| Rating |
Date Attended [v] |
Reviewer |
Gender |
Age |
Where From? |
Group Type? |
|
Irreverent, educational and totally fun
|
| Sun, Nov 15 9:30 AM |
karinsanford |
Female |
50-59 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Other |
| Our tour guide, Scott, seemed to know everything about Hollywood and was enthusiastic about passing the info along. Very funny and interesting. We saw the Menendez house (and heard fascinating tapes), saw where Janis died, the last home of Bela Lugosi, and where Lindsey Lohan crashed into a bush, just for starters. I usually don't go on tours because I think they're tedious, but the time flew by on this one. Highly recommended if you're a little irreverent. |
|
Fun, comfortable trip - very well organized
|
| Fri, Nov 13 1:00 PM |
janetculik |
Female |
30-39 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Group of Friends |
| My friends and I, all around 38-39 years old, took this tour in November 2009. We all enjoyed it very much. The directions to the tour start site were clear and easy to follow. The driver/tour guide was funny and very personable. With the use of a headset microphone, and some accompanying audio, it's easy to hear his descriptions of the tour sites. The van is covered, air conditioned, and comfortable. There are two things I think prospective attendees should know: 1) The seats in the van are comfortable for most, but may be on the small side for more "robust" passengers. 2) The sites visited might not be interesting to those younger than 35; a lot of the references and movie stars mentioned are from long ago. |
|
|
Dearly Departed is the tour to beat
|
| Thu, Nov 12 1:00 PM |
jvasko |
Male |
40-49 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Couple on a Date |
| We had an excellent time on the Dearly Department tour given by our tour guide Richard. He was a great tour guide and answered all of our questions and provided the inside story we were all looking for. Dearly Departed is the tour I recommend for visitors who want to approach Hollywood with the sense of humor and nostalgia. My only complaint was that the air conditioning was too cold. Other than that, A+ |
|
|
Educational, Entertaining, and FUN.........
|
| Wed, Nov 11 1:00 PM |
jlookingca |
Male |
30-39 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Group of Friends |
| I have been on several other LA tours and was looking forward to this one. My friend and I learned a lot and were very entertained by the driver Richard. When it was all said and done, we saw so much that I couldn't even remember it all. Came back home and told my family and friends all about it. I definitely want to go back and take one of the other tours. Thanks again! |
|
|
Expert guide to Hollywood's macabre underbelly
|
| Wed, Nov 11 1:00 PM |
sglevy |
Male |
40-49 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Individual |
| This is the only "star homes" type of tour I could have taken, since it's coming from a twisted and satirical (but also somewhat loving) point of view. The tour visits the sites of about 100 celebrity deaths and mishaps in 3 1/2 hours. The tour guide, who is also the driver, is extremely well informed and appropriately ironic, although simultaneously fascinated by and protective of the Hollywood culture. Theme music and snippets of court testimony, 911 calls, interviews, etc are piped into the van throughout the tour. All of the highlights and lowlights are hit in Hollywood and Beverly Hills. The van accommodates a maximum of 13 people, so the group is intimate and the experience is personal. I will definitely try to go on the Helter Skelter Tour (all Manson Family murders) the next time I'm in LA! |
|
Nice Tour Driver---Not Enough Tragedy
|
| Sun, Nov 8 9:30 AM |
MarkG5059 |
Male |
50-59 |
Combination |
Other |
| My visiting brother from the east coast and I took this tour on October 8, 2009 and although Richard the tour guide was very nice guy and informative, I'd be lying if I said we weren't disappointed in many of the stops we had.....and many stops we should have had.
There were too many non-tragedy locations while many interesting nearby "death" stops were missed.
For example..... Mae West's and Judy Garland's old homes weren't of any interest.......The Paramount Gates? Who cares? If we wanted a routine Hollywood Tour, we would have taken any number of the regular tour buses.
After our tour was over, we ended up taking my car and visiting two classic locations that we were amazed weren't in the Dearly Departed Tour....especially since they were right in the same area of town the tour traveled.....The home on Benedict Canyon where George Reeves killed himself and the condo on North Kings where Jack Cassidy burned to death.
The tour needs more death and less of the Hollywood "queens." |
|
|
Even great for locals!
|
| Sat, Nov 7 1:00 PM |
msiyam |
Female |
30-39 |
Local |
Group of Friends |
| I grew up in the suburbs of LA and feel like I know this town pretty well, but I had never known so much about "Old Hollywood" until I went on this tour. It's not too morbid, either, just parts of it. It was a nice, cozy shuttle bus that held about 10 or 12 people, and we went all over town. Our tour guide was very knowledgable and willing to answer any questions we had. We also had plenty of chances to take pics, as our guide was great about slowing down long enough to take a good picture. I would only recommend an extra bathroom stop (we got out twice), but otherwise it was a great time. :) |
|
|
Best tour ever!
|
| Thu, Nov 5 1:00 PM |
Marchudson |
Male |
20-29 |
International Tourist(s) |
Group of Friends |
| I have taken this tour 3 times and it's amazing. Scott is hilarious and full of interesting information! The tour is just the right length and has 2 rest stop breaks (on being at George Michael's infamous toilet in Beverly Hills). Scott will also de-tour if there is something you really want to see! Amazing, funny, crude - LOVE IT - BOOK NOW!!!
Marc Hudson - London |
|
|
Awesome tour
|
| Tue, Nov 3 1:00 PM |
RionaBane |
Female |
20-29 |
International Tourist(s) |
Group of Friends |
| I loved this tour. I have taken tours of Hollywood before - Stars homes etc with the big companies but the Dearly Departed tour was miles ahead of these. It covered alot more in terms of area, history and interesting facts. I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Hollywood. I would also be interested in taking other tours with the Dearly Departed people! |
|
|
Unique theme for Hollywood area
|
| Mon, Nov 2 9:30 AM |
robuss |
Male |
60-69 |
Domestic Tourist(s) |
Family With Children |
| Richard was a great tour guide. Having been in TV and film prior to becoming a tour guide adds a perspective to the tour. We feel this tour covers an entirely different aspect than a standard tour. The dearly departed are in fact that--from Mae West to Marilyn Monroe and Joe D. Also saw where Michael Jackson died so the tour is current. Do this tour before all others. Would do another DDT when we return. |
