Monthly Archives: December 2009

Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, Dec. 28, 1959

Posted on December 28, 2009 by lmharnisch

  Bus Crash felt in Redondo Beach             (News item) TUCSON, Ariz., Dec. 20.  A double-decker bus and a cattle truck collided head on today, killing nine persons and injuring 32.           The bus was a Greyhound special added … Continue reading →

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A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Movie Columnist

Posted on December 28, 2009 by lmharnisch

  Dec. 28, 1939: Hedda Hopper calls “Of Mice and Men” one of the best pictures of the year.

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The Age of Anxiety and the Age of Maturity

Posted on December 28, 2009 by lmharnisch

  Dec. 28, 1959: “Should the president have consulted Congress before ordering Americans into action? “Would there be time, in the next war, to consult Congress? “In this new age, what was the role of infantry, battleships and conventional weapons? … Continue reading →

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The Empty Prophecy of Prohibition

Posted on December 28, 2009 by lmharnisch

 Detectives Brown, Barnett and Harry Raymond in a raid on a club in Little Tokyo. Dec. 28, 1919:  The Times analyzes the first six months of Prohibition and finds that many predictions have not come true. Some minor offenses have … Continue reading →

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An Actress and Her Dog

Posted on December 28, 2009 by lmharnisch

  "Five iron manhole caps, each weighing more than 100 pounds, shot into the air last night when "burn-out gas" in the sewer between Spring Street and the northeast corner of 1st and Main streets blew them higher than the … Continue reading →

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A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Movie Columnist

Posted on December 27, 2009 by lmharnisch

  Dec. 27, 1938: “On the ‘Wizard of Oz’ set they've added 50 schoolchildren to the 150 midgets, being sure the kids were the same size. Makes it mighty difficult for Miss MacDonald and her staff of schoolteachers, because the … Continue reading →

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Predictions for the 1960s

Posted on December 27, 2009 by lmharnisch

Dec. 27, 1959: The Times leads with the Nixon-Rockefeller story.    Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-Ariz.) expresses strong support for Nixon.   Times Political Editor Kyle Palmer, as to be expected, is all for Nixon.   Nixon calls for job training … Continue reading →

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Angeles Ship Launched

Posted on December 27, 2009 by lmharnisch

  “Wonder What a Man Window-Shopping Things About?” by Clare Briggs. Dec. 27, 1919: The Angeles, an 8,800-ton cargo ship, is launched at the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. 

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Minister Vanishes After Predicting Christ’s Return on Christmas Day

Posted on December 27, 2009 by lmharnisch

Dec. 27, 1909: A mob in Hurley, Va., lynches Henry Pennington after he killed Samuel Baker, who was on his way to a Christmas program with his family. Pennington had run away, but Baker’s wife tricked him into coming back … Continue reading →

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Matt Weinstock, Dec. 26, 1959

Posted on December 26, 2009 by lmharnisch

Paper in a Trash Pile     Another frantic call came into the county sanitation office the other day.  This time it was a woman on the west side excitedly reporting she'd inadvertently discarded her divorce papers in the trash can.  … Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, Dec. 26, 1959

Posted on December 26, 2009 by lmharnisch

Tipping Tip: Don't Forget Your Barber     As we approach the turn of a new decade, the soundest advice I can offer you for a long, full life is never lie to your doctor or your lawyer.     And above … Continue reading →

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A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Movie Columnist

Posted on December 26, 2009 by lmharnisch

  Dec. 26, 1963: “I was horrified by ‘The Victors,’ from which I expected so much. It's the last picture in the world you'd want to see this season. I'm amazed at Carl Foreman, who wrote 'River Kwai' and 'Guns … Continue reading →

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Movie Star Mystery Photo

Posted on December 26, 2009 by lmharnisch

   Los Angeles Times file photo   Just a reminder on how this works: I post the mystery photo on Monday and reveal the answer on Friday … or on Saturday if I have a hard time picking only five … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | 35 Comments

Predictions for 1975

Posted on December 26, 2009 by lmharnisch

“All That Is Behind You, Darling.” Dec. 26, 1959: Somehow, the forecasters failed to predict the energy crisis, leisure suits and disco.  Cardinal McIntyre celebrates Mass at St. Vibiana’s.   “The Bells of Bethlehem” by Aimee Semple McPherson (d. 1944) … Continue reading →

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Hips Are Coming Back!

Posted on December 26, 2009 by lmharnisch

   “When a Feller Needs a Friend,” by Clare Briggs.   Dec. 26, 1919: New York is on the verge of another police scandal, The Times’ Harry Carr writes and hips are coming back. “I did not know that hips … Continue reading →

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Fliers Spend Christmas Overhauling Planes for Aviation Week

Posted on December 26, 2009 by lmharnisch

Frances Nordstrom stars in “The Girl of the Golden West” at the Burbank.     View Larger Map 7th and Los Angeles Streets, via Google maps’ street view. Dec. 26, 1909: Fliers work on their airplanes on Christmas at the official … Continue reading →

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Matt Weinstock, Dec. 25, 1959

Posted on December 25, 2009 by lmharnisch

  Ribbing St. Nick     In December, 1823, Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863) wrote a poem titled "A Visit From St. Nicholas" which, as everyone knows, began: 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the houseNot a creature was stirring … Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, Dec. 25, 1959

Posted on December 25, 2009 by lmharnisch

  Mash Notes and Comment     "Dear Paul,     "Following is a little Christmas spirit I dreamed up while writing the Keely Smith-Louis Prima show here in Las Vegas:     "A WESTERN    CHRISTMAS " 'Twas the night before    ChristmasAnd … Continue reading →

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A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Movie Columnist

Posted on December 25, 2009 by lmharnisch

  Dec. 25, 1962: "To Harold Lloyd, Christmas has always been a great feast at home. The mammoth tree stands in a high, vaulted room, the center of the family gathering. But Lloyd has been away a great deal this … Continue reading →

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Christmas, 1959

Posted on December 25, 2009 by lmharnisch

Photograph by the Los Angeles Times Dec. 25, 1959: City Hall is lighted, as usual, for Christmas. The tradition was discontinued in the 1970s after a long court battle.

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