To anyone visiting Hollywood, I definitely recommend stopping by the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
It is beautiful and is, of course, the final resting place of Henry B. Walthall as well as other
entertainment stars of the past and not too distant past. The cemetery is located at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd
and, while I was there, you could drive right in and were free to explore the grounds and mausoleums. Some of the tombstones are astounding! I've never seen anything like them before.
To the right of the entrance is a gift and flower shop. The white flower I bought for Walthall's
crypt was only $2 plus the shop offered an official directory which includes a photo and brief bio of
Walthall and the other famous residents of the cemetery. Maps of the famous gravesites are also
available in the gift shop ($5) and the office located to the left of the entrance.
Stray cats living around the Cathedral Mausoleum.
Henry's crypt is in the Abbey of the Psalms mausoleum in the Sanctuary of Hope wing. The mausoleum is on the right side as you drive through the entrance. In fact, we just by chance parked within
sight of the Abbey of the Psalms and I recognized it immediately from photos I've seen on the Internet. A
caption on one of the photos on the Find A Grave site states that this wing has been closed to the public
for years. I was very relieved to discover that this is no longer the case. The entire mausoleum is wide
open.
Me outside the Abbey of the Psalms
The names of the wings are not above the entrances, so you really need to search for them. To find
Walthall's crypt, walk through the front entrance of the mausoleum and enter the first wing on
your right. There are a few steps going down into the wing. Walk to the end of the first section
and you will see a niche in the wall on the right side with a wall hanging and "SANCTUARY OF HOPE"
carved in the floor (Yes, this is the right place!; actually, it looks like this may
have been the original entrance). Keep walking down the next section and
Henry's crypt will be on the right side #370 (I learned quickly touring the mausoleum that these
numbers are repeated throughout, so you need to be in the correct wing). His crypt is on the third
level which, to me, seems ideal. The #370 is above his crypt.
I was disappointed that one of the flower holders on Walthall's crypt has been broken off. The holder
is in the photo submitted to the Find A Grave site so I'm assuming it was broken just within the
last few years. His name plate is as modest as it gets which is very appropriate for the humble actor.
It is just his name in simple font with no dates, quotes, or film references. It is actually so
lacking in ornamentation as to be difficult to photograph. It is not that easy to read even in the closeup
at the top of this page. The location of the crypt has a loneliness about it. There appears to be
no neighbor to his left and perhaps no one at his right unless the crypt is missing its nameplate.
The crypt immediately above his and above to his right are empty although there are reserved tabs.
Me with Henry B. Walthall's Crypt.
Finding no decoration on his crypt, I took the short walk to the gift shop to pick out a flower that was simple
yet bold enough to catch the attention of a passerby. As I was leaving, I realized that the flower I
placed was the only one in the entire wing which seemed to re-emphasize the lonely atmosphere.
A humble gift of thanks for Henry B. Walthall.
Lonely flower.
Of course, while I was there, I had to visit the main attraction of the cemetery--Rudolph Valentino's
crypt in the Cathedral Mausoleum which is at the opposite end of the cemetery from
the Abbey of the Psalms. When entering the mausoleum, the crypt is located in the second
and last wing on the left side. Inside this wing to the right is another smaller wing with a stained glass window. Valentino is
in the corner next to the window. Memorial services have been held here to commemorate the anniversary
of his death every year since he died in 1926. I've heard people comment on how uncharacteristically plain Valentino's plaque is. It is much more elaborate than Henry B. Walthall's.
Me with the famous crypt of Rudolph Valentino.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
At first, I had difficulty finding Henry's star. An address I found on the
Internet was incorrect. The star is at 6201 Hollywood Blvd near the cross street of Argyle. To its
east is the star of Sam Warner (one of the "Warner Bros.") which is the last star before crossing the street. To its west is a
blank star and, west of that, is one of the stars of Vincent Price.
On the corner of Hollywood & Argyle, just a few yards from Henry's star.
As with Henry's crypt, there is a kind of loneliness about the location of the star. It is in front
of a parking lot. There did not seem to be near as much foot traffic as in the other parts of the
Walk of Fame which proved advantageous when taking pictures. Also, as with his crypt, the star above
his was blank.
Hurry! Take the friggin' photo!
The ground is HELLA HOT!!!
I tried to find the Masonic Lodge in Beverly Hills of which Henry B. Walthall was a member but was not able to find it. I guess that visit will be for another time.
