I mentioned in a post back in November that I had visited the Westwood Memorial Park in October during a trip to Southern California. I put off posting my photos from the park because it seemed like every other post of mine was about an Old Hollywood star dying. I didn't want my blog to appear too focused on the deaths of celebrities rather than their lives and careers. But it's been a while since I wrote about anyone dying so I figured now is a good time to post my photos!
Westwood Memorial Park (also known as Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park) is a small, intimate cemetery in the middle of Westwood, Los Angeles, surrounded by tall buildings. Compared to other cemeteries in the area such as the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Westwood Memorial Park has very few celebrity interments. However, it's certainly worth visiting, if only to see Marilyn Monroe's crypt in the Corridor of Memories.
The first celebrity grave I came across was Jack Lemmon's.
His gravestone is very shiny but all it says is "JACK LEMMON in". Very clever.
Buried not far from Jack Lemmon is writer-director Billy Wilder, who directed Jack in seven movies, including The Apartment and Some Like It Hot.
Peter Falk of Columbo fame, who only just died in 2011 at the age of 83.
Fanny Brice's grave was behind a locked gate but I still managed to get a decent photo.
It was difficult to get a decent photo of Jane Greer's marker. If you can't make it out, it says "...and then she came out of the sun", which is a reference to her film Out of the Past.
Author Ray Bradbury, who had just died the previous year.
Walter Matthau and his wife Carol. Interesting notes about Carol Matthau: Her personality was the inspiration for the character of Holly Golightly in Truman Capote's novella Breakfast at Tiffany's. Also, she never knew her father, but according to her mother he was actor Leslie Howard.
Dino! <3
Marilyn.
The discoloration of Marilyn's crypt was caused by so many people kissing it while wearing lipstick. Also probably by simply being touched a lot.
Natalie Wood's marker is nice and basic.
A beautiful bouquet for Bettie.
Donna Reed. Her husband Grover Asmus died in 2003 and is buried at the US Military Academy Cemetery in New York.
Unfortunately I didn't have time to see all the celebrity graves in Westwood Memorial Park, but I saw the ones I wanted to see the most. Other stars buried here include Janet Leigh, Burt Lancaster, Eve Arden, and Lew Ayres.
