One day in early July, Shawn and Kim and I took a drive and one of the places we went was to 'Hollywood Forever'....which use to be called The Hollywood Cemetery.....
I have written about my very favorite 'final resting place' many times before.....I really love this place. It has such a feeling of 'Old Hollywood' and embodies so much Hollywood History. It is where Rudolph Valentino's Crypt is............
And Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. is buried here......
Above, is the very beautiful monument to Fairbanks. And below, a closer look, and you ca see some of the Birds that live at Hollywood Forever....
Also....Marion Davies is buried here in her very own family Mausoleum...Douris is the name on the building because that was Davies real 'family' name. It is a beautiful little building with many lovely details---do click to make it bigger and then, click again to make it really Big!
Many other great and notable Hollywood people are buried here, too. The very handsome, talented and very much under rated Tyrone Power has a very tasteful small monument, with a very appropriate and famous quotation from "Hamlet" on the bench itself, ending in"....Good Night Sweet Prince, And Flights Of Angels Sing Thee To Thy Rest......" 
And the great great film Director, Cecil B. DeMille is buried here in the heart of Hollywood. There is a family crypt---well, not a crypt in the strict sense, but a beautiful double monument made of white marble.......There always seem to be fresh flowers there......here it is, below.......
And Harry Cohn---the head of Columbia Pictures in it's heyday, and, they say--'the most hated man in show business'.......
I don't know if that is true, but supposedly, after Cohn's Funeral, which was Standing-Room-Only, the fabulously talented Danny Kaye was quoted as saying, "Give the people what they want and they will come...!" These titans of the Studio System were really tough men---Harry Cohn, was known as the toughest....I don't know if Danny Kaye actually said that, or someone else....but it is one of those Hollywood story's that has been passed down, and one that is taken as 'truth'......
And the wonderfully talented actor, Peter Finch---who deservedly won an Academy Award for the movie "Network" is buried here in Hollywood Forever, too, not far away from Valentino, actually. (Finch died just before the Academy Awards that year, so his Best Actor Award was given to him, posthumously....I remember his widow accepted the Award for him and it was very a touching moment.....) And there are so very many many other wonderful film and television people buried here, too.......
There is a wonderful pond and many beautiful birds swim about there and people come and bring bread for the birds and Birdseed, too....
And below.....my very favorite picture of the Hollywood Forever birds, enjoying their special treats from the human visitors who come by just to feed them......
One can only hope that they all get some of the treats that are brought to them by these lovely generous people.....There are many different kinds of birds that live at Hollywood Forever.....And here below is a little bit of a tease for Part 2....Coming along here in a few days.........
Yes! Hollywood Forever has Peacocks!
More To Come..............
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I love Peacocks!
What a beautiful place. I mean it could be morbid, but it really isn't at all. Everything looks beautifully kept as well.
Personally when I die I won't want a gravestone or anything, and I want to be cremated, but I can understand people that want all this as well.
I'm looking forward to part 2!- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 3:44:00 AM PDT
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a sad but beautiful place.. with each name you read memories fill ones mind of times gone by...
- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 4:07:00 AM PDT
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I love cemeteries where people cared enough to make a statement, build something beautiful to leave behind. It doesn't matter whether they're old or new, although the older ones seem to be the nicest. I find most cemeteries to be peaceful places of relaxation and reflection and we could all use more of that.
- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 5:08:00 AM PDT
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It's a beautiful place. I hope the tourists don't overwhelm the place, in order to give friends and family the peace and solitude they deserve.
- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 5:58:00 AM PDT
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Now that was interesting Naomi. I do enjoy the peace of cemetaries. Quite an impressive who's who.
Think I liked Tyrone Power's the best. Not showy, just perfect.
Had to laugh over Danny Kaye's quote. The perfect zinger.
For once I found you before you had to hunt me up.- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 6:47:00 AM PDT
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Isn't Hollywood Forever beautiful? I love visiting beautiful cemeteries. To see the workmanship that went into the wonderful headstones, statues crypts and mausoleums is a sight to behold. I think anyone can appreciate these things as beautiful art--which they are.
My family cemetery is the Gate of Heaven in upstate NY. I remember my parents taking me there as a child to visit my grandparents' grave. Afterwards, we would walk about to see the headstones of the many famous people buried there. Anna Held, who was married to Flo Ziegfeld and was a great stage actress, has a beautiul monument with four tall granite columns and two large granite benches to sit in and look at the beautiful stone bridge and lake below. I also remember Babe Ruth's headstone which has a life-size fresco of Jesus with his hand out to a young boy dressed in a baseball uniform. These are works you can't help but be touched by.- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 8:25:00 AM PDT
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Good morning, Naomi!
This kind of stuff is right up my alley!!! I keep meaning to do this when I am in LA and always something else comes up. There is a cemetary in Houston that has many of the titans of Texas history including Howard Hughes. It's called Glenwood, I believe. I love going there. When we were doing "Our Town" at The Alley, I brought some of the cast there. I thought it would be a fun way to get in the mood. This stuff is never creepy to me. I think, in days past, that people used to picnic in cemetaries. Too bad that stopped.
On a different note I am seeing "The House Of Davids" in the press lately. I believe it is for sale. It was on Yahoo yesterday.- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 9:06:00 AM PDT
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Hahahahaha, I didn't sign off and hit send too soon.
I hope that you have a great day, Naomi. It is suunny here and I am contemplating a drive to Sedona, which is about a 2 hour drive.
Much love,
Stan- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 9:08:00 AM PDT
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Utterly fabulous!!! And oh the memories it evoked!!!!
- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 2:19:00 PM PDT
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Hi Naomi,
Many memories of some great people and I guess only as well kept as you would expect.
