Dead and Kind of Famous

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At the intersection of drag theater, punk rock innovation, and fearless artistic evolution stands David Xavier Harrigan - better known to those in-the-know as Tomato DePlenty. 

From his early days with the revolutionary Cockettes (described by John Waters as "insane hippie drag queens" creating "complete sexual anarchy"), to founding Ze Whiz Kidz in Seattle, to pioneering synthesizer-based punk with The Screamers, Tomato consistently positioned himself at the cutting edge of artistic movements.

What makes Tomato's story so compelling isn't just his artistic versatility - it's his uncanny ability to be in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. 

He embodied his personal philosophy: "Let's do things" and "Do plenty." 

Listen in as we uncover the first chapter in the fascinating life of this punk pioneer, theatrical innovator, and boundary-breaking artist who helped shape multiple movements while remaining just outside the spotlight.

Links From This Episode:

Tomata's Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18803/tomata-du_plenty

The Tupperware's at the TMT show recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyezrW9SNP0

The Screamers Target Studios Promo Video: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18803/tomata-du_plenty

Gary Panter's famous rendering of Tomata: https://obeygiant.com/gary-panter-a-provocateur-print-available-now/

The Cockettes Documentary Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gPxQvN0f1c

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Well, here it is. The final installment of our four part series on Maila Nurmi. Maila didn’t get all she deserved in her life and she never really reaped the benefits of her creations. But the life she lived was full of adventure, fascination, excitement and in many ways, love. In this particular episode, we explore her final romances, alleged marriages and marriages of convenience. We also dig into her lasting friendships (including Marlon Brando) and her counterculture grandmother relationship to the punk musicians of the late 70s and 80s. We all need someone to love and care for us, and Maila always found her community, even in her old age. 

This serves as some consolation for the loss of her intellectual property and her legal battles against her unwelcomed predecessor, Elvira. There's a lot of dirt to dig into here and we DIG.

Thank you for listening to this one, and please leave us comments with any tributes or words you’d like to pass along for when we visit Maila’s grave. 

Links for this episode:

Maila and Satan’s Cheerleaders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2duQNeim6k

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See us visit the graves of our subjects and pay our respects with lovingly selected offerings.

Apple Podcasts and Spotify- Please be a Bon Vivant and leave us a rating and review. It would mean the world!

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Just when Maila’s career was starting to run out of steam, some luck with Liberace kept her in the spotlight for a time. But this was quickly followed by bad decisions, bad boys and a very bad movie called Plan 9 from Outer Space. Pop in those ear buds, friend. You don’t want to miss this.

Links from the show:

https://youtu.be/alPPXVJA4Kw?si=K0PQr8H7zHZCKA1x

https://youtu.be/wtPgPYwtBhs

https://youtu.be/qsb74pW7goU?si=BdDQ_BQEM72T2pkU

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See us visit the graves of our subjects and pay our respects with lovingly selected offerings.

Apple Podcasts and Spotify- Please be a Bon Vivant and leave us a rating and review. It would mean the world!

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This podcast is all about making sure that the stories of Hollywood’s dead never die, and after this absolutely horrific week, we need to do just that in our own small way. Thank you to all of the firefighters, volunteers, loving citizens of Los Angeles, and people helping from afar. Humanity is the only thing that can save us in these dark times. 

Below you’ll find the links to the Los Angeles Times article that we referenced and used as a source for this episode in addition to links to various charities who are doing great work. Thank you so much for listening. We love you, Los Angeles <3

The LA Fire Victims: Who they Were

Dalyce Curry's Funeral Services GoFundMe

Charities

The American Red Cross

Baby2Baby

California Community Foundation

California Fire Foundation

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

Pasadena Humane Society

World Central Kitchen

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Substack- https://substack.com/@deadandkindafamous
Here, you can find our episodes, transcripts, relevant images and newsletters.

Instagram- @deadandkindoffamous
See us visit the graves of our subjects and pay our respects with lovingly selected offerings.

Apple Podcasts and Spotify- Please be a Bon Vivant and leave us a rating and review. It would mean the world!

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As we unravel the layers of Vampira's gothic charm, we celebrate her unique blend of dark humor and magnetic persona that captivated 1950s audiences. Picture her cruising Sunset Boulevard in full vampire regalia, her chilling scream echoing through the night—a scene that marked her groundbreaking show, Nightmare Attic. We reminisce about her vibrant friendships with Hollywood's misfits, including the infamous James Dean, and explore how their shared fascination with the macabre defined an unforgettable era in Hollywood's history.

