This article covers the day’s one through two of my second L.A. Gravecation, which is now in progress. Stay tuned for updates as I blog about the insanity in the coming days. Please keep in mind this article has over 3k words in it so you’re gonna need a little time to read through it all to digest everything. Anyway to kick things off, I arrived at the Orange County John Wayne Airport around noon pacific time. After picking up my luggage at the baggage claim area, I strolled over to where I’d be picked up by the rental car company to then pickup the car I’d be cruising around Los Angeles, and Orange County.

Let me just give you a word of advice. If you ever go on vacation and find your self renting a vehicle DO NOT be cheap and go with a no-name car rental company. It took them over an hour and a half to pick me up from the airport. On top of things the car rental company placed a hold of over $800 dollars on my debit/credit card. After that was said and done, I hopped into the compact economy size car I rented for two weeks, set up the Garmin GPS devise I brought along with me to California, punched in the address in the GPS devise of my uncle’s home in Anaheim, and off I went.

Day one of the 2012 Los Angeles/Orange County Gravecation was uneventful for the most part. After arriving at my uncles palatial home in the gated community, where I’d be staying for the duration of my trip. I pretty much lounged around the house to recuperate from the long flight which included a layover in Denver.

Day two began with me getting up nice and early. Being that it would be a few days before I’d be seeing any of the long-lost grave hunting friends I met during the inaugural L.A. Gravecation in the Spring of 2011. I decided to finish some “unfinished” business I had at Pacific View Memorial Park, which is in Corona del Mar, CA. To give you a general history, and overall geographic location, of where Pacific View Memorial Park is located. I invite you to visit The Great L.A. Gravecation of 2011 Revisited – Pacific View Memorial Park article right here on The Gravecast Blog. After you read “The History” part of the article at the provided link. Please continue with this article, as the tour part will be completely different. So lets move along.

After departing my uncle’s home, I stopped at a nearby gas station to buy two bottles of delightfully flavored vitamin water. This was due in part because I didn’t want to revisit the fiasco I encountered the last time I visited Pacific View Memorial Park. So with that the tour begins.

The Tour:

When I arrived at Pacific View Memorial Park, I strolled into the cemetery office to obtain a map of the cemetery grounds. After that was said and done. I hopped back into my vehicle and cruised over to the Vista del Mar, lawn area section. After arriving in the Vista del Mar lawn area. I pulled out my friend Michael Barry’s book “Final Resting Places: Orange County’s Dead & Famous” This book is a must have graveside narrative which includes concise biographies of notable/famous personalities who rest in many of the cemeteries and memorial parks in Orange County, California. After opening the book I pinpointed the exact locations of Jeanne and William Cagney. Jeanne, and William were the brother and sister duo of well-known actor James Cagney. Jeanne Cagney was an actress in her own right who appeared with her brother James in a handful of motion pictures which include Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), The Time of Your Life (1948), A Lion is in the Streets (1953), and Man of a Thousand Faces (1957). Jeanne, and James, brother William was a Hollywood Producer who Produced the siblings Academy Award winning film Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). His acting credits include an appearance in Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950).

After photographing the siblings graveside’s at various angle points of view, I then cruised over to the cremation garden. The cremation garden includes a tranquil flowing water fall, and mini streams, along with beautiful rock paved walkways. The ambiance of the waterfall, and streams, is the perfect setting for contemplating the thoughts and memories of loved ones who’ve passed to the great beyond, and visiting with the long departed. The notable person I visited in this beautifully tranquil area of the memorial park was author David Stuart Freeman. Freeman wrote the travel book “100 Things To Do Before You Die: Travel Events You Just Can’t Miss” according to my friend Michael Barry’s book, at the time of Freeman’s tragic death after falling in his home, he only visited about half of the locations in his book.

