In 1999, Pierce Bros unveiled a new Memorial Gardens section, located east of the chapel & office, in the southeast corner of the park. The area appears to be devoted exclusively to those who have been cremated. However, it is much more attractive than most such columbariums, complete with fountains, gardens, and pink-stone vaults.

Already, this new area has several new celebrity residents.

The first is actor Brian Keith (1921-1997), best known today for his role as the gruff-but-lovable 'Uncle Bill' on the popular 60's TV sitcom "Family Affair," in which he starred with Sebastian Cabot ('Mr. French'), who is also buried here at Pierce Bros. (Anissa Jones, who played 'Buffy' on that show, died of a drug overdose in 1976; she was cremated and her ashes scattered.)

Brian Keith also starred in over 100 films & TV shows, including Disney's original 1961 "The Parent Trap" (with Hayley Mills,) "With Six You Get Eggroll" (with Doris Day,) the TV series "Hardcastle and McCormick" and 1975's "The Wind & The Lion" (in which he played Teddy Roosevelt.)

He is buried above his daughter, Daisy Keith, an actress who appeared with her father in the short-lived TV series, "Heartland," back in 1989. Daisy killed herself in May of 1997. Brian Keith, suffering from lung cancer & emphysema, shot himself at his Malibu home one month later.

Nearby is bandleader Les Brown (1912-2001). He formed his orchestra, "Les Brown and his Band of Reknown," in 1936, and it was a mainstay with Bob Hope's military tours for decades. The song '"Sentimental Journey'' was a No. 1 hit for his band (and its singer, Doris Day) and was one of the most popular songs of World War II.

His grave is very near Brian Keith's. From Brian's, just turn to your right, and follow that wall down (south) a few feet to its end. His small marker is on the top row, above some flowers.

One new resident of of Pierce Bros Westwood actually died almost 50 years ago. She is Fanny Brice (1891-1951), the original "Funny Girl" whose life story was told in the Barbra Streisand movie of the same name (as well as in its sequel, "Funny Lady.") Her ashes were originally interred at Home of Peace cemetery in East L.A. But in 1999, after the new Memorial Gardens area was unveiled at Pierce Bros, her ashes were moved here.

She's buried in the same Memorial Gardens area as Brian Keith. You'll find her small crypt right behind the wrought iron gates which separate a small private area from the rest of the Memorial Gardens. Just walk past the fountains and up the steps and the gate will be on your left side. Face the gate, and you'll see Fanny's crypt inside, to the right side of the sidewalk (see the photo.)

I'm told that Carol Burnett's daughter, Carrie Hamilton (1963-2002), is also buried in this private, gated section, in the first space on the left (as seen from the gate). Her father was Joseph Hamilton, the producer of "The Carol Burnett Show" and "Mama's Family." An actor in her own right, you may remember Carrie best as 'Reggie' in the TV series "Fame". After winning a battle against drug addiction, she died of cancer in 2002, at the age of 38.

Near the entrance to the Memorial Gardens area, you'll see two large fountains. Near the fountain on the left (when you're entering) you'll find a marble bench, which contains the ashes of the late Peggy Lee (1920-2001), a jazz/pop singer known for her deadpan delivery of sultry songs like "Fever," "Manana" and "Big Spender," over a career which spanned more than 50 years.

She started out with the Benny Goodman Orchestra in 1941. She won a Grammy in 1969 for the hit "Is That All There Is?" Younger people may remember her as the sultry voice of the shaggy, white dog in Disney's animated "Lady and the Tramp" who sang "He's a Tramp (But I Love Him)". She wrote that song (along with others like "Manana" and "It's a Good Day"), and she later sued Disney for royalties - and won! She recorded more than 600 songs and played to packed houses around the world. She was also an actress, winning an Academy Award nomination for her role as the hard-drinking singer in the 1955 jazz saga, "Pete Kelly's Blues."

In January of 2001, when veteran character actor Ray Walston (1914-2001) had his memorial service at Pierce Bros. Ray Walston was known more recently for his work as a judge on the TV series "Picket Fences," but is perhaps best known for his lead role in the TV series "My Favorite Martian" (in which is co-starred with Bill Bixby), not to mention his memorable role as the teacher 'Mr. Hand' in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," and his classic performance as the Devil in the Broadway musical "Damn Yankees." Unfortunately, Ray wasn't buried at Pierce Bros, they just handled the funeral. He was cremated, and his ashes were returned to his home in Beverly Hills.

