By Edith Smith
Mark Masek is a travel writer with many feature stories published under his
byline. He is a native of Chicago, but he lives in Pasadena, California,
with his wife, Theresa.
"Hollywood Remains To Be Seen" is his first book.
I have always been a movie buff. When I was growing up, going to the
movies was about all the entertainment you had. There was no television, no
video games, no malls to hang out. Your best place to go was to the movies.
You could sit for hours and watch all your favorite stars perform, sometimes
even in color.
There is still nothing better than seeing the old movies from the '40s
and '50s on late-night television.
I couldn't wait to get this book to add to my collection. I have quite
a collection of movie books about the studios, different stars, their lives,
their homes, probably 25 or more. So when the opportunity came for me to
get his one, I jumped at it.
This book is very different from what I expected and is one of the most
fascinating books I have ever read. I could not put it down.
"Hollywood Remains To Be Seen" is a wonderful, gossipy guide to the 14
most significant Hollywood-area cemeteries.
There you will find the final resting place of the stars. The books is
arranged with easy-to-follow tours of the cemeteries, directions for finding
them, and a detailed listing of exactly where more than 300 stars are
buried.
"Hollywood Remains To Be Seen" includes photographs of the cemeteries,
mausoleums, and graves, maps of the burial grounds, and gravesites, plus a
final section fitly titled "Exit Lines" made up of celebrities' last words.
There are 14 chapters because you will find listed 14 cemeteries.
If you think visiting these cemeteries is a little weird, think of the
thousands of people who stand in line for hours to see a celebrity pass by
in a limo. Many people go to auctions and pay lots of money to buy items of
celebrity memorabilia. Women, especially, turned up to see Valentino's
funeral cortege. Likewise, thousands go to Graceland each year, and
thousands were on hand to bid farewell to Princess Di, so it really doesn't
seem all that strange that people want to see these cemeteries.
Forest Lawn in Glendale is probably the most famous cemetery in the
world, but it is also one of the strictest cemeteries about identifying
celebrity graves, and it strongly discourages visits from fans.
If you should go, try to be polite and respectful; this is not the place
to look for souvenirs. Do not take flowers, dirt or a chip of marble from
the graves. If you need a lasting memory, a discreetly snapped photograph
should be enough. Dress appropriately and be quiet, discreet and
considerate as possible. Since most cemeteries are privately owned, you may
be asked to leave.
The book has a history of each cemetery and a short synopsis of the tour
and the grounds.
In Forest Lawn in Glendale, buried directly above the crypt of Jeannette
McDonald and her husband, Gene Raymond, both Hollywood movies stars, is the
crypt of Nat "King" Cole, velvet-voiced singer and jazz pianist (1919-1965).
One space down and to the left is the crypt of married comedians George
Burns (1896-1996), and Gracie Allen (1902-1964).
At Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Hollywood Hills, you will find Bette
Davis (1908-1989) and William Conrad (1920-1994) who was the original voice
of Matt Dillon on the Gunsmoke radio show and later was the overweight
detective on the Cannon Series from 1971-1976. The crypt of George Raft
(1895-1980) is here, along with Freddie Prinz (1954-1977) and McLean Stevenson
(1927-1996) -- Lt. Col. Henry Blake from the M*A*S*H series -- as well as
the Nelsons, Ozzie (1906-1975) and Harriet (1909-1994).
Along with the listing of the celebrities, you will find a short
synopsis of their lives, the films and show they were in and sometimes
details of how they died.
The book would also make a nice Christmas gift for someone who likes
reading and also movie fans. Available at a local bookstore or Cumberland
House Publishing.
The Valdosta (GA) Daily Times:
Masek's book features resting places of the stars