After photographing David Freeman’s cremains niche. I then hopped back into my vehicle and cruised over to the Bay View Terrace lawn section of the cemetery, where Academy Award winning motion picture editor Daniel Mandell rests. Mandell got his start in motion pictures in the silent era, and retired from motion pictures in the 1960s. He was involved in editing many of Hollywood’s most beloved productions and worked with such famous directors as Billy Wilder, and Frank Capra. Some of Mandell’s career highlights include working on the films: Wuthering Heights (1939), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), Guys and Dolls (1955), Porgy and Bess (1959), among many others. While residing in Huntington Beach, CA  Mandell passed away at the ripe old age of ninety-two.

After biding farewell to Daniel Mandell I then cruised over to the Catalina Estates section where James Edwards rests. Edwards was a theater owner whose motto was “I’m not in the movie business, I’m in the popcorn business“. Starting his theater empire in 1930 it eventually became one of the largest theater chains in America. In 1997 due to unknown causes Edwards passed away in the seaside community of Newport Beach, California.

After paying my respects at the graveside of James Edwards I then began the mausoleum part of my trek. Starting with visiting the cremains niche of stunt pilot Paul Mantz. Mantz got his start in motion pictures after running an air charter service, with the epic motion picture Hells Angels (1930). His other film roles as a stunt pilot included appearances in Flying Devils (1933), Sins of Man (1936), and many others. His career lasted until the 1960s when he tragically lost his life doing what he loved while being a stunt pilot for a scene in the epic The Flight of The Phoenix (1965).

After paying my utmost respects at the graveside cremains niche of Paul Mantz, I then made a leisurely stroll over to where crooner, and trombone player John C. Fulton rests. Fulton got his musical start in the midst of the roaring twenties. Teaming with several orchestras during this time most notably The Mason-Dixon, George Olsen, and Paul Whitman Orchestras. In 1954 he teamed up with Lois Steele to write Perry Como’s 1954 classic “Wanted”. If your interested in learning more about Fulton’s charismatic and prosperous career. I invite you to visit his listing on Find A Grave.

After biding farewell at the graveside of John Fulton, I then made my way towards the graveside of Ruben Salazar. Salazar who was born in Juarez, Mexico became the Los Angeles Times correspondent there, who covered the Mexican-American political affairs. To make a long story short, at the age of 42 Salazar was killed during the August 1970 National Chicano Moratorium March against the Vietnam War when a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy discharged a teargas canister through the door of the Silver Dollar Bar on Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles, where Salazar was lounging around perhaps having a drink or two. The canister struck Salazar in the head killing him instantly. This incident of flagrant excessive force by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department pretty much changed the way police departments respond to crowd and riot situations.

After paying my respects at the graveside cremains niche of Ruben Salazar I then strolled over to where noted cinematographer Harry F. Perry rests. Not much is known about Perry, but what is known is that he was the cinematographer for a total of twenty-eight motion pictures. Starting in the silent era with The Sins of Roseanne (1920), Perry was also the cinematographer for the epic silent classic Wings (1927), Perry’s last film was the epic film of flight Hell’s Angels (1930).

When I was done paying my respects at the graveside cremains niche of Harry Perry, I then strolled over to where another silent era personality rests. And that being the graveside of William Austin. Austin who was born in Georgetown, British Guiana was in a total of eighty-nine motion pictures beginning with the silent era’s Common Sense (1920), and ending with The Ghost Goes Wild (1947). His other on-screen roles included appearances in Alice in Wonderland (1933), The Gay Divorcee (1934). William was also the brother of noted actor, Albert Austin. If your interested in checking out a full listing of William Austin’s film credits I invite you to checkout his IMDb listing.

After photographing William Austin’s graveside cremains niche, I then made a leisurely stroll over to where Dr. Ralph Smedley is interred. Smedley was the founder of Toastmasters International. Toastmasters International was a group dedicated to helping people become better communicators and leaders. Overtime the group evolved into one of the largest non-profit educational organizations in the world with over 8000 club chapters in sixty countries. If your interested in learning about Toastmasters International you should visit their website at toastmasters.org.

