Paying Homage to the Hollywood Gods

Eric at the grave of Buster Keaton on St. Patrick's Day.

Of the threemoviebuffs, Patrick and I have a greater fascination with older movie stars than Scott. Although I think his appreciation for them has grown in recent years, it is still Patrick and I that put them on such pedestals. When we were young Patrick and I knew who many early film stars were without having seen any of their films. We read about them and watched any show that featured them.  Many of those actors, actresses and directors were dead then and nearly all the rest have died since.

When the threemoviebuffs were in Hollywood, we made pilgrimages to the local graveyards to seek out the grave sites of our favorite stars. My wife thought it an odd thing for us to do, but for us it made sense. It was the closest we could ever get to those celluloid deities that we had so long worshipped.

One of our first stops was almost our last. Forrest Lawn is a very large grave yard. They do not encourage tourists. It had acres of gravestones as well as several mausoleums. My youngest son is a huge Three Stooges fan and Scott discovered that Larry Fine was interned in one of the mausoleums, so we decided to make him our first stop.

We drove around a bit trying to find it. The employees at the office offered no help when Patrick ran in. Scott and his amazing cell phone found directions to the correct building but when we arrived we discover that it had closed 5 minutes prior. However, I tried the door and it had yet to be locked. We ran in and discovered the place was deserted and that it had a basement. Scott again consulted the internet and quietly yelled to Patrick and I that it was below us. We ran down stairs, where we split up, each going in a different direction, reading the names on the plaques. Some ways were blocked with rope and do not enter signs. Being that we were alone we breached the rope in search of the final resting place of Larry Fine. All the while, in the back of our heads we wondered if someone was not upstairs locking us in as we made like Indiana Jones in the crypt below the church.

Finally we found him. Patrick ran toward the stairs as look out. Scott, ignoring the "No photography" sign, snapped a picture of me next to Larry's Fines name. We then made a hasty retreat to the exit. I am not sure about my brothers but I was saying a silent prayer that it was not locked. Fortunately, it was not and the California sun welcomed us back into the world of the living.

Of all the grave sites we visited, the one that affected me the most emotionally was when we found Buster Keaton's. Scott's internet direction got us to the right section of the graveyard, but we could not find his tombstone. We split up, with our heads down reading the names of people who have long since left this earth. Eventually Patrick yelled, "Over Here." and waved to Scott and I.

I have been a fan of Keaton's since middle school when I read his biography. I am not exactly sure why or how I first connected with him but I did. When I first saw his grave site I was struck by how simple and plain it was. Just his name and dates. A mysterious tinge of sadness came over me. Here was my favorite silent film star and all he had was a slab on the ground that noted the location of his remains. Bette Davis had a complete life size statue for Pete's sake. Is this all that is left of the great stone face?

The bright spot though, was that it was St Patrick's Day, and another fan had placed some green decorations on his grave. They had pictures of Keaton when he was a boy glued on them. I was saddened by his dreary gravestone but found comfort in that there were others like me who still want to make contact with him nearly 50 years after his passing.

Patrick at Bette Davis's much more ostentatious grave.

Keaton's was not the only grave to receive offerings. At the much more tourist friendly, but difficult to find, Westwood Memorial Park you'll find several others. Dean Martin's tombstone collects cigarettes and I'll bet that more than a few martinis have been sipped there in his honor. It is also here where quite possibly the most popular of all Hollywood grave sites is located.  The one that contains the remains of Marilyn Monroe. It has become a tradition for visitors to plaster on the lipstick and kiss her crypt wall, leaving their lip marks.  A bench provided by her fans, with a plaque that states just that, sits directly in front of it.  The day we were there someone had left a single red rose on the bench. 

By definition, celebrities are worshipped while they are alive, but it is a true testament to the ones who are still loved so many years after they have departed this world. As film critics we are priests of the religion of movie making. We celebrate its triumphs. We encourage a standard and scold those who do not live up to it. We owe it to those who have come before and helped to create the amazing legacy of the Hollywood film.