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[This
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For some reason, Roy is buried in an unmarked
grave (#97). The caretaker tells me that Orbison's family had originally
said they planned to install an elaborate, black granite headstone, inscribed
with the singer's songs - but a decade after his death, his grave remains
without a marker. Fortunately, you came to the right website - here's how to find Roy's grave: from Donna Reed's grave, notice that there are two large trees directly to the west (to your left when you're reading Donna's headstone). Roy's grave lies in the same row as Donna's, but between these two trees. On the left side of his grassy spot is a headstone which reads "Frank Wright Tuttle," and on his right is a small black marker which reads "Grandma Martha Monroe." (Incidentally, Frank Wright
Tuttle is famous in his own right as a director of films such
as "This Gun For Hire" with Alan Ladd, and "The
Big Broadcast" with Bing Crosby and George Burns.)
Frank Zappa's
(1940-1993) grave
is also unmarked. It's grave #100, located about eight yards to the west
of Roy Orbison's grave, near a large tree. Frank's unmarked grave
is right next to (just to the right of) the marked grave of actor Lew
Ayres. Always an outlandish individualist, Frank Zappa (and his Mothers
of Invention) turned out over 60 unique albums before succumbing to
prostate cancer at the age of 53.
Actually, her crypt and marker are quite plain. It
looks like all the others along the stone wall, except that it's slightly
darker - stained by the multitude of fans who have touched and kissed it.
Her small marker reads "Marilyn Monroe: 1926-1962." Although Marilyn appeared in a number of successful movies, ("Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" "How to Marry a Millionaire", "The Seven Year Itch", "Some Like it Hot", "The Misfits"), the origins of her superstar status may lie more with her life away from the movie camera than with her skill as an actress. Formerly named Norma Jeane Baker, she was Playboy's very first centerfold in 1953 (at a time when nudity was still taboo in Hollywood). Nicknamed the "Blonde Bombshell", she was married to both baseball superstar Joe DiMaggio and later to playwright Arthur Miller ("Death of a Salesman"), and was rumored to have had affairs with everyone from Yves Montand to President Kennedy. The memorable subway scene from "Seven Year Itch", where the wind blows up her white dress, has been reproduced (and mimicked) so often that it has become as much a part of Hollywood iconography as the Hollywood sign itself. Add to that her tragic suicide from a drug overdose at a young age (just 36), near the height of her career, and a hint of mystery surrounding her death, and you have the recipe for a true Tinseltown legend. (Her co-star in "Some Like it Hot", Jack Lemon, is also buried nearby at Pierce Bros Westwood, as is the director of that film, Billy Wilder.) To find Marilyn's tomb from the park's main entrance,
turn left at the entrance and follow the driveway east, alongside the wall
of crypts, to the northeast corner of the park. Here, on this south-facing
wall of crypts, Marilyn's crypt is the second from the bottom, and the
second from the west corner wall. Marilyn's tomb is easy to spot because
it is discolored (slightly reddish) from all the lipstick fans have left
on it. ( The crypt directly above Marilyn's
sold on eBay for $4.6 million in 2009. The original occupant of that upper
crypt, Richard Poncher, was buried upside down above Marilyn. But
after 23 years, his widow decided to move his remains and auction the space
to pay off her mortgage and free the money for her kids. )
Look at the upper left corner of the same wall where Marilyn is buried (just one space to the left and two spaces up), and you'll see the crypt of Jay Livingston (1915-2001). The name may not ring a bell, but the songs he wrote will. Along with his partner in song, Ray Evans, Jay penned classics such as the Christmas carol "Silver Bells", and Academy Award winning songs such as "Mona Lisa" (a big hit for Nat King Cole), "Buttons and Bows" (a hit for Bob Hope in "The Paleface"), and "Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" (which became Doris Day's theme song). Together, the team of Livingston & Evans wrote 26 songs that sold more than 1 million copies each, including "Dear Heart" (a big hit for Andy Williams) and "Tammy" (from the Debbie Reynolds film). They also wrote the memorable themes to the TV shows "Bonanza" and "Mr. Ed", and have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (The other half of this songwriting duo, Ray
Evans, lived until 2007, and the ripe age of 92. Ray's ashes
were alongside those of his late wife Wynn in the nearby rose garden at
Pierce Bros.) Click
here to see a map of the
park.
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