And I'm told that the wife of Errol Flynn, Nora Eddington (Flynn), was buried here recently. (Flynn himself is buried at Forest Lawn Glendale.) Nora was also married to singer Dick Haymes.

Just outside this Memorial Gardens area, between the Gardens and the road, is a grassy strip with a a small number of lawn graves. Here, in an unmarked grave plot near the curb, is Oscar-winning actor George C. Scott (1927-1999).

Best known for his role as "Patton," George C. Scott starred in over 75 productions, including "The Hustler," "Dr. Strangelove," "Anatomy of a Murder," "The Hospital," "Firestarter," "Taps," "Hardcore," "The Changling," and exceptional TV versions of "Jane Eyre," "Inherit the Wind" and "A Christmas Carol." And who could forget his eccentric 'Sherlock Holmes' in "They Might be Giants"?

Ironically, he may be most remembered for an award he refused to accept; he made headlines when he turned down the 1971 Oscar for "Patton," because he didn't feel that he was in competition with other actors. Unfortunately, his grave still doesn't have a marker. However, I've confirmed that he is located immediately to the left of Walter Matthau's grave. It's the only remaining space there which still has a blank headstone.

Another recent arrival at Pierce Bros is 'Oscar Madison' himself, comic actor Walter Matthau (1920-2000). Often playing a crotchety sort, Walter was wonderfully paired with Jack Lemmon for "The Odd Couple," and again, almost 30 years later, for "Grumpy Old Men." He was the cantankerous 'Mr. Wilson' in 1993's "Dennis the Menace," the reluctant coach in "The Bad News Bears," an aging vaudeville comic feuding with partner George Burns in "The Sunshine Boys," and the grouchy 'Horace Vandergelder ' to Barbra Streisand's 'Dolly Levi' in "Hello Dolly." He also starred in "Cactus Flower," "Plaza Suite" and "Kotch."

His grave has a large marble headstone - it's located right along the curb, on the south side of the main road, just north of the new Memorial Gardens area, and just to the right (west) of (unmarked) George C. Scott.

And in July of 2001, almost a year to the day, Walter's lifelong friend and fellow actor Jack Lemmon (1925-2001) was also buried at Pierce Bros.

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau made 10 movies together, beginning with the classic 1968 comedy "The Odd Couple," and including "The Fortune Cookie," "The Front Page" and (near the end of their lives) "Grumpy Old Men." (Jack even directed Walter in "Kotch".)

So the fact that they ended up together at Pierce Bros. is more than appropriate.

But Jack Lemmon was an outstanding actor in his own right, starring in comedies such as "Mr. Roberts," "Bell, Book and Candle," "The Apartment,"  "Irma La Douce," "Good Neighbor Sam," and "The Out-of-Towners," yet also brilliant in dramas such as "The Days of Wine and Roses," "Save the Tiger," "The China Syndrome" and "Missing."  And who can forget "Some Like It Hot," with Jack in drag opposite Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe? He was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won two, becoming the first actor to win both a Best Actor and a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Those in attendance at his July 1 funeral here included Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas, Catharine Zeta-Jones, Kevin Spacey, Sidney Poitier, Shirley MacLaine, Gregory Peck, director Billy Wilder and the sons of both Lemmon & Matthau.

Jack Lemmon was buried in a new row of graves on the lawn between Walter's location and the chapel entrance. If you're facing Walter's grave, just turn right and walk west along the curb, and look to your left (south) until you spot a long hedge. Walk around the hedge and you'll find a row of large marble headstones (identical to the kind above Walter's grave) up on the lawn a few paces.

A joker to the last, his headstone reads

Just to the left (east) of Jack Lemmon, in the very next grave, is veteran actor Carroll O'Connor (1924-2001), TV's "Archie Bunker" on the smash hit sitcom "All in the Family."

Debuting in 1971, at the peak of the 60's anti-war movement, "All in the Family" was revolutionary for its day. At a time when most sitcoms were lightweight comedies such as "The Brady Bunch", "Family" was breaking taboos left and right, dealing with controversial, current issues ranging from Watergate to rape, and tackling hot targets from the KKK to the Jewish Defense League with sharp political satire, sexual frankness and occasional bathroom humor. It attacked bigotry by making it look ridiculous.

