit record in 1957, "I Just Wanna Be Free", and appeared in the movie Calypso Heat Wave singing a duet with Johnny Desmond. She also recorded two songs with the Ray Whitaker Orchestra, "Only Yours" and "Silent Island", for RayNote Records.

In January 1959, she released a new record, Quiet Village. Joe Rivkin, who discovered her as a child, saw the cover and cast her in her final film role, which was also her first adult role in a movie. She played a secretary in the suspense drama The Bat (1959) with Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead.


Flirtatous Darla casts her spell over Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer in 1937's Hearts are Thumps. George "Spanky" McFarland and Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas disapprove.Hood was a guest on such TV shows of the early 1960s as Tell It to Groucho starring Groucho Marx and The Jack Benny Show, where she appeared on October 30, 1962 as "Darla" in a spoof of the old Our Gang shows with Jack Benny (who appeared as Alfalfa). She did singing and voice-over on TV commercials, which included Campbell Soup and Chicken of the Sea tuna. She appeared in her own nightclub act at the Coconut Grove in Los Angeles, the Copacabana in New York, and the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

During the 1960s and 1970s, she went to many Our Gang/Little Rascals festivals and conventions, meeting and greeting the various generations of fans.

Hood was busy organizing a 1980 Little Rascals reunion for the Los Angeles Chapter of The Sons of the Desert when she underwent minor surgery at a North Hollywood hospital. Following the procedure, Darla contracted acute hepatitis under suspicious circumstances and died suddenly on June 13, 1979. She was 47. [1]

The Our Gang community was stunned at Hood's unexpected passing. Fellow Our Gang member Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas said, "I hate to hear it. It's a shock. She was an awfully nice person, a fine woman. We got along real good as kids." [2] A little over a year later, Thomas died as well.

Burial:
Hollywood Forever
Hollywood
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Abbey of the Psalms, Sanctuary of Light, top row, halfway down hall near the door, corridor G-4, crypt 7213
GPS (lat/lon): 34.08929, -118.3212

Jack Haley (actor)

Cause of death: heart attack

Birth: Aug. 10, 1898
Boston
Massachusetts, USA

Death: Jun. 6, 1979
Los Angeles
California, USA

He is best remembered for his role of the 'Tin Man' in the 1939 film, "The Wizard of Oz." A versatile actor, he proved a good light comedian, as well as a descent singer and dancer. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Irish Protestant parents, he showed early acting interest when at age 6, he entertained the congregation at church with his antics. His father trained him to be an electrician, and he worked for a while at the Boston Navy Yard. But at age 18, after finishing high school, he moved to Philadelphia in hopes starting a show business career. To pay the bills, he worked as a switchboard operator and as a hotel bellboy. He began his career by auditioning as a singer for a music-publishing firm. Using the money from that job, he learned to tap dance, and shortly afterwards, found a small job on the vaudeville stage in Hoboken, New Jersey, working as a singer and dancer in a touring company musical, "At the Soda Fountain," in which he played a young soda jerk that sang and danced to attract business. After this, he teamed up with Charley Crafts, with Jack Haley cracking jokes, singing and dancing while Charley played the straight man. Within six months, the two played New York's famed Palace Theater, where he was able to meet and make friends of many future stars, including George Burns, Gracie Allen and Jack Benny. It was here that he met dancer Florence McFadden, and on February 25, 1921, he married her. They would have two children. His son, Jack Jr., also became an actor, and later a producer and director. Jack signed for a series of stage musicals, including "Round the Town" (1924), "Gay Paree," and "Free for All." He began in films, with "Broadway Madness" (1927), and won some leading roles. His best film role is considered to be "Wake Up and Live" (1937), in which he plays microphone shy singer Eddie Kane, who is coaxed by actress Alice Faye into singing a great rendition of "The Phantom Troubadour." But it is his role as the 'Tin Man' in the 1939 film, "The Wizard of Oz," for which he is most remembered. Ironically, actor Buddy Ebsen was originally cast in the role, but had to drop out when he proved to be allergic to the metal makeup. Haley continued to make films through the war years, with his last major film in 1946. During the 1950s, he pursued several guest and cameo roles in television, in such shows as "Desilu Playhouse", "Playhouse 90", "Make Room for Daddy", the "Jackie Gleason Show", and "Marcus Welby, MD". He died in Los Angeles in 1979 following a sudden heart attack.

Burial:
Holy Cross Cemetery
Culver City
Los Angeles County
California, USA

Plot:
Grotto, L100, 2