A Tragic House Fire in Palm Springs Wipes Out TV Icon’s Family: Beverly Wills (1933-1963)

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Visit to the graves of Beverly Wills and Nina Mae Davis, the daughter and mother, respectively, of TV icon Joan Davis (1907-1961) who were both killed, along with Beverly’s 2 young sons, in a horrific house fire in Palm Springs in 1963.
Beverly was an actress in her own right, and outside of appearing in the 2nd season of her mother’s 1952-55 sitcom, “I Married Joan,” is probably best known for her appearance in the 1959 film, “Some Like it Hot,” with Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis.
Joan Davis tried mightily to make her daughter an even bigger star than she was, but it never quite worked out for Beverly. Beverly had just landed a role on a short-lived sitcom with John McGiver, “Many Happy Returns,” when she fell asleep while smoking, causing a house fire that killed Beverly and, ultimately, her 2 boys, Guy and Larry, as well as her grandmother, Nina Mae Davis.
If you’d like to learn more about Beverly Wills and her mother Joan Davis, please check out the following videos and web links:
‪@DearlyDepartedTours‬
Video of the Palm Springs’ House where the Fire Occurred, Visits to Joan Davis Final Resting Place and Beverly’s 2 Sons, Guy and Larry Grossman
• TV Icon Joan Davis' DE...
“The Unsung Joe: Beverly Wills” - an EXCELLENT blog/article on Beverly’s short life and Joan Davis’ attempts at making Beverly a Hollywood star
morethanyounee...
Beverly’s Scene in “Some Like it Hot” (1959)
• Some Like It Hot Tra...
Beverly in a Season 2 episode of “I Married Joan” - Dented Fender
‪@JoanDavisChannel‬
• I Married Joan S2-21 "...
Desert Sun newspaper article, “Blaze Kills 4 Here: Joan Davis’ Family Dies Mother, Daughter, 2 Grandchildren Fire Victims,” October 24, 1963
cdnc.ucr.edu/?...
Find-A-Grave: Beverly Wills (1933-1963) - erroneously listed as “Beverly Willis”
www.findagrave...
Wikipedia: Beverly Wills
en.m.wikipedia...
P.S.
Sorry about the cicadas buzzing throughout the video!
#PalmSprings #DesertMemorialPark #BeverlyWills #JoanDavis #IMarriedJoan #HouseFire #Fire #Tragedy #CemeteryExploration #Cemetery #FamousGraves #Grave #Graves #CathedralCity #PalmSpringsHistory #California #CaliforniaHistory #Death #SomeLikeItHot

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13 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 21

@harrietandrade9284 Год назад

Well done Hollywood history. As a youngster I watched I Married Joan on television. I recall her daughter from various things. She was a good comedian in her mother's style. This even on TCM I watched the delightful Sun Valley Serenade. Joan Davis was a great comedian in a small part.

@ronandanne1 2 года назад

Joan Davis made a wonderful movie with Abbott and Costello called "Hold That Ghost." She was very funny dancing with Lou Costello! Thanks for your interesting legal look at her unlucky family. There's a lesson there for us all about the value of a proper, legal will.

@theretiredlifewithsteve 2 года назад

The whole legal aspect was very interesting. I didn’t know if the husband got everything in the end anyway. Wow! I grew up watching reruns of I Mary Joan in the 1960s. Glad you were able to make it there and do the video.

@sidetrippingwithcary 2 года назад

Thanks for the comment, Steve! Yeah, it’s interesting how things go when folks don’t plan for the future with trusts and wills. Had Beverly’s husband died in the fire, the estate would’ve gone to her father, Si Wills!

@theretiredlifewithsteve 2 года назад

@@sidetrippingwithcary Makes it extra sad. 😞

@hellograves 2 года назад

Hey long time no see!! Very sad and tragic story 💔 RIP Beverly and Nina. Glad to see you back!!

@sidetrippingwithcary 2 года назад

Yes, summers in Phoenix are like deep winters in Colorado! I’ll keep trying to brave the heat until October rolls around! 🤣

@hellograves 2 года назад

@@sidetrippingwithcary I bet!! Yes try to find some indoor mausoleums 🤣

@buddyh17 Год назад

excellent video.... I just watched an episode of I married Joan in the episode was called dented fender and Beverly wills was in it and I thought she was very good

@sidetrippingwithcary Год назад

I’ve seen several episodes of “I Married Joan” with Beverly Wills, and thought she did a good job as well! She was slated to work on a new sitcom with John McGiver, “Many Happy Returns,” at the time of her tragic death.

@buddyh17 Год назад

@@sidetrippingwithcary one of my favorite shows is tales of Wells Fargo.. Beverly wills played sissy Stillwell in that episode she was very very good... It was season 2 episode 10 and it was called 'Man in the box'

@health6785 9 месяцев назад

Absolutely tragic what happened to Beverly & family!! Joan was in there with Martha Ray & all the other famous women comic actresses in the day & way before I love Lucy came along. Lucy was mostly a serious actor at one point then turned comic all the way when she married Desi. I would assume she observed & admired some of those ladies like Joan as well as men too.

@sidetrippingwithcary 8 месяцев назад

I read a blog online that talked about how ground breaking Joan’s efforts were in early TV, especially with regard to syndication, but she didn’t really have anyone left after her early death to carry on or celebrate her legacy after her only child, two grandchildren and remaining parent died in that horrific fire. Joan herself was an only child, so there were no siblings either. It’s all very sad. She was definitely a talent.

@doh187 Год назад

another strange duck was jane wyman shes buried in cathedral city as well

@sidetrippingwithcary Год назад

Ronald Reagan’s first wife, right? There are quite a few famous interments in Cathedral City! I need to get back there soon (hopefully, my wife and I will be there again this Fall)!

@amorales9613 7 месяцев назад

This fire sounds very suspicious.

@sidetrippingwithcary 7 месяцев назад

I think by today’s standards, it does, but people falling asleep smoking and starting house fires was fairly common in the 60s-70s, unfortunately.

@dwaynecollins4974 2 года назад

No sir I'm afraid I'll have to agree with you I didn't much care for the old I Love Lucy show (it was before my time) but I did like here's Lucy and her other shows she did in the 60s and 70's. Now mind you I didn't run the TV when I was a kid so I had to watch whatever it was my mom wanted to watch so I knew of those shows and the Doris Day show and of course that girl with Marlo Thomas 🙄 I've heard of I married Joan at least partially because Jim Backus was on it but I never actually seen the show itself so I couldn't tell you if I liked it or not (probably not) but good video Cary ☺️ and I grew up around there so I know what you're talking about with the heat, better safe than sorry with that! Looking forward to the next one however...🌄

@sidetrippingwithcary 2 года назад

“I Married Joan” is SUPER dated, but I still prefer it to “I Love Lucy.” Joan Davis definitely had talent, but it’s sad that she’s not at all well known today. I believe the reasons are: (1) she died young, 53 years old & (2) there was no one left after the fire to really carry on her legacy; her only child and both grandsons perished 2 years after Joan died. I’d venture to say that’s also why “I Married Joan” lapses into the public domain, with no one around to renew the copyright. Dwayne, stay tuned, brother! I’ve got a video coming up that I KNOW you’re going to like!

@kimberlywhite4340 2 года назад

Another great viedo.. wonder if u get back to southern cali. Can u do a video on blk Panter leader Buncy Carter.. his in Compton.

@sidetrippingwithcary 2 года назад

Al Prentice “Bunchy” Carter would be a great one to do! Thank you for the suggestion! The next time I’m in LA, I’ll try to swing by his final resting place in Compton and put together a video!