Jewish cemetery in Culver City, California, United States
The Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary is a
Jewish cemetery in
Culver City, California , United States. Many
Jewish people from the entertainment industry are buried here. 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] Major figures in the worlds of philanthropy, women's rights, law, education, medicine and religion are interred at Hillside, some of whom are listed
below .
[3]
[5]
Notable interments
See also
Category:Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
A
Irving Aaronson (1895–1963), composer
Aron Abrams (1960–2010), television producer and writer
Russ Alben (1929–2012), advertising executive and composer
[7]
Van Alexander (1915–2015), musician
Corey Allen (1934–2010), actor, director, producer and screenwriter
Sheldon Allman (1924–2002), actor, singer and songwriter
DJ AM (1973–2009), disc jockey
[8]
Maria Altmann (1916–2011), refugee
Army Archerd (1922–2009), journalist and television host
B
Burt Bacharach (1928-2023), singer, songwriter, pianist
Frank Bank (1942–2013), actor
Sandy Baron (1936–2001), actor and comedian
Gene Barry (1919–2009), actor
Leonard Beerman (1921–2014), Reform rabbi
Jack Benny (1894–1974), actor and comedian
Henry Bergman (1868–1946), actor
Milton Berle (1908–2002), actor and comedian
Pandro S. Berman (1905–1996), producer and former head of
RKO Radio Pictures
Shelley Berman (1925–2017), actor and comedian
Ted Berman (1919–2001), animator and director
Helen Beverley (1916–2011), actress
Theodore Bikel (1924–2015), actor and singer
Mike Bloomfield (1943–1981), musician
Ben Blue (1901–1975), actor and comedian
Neil Bogart (1943–1982), founder of
Casablanca Records
Sorrell Booke (1930–1994), actor
Barbara Bosson (1939–2023), actress
Saul Brandman (1925–2008), garment manufacturer
Irving Brecher (1914–2008), screenwriter, producer, director
Andrew Breitbart (1969–2012), political commentator
Bernie Brillstein (1931–2008), producer and talent agent
Richard Brooks (1912–1992), director
Marion Byron (1911–1985), actress
C
Susan Cabot (1927–1986), actress
Eddie Cantor (1892–1964), actor, comedian, and singer
Nell Carter (1948–2003), actress and singer
Gilbert Cates (1934–2011), director and producer
Jeff Chandler (1918–1961), actor
Cyd Charisse (1922–2008), actress and dancer
Robert Clary (1926–2022), actor, singer
Ronni Chasen (1946–2010), publicist
[9]
June Clayworth (1912–1993), actress
Carl Cohen (1913–1986), businessman
Mickey Cohen (1913–1976), mobster
Norm Crosby (1927–2020), comedian
D
E
F
G
Mary Leona Gage (1939–2010), beauty queen
Larry Gelbart (1928–2009), television writer
Sid Gillman (1911–2003), Hall of Fame football coach
Bernard Gilmore (1937–2013), composer
William Goetz (1903–1969), producer and former head of
Universal Studios
Jerry Goldsmith (1929–2004), composer
Mark Goodson (1915–1992), producer
Eydie Gormé (1928–2013), singer
Gogi Grant (1924–2016), singer
Carl Greenberg (1908–1984), newspaper reporter and editor
Hank Greenberg (1911–1986),
Major League Baseball
Hall of Famer
Lorne Greene (1915–1987), actor
Brad Grey (1957–2017), film producer
H
I
J
K
L
Ely Landau (1920–1993), producer
Mark Landon (1948–2009), musician, actor
Michael Landon (1936–1991), actor
Abe Lastfogel (1898–1984), Chairman of the William Morris talent agency
Steve Lawrence (1935-2024), actor and comedian
Jerry Leiber (1933–2011), songwriter
Sheldon Leonard (1907–1997), actor and producer
A. Fredric Leopold (1900–2008), lawyer and Mayor of Beverly Hills
Sammy Lerner (1903–1989), songwriter
Sol Lesser (1890–1980), film producer
Jules Levy (1923–2003), producer
Peggy Lipton (1946–2019), actress
Mary Livingstone (1905–1983), actress and comedian
M
Abby Mann (1927–2008), screenwriter
Daniel Mann (1912–1991), director
Ted Mann (1916–2001), businessman and film executive
Hal March (1920–1970), actor and comedian
Trudy Marshall (1920–2004), actress
Tony Martin (1913–2012), actor and singer
Marvin Mitchelson (1928–2004), attorney
Howard Morris (1919–2005), actor and comedian
Vic Morrow (1929–1982), actor
Jan 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 director
Paul Richards (1924–1974), actor
Harry Richman (1895–1972), singer and actor
Leo Robin (1900–1984), composer
Sid Rogell (1900–1973), producer
Stanley Ralph Ross (1935–2000), writer and actor
Benny Rubin (1899–1986), actor
Jerry 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
Billy Sands (1911–1984), actor
Connie Sawyer (1912–2018), actress
Sherwood Schwartz (1916–2011), television producer; creator of
Gilligan's Island and
The Brady Bunch
Irene Mayer Selznick (1907–1990), theatrical producer
Freddie Sessler (1923–2000), entrepreneur
[13]
Dan Seymour (1915–1993), actor
Dick Shawn (1923–1987), actor and comedian
Allan Sherman (1924–1973), actor, comedian, and singer
Robert B. Sherman (1925–2012), songwriter
Dinah Shore (1916–1994), singer, actress and television host (partial cremated remains)
Sammy Shore (1927–2019), comedian
Julius Shulman (1910–2009), architectural photographer
George Sidney (1916–2002), film director and producer
Sol C. Siegel (1903–1982), film producer
Al Silvera (1935–2002),
Major League Baseball player
Aaron Spelling (1923–2006), producer
Bud Swartz (1929–1991),
Major League Baseball player
Lela Swift (1919–2015), director and producer
T
W
Irving Wallace (1916–1990), author
Jack M. Warner (1916–1995), film producer
Simon Waronker (1915–2005), record producer, co-founder of
Liberty Records
Lew Wasserman (1913–2002), agent, studio executive
Paul Francis Webster (1907–1984), songwriter
Jerry Weintraub (1937–2015), talent agent, concert promoter, film producer
Shelley Winters (1920–2006), actress
Stan Winston (1946–2008), makeup artist
Dennis Wolfberg (1946–1994), actor and comedian
Sol M. Wurtzel (1890–1958), film producer
Y
William Gary Young (1950-1970), PFC, United States Marine Corps
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 – via
Open Library .
^ Rodman, Edmon J (January 31, 2013).
"You ain't heard Kol Nidre yet" .
Washington Jewish Week . Archived from
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 . Los Angeles. p. 26 (original print edition). 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 , August 22, 2014 Volume XXXXVIIII, Number 34, pp. 4;18
[1]
^
"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 , November 21, 2012.
^ 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 .
External links
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Areas Government
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Landmarks Transportation This list is incomplete.