Hillside Memorial Cemetery

You might remember that I shared my experience attending a taping of Jeopardy in a previous post. A diverse group of fellow Wizard of Vegas enthusiasts and I took a road trip to Culver City for this event to show our support for our cherished host, Barbara. What I didn’t mention was that following the event, I had some free time on my hands, as I generally wake up around 5 AM, unlike my travel companions who are professional gamblers and tend to grumble if they have to rise before 11 AM. Thus, I decided to take a stroll to the nearby Hillside Memorial Park , a Jewish cemetery that serves as the final resting place for numerous prominent figures in the entertainment industry. September 26, 2019 newsletter This cemetery is as beautiful as they come. Its landscaping rivals that of a top-tier private golf course. Without the gravestones and mausoleums, it could easily be mistaken for a lovely public park. Conveniently located near Los Angeles airport, just off the busy 405 freeway and close to Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, the site would be highly desirable for anyone who is alive. Surprisingly, despite being situated amid such a vibrant area, Hillside is spacious enough that one can forget their surroundings and enjoy a moment of tranquility.

My visit was entirely unplanned. Arriving early gave me the opportunity to browse their notable internments list, and it's quite impressive. Some of the names I discovered on the list were Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Max Factor (both Jr. and Sr.), Eydie Gorme, Lorne Greene, Monty Hall, Moe Howard, Al Jolson, Michael Landon, Vic Morrow, Leonard Nimoy, Charlotte Rae, Sherwood Schwartz, Dinah Shore, and Aaron Spelling. To be honest, I was surprised to learn that many of these individuals were Jewish.

As soon as the gates opened, a friendly woman at the office provided me with a map, looked up several names I inquired about, and marked their approximate locations. Equipped with this map, I set out to uncover as many of these notable sites as possible within the 90 minutes I had before needing to return to my hotel. Below are the ones I located, along with a few I discovered by chance during my quest. Wikipedia page The memorial for Al Jolson stands out as the most impressive one I encountered. It features an enormous monument perched atop a hill, complete with a waterfall cascading down its side. It’s so significant that it can be spotted from the 405 freeway.

Here lies Walter Maier, the second 'M' in MGM, alongside his wife. I hadn’t intended to find him; I just happened upon his grave by chance. It's rather understated for such a renowned figure, with a marker no larger than a small desk.

Written by: Michael Shackleford