Marilyn Monroe, an unforgettable screen icon, passed away in 1962 at the young age of 36. This tragic event solidified her legendary status, and even today, her fame transcends her 15-year Hollywood career. Decades later, her allure remains potent, evidenced by the Oscar nomination Ana de Armas received for portraying her in the biopic “Blonde.” In 2012, marking the 50th anniversary of her death, I made a pilgrimage to Los Angeles to visit her grave, seeking to understand her enduring appeal and discover Where Is Marilyn Monroe Buried.
Finding Marilyn Monroe’s final resting place is surprisingly straightforward to access, yet somewhat challenging to pinpoint within the cemetery grounds. Navigating with my rental car’s GPS proved essential to locate it amidst the serene landscape. As we commemorate the 50th year since her untimely passing from a drug overdose in 1962, the question of her persistent magnetic charm arises. Why, even after half a century, does Marilyn Monroe continue to captivate me and countless others?
One might expect Monroe’s memory to have faded with time, much like the ephemeral flowers that adorn her marble crypt. Many stars from her era have receded from popular consciousness. However, Marilyn Monroe remains remarkably relevant, as contemporary as the recent Academy Awards season, where Michelle Williams garnered a Best Actress nomination for her portrayal in “My Week with Marilyn.” Intriguingly, this film likely screened in the movie theaters situated just a short distance from Monroe’s crypt.
Marilyn Monroe is interred in Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park, a compact cemetery nestled in the Westwood neighborhood, close to the heart of Los Angeles. A brief turn off a main thoroughfare and a slight incline lead to this tranquil sanctuary for both celebrated figures and everyday individuals. During my recent visit on a bright Saturday, I encountered no security personnel and few other visitors. Notably, no signs or arrows guide visitors to Monroe’s crypt, nor to those of her distinguished neighbors, including Natalie Wood, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Dean Martin, Billy Wilder, Rodney Dangerfield, Miss Peggy Lee, and Janet Leigh, among many others.
A subtle marker in Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park indicates the general area where numerous celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe, are buried.
The cemetery exudes a sense of calm, interrupted only by the gentle sounds of groundskeepers tending to the lawns and tidying headstones. Yet, there is also a subtle undercurrent of humor, bordering on the darkly comedic, present in some of the epitaphs.
Rodney Dangerfield, the comedian, wittily declares on his tombstone, “There goes the neighborhood.”
Billy Wilder, the writer and director, offers a self-deprecating line: “I’m a writer, but then nobody’s perfect.”
Dean Martin, the singer and actor, quotes a poignant lyric from one of his famous songs: “Everybody loves somebody sometime.”
Jack Lemmon, Monroe’s co-star in “Some Like it Hot,” opts for an epitaph that is remarkably understated, prompting a moment of reflection. His grave is marked by a simple tombstone that reads, “Jack Lemmon in.”
This succinct inscription serves as Lemmon’s final, yet grand, marquee billing.
In contrast to these whimsical tributes, Marilyn Monroe’s crypt is devoid of any such lightheartedness. Situated at just above eye level for a person of average height, it resides within an open mausoleum along one of the park’s perimeter walls.
A modest bronze plaque is affixed to the crypt, bearing the simple inscription: “Marilyn Monroe, 1926 – 1962.” Adjacent to it, a small metal vase holds flowers. Legend recounts that for two decades following her death, from 1962 to 1982, her former husband Joe DiMaggio arranged for fresh roses to be delivered three times weekly, a poignant and enduring gesture of love and remembrance.
Monroe’s crypt stands apart from those surrounding it. The marble surface is visibly stained a salmon hue, a result of countless palm prints and kisses left by the thousands of devoted fans who visit the park annually, with even greater numbers anticipated in this anniversary year.
My immediate reaction is to reach out and touch the crypt, a gesture I observe repeated by others arriving after me. This instinctive act explains the noticeable stain that marks the marble.
But what are we hoping to find or feel in that touch? Why does Marilyn Monroe continue to hold such significance for us?
These are complex questions without easy answers. Had Norma Jeane Mortenson, the woman behind Marilyn Monroe, lived a longer life – she would have turned 86 on June 1st of that year – it’s unlikely that films like “My Week with Marilyn” would be made. That movie recreates the filming of “The Prince and the Showgirl,” a 1956 comedy she starred in with Laurence Olivier, a film more notable for its behind-the-scenes gossip than its artistic merit.
The longing and fascination that Monroe’s passing evokes stem from the tragic loss of beauty taken too soon, echoing the sentiment of “Candle in the Wind,” Elton John’s famous tribute to Monroe – and later, to Princess Diana.
Directly above Marilyn Monroe’s crypt is another crypt, occupied by the remains of Richard F. Poncher, who passed away in 1986. His plaque includes a loving dedication: “To the man who gave us everything and more. You’re one in a million, Freddie.”
Interestingly, Poncher’s crypt currently sports a larger bouquet of flowers than Monroe’s.
Who was Richard F. Poncher? An online search led me to a 2009 article in the New York Daily News, which revealed that Poncher had purchased the crypt from Joe DiMaggio after his divorce from Monroe.
According to the article, Poncher’s widow, Elsie, confirmed a long-standing and somewhat bizarre rumor: her husband had insisted on being interred face down, directly above Marilyn Monroe.
“He said, ‘If I croak, if you don’t put me upside down over Marilyn, I’ll haunt you the rest of your life,’” Elsie Poncher recounted to the Daily News.
The story gained media attention because Elsie had decided to sell the crypt to settle a $1.6 million mortgage on their Beverly Hills home. The crypt reportedly sold for a staggering $4.6 million, far exceeding the starting price of $500,000. However, “Freddie” remains in place. Did the sale ultimately fall through?
A spokesperson for the cemetery offered limited information, prioritizing discretion and privacy.
“The spaces surrounding Marilyn Monroe’s crypt are all privately owned,” stated Jessica S. McDunn, representing Service Corporation International, the multinational cemetery operator managing the park.
“The owners have the rights to sell their spaces, not Pierce Brothers Westwood Memorial Park.”
Intriguingly, three crypts to the left and above Monroe’s remain unnamed, seemingly vacant. One of these is rumored to be the designated final resting place of Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy, whose empire was famously launched with a nude image of Marilyn Monroe in his magazine’s inaugural issue.
McDunn stated she was unfamiliar with the Hefner story, and also had no knowledge of DiMaggio’s rose deliveries to Monroe’s crypt. The famously private “Joltin’ Joe,” who passed away in 1999 at age 84, never publicly confirmed or denied the rose story.
“We cannot confirm this story, as no one who works at the park now was with the park during that time,” McDunn explained.
However, she did confirm the daily influx of Monroe fans to Westwood Village Memorial Park, many bearing flowers. The largest crowds are expected on August 5th, the anniversary of the iconic blonde bombshell’s death.
“Fans leave fresh flowers daily at Marilyn Monroe’s crypt, and they are removed by the maintenance staff weekly in accordance with our flower removal policy.”
McDunn also noted that burial space remains available at the cemetery for anyone, famous or not, seeking to be laid to rest near Monroe and other Hollywood royalty: “Single crypts begin at $42,000, and double graves begin at $90,000. There is not a waiting list.”
While there may be no waiting list for a burial plot, there is an enduring and unwavering interest in Marilyn Monroe. Her fame has long outlived her 15-year acting career and the relatively few films, many in black and white, for which she is celebrated.
Marilyn Monroe exists more vibrantly on screen and in our collective memory than in physical reality, a poignant truth that becomes palpable when visiting her modest, plainly marked crypt. 🌓
(This column originally appeared in the Toronto Star.)
