Movie Star Mystery Photo

    April 19, 2010, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

As nearly everyone guessed, this is Bob “Bazooka” Burns. Above, Burns and Martha O'Driscoll, examine the bazooka baseball pitcher, Dec. 29, 1946. 

Feb. 3, 1956, Bob Burns

Feb. 3, 1956: Bob Burns dies at the age of 65.

 
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 pictures; sometimes it's difficult to choose. To keep the mystery photo from getting lost in the other entries, I move it from Monday to Tuesday to Wednesday, etc., adding a photo every day.

I have to approve all comments, so if your guess is posted immediately, that means you're wrong. (And if a wrong guess has already been submitted by someone else, there's no point in submitting it again).

If you're right, you will have to wait until Friday. There's no need to submit your guess five times. Once is enough. The only reward is bragging rights. 

The answer to last week's mystery star: Janice Jarratt!

There’s a new photo on the jump.


Feb. 3, 1956, Bob Burns

 
April 20, 2010, Mystery Photo
Los Angeles Times file photo

Dec. 13, 1936, Burns at the annual Red vs. Blue golf match at Lakeside.
Our mystery fellow seems to be having a bit of trouble on the golf course. Please congratulate lots of folks for identifying him: Fibber McGee, Eve Golden, James Curtis, Paul Cardinal, Mike Hawks, Angus, Michael Ryerson, Nick Santa Maria, Mary Mallory, Randy Skretvedt and Rick Scott (who also identified his mystery companion, as did Lee Ann Bailey).   

April 21, 2010, Mystery Photo
Los Angeles Times file photo
March 29, 1938: Bob Burns serenades his daughter Barbara at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital.

Don’t you love these old publicity shots? Please congratulate Herb Nichols, Kevin Kusinitz and Julie Merholz for identifying our mystery guest.

April 22, 2010, Mystery Photo
Los Angeles Times file photo

June 20, 1937: Martha Raye and Bob Burns in “Mountain Music.”

 
Here’s our mystery guest with a rather morose mystery companion. Please congratulate Richard Wegescheide for identifying him.

April 23, 2010, Mystery Photo
Los Angeles Times file photo
Dec. 1, 1938: Bob Burns is sworn into office as honorary mayor of Canoga Park by Judge O. Benton Worley.

Please congratulate Dewey Webb, Allison Francis, Periwinkle, Rick, Sandy, Pamela Porter and Margie for identifying him!

Unknown's avatar

About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times
This entry was posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo. Bookmark the permalink.

48 Responses to Movie Star Mystery Photo

  1. jps's avatar jps says:

    Rudy Vallee

    Like

  2. MichaelRyerson's avatar MichaelRyerson says:

    Rudy Vallee??

    Like

  3. James Curtis's avatar James Curtis says:

    Bob “Bazooka” Burns

    Like

  4. Paul Cardinal's avatar Paul Cardinal says:

    Bob Burns

    Like

  5. Mike Hawks's avatar Mike Hawks says:

    The man is Bob Burns and the lady just might be his wife.

    Like

  6. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:

    Is it Ruth Rogers and Fred Allen?

    Like

  7. Angus's avatar Angus says:

    It’s Bob Burns, with his bazooka in hand.

    Like

  8. Arye (Leslie) Michael Bender's avatar Arye (Leslie) Michael Bender says:

    Wallace Ford?

    Like

  9. Rinky Dink's avatar Rinky Dink says:

    Well, since it’s not Rudy Vallee (are you SURE about that?), maybe it’s Dudley Murphy.

    Like

  10. MichaelRyerson's avatar MichaelRyerson says:

    Okay then, Bob Burns of ‘Bazooka’ fame.

    Like

  11. Carmen's avatar Carmen says:

    Mickey Daniels

    Like

  12. Mike's avatar Mike says:

    Rudy Vallee

    Like

  13. Gerald McCann's avatar Gerald McCann says:

    Preston Sturges?

    Like

  14. Nick Santa Maria's avatar Nick Santa Maria says:

    Bob “Bazooka” Burns. But can’t place the lady.