After paying my respects at Dr. Smedley’s graveside crypt I backtracked my steps over to the cremains niche where prolific character actor Harold Minjir rests. Minjir had character roles in over sixty films beginning in 1930 and ending around 1945. Some of the motion pictures he appeared in include but is not limited to Wife vs. Secretary (1936), Edison the Man (1940), and Jack London (1943), among many other motion pictures.

After snapping several photos at different angle view points of Minjir’s cremains niche. I then strolled over to where television & motion picture editor Albert Clark rests. Clark began his career in the early 1930s and ended in 1969. He was nominated for five Academy Awards for his skillful editing work on The Awful Truth (1937), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), All The Kings Men (1949), Cowboy (1958) Pepe (1960). His sole nomination for Emmy Award was for his work on the television series Ben Casey (1961). On July 13th 1971 Clark passed away from unknown causes.

After visiting the cremains niche of Albert Clark, I then strolled over to the cremains niche where another film editor rests, and that being Theodore J. Kent. Kent worked exclusively for Universal Pictures starting at the closure of the silent era, and ending in 1967. He was involved with the post-production editing on many of Universal Pictures most prolific horror classics. Which include but is not limited to The Invincible Man (1933), Son of Frankenstein (1939), The Wolf Man (1941), The Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954). In June of 1986 Kent passed away from unknown causes. If you’re interested in checking out his versatile film credits I invite you to visit his IMDb listing.

After snapping several photos at different angles of Theodore Kent’s graveside. I then strolled over to where Noble Peace Prize Nominee Professor Loh Sen Tsai rests. Tsai who was born in China received his PhD in Psychology from the University of Chicago. During his lifetime Tsai served on the faculty of four universities which included Brown, UCLA, Tulane, and Cal State Fullerton. In the 1940s Tsai returned to his native China, and became Dean at the University of Nanking. At the close of the 1940s Tsai joined the faculty at Tulane University in New Orléans, Louisiana. While on the faculty staff at Tulane University, Tsai conducted studies on peace and coöperation which then led to his nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1973 Tsai retired from a lifelong career in education. In 1992 while residing in Newport Beach, California, Tsai suffered a fatal heart attack and passed away.

After paying my utmost respects at the graveside of Prof. Tsai, I then strolled over to the cremains niche where actor John Beaury Gallaudet rests. Gallaudet was a highly productive character actor who appeared in over 175 motion pictures, and television shows. Starting in the 1930s, and ending in the 1970s. Some of his most memorable motion picture roles include appearances in Manhattan Shakedown (1937), The Strange Case of Doctor RX (1942), The Babe Ruth Story (1948), and In Cold Blood (1967). Gallaudet’s television appearances include roles on I Love Lucy, The Beverly Hillbillies, Perry Mason, Batman, among others. In 1983 Gallaudet passed away from unknown causes while residing in Los Angeles. The interesting thing about this graveside marker is that he is not listed on the marker, but his wife is.

Continuing on with the tour the next graveside I visited was that of prolific motion picture director Roy Rowland. Between 1934 and 1966 Rowland directed fifty-eight full length motion pictures, and short films. During the 1930s Rowland was best known for his short subject films which included: Robert Benchley’s: How To, Pete Smith Specialties, & Crime Doesn’t Pay. His motion picture credits include but is not limited to: A Night At The Movies (1937), The Outriders, (1950), Witness to Murder (1954), and finally Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956). He was nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award for Meet Me in Las Vegas. In 1995 while residing in Orange, California Rowland passed away from unknown causes.

