Monthly Archives: January 2010

Movie Star Mystery Photo

     Los Angeles Times file photo Update: This week’s mystery star is Sally Eilers, shown in a photo dated Dec. 14, 1929. Jan. 7, 1978: Sally Eilers dies at the age of 69.  In case you’re wondering, I don’t … Continue reading

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | 25 Comments

Forgery Charged in Finch Trial

      Jan. 22, 1960: The prosecution alleges that Dr. R. Bernard Finch forged his wife’s signature to a check for $3,000 [$21,576.68 USD 2008] three days after Finch allegedly beat and threatened to kill his wife and two … Continue reading

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Aviation Meet – Through the Lens

Los Angeles Times file photo Here’s a photo that shows the grandstands under construction for the 1910 Aviation Meet. The stands were built quickly, according to The Times, and were considered an achievement for the day. Here’s a detail of … Continue reading

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Council Studies Parking Bans

  Mr. Thorkildsen answers the telephone in the nude.    Jan. 22, 1920: Ninety years ago, the City Council was studying a proposal for no parking zones to ease bad traffic that was impeding streetcar service in downtown Los Angeles.  … Continue reading

Posted in Freeways, Transportation | 1 Comment

Officials Honor Louis Paulhan

   After a boat trip to Santa Catalina Island, Louis Paulhan says he hopes to fly there the next time.   Jan. 22, 1910: Child molester Edward Powelson thanks the judge for sentencing him to 180 days for vagrancy. "Judge, … Continue reading

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Matt Weinstock, Jan. 21, 1960

  Dead: One Subscription               About a year ago Don Hoster, the quixotic photographer, joined a record club.  He was a good kid about it.  He bought the required number of albums and paid for them.     But about … Continue reading

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, Jan. 21, 1960

A Little Story with a Big Schnozzola     Some newspaper reporters are frantic.  They run around chasing the big story all the time.     But I’m too old for that.  What I do, I run around chasing little stories.  They’re … Continue reading

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A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Movie Columnist

  Jan. 21, 1959 – I think this is the most vitriolic Hedda Hopper column I’ve found so far: “It took some scratching and digging on my part, but I finally learned why Charlie Chaplin settled tax problem — so … Continue reading

Posted in Columnists, Film, Hollywood | 1 Comment

Trial Takes Its Toll

    Jan. 21, 1960: The Mirror's Lee Belser, at right with Otto the clown in a 1958 photo, takes a savage look at how Carole Tregoff’s appearance has changed since she was arrested in the Finch murder case. She said: … Continue reading

Posted in #courts, Homicide | 1 Comment

Finch Defense Attacks Murder for Hire Plot

  Sen. Everett Dirksen (R-Ill.) praises President Eisenhower on the anniversary of his first inauguration, saying that Eisenhower and Vice President Richard Nixon had brought to the country a "deeply inspired" administration "that had reversed the course of government intrusion … Continue reading

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Wife Sues ‘Lounge Lizard’

  “Papa’s Return,” by Clare Briggs.    Jan. 21, 1920: Stanley Carr was “just an ordinary lounge lizard,” Dora Monte testifies in a hearing to have his marriage annulled. “He had absolutely no ambition except to have a good time. … Continue reading

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Final Cheers for Aviators

  On the final day of the Aviation Meet, promoters staged a tableau of transportation that included an airplane and Ezra Meeker’s wagon, drawn by oxen.   In the twilight of the last day, balloonists set an altitude record of … Continue reading

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Matt Weinstock, Jan. 20, 1960

  Nobody's Home     A lady I know received two warning calls in quick succession the other day from neighbors.  Their breathlessness message: "Don't answer the door — the tax assessor's on the way to your house!"  The second neighbor … Continue reading

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, Jan. 20, 1960

[Note: You may remember reading about Glynn Wolfe in regard to the Black Dahlia case—lrh] Dames Cheaper in Dozen Lots?     He was a farm-boy, and she was a farm-girl, and they were 18.  And it was that time of … Continue reading

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A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Movie Columnist

  Jan. 20, 1958: Hedda Hopper says John Wayne’s next movie will be a western called “Warlock.” Well, not quite. It actually stars Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda and Anthony Quinn.

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Man Says Woman Paid Him to Kill Lover’s Wife

The killer was supposed to say: “Tell her this is from Bernie!” The witness said he was “drinking heavily that day.” Jan. 20, 1960: “A suave and smooth-talking convict testified yesterday that Carole Tregoff hired him to kill Mrs. Barbara … Continue reading

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Nuestro Pueblo

    Sept. 19, 1938: Joe Seewerker and Charles Owens visit 211 W. 2nd St., close to home! Note: The original run of Nuestro Pueblo concluded in 1939. I’m picking up entries that I missed the first time around.

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35,000 Gallons of Wine Dumped in Sewer

“Somebody Is Always Taking the Joy Out of Life,” by Clare Briggs. Jan. 20, 1920:  U.S. revenue officers pour 35,000 gallons of wine – the entire stock of the North Cucamonga Winery — into the sewer to enforce new Prohibition … Continue reading

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The God of War Takes to the Air

Men on horseback watch Glenn Curtiss take off. A deputy on horseback acts as a judge on the race course, making sure that fliers go around one of the pylons. Aviation Week inspired several topical ads, including one for pianos, … Continue reading

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Found on EBay – Santa Fe Station

This postcard showing the Santa Fe railroad station, which was superseded by the opening of Union Station in 1939, has been listed on EBay. Bidding starts at $4.95.

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