Family, Friends, and Fans of Hollywood Blvd. "Superman" Christopher Dennis Raising Funds For His Funeral

FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND FANS OF HOLLYWOOD BLVD. "SUPERMAN" CHRISTOPHER DENNIS RAISING FUNDS FOR HIS FUNERAL


HOLLYWOOD, CA (November 19, 2019) – Christopher Dennis, AKA Hollywood Boulevard Superman, tragically passed away November 2 at the age of 52. Chris had been homeless, off and on, for three years prior to his passing, sometimes sleeping in shelters. Family, friends, and fans who had helped him find lodgings over the years, hope to raise funds to give him a final resting place where he can be at peace for eternity.

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to raise funds for a funeral service, cremation, grave/niche plot, and a memorial plaque at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/funeral-service-for-hollywood-superman

The GoFundMe page was created on behalf of Christopher’s widow, Bonnie Finkenthal Dennis, by Vladislav Kozlov, his long-time friend and director, who produced of a short film starring Christopher, as himself, and film legend Franco Nero, called “The Kid,” and has been filming with Christopher for the hybrid documentary feature about Christopher’s life, called "American Superman" since 2013.

The news coverage of Chris’s untimely passing and reporting on his life and the mark he made in Hollywood have been a beautiful tribute to Christopher Dennis and his memory. The crowdfunding campaign strives to help Hollywood Superman find his final rest in the Hollywood land to which he truly belongs.

June 10, 1991 was the date Chris first stepped foot on the boulevard as Hollywood Superman, according to his Instagram profile. Chris gave smiles to the millions of tourists from all over the world for over 25 years of his Hollywood Boulevard residency and there are thousands and thousands of photographs of Chris with visitors to Hollywood Boulevard online and in photo albums around the world.

Hollywood Superman, along with the world-famous Hollywood sign, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame, have been part of the Hollywood experience for millions of U.S. and international tourists in Hollywood for decades. Sadly, Hollywood Superman has taken his last bow on the boulevard.

People are invited to post their photos and videos and share good memories of Christopher on social media.

https://www.instagram.com/hollywoodsuperman/

https://www.facebook.com/Hollywood-Superman-290026524352180/

For more information about the crowdfunding campaign, please visit:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/funeral-service-for-hollywood-superman

Christopher Lloyd Dennis
Christopher Lloyd Dennis AKA Hollywood Boulevard Superman was born on June 16, 1967. When he was 6, he was put into orphanage by his father. Chris spent his childhood in shelters and group homes. At the age of 18, Chris came to Hollywood to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. When he was waiting tables, numerous people told him that he resembled Christopher Reeve who famously portrayed Superman. Chris decided to dress as Superman and go out on the Hollywood Boulevard in the hopes of being noticed by studio producers. Eventually, Chris started coming to the strip every day since he found out that he was a huge hit with the tourists who wanted to take a picture with him as Hollywood Superman.

This is how he became the first costume character on Hollywood Boulevard. Chris went on giving smiles to the millions of tourists from all over the world for over 25 years. He appeared on numerous episodes of Jimmy Kimmel show, was featured in a documentary "Confessions of a Superhero" and appeared in Jared Leto’s 30 Seconds to Mars music video “City of Angeles.”

Christopher married Bonnie, a fellow Superman fan, in 2006. They separated on 2011. In 2013 Chris began collaborating with a Los Angeles based director Vlad Kozlov on different indie projects and Chris starred as himself in Kozlov's short motion picture "The Kid" also starring the famous star Franco Nero.

Chris and Vlad became close friends and they decided to make a movie about his life adventures. Vlad started documenting the story of the real-life Hollywood Superman, trying to discover his past and his inner self, for the film which they decided to call “American Superman.”

In 2016 Chris became homeless due to a chain of unfortunate events and was fighting to get off the streets. In 2017 two fundraisers were started to help Chris get out of the streets, but by that time he was beyond accepting help due to substance abuse. Chris spent another two years in different shelters trying to eventually get into subsidized housing.

Sadly, on November 2nd, 2019 Christopher Dennis tragically passed away in Van Nuys, just 10 miles away from Hollywood Blvd. He will be remembered by those who loved him, and the countless people he met on Hollywood Blvd.

Family, Friends, and Fans of Hollywood Blvd. "Superman" Christopher Dennis Raising Funds For His Funeral

R.I.P. DOLORES FULLER (1923-2011)

We've just learned that earlier today (Monday, 5/9/11), beloved actress/model/songwriter DOLORES FULLER passed away. 

Known mainly for her association with cult filmmaker Ed Wood, she co-starred with him in GLEN OR GLENDA and also appeared in BRIDE OF THE MONSTER and JAIL BAIT.  Later, Dolores went on to become a highly successful songwriter, penning tunes for Elvis Presley in nine of his films including BLUE HAWAII, SPINOUT, KID GALAHAD, and KISSIN' COUSINS. 

Dolores married Philip Chamberlin in 1988 and has lived in Las Vegas, Nevada since 2003.  During that time she has been a popular guest at several fan conventions, where she would wear the white angora sweater made famous in GLEN OR GLENDA.  She was portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker in Tim Burton's 1994 biopic ED WOOD and, while generally positive toward the film itself, was unhappy with the way she was depicted
. 


The lovely Dolores always appeared friendly and vivacious in her interviews and will be fondly remembered by her many fans.  We here at HK and Cult Film News express our sincere condolences to her family and will always keep her memory alive in our hearts.

Read more about Dolores and express your own thoughts about her at the Classic Horror Film Board.

R.I.P. DOLORES FULLER (1923-2011)

R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen

Leslie Nielsen, gone?  Surely you can't be serious.

The 84-year-old Canadian-born actor who made his name in serious roles before becoming a surprise comedy legend with AIRPLANE! and the NAKED GUN films has passed away due to complications from pneumonia. 

