A Visit to Hillside Memorial Park, Part 1

Each spring when we have friends visiting from out of town to attend the TCM Classic Film Festival we enjoy a day before the festival visiting some film-related historic sites.

One of our stops this year was Hillside Memorial Park. I was particularly glad to visit it as every time I drive up the 405 Freeway past Culver City I see the impressive Al Jolson Memorial.

After driving past it for my entire life, I saw the memorial up close for the first time. Here's a view as we approached:

A statue honoring Jolson, in a pose well known from his appearance in the first "all-talking" film, THE JAZZ SINGER (1927):

The shrine, designed by Paul Revere Williams, is quite lovely, and I'm so glad I finally visited.

Not far from the Jolson Memorial is the final resting place of Suzanne Pleshette. After her husband Tommy Gallagher died in 2000, she married actor Tom Poston, with whom she'd been romantically involved in the '50s. They were married until his passing in 2007. Both Pleshette and Poston appeared in Bob Newhart's classic TV comedies.

Shelley Winters is also buried at Hillside:

David Janssen:

George Jessel:

Jack and Mary Livingstone Benny:

Eddie Cantor:

Hillside gladly welcomes visitors and encourages guests to remember and celebrate the lives of those who are buried at the memorial park. To this end Hillside has a Distinguished Residents Guide to help visitors pay their respects.

While most cemeteries we've visited are welcoming -- Hollywood Forever even has authorized historic tours conducted by my friend Karie Bible -- one in particular, Forest Lawn Glendale, is known for sometimes offering visitors a chilly reception. (Glendale also has a very nice art museum, so they send somewhat mixed messages to the public.) I appreciate the perspective found at Hillside, encouraging visitors to honor the lives and contributions of those laid to rest on their grounds.

I'll have more Hillside photos in a second post in the near future. (Update: Here is the link to Part 2.)

Additional photo posts on the final resting places of historic Hollywood figures: A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale, Part 1, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale, Part 2, A Visit to the Forest Lawn Museum, A Visit to Hollywood Forever Cemetery, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Musicians, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Comedians, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - The Actors, A Visit to Westwood Village Memorial Park - Writers, Directors, and More, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 1, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 2, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 3, A Visit to Desert Memorial Park, Los Angeles National Cemetery, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 1, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 2, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 3, A Visit to Forest Lawn Cathedral City, and A Visit to Oakwood Memorial Park.