Dead Celebrity Alert

Allen Parkinson, a star-struck entrepreneur who developed an over-the-counter sleep aid and built a wax museum dedicated to Hollywood legends, died on Aug. 19 at his home in Warwick, R.I. He was 83.

Mr. Parkinson was the creator of Sleep-Eze and the original owner of Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, Calif.

With all the hoopla of a Hollywood premiere, Mr. Parkinson opened the wax museum in May 1962, complete with searchlights, bleachers holding thousands of fans and the arrival of stars in black limousines.

Mary Pickford, “America’s Sweetheart,” cut the ceremonial ribbon on Beach Boulevard in front of the museum, where her own wax likeness stood among those of dozens of movie celebrities, including Rudolph Valentino and James Dean.

During its peak years in the 1960’s Movieland drew as many as 1.2 million visitors annually. … Read full obituary

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