MONTECITO - The world’s most curious, and kindest, Hollywood chronicler has died. Writer, broadcaster and film historian Richard Lamparski, best known for his Whatever Became of…? books, has died at the age of 93. Friends of the author announced his passing on social media, although it is not yet known when he passed away.
By Allan R. Ellenberger - The Hollywoodland Revue
Nov. 11. (THLR) - For more than half a century, Lamparski was one of the rare figures who not only loved Hollywood’s past, but sought out its forgotten voices. In an era before nostalgia became an industry, he devoted his life to finding and preserving the human stories behind the credits — the actors, musicians, and socialites who once glittered across marquees and later slipped into obscurity.
Born in Michigan on October 5, 1932, Lamparski came of age during the golden age of Hollywood, steeped in the glamour and myth of the movies. After serving in the military and studying at UCLA, he began a career in broadcasting, working as a radio and television interviewer in New York and Los Angeles. His conversational ease and unpretentious curiosity soon evolved into his literary calling: the Whatever Became of…? series, which began in the late 1960s and would eventually span multiple volumes.
Each book was part detective story, part elegy — tracking down the lives of once-famous figures to learn where fate, fortune, and time had taken them. In contrast to many entertainment journalists, Lamparski never mocked his subjects; he had compassion for them. He provided his readers a sense of closure. Forgotten performers were given new life, even if only for a few lovingly crafted paragraphs.
In later years, Lamparski expanded his interests into cultural history, authoring Lamparski’s Hidden Hollywood — a fascinating mosaic of memories, anecdotes, and rediscovered personalities from Hollywood’s twilight corners.
A Personal Reminiscence
I first met Richard Lamparski in June of 1993. At the time, I was researching my first book about silent film star Ramon Novarro, and I wrote to Richard about interviewing him — knowing how many people he had known through his Whatever Became of… books. To my surprise, he invited me to spend the day at his home on Mesa Road in Montecito.
It was a perfect California day. We sat for hours, chatting about Novarro and the many names that filled the pages of early Hollywood. I had brought along a copy of Lamparski’s Hidden Hollywood and asked him to sign it. He did — reluctantly — and I remember him chuckling, unsure why anyone would want his autograph.
Richard’s knowledge was vast but always delivered with humility. That afternoon, he suggested I contact actor Lon McCallister, who as a boy had lived near Novarro’s estate and would sometimes peek curiously over the wall that surrounded it. Later, Richard took me on a brief tour of Santa Barbara, pointing out old haunts and filming locations, each accompanied by a story only he could tell.
After that visit, we kept in touch by mail. His notes often arrived on vintage postcards from his personal collection — images of vanished Hollywood hotels, long-demolished theaters, and the bright facades of a city that no longer exists. His handwriting was neat, his tone wry, his affection for old Los Angeles unmistakable.
His Legacy
Richard Lamparski’s work predated Google searches, nostalgia podcasts, and celebrity documentaries. In his time, if you wanted to find out “whatever became of” someone, you had to do the hard work — research, phone calls, persistence, empathy. He did it because he cared about the stories that were being lost to time.
His legacy is more than a bookshelf’s worth of volumes; it is an archive of humanity — one that taught readers that fame is fleeting, but memory endures.
In remembering him now, we might rephrase his famous question and ask instead: Whatever became of Richard Lamparski?
The answer is simple. He became a steward of memory — and thanks to his work, many others did not vanish altogether.
Rest in peace, Richard. You gave the forgotten their final close-up, and for that, Hollywood will never forget you.
Share your opinions and reflections in the comments — every voice helps keep Hollywood’s story alive.
Add comment
Comments
Beautiful tribute. I grew up reading his books in the 70’s, and I think he would be pleased to know that someone let the world know “Whatever Became of Richard Lamparski