Judy Garland Flies Out of the Cemetery - Basil Rathbone's remains remain

Ever visit Hartsdale, New York? Ferncliff Cemetery?

Same thing. Both are pretty dead.

Hartsdale is sort of like Scarsdale, only without a pulse.

And there's no resident with a pulse at Ferncliff.

Oddly, Ferncliff is a little less dead, now that Judy Garland's gone. I mean, GONE from the cemetery.

Ferncliff doesn't have as many famous celebs as its Bronx cousin, Woodlawn, but does have quite a few.

Now it has one less.

Kind of odd, isn't it, that after nearly 50 years, Liza decided to move mama.

You mean, Ferncliff couldn't have shoved a few urns out of the way, and made a little more room? Couldn't have built a little annex off to the side of one of the buildings and called it Garlandia?

Fact is, who the HELL goes to Hartsdale just to visit a local cemetery there? An attraction like Judy Garland would be the biggest reason. She's the biggest star there. Or, was. They let Judy's ashes slip through their fingers? They couldn't say anything to change Liza's mind? Liza was dead set against any offer??

Judy (and Liza) will get MUCH more visitors via L.A. tourists. That's a consideration, I suppose. It's always nice weather, so visitors will flock all year round.

Too bad Liza has crushed one "super fan" who, irony of ironies, lives in California but went to Ferncliff to buy space next to fabulous Judy. According to the NY Post, a space at Fernwood, especially in a prime location, can go for $15,000. A cemetery manager admitted, "the man...specifically flew in from California because he is a big fan of hers. He purchased a plot near her so when he dies he could be next to her. I don’t know what he is going to do now.”

I visited Ferncliff.

I don't recall seeing Judy Garland. There were quite a few corridors full of urns on display. And, no, there was no rainbow on the floor with an arrow pointing toward Judy's.

The reason I'd gone over to Ferncliff was to see Basil Rathbone. He and his wife are shelved very high on a mausoleum wall. Some people might need to bring along opera glasses to make sure they're looking at the right set of spaces. No, there's no memorable quote etched for either of them.

While Woodlawn has a map that can help you get around, I didn't notice one available for Fernwood. The only other celebrity I wanted to see, and could find, was Moms Mabley, who was planted out in a flat stretch of grass, with no tombstone, just a marker in the ground.

For the record, ghoulish fans who DO want to take a train or a bus (or both) to Ferncliff, or have a relative or friend living nearby who can drive them, can STILL see Basil and Moms and...quite a few other celebs.

You'll still find, starring in alphabetical order...

Harold Arlen, James Baldwin, Richard Barthelmess, Bela Bartok, Connee Boswell, Cab Calloway, Joan Crawford, Lew Fields (partner with Weber in a vaudeville comedy act), Betty Furess, Oscar Hammerstein II, Annette Hanshaw, Moss and Kitty Carlisle Hart, Karen Horney, Alberta Hunter, Jerome Kern, Marion Lorne, Malcolm X, Thelonius Monk, Paul Robeson, Sig Romberg, Otto Soglow (cartoonist), Preston Sturges, Ed Sullivan, Judy Tyler (vivacious actress killed in a car crash) and Conrad Veidt.