But it was Carroll O'Connor's portrayal of 'Archie Bunker' that made the show work.

Carroll appeared in amost 50 productions, including the role of 'Sheriff Bill Gillespie' in the TV series "In The Heat of the Night", plus the movies "Cleopatra," "Hawaii" and "Kelly's Heroes." It's a tribute to his acting ability that he was best known worldwide as the lovable bigot Archie, who Rob Reiner called "the single most indelible character in the history of American television." It was easy to forget that Carroll was actually a liberal in real life when he took on the fiery persona of that died-in-the-wool, cigar-chomping, Nixon-loving conservative from Queens, who called his son-in-law 'Meathead' and told his wife 'Edith' to "Stifle!". Yet Archie developed as a surprisingly complex character, sympathetic despite his obvious faults. The show was a tremendous hit.

Carroll died of a heart attack in June of 2001. His funeral was held at the nearby St. Paul the Apostle Church in Westwood. His grave is located directly between those of Jack Lemmon and Billy Wilder.

And what do Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Marilyn Monroe, Dean Martin, and Ray Walston all have in common? They all starred in landmark films for the great director Billy Wilder (1906-2002).

Billy Wilder directed, produced and/or wrote such classics as "Some Like It Hot" (with Marilyn and Jack), "The Seven Year Itch" (with Marilyn's famous blowing skirt scene), "The Apartment" (for which Jack won an Oscar), "The Fortune Cookie" (with Matthau & Lemmon), "Kiss Me Stupid" (with Dean Martin and Ray Walston), "Irma la Douce" (with Jack again), plus "Sunset Blvd.," "The Lost Weekend," "Sabrina," "Stalag 17," "Double Indemnity," "Ball of Fire," "Ninotchka" and "One, Two, Three".

He was nominated for an Academy Award over 20 times, and won seven Oscars - for "Sunset Blvd.," "The Lost Weekend" and "The Apartment."

He died in March of 2002, less than a year after he attended Jack's funeral here. Billy was buried just two graves down (to the east) from Jack Lemmon (and immediately to the left of Carroll O'Connor, in the same row of new graves with marble headstones. At the time of this writing, his headstone hasn't yet been engraved.

Another recent arrival at Pierce Bros is 'Agent Elliot Ness' himself, actor Robert Stack (1919-2003), star of the hit 60's TV show, "The Untouchables". Narrated by Walter Winchell, "The Untouchables" took on the subject of the mob long before "The Godfather" romanticized the subject. As Ness, Robert Stack battled organized crime during the Prohibition period of the 1930's, tommy gun in hand, fighting the likes of Al Capone and Frank Nitti; his stern stare and deep voice lent credence to the character. The show ran from 1959 to 1963, and reportedly drew threats from the real mob, as well as some protests about the on-screen violence. (A movie based on the TV show was made in 1987, starring Kevin Costner as Ness.)

Before "The Untouchables", Robert was a handsome young matinee idol in a string of movies in the 40's and 50's. His first film was called "First Love" (1939), in which he gave young Deanna Durbin her first screen kiss.

He later spoofed his serious characters with a funny turn as 'Capt. Rex Kramer' in the 1980 comedy "Airplane".

Younger viewers may know him best from TV's "Unsolved Mysteries", where his deadpan 'Elliot Ness' persona worked perfectly for him in the role of the host tracking down the perpetrators of unsolved crimes.

He was cremated, and his ashes were buried in the "Room of Prayer" a locked, private mausoleum at the northeast corner of the park (just a few years to the right of Marilyn Monroe's crypt).

In October of 2004, stand-up comic Rodney Dangerfield (1921-2004) was buried at Pierce Bros. Best known for his famous line "I don't get no respect!", but at Rodney's funeral, comics Adam Sandler and Jim Carrey were pallbearers, while Jay Leno, Tim Allen, Chris Rock, Jon Lovitz, Louie Anderson, George Lopez, and others celebs attended.

Besides his stand-up career, Rodney also appeared in several movies, most notably "Caddyshack" and "Back to School"- usually playing a loveable but disgruntled slob with a tendency to insult people with his outrageous style. He also played the Devil in "Little Nicky", and had a rare dramatic role as an abusive father in "Natural Born Killers."