After photographing the graveside of Roy Rowland, I then casually strolled over to where the filmmaking husband and wife team of Robert, and Barbara Webb rest in the mausoleum. Robert Webb was an award-winning motion picture director & producer during the 1950s, and 1960s. He was nominated and won the Academy Award for In Old Chicago (1937), and was nominated for the Cannes Film Festival Award for Beneath The 12-Mile Reed (1953). Some of his other noteworthy motion picture credits include: The Agony and The Ecstasy (1965), The Seven Cities of Gold (1955), and finally The Cape Town Affair (1967). Robert also worked with his wife Barbara McLean-Webb on nine motion pictures. Robert passed away in 1990 while living in Newport Beach, California.

Barbara McLean-Webb worked for 20th Century Fox Studios. In the 1930s when she began her lifelong career she was one of only a handful of women who worked as a film editor in Hollywood. In 1949 she was named Fox’s editing director. McLean-Webb was extremely well liked and respected by those who knew and worked with her. She was also one of famed director Darryl Zanuck’s favorite editors. During her career she was nominated for six Academy Awards, and winning one for best editing in the motion picture Wilson (1944). The films she was nominated for the Academy Award included: Les Miserables (1935), Lloyd’s of London (1936), Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938), The Rain Cain (1939), The Song of Bernadette (1943), and All About Eve (1950). Her other noteworthy film credits include: Captain From Castille (1947), Twelve O’Clock High (1949), The Snow’s of Kilmanjaro (1952), Niagara (1953), and Untamed (1955). In 1969 Barbara retired from a highly successful career at 20th Century Fox. Barbara outlived her husband Robert Webb by six years and rests peacefully for all eternity next to him.

Continuing on with the tour the next graveside crypt I checked out in the mausoleum area was the graveside of Frieda Pushnik. Pushnik was born in 1923, and had the misfortune of being born with no arms or legs. This was due in part because her mother had an emergency appendectomy procedure performed on her while she was pregnant. And due to the complications of the procedure the result was that her unborn child would unfortunately be born with no arms or legs. Fortunately Frieda lived an extremely happy life, and learned how to do anything and everything a normal person could do. Meanwhile fast forward to 1933, while Ripley’s Believe It or Not was touring the area, Pushnik was discovered by a scout, and then put on display in the “odditorium” exhibit at the 1933 Worlds Fair. After the fair ended Pushnik toured around the United States for six years. In 1943 she was hired by Ringling Bros Circus for one of their sideshow attractions, which included The Bearded Lady, among other oddities.

In 1956 the oddity sideshows were outlawed by the government and Pushnik returned home to Orange County. At the time when she returned to a more normal life, she is noted to of said that “she did not regret her time in the circus, and never felt exploited, and actually enjoyed traveling.” In December of 2000 Pushnik lost a tragic battle with bladder cancer.

The next graveside crypt I visited while at Pacific View Memorial Park was that of big band leader Freddy “Mr. Silverstone” Martin. Some of his musical hits include but is not limited to “I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Cocoanuts,” “April in Portugal,” and “Bumble Boogie” If you are interested in learning more about Mr. Silverstone’s highly successful career, feel free to visit his biography on Wikipedia.

After visiting, & photographing the graveside of Freddy Martin. I then strolled over to the cremains niche where murder victim Linda Marie Brown rests. To make a long story short Linda was the wife of David Brown. David Brown convinced his daughters that Linda was plotting to kill him. David also convinced one of his daughters Cinnamon, to murder her mother and thus take the fall for the murder, so David wouldn’t spend any time behind bars. After spending a few years behind bars Cinnamon found out that David and her aunt Patti Baily who was Linda’s sister got married. Patti was also involved in the murder plot. Moving along David and Patti were eventually put behind bars for their participation in the murder, with David getting extra time for attempting hiring a hit man to murder Patti Bailey before she could testify. The true crime book titled “If You Really Loved Me” by Ann Rule is based on this horrific crime.

