In Memoriam
For those of you reading from beyond the shores of the United States, today is a national
holiday in this country, Memorial Day. Decreed by Congress as a day to commemorate the war dead, the holiday has become a three day weekend of barbecues, baseball games, the Indy 500, and the start of the summer season, along with recognizing those who have served their country in the armed forces.
designslinger]
We decided to make a final visit to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery where movie stars
are memorialized in stone. The final resting place of some of the icons of the industry, most of whom mean nothing to today's generation of movie goers, the grave sites vary from the grand to the simple. The body of Douglas Fairbanks, an actor whose stature surpassed that even of Brad Pitt, lies in repose in one of the more elaborate tombs. The marble sarcophagus surrounded by columns, sitting at the end of a long reflecting pond, is almost like a miniature version of the reflecting pool and marble of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The grave that most people hunt for is that of Rudolph Valentino. The matinée screen
idol to end all matinée screen idols, Valentino's death and funeral in 1926 was a world-wide media sensation. Hundreds of thousands of fans lined the streets of his funeral cortège and packed the cemetery to see their star laid to rest. His grave has become as much a tribute to the man and his career as it has the vagaries of stardom and the kitschy, retro/hip sensibilities of contemporary culture.
Artwork: designslinger]
After falling out of favor with the Hollywood crowd in the 1930s and 40s, the 110 year
old cemetery has been enjoying a resurgence of late under the management of new owners and good, old fashioned nostalgia. Johnny Ramone's grave represents the new world of entertainment versus the old world of the Douglas Fairbanks', Marion Davies', Tyrone Powers, and Cecil B. DeMilles of another generation.
We can make a choice in life about how we wish to be memorialized in death. A few of us
will live on forever on the silver screen, most will not. Some of us will have our ashes scattered to the wind, others will choose marble, granite or bronze for an elaborate tomb, and even more will have the choice made for them. Which will you choose?
Posted by designslinger at 5/25/2009 6:01 AM 
Categories: Ephemera
Tags: Rudolph Valentino Douglas Fairbanks Johnny Ramone Memorial Day Hollywood Forever Cemetery rememberances
Categories: Ephemera
Tags: Rudolph Valentino Douglas Fairbanks Johnny Ramone Memorial Day Hollywood Forever Cemetery rememberances
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