    Like

  15. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:

    Bob “Bazooka” Burns, and is that his first wife Elizabeth Fisher?

    Like

  16. Randy Skretvedt's avatar Randy Skretvedt says:

    Presuming that the mystery star is the man and not the lady, it’s Bob “Bazooka” Burns, the sage of Van Buren, Arkansas. He’s holding his self-invented musical instrument, the bazooka–for which the WWII-era weapon was named.

    Like

  17. Rick Scott's avatar Rick Scott says:

    If it’s the man you’re after, it’s “The Arkansas Traveler” Bob Burns. The girl looks like Martha O’Driscoll.

    Like

  18. Steve M.'s avatar Steve M. says:

    Rudy Vallee

    Like

  19. Lee Ann Bailey's avatar Lee Ann Bailey says:

    Is the young lady Martha O’Driscoll?

    Like

  20. Mary mallory's avatar Mary mallory says:

    Is this the Paramount Ranch as well?

    Like

  21. Dewey Webb's avatar Dewey Webb says:

    Shemp Howard

    Like

  22. herb nichols's avatar herb nichols says:

    bob bazooka burns

    Like

  23. Rance Ryan's avatar Rance Ryan says:

    Frank Fay

    Like

  24. Kevin Kusinitz's avatar Kevin Kusinitz says:

    Bob Burns.

    Like

  25. Steve Moshlak's avatar Steve Moshlak says:

    Shemp Howard?

    Like

  26. Auntie Flo's avatar Auntie Flo says:

    William Holden

    Like

  27. Gerald McCann's avatar Gerald McCann says:

    George Stevens

    Like

  28. Julie Merholz's avatar Julie Merholz says:

    Bob Burns

    Like

  29. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:

    Is the mystery lady marilyn Maxwell?

    Like

  30. Arye (Leslie) Michael Bender's avatar Arye (Leslie) Michael Bender says:

    Venturing another guess. Frank McHugh, longtime member of the Warner Bros. stock company. Could be a thug, a priest, or comic relief. Sometimes all three at once.

    Like

  31. Richard Wegescheide's avatar Richard Wegescheide says:

    Bob Burn with his bazooka

    Like

  32. A Scanner Darkly's avatar A Scanner Darkly says:

    Dan Dailey?

    Like

  33. Dewey Webb's avatar Dewey Webb says:

    Guinn “Big Boy” Williams?

    Like

  34. Dewey Webb's avatar Dewey Webb says:

    Anne Baxter (mystery companion)

    Like

  35. Dewey Webb's avatar Dewey Webb says:

    Martha Raye

    Like

  36. Dewey Webb's avatar Dewey Webb says:

    Bob Burns!!!

    Like

  37. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:

    Is this Judy Canova, his second wife?

    Like

  38. Carmen's avatar Carmen says:

    Still don’t know the gentlemen. But is the latest young lady, Martha Raye?

    Like

  39. Allison Francis's avatar Allison Francis says:

    Bob Burns?

    Like

  40. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:

    It’s Martha Raye and MOUNTAIN MUSIC.

    Like

  41. Periwinkle's avatar Periwinkle says:

    Bob Burns? With Martha Raye?

    Like

  42. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:

    Yesterday’s photo at the hospital shows nurse Edith Clark and his daughter Barbara Ann. We have photos of him posing with the bazooka and a mariachi band and animals like a bull, giant pig, and other animals, as well as from World War I. There’s also a photo of him posing with the LA Chief of Police as he’s named an honorary officer.

    Like

  43. rick's avatar rick says:

    Bob Bazooka Burns

    Like

  44. Jenny M's avatar Jenny M says:

    George Bancroft

    Like

  45. Pamela Porter's avatar Pamela Porter says:

    Bob Burns

    Like

  46. margie's avatar margie says:

    Thursday’s photo:
    Paulette Goddard and Jack Oakie???

    Like

  47. margie's avatar margie says:

    Thursday: bob burns and paulette goddard

    Like

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