After paying my respects at the graveside cremains niche of Linda Marie Brown, I then noticed the graveside crypt of Mary D. Marx. Unfortunately Mary was not listed in Michael Barry’s book. Which I had with me as I was strutting around the mausoleum. But the name sound awfully familiar. As luck would ultimately have it Mary Marx was the loving wife, of famed Marx Brother Chico Marx. Mary was also an actress but after doing some Googleing I was unable to come up with her film credits.

After the minor yet productive detour I then strolled over to the area where silent film actor E. Niles Welsh rests. Welsh’s highly prolific career began in 1913 during the early part of the silent era, and ended in the 1940s. During his career he appeared in over 121 motion pictures. As the silent era was coming to an end and the talkies were becoming the name of the movie making game. Welsh’s career pretty much waned, but he still found bit roles from time to time in westerns, and historic based dramas. Some of his film credits include but is not limited to Miss George Washington (1916), The Secret of Storm Country (1917), The Story of Louis Pasteur (1935), and Mary of Scotland (1936), among many others. In 1976 Welsh passed away from unknown causes.

After visiting the graveside crypt of E. Niles Welsh, I then strolled over to where “The Queen of the B-Movies” rests, and that being Jeanne Carmen. During the 1950s Carmen was a platinum blonde pin-up model, and actress, who had a striking resemblance to Marilyn Monroe. She had a curvy figure with the measurements of 36-26-36. In 1946 she found work as a burlesque dancer in Burt Lahr’s Burlesque. Around this time working as a dancer she posed in various risque gentlemens magazines. The magazine exposure pretty much led her to appear in many low-budget motion pictures. A few of her more illustrious screen credits include: The Three Outlaws (1956), Untamed Youth (1957), The Monster of Playa Blancas (1959), among others. In 2007 while residing in Irvine, California Carmen lost a tragic battle with lymphoma.

After paying my respects at the graveside of Jeanne Carmen, I then strolled over to where candy maker Helen Grace rests along the hillside. In 1944 Helen Grace, and her husband William founded Helen Grace Chocolates. The candy shop was named in her honor by her husband. The couple were a hardworking mom and pop operation. In 1963 the couple retired and entrusted the company to their son James. James pretty much ran the day-to-day operations of the store until his untimely death in 1989. In 2001 the Grace family sold their remaining stocks in the business to Robert & David Worth. In 2002 Helen passed away from natural causes while living in Huntington Beach, California.

After visiting the hillside grave of Helen Grace, I then strolled over to the grave of Robert. L. Hatfield. Better known as musician Bobby Hatfield of “The Righteous Brothers” Hatfield met his future musical collaborator Bill Medley while attending Cal State Long Beach. The singing duo were discovered while performing with The Paramours by record producer Phil Spector. Between 1964 and 1965 the singing duo had several hits on the top ten charts. Musical melodies that included You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling (1965), Unchained Melody (1965), Ebb Tide (1965), and Just Once in My Life (1965) In 1990 the singing duo enjoyed a rejuvenation of sorts when their hit song Unchained Melody was included on the soundtrack of the film Ghost. In 2003 The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Meanwhile that November the duo began a nationwide tour, while at a stop in Kalamazoo, Michigan Bobby passed away from a heart attack. The autopsy with toxicology records later reported that the sudden heart failure was precipitated by a cocaine overdose.

Rounding out this long and grueling tour I visited the graveside of famed boxing referee Mitchell Halpern. Halpern was one of the most well-respected boxing officials, who oversaw eighty-seven championship boxing matches in a career that began in the early 90s. A few of Halpern’s biggest fights include but is not limited to the Mike Tyson/Evander Holyfield (1996) bout, & Oscar De La Hoya/Felix Trinidad (1999) bout. In August of 2000 after a domestic dispute in his Nevada home, Halpern took his own life by shooting himself.

And finally if you’re interested in checking out the photographs I snapped during the trek to Pacific View Memorial Park. I invite you to browse the slideshow below. Please stay tuned for the next article where I’ll be covering my revisit to Westwood Memorial Park.

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