Finding New Life In Cemeteries: Hollywood Forever
Most people think of cemeteries as the final resting places of the dead. Eerie places where teens hang out to rebel against societal norms. But what if I told you that Hollywood’s main cemetery is just as glamorous as the rest of the city?
Hollywood Forever, located at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard, provides a unique premise: celebrating the lives of the starlets long passed by enjoying current performers.
Hollywood Cemetery
Built in 1899 by FW Samuelson and Lombard, they initially called the place Hollywood Cemetery. With the sizeable land parcel, they followed the wave of the future. By 1920, they sold a significant portion to RKO Pictures and Paramount Pictures. The companies built studio lots at the back of the cemetery, and actors from all over began willing their bodies to Hollywood Cemetery.
Hollywood Memorial Park
All seemed well in the cemetery for the stars until 1939, when a radical change occurred. Jules Roth, a convicted felon and millionaire, purchased the majority of shares in the cemetery and took over the management. He changed the name to Hollywood Memorial Park and began using the cemetery’s profits for personal use. That meant frequently neglecting the facilities.
Though nothing else immediately changed, Roth faced his first scandal when Hattie McDaniel, the first black person to win an Academy Award, requested that she be buried there. However, the cemetery had strict rules about segregation and refused her last wishes. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning of the cemetery’s challenges.
Dark Times Ahead
The effects of decades of neglect finally became apparent in the 1970s. Cass Elliot, from The Mamas & The Papas, was cremated in 1974. However, the crematorium partially collapsed during her cremation and was shut down due to extensive disrepair. People began filing lawsuits against Roth and Hollywood Memorial Park for vandalism and disrespecting the dead a few years later.
The final blow came with the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, which caused such severe damage that the cemetery closed.
The Dawn of the Dead
However, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Roth passed away only three years later, and two new owners, Brent and Tyler Cassity, took over to revitalize the place. They renamed it Hollywood Forever, invested plenty in repairs, and looked for new ways to make the cemetery part of Hollywood again.
Since 2002, Hollywood Forever has hosted numerous events like movie screenings with Cinespia and musical performances with stars worldwide. This new life of the cemetery was experienced firsthand by one of our own Wayfarers when she attended the Lord Huron Concert in September 2021. Caroline Schreiber shared her experience with us, stating, “As a fan of the local LA indie rock band Lord Huron, I jumped at the chance to see them live.”
Lights… Camera and….Action! Welcome to our Hollywood tour, brought to you by Wayfarer — where the story meets the road. We poured our hearts and insider knowledge into this tour to bring you an exciting exploration of the city of dreams!
- 2 hours
- 26 miles
- Driving Tour
“I’m sure some people may initially feel that attending a concert in a cemetery is morbid or even potentially disrespectful, but I knew the moment I arrived that it was not like that at all. There’s something magical here that happens when the sun sets behind the palm trees just as the stage lights up for the show to begin.”
Check out Hollywood Forever’s Events to find out more about their upcoming shows and movie screenings.
Did you visit Hollywood? Tag @wayfarer_journey or #knowtheworld — I’d love to see it!
by xotatech.com