Best known by many sci-fi fans from his starring role in the classic FORBIDDEN PLANET, Nielsen was a familiar face not only in films but in his many television appearances, often as a hard-bitten cop.
 

Spoofing this image in the Zucker brothers' smash laugh-fest AIRPLANE!, he proved to be even more adept at comedy than drama and became one of the most popular comic stars of all time (while giving us one of the most oft-quoted lines in film history: "I am serious...and don't call me Shirley.") 

He followed up this newfound success with the hilarious NAKED GUN trilogy (based on his short-lived cult TV series "Police Squad!") in which he played bumbling police detective Lt. Frank Drebin.  Other films in the same vein included SPY HARD, WRONGFULLY ACCUSED, and the recent STAN HELSING.
 


While fondly remembered for his dramatic work, his absence will be felt most keenly in the world of comedy where he scored such a triumphant comeback late in his career.  We here at HKCFN offer condolences to his family and friends and bid an affectionate farewell to one of our favorite funny men.  And, surely, we are serious.

R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen

R.I.P. Gloria Stuart

Known these days mainly as "Old Rose" from TITANIC, Gloria Stuart is fondly-remembered by classic horror fans for her roles in the James Whale films THE OLD DARK HOUSE and THE INVISIBLE MAN.  

Gloria retired from the screen in her youth only to return decades later to appear in James Cameron's blockbuster film and gain fame all over again as the oldest Oscar nominee in history.  She died on Sunday, September 26, at the age of 100.   We'll always remember her with fond affection.

R.I.P. Gloria Stuart

CHARLES B. PIERCE, 1938-2010: The Filmmaker is Gone, But the Legend Lives On

Pioneer indy filmmaker Charles B. Pierce, who gave us some of the scariest and most popular homegrown horror flicks of all time, passed away in Dover, Tennessee on March 5th at the age of 71.

Pierce started making independent films in the 1970s while working as an advertising salesman in Texarkana, Arkansas, where he also hosted his own popular local children's TV show, "The Laff-a-Lot Club", as Mayor Chuckles. Working as a set decorator on such films as DILLINGER, THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES, and many others, he hit the big time in 1972 as producer-cinematographer-director of the now-classic THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK. This dark, semi-documentary-style tale of an elusive sasquatch known as "The Fouke Monster" roaming the backwoods of Arkansas scared the wits out of audiences to the tune of $20 million.

Later, in 1977, Pierce produced and directed another fact-based chiller, THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN, about a hooded serial killer who held 1940s Texarkana in a grip of fear as he struck at random and eluded capture. This film, which many who viewed it at the time still recall with a shiver, proved influential and predated such blockbuster slasher films as HALLOWEEN, FRIDAY THE 13TH, and NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET by several years. Pierce himself can be seen in a cameo role as a bumbling deputy.

Other films directed by Pierce over the years include WINTERHAWK, BOOTLEGGERS, THE EVICTORS, and the sequel BOGGY CREEK II: AND THE LEGEND CONTINUES, which inspired a popular episode of MST3K. Among his screenwriting credits are the "Dirty Harry" sequel SUDDEN IMPACT, in which he gave us Clint Eastwood's immortal line: "Go ahead, punk...make my day."

Daniel Myrick, director of the cult classic THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, told the Tulsa World newspaper of Pierce's influence over him in 1999: "We just wanted to make a movie that tapped into the primal fear generated by the fact-or-fiction format, like 'Legend of Boggy Creek.' That was one of my favorites; it freaked me out when I was a little kid. I was beside myself with fear for weeks after seeing that thing."

CHARLES B. PIERCE, 1938-2010: The Filmmaker is Gone, But the Legend Lives On

"Count Yorga" Star Robert Quarry Joins the Immortals

Robert Quarry, beloved the world over for his role as "Count Yorga", has passed away at the age of 83.

One of the most popular horror stars of the 70s, Quarry's enduring fame began with his starring role in the cult classic COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE (1970) and its sequel THE RETURN OF COUNT YORGA (1971), and continued with such films as DEATHMASTER and DR. PHIBES RISES AGAIN (both released in 1972).

A prolific television actor before achieving genre icon status with his role as the bloodthirsty count, Quarry appeared in a number of films up until 1999 and only recently worked with actor-director Mark Redfield in his upcoming Poe adaptation THE TELL-TALE HEART. In his Classic Horror Film Board tribute thread, fellow castmember Ted Newsom offers this recollection:

Bob Quarry finally passed away.

He'd been in declining health for more than a year, and was a resident at the Motion Picture Country Home and Hospital.

His health and lucidity was on-again off-again over the last couple months. There were some grim periods, usually followed by a recovery. I'd go there every couple of days, feeling that's not nearly enough. The last time I saw him, though, he was bright and aware, kidding with the nurses. I pushed him around the hallway last time, just to add some variety. We paused by a wall lined with photographs taken in the late 30s by a Jack Parkovsky, latterly a resident of the home. Bob recognized the movie stars: Norma Shearer, Clark Gable, Jack Oakie, Constance Talmadge, Bela Lugosi, Ralph Bellamy.

For my own selfish reasons-- wanting to smoke a cigarette-- I rolled him out onto the patio for a while. It was late in the afternoon, dusk. I don't know that he'd been outside since he'd been there. "Let's go back in," he said.

He's survived by his niece, and a lot of friends and fans.

In Quarry's own words, "My motive is quite simple. I want to be able to continue to earn a decent living and earn the respect of the people I work with...if you want to last in this business, you have to give a lot. You can't just take." And this quote may help explain his lasting impact on horror film fandom: "I always tried to play villains like the heroes."

"Count Yorga" Star Robert Quarry Joins the Immortals