Morbid Tourist Tip: Hollywood Death Sites

Actors

Divine (Pink Flamingoes) 1988: Drag queen extraordinaire and lifelong muse of director John Waters, Divine (aka Harris Milstead) permanently checked out in the Regency Plaza Hotel in Hollywood (of congestive heart failure).

Sal Mineo (Rebel Without a Cause) Stabbed to death during a mugging outside of his apartment at 8563 Holloway Drive in West Hollywood in 1976. Just off the Sunset Strip

William Frawley (I Love Lucy)1966: The actor who played Desi and Lucy's gruff neighbor Fred Mertz keeled over, dead of a heart attack, on the corner of Hollywood Blvd and Ivar Avenue.  Reportedly TV wife Vivian Vance ("Ethel Mertz") upon hearing the news while dining at a restaurant, proclaimed, "Champagne for everybody!"

Thelma Todd (Sing, Sister, Sing; Bottoms Up; Hips, Hips, Hooray!)1935:  17531 Posetano Road in Pacific Palisades is the site where the popular comedic actress was found dead at the age of 30, slightly bloodied and seated inside her car in the garage above her restaurant. It was rumored that she was cracked in the head by Mafiosos, but was ruled an "accidental suicide" via Carbon Monoxide poisoning by coroners.

Peg Entwistle (Thirteen Women) 1932: Dejected because of her floundering career, 24 year old actress Peg flung herself from the letter H of the looming "Hollywoodland" sign that was up the street from her house. The sign, formerly a giant advertisement for the housing development that was built beneath it, is now (of course) the legendary "Hollywood" sign that looms over Los Angeles. Located atop mount Lee, where it is very hard to get to and has been since armed with fences and alarm systems to prevent any bipolar young actresses from pulling a "Peg Entwistle". (FYI: Prior to the sign's abbreviation  to "Hollywood", suicides reportedly were most popular from the 13th letter - the "D" in "Hollywoodland".)

River Phoenix (Stand By Me)1993: Died just outside of the popular club "The Viper Room" on Halloween night after reportedly snorting "Persian Brown" (I'm assuming "high grade" heroin) in the bathroom of the establishment. A "helpful" bystander gave Phoenix a valium after he initially reacted badly to the drug. Phoenix reportedly flopped around, seizing, for quite some time outside of the club, and eventually stopped breathing and died. As a nurse, it saddens me to know that most narcotic overdoses result in respiratory arrest, which is easily remedied by rescue breathing until the needed antidote can be given. Alas... 8852 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood.

Haing S. Ngor (The Killing Fields)1996: Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner Ngor was shot and killed in a mugging in his driveway (as was Sal Mineo, above) . He apparently wouldn't give the robbers a gold locket containing the photo of his dead wife, who died during childbirth in Viet Nam. (high crime area) 945 N. Beaudry Ave

Ray Combs (Family Feud host)1996: Hung himself with sheets in his room at Glendale Adventist Hospital, 1509 E. Wilson Terrace
 

Musicians

Janis Joplin (Pearl) When the Highland Gardens Hotel was called the Landmark Motor Hotel in 1970, Joplin overdosed on heroin in room 105. 7047 Franklin Avenue, Hollywood. (high crime area)

Dennis Wilson (The Beach Boys) The drummer drowned in 1983 near basin C-1100 of Marina Del Rey.

Sam Cooke ("You Send Me") After a squabble with a prostitute in 1964, highly influential singer Cooke burst into the room in which he reportedly thought she had fled with his money. Only, it was the hotel manager's room - and she promptly shot and killed Cooke. Formerly the Hacienda Motel, now the Star Motel; 9137 S Figueroa St. South Central LA. (high crime area)

Bobby Fuller ("I Fought The Law [And The Law Won]")1966: Carbon Monoxide poisoning in his mother's car outside of his apartment in a vacant lot. Location is a small park near his former apartment at 1776 N Sycamore Ave, around the corner from Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

Christopher Wallace (Notorious B.I.G.) 1997: Gunned down in a drive by shooting while sitting in his car at 6060 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Comedians

John Belushi (The Blues Brothers) 1982: Overdosed on heroin and cocaine in bungalow #3 of the Chateau Marmont Hotel on 8221 Sunset Blvd in Hollywood.

Ernie Kovacs (The Ernie Kovacs Show) 1962: On his way home from Milton Berle's party, influential comedian Kovacs smashed his Corvair into a utility pole on the corner of Beverly Glen Blvd and Santa Monica Blvd.

Misc.

Robert F. Kennedy (Attorney General under JFK and assassinated presidential candidate) Assassinated in 1968 in the Ambassador Hotel's pantry after the announcement that he had won the California primary. 3400 Wilshire Blvd

Elizabeth Short (subject, The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy) Maybe the most famous of the entirely and utterly unsuccessful starlets of the silver screen, Short was murdered and chopped in half shortly after arriving in LA. The sicko killer carved a big, nasty smile across her face as well. She was found, in two big chunks, just south of 39th Street in South Central L.A at 3925 S. Norton Avenue in 1947. Two blocks east of  the Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw Plaza Mall. (high crime area)

William Desmond Taylor (director, Paramount)1922: Mysteriously murdered in his own house, likely by the crazy mother of a very young actress named Mary Miles Minter that he was possibly banging at the time (although by several accounts he was gay...). His home was formerly at the northeast corner of Alvarado & Maryland. 404-B South Alvarado (high crime area)

Ennis Cosby (son of comedian Bill Cosby, and probable basis for "Theo" on The Cosby Show) After getting a flat tire, the unfortunate 27 year old was shot and killed by a "white trash" wannabe gang member, probably in a botched robbery attempt. The Skirball Center Drive exit to the northbound San Diego (405) Freeway (see photo, right - courtesy findadeath.com)

David Begelman (president, Columbia Pictures) 1995: Shot himself at 2025 Avenue of the Stars, Century City. Had been a huge player in the 1970's, then fell from grace after a check forging scandal.

back to California Ghosts

thanks to:

http://www.seeing-stars.com/Died/index.shtml#deaths

http://www.hollywoodusa.co.uk/Attractions/chateaumarmont.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Cooke

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0292433/

http://www.usc.edu/isd/archives/la/scandals/todd.html

http://www.chuckstraub.com/Letterboxing/pegentwistle.htm

http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/classics/william_taylor/7.html?sect=13

http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/c/Ennis%20Cosby/ennis_cosby.htm

http://www.findadeath.com/

http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=1102&IssueNum=60

http://www.grimsociety.com/reader/gr16.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Frawley