But beyond the allure and glamour lies a story of personal and professional challenges. Discover how Maila's defiance against network constraints led to the controversial end of her show, and how her tumultuous friendship with James Dean unraveled amidst public pressures. From media sensationalism to personal betrayals, Maila's resilience shines through. Join us as we uncover the complexities of Maila's journey—a narrative filled with haunting setbacks, unexpected friendships, and a relentless spirit that continues to inspire.

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Instagram- @deadandkindoffamous
See us visit the graves of our subjects and pay our respects with lovingly selected offerings.

Apple Podcasts and Spotify- Please be a Bon Vivant and leave us a rating and review. It would mean the world!

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Get ready to unravel the journey of a remarkable woman who bucked the expectations of her time at every turn. Maila Nurmi (better known as Vampira) was really and truly the original mistress of the night.

As we take a look at her early years, we can see that dichotomy was always present for her. Her father was a teetotaler, while her mother was an alcoholic. She loved beauty, but she also gravitated towards darkness. Maila's path was anything but conventional, and through her trials and triumphs, we highlight a narrative packed with resilience, creativity, and a touch of eccentricity. This story also features NOTABLE run-ins with Orson Welles and Marlon Brando. 

Tune in to discover how one woman's bold spirit changed the landscape of horror hosting forever.

Links from this episode:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23914415/maila-nurmi
https://www.amazon.com/Vampira-Me-Maila-Nurmi-aka/dp/B01GF6970Q
https://www.amazon.com/Glamour-Ghoul-Passions-Vampira-Maila/dp/1627311009

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Substack- https://substack.com/@deadandkindafamous
Here, you can find our episodes, transcripts, relevant images and newsletters.

Instagram- @deadandkindoffamous
See us visit the graves of our subjects and pay our respects with lovingly selected offerings.

Apple Podcasts and Spotify- Please be a Bon Vivant and leave us a rating and review. It would mean the world!

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Did you know that Toto was a lil lady pup named Terry who used to pee on the rug? Well in this episode, Toto tells ALL. And she tells it in first person! Our main source for this episode was an adorable book called I, Toto, which was written by Willard Caroll after he discovered a scrapbook that shed light on Terry's life and featured her favorite cheddar biscuit recipes.  

Happenstance led to Toto becoming the family dog of famed dog trainer, Carl Spitz, who taught Toto every trick in the book and took her on auditions where Terry rubbed paws with stars like Shirley Temple and Clarke Gable until she landed her famous role as Toto in The Wizard of Oz.

Join us for this adorable episode where Marissa voices Toto to PERFECTION with a voice that sounds like a 1930's Cindy Lauper. It's adorable, it's hilarious, and it's a tearjerker. After our last to episodes, this one should be a lovable breath of fresh air mixed with dog breath :)

As promised, here's the recipe for Toto's favorite cheddar biscuits:
2 cups flous
1 tbs salt
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups heavy cream 
(see more details on instagram @deadandkindoffamous)

Sources and links on Substack :)

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Instagram- @deadandkindoffamous
See us visit the graves of our subjects and pay our respects with lovingly selected offerings.

Apple Podcasts and Spotify- Please be a Bon Vivant and leave us a rating and review. It would mean the world!

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Today, we return to the complex story of Christopher Jones and explore his final "lost years" after he turned his back on Hollywood in the height of his fame.  We unwind the tangled web of his life, from his alleged romance with Sharon Tate amidst Italian film sets, to his eerie ties with the infamous Cielo Drive. 

As we reflect on Jones' troubled final years, we ponder the profound impact of personal tragedies, such as the deaths of Sharon Tate and Jim Morrison, on his mental health and eventual withdrawal from public life. The missed chance to play Zed in "Pulp Fiction" adds another layer to his cryptic legacy. By examining his erratic later years through insights from Daryl Haney's "Death Valley Superstars," we uncover the complexities of living like a ghost in Hollywood. Join us as we follow Christopher Jones from the limelight into the shadows of obscurity on this final chapter of his saga.

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Here, you can find our episodes, transcripts, relevant images and newsletters.

Instagram- @deadandkindoffamous
See us visit the graves of our subjects and pay our respects with lovingly selected offerings.

Apple Podcasts and Spotify- Please be a Bon Vivant and leave us a rating and review. It would mean the world!

Send us a text

What if the ghost of James Dean haunted an actor's career? Christopher Jones, a man forever overshadowed by his uncanny resemblance to the rebel icon, lived a life that was as electrifying as it was cursed.

Jones's journey through the swinging '60s is a cocktail of passion and paranoia, particularly in his tumultuous relationship with Susan Strasberg.

