Although it began as the local burial ground for the buttoned-up town of Hollywood, founded by Kansans Harvey and Daeida Wilcox, it was soon taken over by the burgeoning film industry.

Today, few cemeteries can boast more movie stars, rock idols, and film industry titans.

Masters: Right here at Hollywood Forever, you have probably the entire history of the surrounding community-- Hollywood as a geographic district documented.

Avila: Absolutely.

The cemetery started before Hollywood was Hollywood, when it was a dry town founded by migrant Midwesterners.

And then the film industries came in roughly the 1920s.

Masters: Yeah.

Avila: And for about 50 years, this cemetery served the film industry.

Masters: Well, when the film industry arrived, I mean, that was a complete 180 in terms of values, right?

Because the movie industry had this-- Avila: Right.

Masters: these libertine associations.

Avila: Right.

Masters: Not exactly what Harvey Wilcox was going for.

Avila: Not at all.

No, it went from this kind of upright, upstanding Midwestern culture--dry-- to Hollywood-- Masters: Right!

Avila: boozy crowd that was partying and everything.

But then fast-forward to the seventies, when the film industry begins to leave and this whole area falls into decline, and this cemetery absolutely reflected that decline as well, until it was kind of revived in the 1990s as new immigrant groups came into the area.

And their presence is a part of the cemetery as well.

Masters: And you can see that reflected in, you know, the names on the markers or even just the style of markers, the style of monuments.

Avila: Absolutely.

Different ethnic groups, immigrant groups, religious groups.

It all kind of comes together on this site.

Masters: So, we should talk about Paramount, because the histories of this cemetery here and the Paramount lot are intertwined.

Avila: Right.

Paramount sits on land that used to be part of the cemetery.

Hollywood Forever sold its land to Paramount Studios.

Masters: That must make this place unique among cemeteries.

Avila: Yeah.

Masters: And there is a lot of Hollywood film history to see here.

Woman: I am the tour guide at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

I've been doing this a little over 21 years.

Masters: And the main reason people take tours is to see famous people.

Woman: Well, they want to see famous people, but also, this cemetery is such an absolutely gorgeous place.

And for a place that is, of course, about death, it's also about life, about celebrating those lives.

And this is a really unique, innovative place.

We have outdoor movie screenings, indoor/outdoor concerts, yoga classes.

I think the cemetery is also a very creative space.

And you'll see by a lot of the monuments, it's not cookie-cutter.

It allows people to express themselves and their creativity, and I think that's a major draw for many people.

Masters: All right, who are some of the most famous people buried here?

Woman: Well, it kind of depends on what era you love, but we have Johnny Ramone, Rudolph Valentino, Marion Davies, Douglas Fairbanks, Burt Reynolds, Chris Cornell, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland.

We have an all-star lineup of incredible people here.