UNMARKED GRAVES - PART 2

A number of graves at Hollywood Forever are unmarked for reasons that remain mostly unknown.  Perhaps they requested not to be marked, perhaps the families could not afford the markers or perhaps they were just buried and forgotten.  Whatever the case it, I have located several of them, here are a few of them.

Agostino Borgato (b. June 30, 1871 Venice, Italy; d. March 13, 1939 Hollywood, CA: Garden of Beginnings/West #372 unmarked) Borgato went to the U.S. in 1925, previously playing on the stage in Italy and England where he played a leading man to Eleanora Duke for twelve years.  Borgato died of a heart attack.  Actor in 55 films.

Milla Davenport (b. February 4, 1871 Sicily; d. May 17, 1936 Los Angeles, CA: Garden of Beginnings/West #544 unmarked) Married to stage actor Harry J. Davenport, Milla was a vaudeville and burlesque headliner for 15 years before joining motion pictures.  She and her husband appeared in repertory across America prior to her appearing in films in 1912.  The couple resided at 1504 Mohawk Street in Silverlake. Actress in 45 films.

William Dyer (b. March 11, 1881 Atlanta, GA; d. December 22, 1933 Hollywood, CA: Pineland #137 unmarked) Stage actor and manager of the Hollywood Troupers.  Dyer appeared in a number of Ken Maynard productions and was one time production director for Willard Mack.  Dyer died in a Hollywood hospital, leaving no survivors.  Actor in 80 films.

Ben Franklin Wilson. (b. July 7, 1876 Iowa; d. August 25, 1930 Glendale, CA: Colonnade unmarked) Wilson started his career as a stock player in the East.  He then played leads in films for the Nestor and Edison companies and eventually started his own company where he made several Westerns for Universal.  Actor in 187 films, director of 138 films, producer of 71 films and writer of 11 screenplays.

Tom Ricketts (b. January 15, 1853 London, England; d. January 20, 1939 West Hollywood, CA: Colonnade unmarked) Married to actress Josephine Dipp (1868-1939), Ricketts directed the first motion picture in Hollywood.  Starting in the honkytonks of London, he became one of the best Shakespearean actors of his day and appeared on Broadway in ‘Miss Simplicity’ with Helen Lord and Frank Conway, ‘Over a Welsh Rarebit’ with Adella Baker and ‘Once Upon a Time’ with Josephine Victor and Colin Campbell.  Ricketts worked up to a few days before his death.  Leaving for work at Universal, his bad cold developed into pneumonia and his health quickly went down hill to his death.  His wife was not informed of his death at the time, as she was suffering from a stroke she'd suffered in December 1938.  The family resided at 1280 Sweetzer Avenue in West Hollywood.  Their daughter Ethel was a chemist at a movie studio.  Actor in 194 films, Director of 100 films and writer of 19 screenplays. 

Also located in unmarked graves are:

Lew Orange - Film Costumer - Colonnade

Laura Reese Parrish - Actress, mother of Helen Parrish - Garden of Beginnings #78

George Pauncefort - Actor - Garden of Beginnings #322

Festus Phillips - Make-up Artist - Abbey of the Psalms, Sanctuary of Refuge #723

William Piltz - Camerman - Pineland #545

John Pringle - Stage Actor, father of actor John Gilbert - Colonnade

Joe Quinn - Actor - Court of the  Apostles Southwest Section

Raphael Raphael - The Greatest Concertina artist of his day - Colonnade Niche G

William Robyns - Actor - Columbarium, 1st floor, T-5, N-4

Al Roelofs - Art Director - Garden of Legends #66

Giuseppe Saccone - Opera Singer, cousin of Enrico Caruso - Garden of Beginnings/West #268

Albert J. Smith - Actor - Garden of Beginnings/ West #430

Horace B. Carpenter (b. January 31, 1870 Grand Rapids, MI; d. May 21, 1945 Hollywood, CA: Garden of Memory #187 unmarked) A veteran stage actor of 50 years, Carpenter entered films with the Famous Players Lasky Company and later wrote scenarios for Douglas Fairbanks.  Carpenter died following a heart attack. He resided at 989 West 6^th Street in Los Angeles. Actor in 322 films and director of 15 films.

Cora Williams (b. December 6, 1870 Chelsea, ME; d. December 1, 1927 Los Angeles, CA: Colonnade unmarked) Stage and character actress, Williams died from heart trouble.  Actress in 27 films.

James O'Neill (b. July 21, 1863 Philadelphia, PA; d. October 8, 1938 Los Angeles, CA: Colonnade unmarked) Veteran vaudeville actor before playing in movies.  He resided at 724½ North Occidental Blvd. in Los Angeles. Actor in 19 films.

Dick "Richard" LaReno (b. October 31, 1863 Ireland; d. July 26, 1945 Hollywood, CA ‑ Secret Garden #451 unmarked) LaReno, a stage actor, founded the Troupers Club and played the first sheriff in movies in "The Squaw Man."  LaReno later played in Tom Mix westerns and several serials.  Actor in 80 films.

Eddie Conrad (b. 1891 New York, NY; d. April 27, 1941 Los Angeles, CA: Section 17, Row L #22 unmarked) Former vaudeville comic, Conrad appeared in many Shubert stage shows and was married to actress Marian Eddy.  Eddie and Marion performed together in several stage shows he as a comedian, she as a singer. He appeared on Broadway in ‘Hassard Short’s Ritz Revue,’ ‘Gay Paree,’ ‘Piggy’ and ‘Cross My Heart.’  Conrad died unexpectedly after completion of a film role.  Actor in 48 films.