Evelyn Barge
Assistant A&E Editor
For three years, the Cinespia film society has allowed the film lovers of Los Angeles to view classic cinema alongside their favorite stars. The dead ones, that is.
Cinespia sponsors movie screenings at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, a picturesque graveyard overlooked by the Hollywood sign and framed by towering palm trees. The cemetery is the resting place of many old Hollywood celebrities such as director Cecil B. DeMille, silent film star Rudolph Valentino and actor Douglas Fairbanks.
“Basically, we wanted to introduce our friends and people of our generation to classic films and get them excited about film history and having fun watching films,” said John Wyatt, co-founder of Cinespia.
Wyatt said he was inspired to launch the cemetery screenings when he found out that the cemetery showed a Valentino film each year on the anniversary of the silent film star’s death.
“I was inspired by that, so I took it a step further and brought out DJs and encouraged people to have picnics,” Wyatt said.
The screenings typically draw between 1,000 and 2,000 visitors who camp out on the cemetery’s green lawn with blankets, chairs and candles. Moviegoers are also encouraged to bring food and wine to dine on during the screening.
The films are projected onto the side of a large, white mausoleum that contains the remains of Valentino, actor Peter Finch and dancer Eleanor Powell.
Wyatt said the fact that so many old Hollywood celebrities are buried at the cemetery makes it the ultimate movie-going experience.
“I love that there’s a lot of Hollywood history and beautiful architecture at the cemetery,” Wyatt said. “The surroundings are quiet, serene and natural. It’s the perfect atmosphere to watch classic films.”
When Wyatt first pitched his idea for the screenings three years ago to Hollywood Forever, they were immediately receptive.
“They said, ‘Let’s try it.’ So, we tried it once and it was such a huge success that we decided to keep doing it,” Wyatt said.
Joe Sehee, public relations manager at Hollywood Forever, said the cemetery has been doing movie screenings independent of Cinespia for almost five years, so the proposal connected with their established values and goals.
“The cemetery is a place for remembering, so it makes sense that film is a great vehicle for people to stay connected to people who are gone,” Sehee said. “We do [the screenings] because it’s part of the cemetery’s tradition. Many of the architects of the film industry are buried here, so it just fits well.”
Sehee said the cemetery’s management has tried to make Hollywood Forever more like a park and less like a graveyard.
“Hollywood has a shortage of open space. The community needs more public places. Besides movies, we’ve held music concerts, book readings, weddings and other events, so it’s really become a vibrant place,” Sehee said.
“We want people to have a different sort of relationship with the cemetery,” he said. “People don’t visit cemeteries in this country because they think they are creepy. We want to change that.”
Both Wyatt and Sehee said the moviegoers are respectful of their surroundings at the cemetery and that few people have voiced complaints about the screenings.
“We’re not really on top of any graves or anything. We like to keep it tasteful and classy,” Wyatt said.
Sehee said the cemetery screenings have been surprisingly non-controversial.
“There’s only been one voice of opposition from a person who thought it was kind of disrespectful,” Sehee said. “We’ve tried really hard to make sure the events are respectful and that the moviegoers are seated away from the actual graves as much as possible.”
Wyatt said he hopes the moviegoers enjoy watching classic films with a large audience in a memorable location.
“I hope I’ve gotten some people into watching these films, and I think I have,” he said. “The audience comes out to cheer and clap and laugh. These films are really meant to be seen with a big crowd on a big screen. That’s the atmosphere they were meant for, and I’m glad I can help provide some of that.”
Wyatt said he tries to select movie classics that will appeal to a modern audience. He also tries to play films in tribute to the celebrities who are buried at the cemetery.
“Of course, the films that I like a lot tend to get played,” he added.
Sophomore psychology major Amanda Greening attended a screening of the Frank Capra classic “It Happened One Night” at the cemetery in September.
“L.A. is the only place in the world where you can go to a movie screening in a cemetery,” Greening said. “It was a strange experience, but I’m glad I went. I probably won’t get the chance to do that again any time soon.”
Greening said that watching the film in the cemetery was not as eerie as she expected it to be.
“You’re sitting pretty far away from the graves,” she said. “It’s only when you’re walking to and from the car that you realize you’re stepping around headstones and walking by huge sarcophaguses.”
“The scenery and monuments at the cemetery make for really amazing movie watching. It’s not like anything I’ve ever experienced before,” Greening said.
The next Cinespia cemetery screening is Saturday at 6 p.m. The event, which will feature experimental short films from the 1960s, is a benefit for the Iota Center, a film preservation society.
“The films will all be psychedelic and abstract. It will be a really visceral experience,” Wyatt said.
Cinespia is also planning a Halloween celebration Oct. 23 at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Wyatt said he has not yet decided on a film for the event, but he expects a large crowd because of the holiday.
Admission tickets to Cinespia events cost $10 and are available at the cemetery gates. For more information, visit the
film society’s Web site at www.cinespia.org.
10-07-2004
