The ghosts of Hollywood live forever in Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Santa Monica Boulevard. Founded in 1899, the cemetery is the final resting place to more of Hollywood's founders and stars than anywhere else on earth. Paramount Studios was built on the back half of the original Hollywood Cemetery, where the studio is still in operation today. It is open to the public and many Hollywood greats are buried/entombed there: Fay Wray, Tyrone Power, Douglas Fairbanks(Sr. and Jr.), Cecil B. De Mille, Jayne Mansfield, Charlie Chaplin, Don Adams, Mel Blanc, Peter Lorre, John Huston, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, etc., and Rudolph "Rudy" Valentino (memorialized as Rodolfo Guglielmi Valentino, 1895-1926, entombed in a crypt).
Valentino is perhaps the most legendary member of the cemetery. He was the first great matinee idol, pop icon, and a sexual symbol of the 1920's. He died tragically of peritonitis, etc. in 1931. He collapsed on August 15, 1926 at the Hotel Ambassador in New York City and died 8 days later. His death caused mass hysteria across the country. Every year on the anniversary of his death there was and is a memorial service which is still attended by 100s of people. One or two of his silent movies are shown. There are speakers, historians, performers, people with some connection to Valentino and admirers. His is the first big movie star death cult. If you look closely at the frontispiece of his crypt you'll see some darkish stains. They are the result of women kissing the crypt with lipstick on. Who knew!!
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