A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale

Last weekend we spent some time in the Los Angeles area. We had a couple hours free in between appointments and spent the time strolling through Forest Lawn Glendale.

We were able to pay our respects to a number of notable filmmakers, including famed horror director William Castle.

I recently enjoyed Ethel Waters in CABIN IN THE SKY (1943) for the first time in many years, so it was lovely to visit her final resting place.

Character actress Doris Lloyd was an important name for me, as she played the small role of Baroness Ebberfeld in the party sequence of one of my all-time favorite movies, THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965). In movies for over four decades, Lloyd also voiced "The Rose" in Disney's ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951) and appeared in the bank scene in MARY POPPINS (1964).

Having read many books on the Roy Rogers family over the years, I was moved to be able to visit the gravesite of his wife Arlene, who passed away a few days after giving birth to Roy Jr. (Dusty) in 1946. She was also the mother of Cheryl, whom I've had the honor of meeting, and Linda Lou. A little over a year after Arlene's passing Roy married Dale Evans on New Year's Eve 1947. That marriage, of course, lasted until Roy's death in 1998.

Composer-orchestrator Constantin Bakaleinikoff was usually billed as "C. Bakaleinikoff" in movie opening credits. He worked at RKO for many years. His brother, Mischa Bakaleinikoff, also worked in movie scoring.

Terry Kath, guitarist for Chicago:

Baseball legend Casey Stengel has this plaque on a wall, in addition to his nearby gravestone:

The Dolly Sisters, Rosie and Jenny, were vaudeville and theatrical stars. They were played by June Haver and Betty Grable in a 1945 film loosely based on their lives. The sisters are interred in Glendale's Great Mausoleum.

As with most cemeteries in the Greater Los Angeles area, it's very common to randomly come across well-known names. In this case I turned into a mausoleum hallway and there by pure chance was the wonderful actress Mary Boland. Her mother, who shares her name, is nearby.

A few steps away from Boland is singer Russ Columbo, who died tragically at a young age.

This is the Joe E. Brown family plot behind the Great Mausoleum. Those buried here in addition to the comedian include Joe's son Don, who died in a stateside military crash during WWII, and actress Binnie Barnes, who was married to Brown's adoptive son.

A few more images from this visit will be published later this month in my Classic Movie Hub Western RoundUp column. (Update: Here is that column.)

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 (2014), 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 (2017), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 2 (2017), A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 3 (2019), A Visit to Forest Lawn Cathedral City, A Visit to Oakwood Memorial Park, A Visit to Hillside Memorial Park, Part 1, A Visit to Hillside Memorial Park, Part 2, A Visit to Hollywood Forever Cemetery (2019), A Visit to Woodlawn Cemetery, A Visit to Valley Oaks Memorial Park, A Visit to Valhalla Cemetery, A Visit to Pacific View Memorial Park, A Visit to Glen Haven Memorial Park, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale (2020), A Visit to Calvary Cemetery, A Visit to Home of Peace Memorial Park, Visits to Sedona and Las Vegas Cemeteries, A Visit to Forest Lawn Glendale (2022), Visits to Orange County Cemeteries (Holy Sepulcher Cemetery and El Toro Memorial Park), A Visit to Inglewood Park Cemetery, A Visit to Mt. Sinai Memorial Park, A Visit to Palm Springs (Coachella Valley Public Cemetery), A Visit to Marysvale Cemetery, A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 1 (2022), A Visit to Holy Cross Cemetery, Part 2 (2022), A Visit to Rose Hills Memorial Park, A Visit to San Fernando Mission Cemetery, A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 1 (2023), and A Visit to Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills, Part 2 (2023).

Articles on the final resting places of Western stars and filmmakers from my Western RoundUp column at Classic Movie Hub: May 2019, February 2022, November 2, 2022, November 29, 2022, April 2023, and November 2023.  (Update: Here is a link for my March 2024 column.)

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