His grave is easy to find. It's right at the curb, on the south side of the park, in front of the markers of Jack Lemmon, Billy Wilder and Carroll O'Connor. And the epitaph perfectly matches Rodney's screen persona: "There Goes The Neighborhood."

Also located near the curb, to the left of Rodney Dangerfield and to the right of George C. Scott, is the grave of the most recent resident of Pierce Bros Westwood: showman Merv Griffin (1925-2007).

Merv was best known as a talk show host, back in the Golden Age of talk shows, going up against Johnny Carson himself.

"The Merv Griffin Show" (with British sidekick Arthur Treacher) ran from 1962 to 1986, and certainly gave "The Tonight Show" a run for its money.

Mr, Griffin was also a successful singer, and an occasional actor. He won 17 Emmys and had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

But as an off-camera entrepreneur, Merv created two of the biggest hit TV game shows to ever grace the airwaves: "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune" (he even wrote their memorable theme songs), and owned the Beverly Hilton hotel, amassing a fortune estimated at $1 billion.

Just across the road from (north of) Rodney Dangerfield, right at the curb of the main lawn, is the grave of bandleader Ray Conniff (1916-2002).

Back in the '50s and early '60s, before the arrival of the Beatles cemented rock & roll as the main fare of AM radio, there was still room for softer sounds on the pop charts.

Ray Conniff and his Ray Conniff Singers provided a distinct sound that reflects that era - soft, lush, romantic melodies (often songs from the movies) performed by a Big Band orchestra, fronted by a full chorus of 25 singers. It's the kind of music that many of today's generation would dismiss as "elevator music", but it was very popular at its time - and still is with Conniff's many fans.

Ray Conniff sold over 70 million albums in his lifetime: 25 of them hit the Top 40 charts, ten went gold and two went platinum - a huge accomplishment for any artist.

He was best known for the hit recording of Somewhere My Love ("Lara's Theme" from the 1965 film "Dr. Zivago"), a sweetly sentimental melody that's hard to forget. (You can listen to an except from the song by clicking here.) He also produced several albums full of Christmas carols, which resurface on the airwaves each holiday season.

In January of 2008, a memorial service for actor Heath Ledger (star of "Brokeback Mountain" and "A Knight's Tale") was held at Pierce Bros. His body was flown in to Westwood from Manhattan, after his tragic death at age 28. But he was to be buried in his home of Perth, Australia.

A final resting place among the stars here at Pierce Bros Westwood Memorial Park will reportedly cost about $22,000.  In fact, Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner recently paid a hefty sum to purchase the crypt just to the left of Marilyn Monroe - who was his first Playboy "Playmate." And the one remaining crypt on Marilyn's wall is reportedly priced at over $80,000.

But it costs nothing to visit.

If you need assistance finding a particular grave, don't be afraid to ask the people in the office - on the south side of the park. They are usually very helpful. (In fact, I've been told that they sometimes hand out copies of my own map of the park.)

Parking: There is a circular driveway/road which leads through the cemetery grounds. (Be sure to bear to your right when you approach the cemetery's wrought-iron gates, or else you will end up in a parking garage meant for the local movie theatres.)

Hours: Daily: 8 AM - 5 PM.

Getting there: The cemetery is difficult to find, hidden away in Westwood, immediately south of Wilshire Boulevard on Glendon Avenue, between Malcom (on the east) & Wellworth Avenues (on the south). The only access is from the east side of Glendon Avenue, up a small driveway between the pink-stone skyscraper on the southeast corner of Glendon & Wilshire and the parking garage just south of that skyscraper. (Don't confuse this small park with the huge Veteran's cemetery located north of Wilshire, near the 405.)  / From Rodeo Drive, take Wilshire Boulevard west (about two and a half miles) to Glendon Avenue (which is one block before Westwood Boulevard), and turn left (south) on Glendon. Then immediately turn left (east) up the driveway, and then turn right again (south) into the gates of the small cemetery. (If you look carefully, you will spot a small, square pink-stone sign off Glendon reading "Pierce Bros Westwood Village Memorial Park.") / From the San Diego (405) Freeway, take the Wilshire Boulevard and go east on Wilshire one half mile to Glendon Avenue (the first street east of Westwood Boulevard).