Throughout the episode, we navigate Jones's on-screen triumphs and setbacks, from his role in the cult classic "Wild in the Streets" to the challenging production of "Ryan's Daughter," which saw director David Lean both frustrated and fascinated by Jones's enigmatic presence. Despite the controversies that hounded him, Jones’s unique charisma left a lasting impression, one that still echoes in the halls of Hollywood lore. Tune in for an exploration not just of a man, but of a myth in the making, a tale of ambition, love, and the spectral shadow of a legend.

Links from this episode:
 
 Find a Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/124440739/christopher-jones

National Domestic Violence Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=domestic_violence

Wild in the Streets on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fozufGZubYc

NY Times Obituary: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/09/movies/christopher-jones-actor-who-quit-field-dies-at-72.html
 
For a full list of sources for this episode, please visit our Substack at https://substack.com/@deadandkindafamous

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Substack- https://substack.com/@deadandkindafamous
Here, you can find our episodes, transcripts, relevant images and newsletters.

Instagram- @deadandkindoffamous
See us visit the graves of our subjects and pay our respects with lovingly selected offerings.

Apple Podcasts and Spotify- Please be a Bon Vivant and leave us a rating and review. It would mean the world!

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Have you ever strolled through a graveyard and felt a sudden wave of curiosity about the people resting beneath the headstones? Especially the one’s featuring a mysteriously unrecognizable yet glamorous headshot? If you’ve ever been to Los Angeles’s most iconic cemetery, Hollywood Forever, then you know the type. And on their new podcast, Dead and Kind of Famous, hosts Courtney Blomquist and Marissa Rivera will be focusing on the graves of the, well… dead and kind of famous folks that are laid to rest there. 

A seasoned actress who’s been in at least half the commercials that flash across your tv, Marissa herself is kind of famous and brings a current industry perspective. Courtney, on the other hand, brings an endless curiosity about Old Hollywood and dead people and the perspective of a complete nobody. 

Get to know them and their impressive (Marissa) and wildly eclectic (Courtney) backgrounds in this brief episode. Hopefully they’ll be your new best friends and guides to making sure that the stories of Hollywood’s dead never die. And if you (like Courtney) aren’t famous, just remember… you’re also not dead yet. 

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Substack- https://substack.com/@deadandkindafamous
Here, you can find our episodes, transcripts, relevant images and newsletters.

Instagram- @deadandkindoffamous
See us visit the graves of our subjects and pay our respects with lovingly selected offerings.

Apple Podcasts and Spotify- Please be a Bon Vivant and leave us a rating and review. It would mean the world!

Send us a text

Ever wondered what it takes to be dubbed a Hollywood bon vivant? Join us as we kick off "Dead and Kind of Famous" with the eccentric and flamboyant life of Baron Clement von Frankenstein. We'll take you through our amusing adventure in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where we use Find a Grave to track down the baron's final resting place. Marissa and Courtney share their first impressions of his marble tombstone, the origin of his captivating surname, and even improvise an obituary that will leave you in stitches. 

From youthful escapades and inheritance windfalls to a colorful Hollywood career, Baron Clement von Frankenstein's life was nothing if not extraordinary. Learn about his transformation from an English nobleman to a beloved character actor, with memorable roles in everything from "Young Frankenstein" to "Robin Hood: Men in Tights." 

This episode also uncovers Baron Clement's unexpected financial rescue from his nanny, his stint as a singing King Henry VIII in an Anaheim theme restaurant, and his general randy antics. We delve into his acting journey, his off-screen exploits, and his final roles, painting a vivid picture of a man who lived life to the fullest. Whether you're intrigued by his inclusion in People magazine’s list of top bachelors or curious about the drama at his own funeral, this episode promises a rich tapestry of stories you won't want to miss. Cheers to the Baron- the most loveable of friends!

Links from this episode:
Vegan Truffles: https://minimalistbaker.com/2-ingredient-dark-chocolate-truffles/
Baron's find a grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/216051539/clement-george_freiherr-von_und_zu_franckenstein
Baron's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clementvon/
The Short Documentary of the Baron by Matthew Ford: https://www.facebook.com/1245812342/videos/10219355947949855/

Sources are listed on Substack at https://deadandkindafamous.substack.com/

Follow us on...

Substack- https://substack.com/@deadandkindafamous
Here, you can find our episodes, transcripts, relevant images and newsletters.

Instagram- @deadandkindoffamous
See us visit the graves of our subjects and pay our respects with lovingly selected offerings.

Apple Podcasts and Spotify- Please be a Bon Vivant and leave us a rating and review. It would mean the world!