Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
Jewish cemetery in Culver City, California, United States
The Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery in Culver City, California , United States. Many Jewish people from the entertainment industry are buried there. The cemetery is known for Al Jolson 's elaborate tomb (designed by Los Angeles architect Paul Williams ), a 75-foot-high pergola and monument atop a hill above a water cascade, all visible from the adjacent San Diego Freeway .[ 1] [ 2]
History
Built on 35 acres of rolling hills in an undeveloped area near Inglewood , the cemetery was originally founded as B'nai B'rith Memorial Park in 1941 by Lazare F. Bernhard and Robert S. and Harry Groman , founders of Groman Mortuaries in 1936 and sons of Charles Groman , who co-founded the first licensed Jewish mortuary west of Chicago, Glasband-Groman-Glasband , before it was renamed "Hillside Memorial Park" in 1942. Because of objections by the Inglewood Chamber of Commerce, they were not granted a permit to operate by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors until July 1943.[ 3] [ 4] [ 5]
In 1951 the park became famous when Al Jolson 's widow, Erle, purchased a large plot and had erected a 75-foot-high domed monument in his memory. Thousands attended the dedication and service, which included a eulogy by Jack Benny .[ 3]
After a bitter legal dispute between the Groman brothers, and Robert's death in 1957, the park was acquired by Temple Israel of Hollywood , which continues to own and operate it.[ 3] [ 5]
Jack Benny 's funeral in 1974 included a eulogy by Bob Hope and was attended by over 2000 people, including dozens of well-known members of the entertainment community.[ 6] below .[ 3] [ 5]
Notable interments
A
Irving Aaronson (1895–1963), composerAron Abrams (1960–2010), television producer and writerRuss Alben (1929–2012), advertising executive and composer[ 7] Van Alexander (1915–2015), musicianCorey Allen (1934–2010), actor, director, producer and screenwriterSheldon Allman (1924–2002), actor, singer and songwriterDJ AM (1973–2009), disc jockey[ 8] Maria Altmann (1916–2011), refugee who achieved the return of the Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I to her family.Army Archerd (1922–2009), journalist and television host
B
Burt Bacharach (1928-2023), singer, songwriter, pianistFrank Bank (1942–2013), actorSandy Baron (1936–2001), actor and comedianGene Barry (1919–2009), actor and singerLeonard Beerman (1921–2014), Reform rabbiJack Benny (1894–1974), actor and comedianHenry Bergman (1868–1946), actorMilton Berle (1908–2002), actor and comedianPandro S. Berman (1905–1996), producer and former head of RKO Radio Pictures Shelley Berman (1925–2017), actor and comedianTed Berman (1919–2001), animator and directorHelen Beverley (1916–2011), actressTheodore Bikel (1924–2015), actor and singerMike Bloomfield (1943–1981), musicianBen Blue (1901–1975), actor and comedianNeil Bogart (1943–1982), founder of Casablanca Records Sorrell Booke (1930–1994), actorBarbara Bosson (1939–2023), actressSaul Brandman (1925–2008), garment manufacturerIrving Brecher (1914–2008), screenwriter, producer, directorAndrew Breitbart (1969–2012), political commentatorBernie Brillstein (1931–2008), producer and talent agentRichard Brooks (1912–1992), directorMarion Byron (1911–1985), actress
C
Susan Cabot (1927–1986), actressEddie Cantor (1892–1964), actor, comedian, singer and philanthropistNell Carter (1948–2003), actress and singerGilbert Cates (1934–2011), director and producerJeff Chandler (1918–1961), actorCyd Charisse (1922–2008), actress and dancerRobert Clary (1926–2022), actor, singerRonni Chasen (1946–2010), publicist[ 9] June Clayworth (1912–1993), actressCarl Cohen (1913–1986), businessmanMickey Cohen (1913–1976), mobsterNorm Crosby (1927–2020), comedian
D
E
F
G
Mary Leona Gage (1939–2010), beauty queenLarry Gelbart (1928–2009), television writerSid Gillman (1911–2003), Hall of Fame football coachBernard Gilmore (1937–2013), composerWilliam Goetz (1903–1969), producer and former head of Universal Studios Jerry Goldsmith (1929–2004), composerMark Goodson (1915–1992), producerEydie Gormé (1928–2013), singerGogi Grant (1924–2016), singerCarl Greenberg (1908–1984), newspaper reporter and editorHank Greenberg (1911–1986), Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Lorne Greene (1915–1987), actorBrad Grey (1957–2017), film producer
H
I
J
K
L
Ely Landau (1920–1993), producerJon Landau (1960-2024), film producerMark Landon (1948–2009), musician, actorMichael Landon (1936–1991), actorAbe Lastfogel (1898–1984), Chairman of the William Morris talent agencySteve Lawrence (1935-2024), actor, singer and comedianJerry Leiber (1933–2011), songwriterSheldon Leonard (1907–1997), actor and producerA. Fredric Leopold (1900–2008), lawyer and mayor of Beverly HillsSammy Lerner (1903–1989), songwriterSol Lesser (1890–1980), film producerJules Levy (1923–2003), producerPeggy Lipton (1946–2019), actressMary Livingstone (1905–1983), actress and comedian
M
Abby Mann (1927–2008), screenwriterDaniel Mann (1912–1991), directorTed Mann (1916–2001), businessman and film executiveHal March (1920–1970), actor and comedianTrudy Marshall (1920–2004), actressTony Martin (1913–2012), actor and singerMarvin Mitchelson (1928–2004), attorneyHoward Morris (1919–2005), actor and comedianVic Morrow (1929–1982), actorJan Murray (1916–2006), actor and comedian
N
O
P
R
Deborah Raffin (1953–2012), actress and audiobook publisher[ 12] Irving Reis (1906–1953), radio producer, radio and film directorPaul Richards (1924–1974), actorHarry Richman (1895–1972), singer and actorLeo Robin (1900–1984), composerSid Rogell (1900–1973), producerStanley Ralph Ross (1935–2000), writer and actorBenny Rubin (1899–1986), actorJerry Rubin (1938–1994), Yippie turned businessman, member of the Chicago Seven Barney Ruditsky (1898–1962), New York City detective turned Hollywood private investigator .
