Hollywood Forever Cemetery (formerly Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery), Los Angeles, California

Southwest Haunted Cemeteries

Hollywood Forever Cemetery occupies roughly 60–100 acres (historical figures vary) at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, immediately adjacent to Paramount Studios. It was founded in 1899 as Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery by early Southern California land developers Isaac Lankershim and his son-in-law Isaac Newton Van Nuys, at a time when the surrounding area was still largely rural. A Jewish section, Beth Olam, was later added. In the 1920s, about 40 acres of swampy ground were sold to Paramount (and earlier RKO interests), creating the long-standing physical connection between the cemetery and the studio lot. Many studio executives, directors, and stars were subsequently buried here. Notable interments include Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks, Cecil B. DeMille, Tyrone Power, Mel Blanc, Bugsy Siegel, and more recent figures such as David Lynch. The grounds also contain elaborate mausoleums, including the Cathedral Mausoleum / Abbey of the Psalms, where Valentino rests in crypt 1205.

Ownership changed hands several times. In 1939, Jules Roth (a convicted felon) acquired a controlling interest and largely neglected the property for decades; funds were diverted, the grounds deteriorated, and discriminatory burial policies were enforced. After Roth’s death, brothers Tyler and Brent Cassity purchased the cemetery in 1998 for a low sum, invested heavily in renovations, renamed it Hollywood Forever, and transformed it into a cultural venue that hosts outdoor film screenings, concerts, and tours. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. Later financial scandals involving the Cassity family did not reverse the physical revival of the site.

Reported Hauntings and Folklore

The cemetery’s best-known legend centers on Rudolph Valentino, who died in 1926 at age 31. On the first anniversary of his death, a veiled woman in black appeared at his crypt with roses. The “Lady in Black” (or Woman in Black) tradition continued for decades; multiple women claimed or were attributed the role. Ditra Flame (also known as Princess Orvella Wilson) is the most widely documented of the early figures; she said Valentino had visited her in the hospital as a teenager, given her a rose, and asked her to visit his grave so he would not be lonely. She made annual visits for roughly 30 years. Other women continued the practice into later decades, and annual memorial services still occur. Some accounts treat the Lady in Black as a living mourner; others describe a spectral figure appearing at night near the crypt. Separate visitor reports claim sightings of Valentino himself near his crypt or pacing corridors of the mausoleum. Additional folklore includes unexplained whispers, cold spots, and occasional reports linked to other graves (such as that of Virginia Rappe). These stories remain visitor reports, local lore, and popular media accounts rather than the product of controlled investigation. Cemetery staff have sometimes stated that no supernatural activity occurs on the grounds.

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