We just don't have anywhere on such a grand scale, here in the UK, however many other European countries have such well ordered and beautifully kept cemeteries, putting us to shame.
Some of the headstones and statues are so elaborately carved, that they are really pieces of art in their own right.
I hope that the place doesn't get so overwhelmed by visitors, that the atmosphere of calm and serenity is lost, but it certainly looks peaceful there on the day of your trip
Yvonne- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 3:11:00 PM PDT
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I think graveyards (or cemeteries, whatever you like to call them) are fascinating places to wander around. If I'm in a new city and have some time to kill (hahaha no pun intended!), I love to have a stroll through the local graveyard, and read the inscriptions on the graves. Hollywood Forever would be a fascinating plce to visit. I assume it's open to the public all day?
- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 3:41:00 PM PDT
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I love that it is so open - not shrouded with heavy trees, that it is so beautifully cared for and that it has its own bird population. A great place to meditate on the stars no longer with us.
- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 3:53:00 PM PDT
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What a beautiful resting place...and with such amazing personalities. Those spirits must be ecstatic! Thanks for sharing, Naomi, and happy Thursday to you, amiga! Miss chatting with you. xo
- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 4:08:00 PM PDT
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What a beautiful environment for a final resting place. I felt more peaceful just looking at the photos. Glad to have the peek.
- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 5:40:00 PM PDT
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It's nice how it's maintained and set up in a way to be pretty and peaceful instead of dark and depressing.
Peacocks?! Neato.- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 6:28:00 PM PDT
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had this to say:
No need to publish this comment, dear. While you were visiting this morning, I was updating my blog, being compelled to deal with a troll. Too bad.
Cheers.- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 7:45:00 PM PDT
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It looks so serene there, which is just what you want in a cemetery, I suppose. The Canada geese sure seem to like it.
- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 8:52:00 PM PDT
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I always love when you visit that cemetery (I know that sounds kind of weird...), you always post the best pictures and I could hardly wait to see the bird pictures that I just KNEW were coming! You know how I love birds. :)
So beautiful and looks like you had a wonderful outing!- Thursday, August 18, 2011 at 9:27:00 PM PDT
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This place looks a beautiful park, with a pond and many birds and ducks all around. How many memories of some celebrities people there. Los Angeles is really an amazing city!
Thanks for sharing these photos.
Have a pleasant day my dear!- Friday, August 19, 2011 at 6:25:00 AM PDT
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I adore big birds :)
peacocks and geese are among my favorites
the reflecting pool in front of the Fairbanks monument is amazing- Friday, August 19, 2011 at 11:23:00 AM PDT
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Dear Naomi,
graveyards are something very special:
Both life, hope and memories.
A place to reflect.
Think about the past and the future.
A place for grief and wonderful moments with your dear ones - those who are still living and those who's names are written on the grave stone.
As you, I know where my name will be written into a stone when I'm no longer a blogger or in flesh and blood a visitor or host.
Hence, you may love my last blog post: Love is in the Air.
Hugs
Tor- Friday, August 19, 2011 at 1:23:00 PM PDT
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oh, dear lady - your posts are always just so fascinating - i've always had a thing about cemeteries - and the artistic beauty of those stone tributes - not to mention the sometimes eloquent and always moving inscriptions - such a visit into the worlds and lives of others cannot help but give pause to wonder of their personal lives and even deaths - a beautiful visit you have shared with us here - and then those magnificent images are just brilliant - beautiful! thank you, naomi!
- Friday, August 19, 2011 at 7:04:00 PM PDT
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Call me crazy but I love cemetaries.. Looking at all the old head stones.. Seeing when people lived and wonder what it was like in there life time..
- Friday, August 19, 2011 at 9:09:00 PM PDT
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Amazing! I have never thought of going to a cemetery
It just always sounded so creepy. But, I'm glad you went and posted these photos... very interesting to see where people are buried and how fancy some of their final resting places are! Not something I ever really considered.
Love you and miss you, Michael and I must figure a time to come up again soon.
xo, Audrey- Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 1:04:00 AM PDT
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What a beautiful cemetery! It looks more like a park than a resting place for our dear departed. I don't know, but it does look like the same cemetery where they had a romantic outdoor movie in the movie Valentine's Day.
- Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 3:21:00 PM PDT
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I love visiting cemeteries.
- Sunday, August 21, 2011 at 1:14:00 PM PDT
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ooo what an interesting place to visit - I remember your previous posts on Hollywood Forever and mentioning how much I'd love to wander. More than that, I would find it fascinating to wander Forever Hollywood with you, so you'd give me all the background I needed!
- Monday, August 22, 2011 at 2:26:00 AM PDT
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what a beautiful place! Funerary art is some of the most lovely, I think.
- Monday, August 22, 2011 at 7:02:00 AM PDT
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I am late in commenting because I thought my laptop crashed. My daughter realized that it was only the cord going from the computer to the wall which was bad – I would not have known that. I had to order a cord and was without the computer for 10 days.
I have been reading and looking at George’s tile floors and walls with amazement – this man is a true artist. Such beauty – it reminds me of floors that can be seen in excavated Roman villas. I really enjoyed those posts Naomi. It was so great too that you could meet some of your blogging friends – I know how much I enjoyed our visit with you when we were in California.
What a beautiful place this Hollywood Forever is – it really says Hollywood. There is so much space and green areas. In France cemeteries are very crowded, well in Paris at least. There are some beautiful cemeteries in the US – we saw one in Savannah, Ga. I took pictures of it and will have a post on it in the future.- Monday, August 22, 2011 at 6:53:00 PM PDT
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Final or otherwise. Hollywood Forever is a lovely place to rest.
- Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 4:55:00 PM PDT
x4
