Is it creepy to sightsee a cemetery, camera in hand?
I had a blast at Paris’ Cimetière du Père Lachaise (with a great interactive tour here), so it didn’t strike me as weird to bust out the photography when at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery, Marilyn Monroe’s final resting place.
The lipstick traces are fun. They reminded me of Oscar Wilde’s grave–also at Père Lachaise–which was covered with kisses when I visited there. (Evidently, to his grandson’s annoyance.)
My great friend Harry showed me around the place, pointing out the markers for Ray Bradbury and Dean Martin.
Harry and I both consider Some Like It Hot one of the best movies ever, so it was interesting to see that most of the cast was not too far from Marilyn, including the director:
In case you can’t make it out, it says “I’m a writer but then nobody’s perfect.” I can say this was the first funny gravestone saying I’d ever seen.
Then I came across Jack Lemmon (another Some Like It Hot) co-star:
On the way out, I was distracted by how this cemetery, unlike Père Lachaise, which is surrounded with somber majesty, was shoehorned in between giant skyscrapers:
There’s something very L.A. about that to me. And speaking of very L.A., how amusing is it that even after death, Ms. Gabor doesn’t reveal her age?
Go on, add a comment↓
We want to hear from you, you smartie you.