For lunch this afternoon, I met up with my friend Alysia: a Fake Angeleno guest blogger and L.A. history authority, amongst many other honorifics. We enjoyed some Baja Fresh takeout in the courtyard of the Hammer Museum (free on Thurdays) and then walked over to have a look at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
My very first tour of a famous L.A. necropolis didn't disappoint: We immediately made our way to Marilyn Monroe's final resting place. The extinguished candle in the wind's monument was covered with lipstick kisses -- evidently a longstanding tradition. Other sightings with great epitaphs included:
Merv Griffin: "I will not be right back after this commercial message."
Jack Lemmon: "in"
Billy Wilder: "I was a writer, but then nobody's perfect."
Rodney Dangerfied: "There goes the neighborhood"
Evidently we missed Dean Martin, John Cassavetes, George C. Scott, Frank Zappa, Natalie Wood, Doors biographer Danny Sugerman, and -- how did I miss this -- the velvet fog, Mel Torme.
A return trip will be in order...
Brian: You need to hook up with my pal Scott, who runs the LA Dearly Departed Tours as well as findadeath.com. He is so funny. He will show you all the dirty secrets of the city. One warning, he is obsessed with both the Manson Family murders and all things related to Rocky Horror.
Posted by: Kevin | January 11, 2008 at 10:38 AM
Also has the graves of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Someone used to religiously leave a bottle of booze (whatever scotch etc...was his fave) at Deano's grave for years...Not sure they still do...
Posted by: Sue | September 22, 2008 at 02:42 PM