It's no secret --- I'm a cemetery geek. Which is one of the reasons I sit transfixed every two weeks or so when Arthur Dark (left) posts a new video to his YouTube channel, "Hollywood Graveyard," responding to the invitation "come take a stroll ... and see where your favorite stars are buried."
You learn all sorts of interesting stuff. This week's tour (below), for example, was a first-time visit to Pacific View Memorial Park in the Corona del Mar neighborhood of Newport Beach where, among others, John Wayne is buried.
As a cemetery geek I had known that when Winterset native John "the Duke" Wayne (aka Marion Morrison) died back in 1979, his family purposely left his grave unmarked and it remained that way for many years. Now, however, the site is marked suitably in bronze.
A few weeks ago, Mr. Dark talked his way into a private section of the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Glendale and so we were able to pay our virtual respects at the tomb of the late Michael Jackson (1958-2009).
Arthur was there, too, at Hollywood Forever Cemetery back in early 2017 not long after the remains of Judy Garland (1922-1969) had been relocated from New York's Ferncliff Cemetery.
Several things set "Hollywood Graveyard" apart from others in the genre. Technical proficiency is one. Mr. Dark's wry wit --- that never crosses the line into disrespect --- is another. And then there's the incredible level of research that goes into each video. Stills, video clips, anecdotes and biographical information are incorporated into each.
In addition to the rich and the famous and the moguls, Dark visits the largely forgotten and the lesser known notables who created the Hollywood mystique from behind the scenes --- producers, directors, animators, composers and more.
It's a class act. You can subscribe by following this link or watch the segment below and take it from there.
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