Deaths in the 1950s

16,000+ memorials

William Cameron Menzies
1896–1957 (age 61)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
William Cameron Menzies was a pioneering production designer and director known for his innovative visual contributions ...
Edmund Goulding
1891–1959 (age 68)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Edmund Goulding was a British-born film director and screenwriter who directed numerous Hollywood productions during the...
Gayne Whitman
1890–1958 (age 68)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Gayne Whitman was an American character actor and voice performer known for his work in early Hollywood films and radio.
Warner Baxter
1889–1951 (age 62)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Warner Baxter was an Academy Award-winning American actor who became a major star in early Hollywood and sound films.
Paramahansa Yogananda
1893–1952 (age 59)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Paramahansa Yogananda was an Indian yogi and spiritual teacher who brought Hindu philosophy and yoga to Western audience...
Burton Holmes
1870–1958 (age 88)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Burton Holmes was an American travel lecturer and filmmaker who pioneered the travelogue genre in early cinema.
Victor McLaglen
1886–1959 (age 73)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Victor McLaglen was an Irish-born British actor who won an Academy Award for his powerful performances in Hollywood film...
Sam De Grasse
1875–1953 (age 78)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Sam De Grasse was a Canadian character actor who appeared in numerous silent and early sound films.
Jean Hersholt
1886–1956 (age 70)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Jean Hersholt was a Danish-American actor and humanitarian known for his extensive film career and charitable work.
Fred Stone
1873–1959 (age 86)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Fred Stone was an American vaudeville performer and actor who transitioned successfully to silent and early sound films.
Edward Coxen
1880–1954 (age 74)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Edward Coxen was a British actor who appeared in early film productions during the silent era.
Ben Hardaway
1895–1957 (age 62)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Ben Hardaway was an American animator and director who contributed to the development of early cartoon animation.
Charley Rogers
1887–1956 (age 69)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Charley Rogers was a British actor and filmmaker who worked in early cinema during the silent film era.
Elizabeth Leonhardt
1867–1953 (age 86)
Herndon
Elizabeth Leonhardt was a Virginia-born woman who lived from 1867 to 1953 and was buried in Herndon.
Sylvester Laflin Weaver
1878–1958 (age 80)
Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Sylvester Laflin Weaver was an American broadcasting executive and inventor who lived from 1878 to 1958.
Marie Wilson Beasley
1862–1950 (age 88)
Kentwood
Marie Wilson Beasley was a Philadelphia-born woman who lived from 1862 to 1950 and was buried in Kentwood.
Howard E. Tatel
1913–1957 (age 44)
Idylwood
Howard E. Tatel was an American who lived from 1913 to 1957 and was buried in Idylwood.
Holmes Herbert
1882–1956 (age 74)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Holmes Herbert was a British-American actor born in Mansfield who lived from 1882 to 1956.
Ernest Miller
1885–1957 (age 72)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Ernest Miller was a Pasadena-based American who lived from 1885 to 1957.
John M. Stahl
1886–1950 (age 64)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
John M. Stahl was an American born in Baku who lived from 1886 to 1950.
Sid Grauman
1879–1950 (age 71)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Sid Grauman was an American movie theater owner and impresario born in Indianapolis who lived from 1879 to 1950.
Lloyd Hughes
1897–1958 (age 61)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Lloyd Hughes was an American silent film actor born in Bisbee who lived from 1897 to 1958.
R. Thomas Smith
1878–1957 (age 79)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
R. Thomas Smith was a Georgia-born American who lived from 1878 to 1957.
Horace Jackson
1898–1952 (age 54)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Horace Jackson was a Venice-born American who lived from 1898 to 1952.
Ralph Byrd
1909–1952 (age 43)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Ralph Byrd was an American actor born in Dayton who lived from 1909 to 1952.
Octavus Roy Cohen
1891–1959 (age 68)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Octavus Roy Cohen was an American writer and playwright born in Charleston who lived from 1891 to 1959.
John Hughes
1882–1954 (age 72)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
John Hughes was an American born in Kansas City who lived from 1882 to 1954.
Rex Ingram
1892–1950 (age 58)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Rex Ingram was an Irish-American film director and actor born in Dublin who lived from 1892 to 1950.
Alan Hale
1892–1950 (age 58)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Alan Hale was an American actor and director known for his work in silent and early sound films during the 1910s-1940s.
Ethel Shannon
1898–1951 (age 53)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Ethel Shannon was an American actress who appeared in numerous silent films during the 1910s and 1920s.
Christy Cabanne
1888–1950 (age 62)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Christy Cabanne was an American film director and actor who directed over 100 films during the silent era.
Helen Holmes
1892–1950 (age 58)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Helen Holmes was an American actress and stunt performer famous for her serial films and action roles in the 1910s-1920s...
J. P. McGowan
1880–1952 (age 72)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
J. P. McGowan was a Scottish-born actor and director who worked extensively in silent films and early talkies.
H. Tipton Steck
1888–1953 (age 65)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
H. Tipton Steck was an American actor who appeared in silent films during the 1910s and 1920s.
Hampton Del Ruth
1879–1958 (age 79)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Hampton Del Ruth was an American film director known for directing comedies and musicals from the 1920s through the 1950...
Harry Hayden
1882–1955 (age 73)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Harry Hayden was a Canadian-born actor who appeared in numerous Hollywood films from the silent era through the 1950s.
Huntley Gordon
1887–1956 (age 69)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Huntley Gordon was a Canadian-born actor who appeared in silent films and early talkies during the 1910s-1930s.
Ivan Lebedeff
1894–1953 (age 59)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Ivan Lebedeff was a Russian-born actor who appeared in Hollywood films from the 1920s through the 1950s.
Joe Yule
1892–1950 (age 58)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Joe Yule was a Scottish-born actor and vaudeville performer who appeared in films and was the father of actor Mickey Roo...
Mitchell Lewis
1880–1956 (age 76)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Mitchell Lewis was an American actor known for his character roles in silent films and early sound pictures.
Morgan Wallace
1881–1953 (age 72)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Morgan Wallace was an American actor who appeared in silent films and early talkies from the 1910s through the 1950s.
Olive Blakeney
1894–1959 (age 65)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Olive Blakeney was an American actress who appeared in silent films during the 1910s and 1920s.
Paul Harvey
1882–1955 (age 73)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Paul Harvey was a British-born actor who appeared in Hollywood films from the silent era through the 1950s.
Rollin Hamilton
1898–1951 (age 53)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Rollin Hamilton was a South Dakota-born individual who lived from 1898 to 1951.
Rupert Hughes
1872–1956 (age 84)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Rupert Hughes was a prolific American writer, composer, and filmmaker who lived from 1872 to 1956.
Eleanor Gates
1875–1951 (age 76)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Eleanor Gates was an American author and playwright from Shakopee who lived from 1875 to 1951.
George K. Hollister
1873–1952 (age 79)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
George K. Hollister was a New York City resident who lived from 1873 to 1952.
Suzan Ball
1934–1955 (age 21)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Suzan Ball was an American actress and dancer from Jamestown who had a brief career before her death in 1955.
Fred R. Zimmerman
1880–1954 (age 74)
Forest Home Cemetery
Fred R. Zimmerman was a Milwaukee-born individual who lived from 1880 to 1954.
James Whale
1889–1957 (age 68)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park
James Whale was a pioneering British film director from Dudley best known for directing classic horror films in the 1930...