S
Mort Sahl (1927–2021), comedian and actorBilly Sands (1911–1984), actorConnie Sawyer (1912–2018), actressSherwood Schwartz (1916–2011), television producer; creator of Gilligan's Island The Brady Bunch Irene Mayer Selznick (1907–1990), theatrical producerFreddie Sessler (1923–2000), entrepreneur[ 13] Dan Seymour (1915–1993), actorDick Shawn (1923–1987), actor and comedianAllan Sherman (1924–1973), actor, comedian, and singerRobert B. Sherman (1925–2012), songwriterDinah Shore (1916–1994), singer, actress and television host (partial cremated remains)Sammy Shore (1927–2019), comedianJulius Shulman (1910–2009), architectural photographerGeorge Sidney (1916–2002), film director and producerSol C. Siegel (1903–1982), film producerAl Silvera (1935–2002), Major League Baseball playerAaron Spelling (1923–2006), producerHarry Sukman (1912–1984), film and television composerBud Swartz (1929–1991), Major League Baseball playerLela Swift (1919–2015), director and producer
T
W
Irving Wallace (1916–1990), authorJack M. Warner (1916–1995), film producerSimon Waronker (1915–2005), record producer, co-founder of Liberty Records Lew Wasserman (1913–2002), agent, studio executivePaul Francis Webster (1907–1984), songwriterJerry Weintraub (1937–2015), talent agent, concert promoter, film producerStan Winston (1946–2008), makeup artistShelley Winters (1920–2006), actressDennis Wolfberg (1946–1994), actor and comedianSol M. Wurtzel (1890–1958), film producer
Z
See also
References
^ David Gebhard, Robert Winter, An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles (Gibbs Smith, rev. ed. 2003), ISBN 978-1586853082 , p. 119. Excerpt available at Google Books .
Gebhard, David ; Winter, Robert (2003). Winter, Robert (ed.). An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles (Digitized from original text) (1st, revised ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith . p. 119. ISBN 1-58685-308-2 Open Library .
^ Rodman, Edmon J (January 31, 2013). "You ain't heard Kol Nidre yet" . Washington Jewish Week the original on January 31, 2013. ^ a b c d Meares, Hadley (March 14, 2014). "Hillside Memorial Park: A Jewish Modernist Masterpiece in the Midst of the City" . KCET . Public Media Group of Southern California. Retrieved November 2, 2018 . ^ "Distinguished Residents of Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary" (PDF) . hillsidememorial.org . Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary . 2008. Retrieved November 2, 2018 .^ a b c "Our History | Hillside Memorial" . Hillside Memorial . Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary. Retrieved November 1, 2018 .^ Nordheimer, Jon (December 30, 1974). "Thousands Watch Hollywood Farewell to Benny" . The New York Times . Retrieved November 2, 2018 . ^ "Bernard Alben Obituary" . Legacy.com Los Angeles Times . August 29, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2012 .^ "DJ AM Laid to Rest in Private Funeral" . September 3, 2009.^ Higgins, Bill (November 21, 2010). "Hollywood publicist laid to rest at emotional funeral" . Reuters . Retrieved November 23, 2010 . ^ Victoria Talbot, 'Edith Flagg, Fashion Pioneer and Philanthropist, Dead at 94', The Beverly Hills Courier [1] Archived August 26, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
^ "Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy's funeral will be held on Sunday in Los Angeles" . February 28, 2015.^ Elaine Woo, "Deborah Raffin dies at 59; actress was also a force in audio books" , Los Angeles Times
^ Regan, Marilou (May 1, 2013). "The Happening Freddy Sessler: "World's Oldest Rolling Stones Groupie" (and Keith Richard's Best Friend)" . Loveyouliverollingstones.com . Retrieved August 1, 2014 .
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