Monthly Archives: April 2010

USC Can’t Compete With Pro Teams, President Says

April 3, 1960: The president of USC says his athletic program can't compete with the Rams and Dodgers. And in an era of declining attendance for Southern California college teams while the pros were thriving, Dr. Norman Topping said college … Continue reading

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200 Great Books for Young Americans

  “This Should Be Quite a Story!!” April 3, 1960: The Times’ Sunday supplement, This Week magazine, features its annual reading program with a list of “200 Great Books for Young Americans,” ages 14 to 18. I’m always fascinated by … Continue reading

Posted in books, Comics, Richard Nixon | 1 Comment

‘A Mohammedan Easter’

  April 3, 1910: This headline stopped me cold: “Mohammedan Easter.” It’s a feature from the Sunday magazine on the Muslim pilgrimage to what the writer calls Neby Mousa and is known today as Nabi Musa. The author, Harold J. … Continue reading

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Matt Weinstock, April 2, 1960

  “Fly Hard … Hard… Hard!” Fowl in Fish Bowl       Next to driving, the big problem for motorists is parking.  And since the upsurge of the sports car, life can be fraught with chaos.  Take the case of … Continue reading

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, April 2, 1960

  Mash Notes and Comment       "Paul Coates,       "Regarding the recent television show you had about the dog who was left behind in Kentucky and found his way to California and found his masters, probably the dog … Continue reading

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Harvey Glatman Update

  Oct. 31, 1958: Harvey Glatman admits killing Judith Ann Dull, Shirley Ann Bridgeford and Ruth Mercado. I was recently contacted by Det. Steve Ainsworth of the Boulder County, Colo., Sheriff’s Office regarding a 1954 Jane Doe who may be … Continue reading

Posted in #courts, Homicide, LAPD | 1 Comment

Movie Star Mystery Photo

  Los Angeles Times file photo Update: This is Sandra Giles, Miss 8-Ball, 1958. Above, a 1963 publicity photo promoting her appearance in “It Happened at the World’s Fair.” May 22, 1956: Sandra Giles, upset over a nude portrait of … Continue reading

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | 4 Comments

The Long and Short of Baseball Fashions

  Photograph by Phil Bath / Los Angeles Times WELL, FANCY THIS! – Portland Beaver Manager Bill Sweeney’s reaction to Hollywood’s Fred Haney’s “new look” was expressed with sweet peas and a curtsey. April 2, 1950: How could The Times … Continue reading

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Artist’s Notebook: Outside the Edison

“Outside the Edison,” by Marion Eisenmann. I thought it would be fun to write about the crowds that have revived downtown nightlife in the last few years, so late one Friday, Marion Eisenmann and I strolled up 2nd Street from … Continue reading

Posted in art and artists, Downtown, Marion Eisenmann, Nightclubs, Nuestro Pueblo | 1 Comment

Donald Douglas Visits Los Angeles

April 2, 1920: "Southern California, with its wonderful climate, splendid labor conditions and remarkable terrain, is certain to come to the front as aviation advances. Not only in the operation of aircraft will Southern California take the lead, but, above … Continue reading

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Chauffeur Is Speed Crazy

April 2, 1910: "The motorcycle men are after me and they will never get me," he cried. "I'm going to give them a race for their money this time. If they get me they will send me to jail."

Posted in Downtown, LAPD, Transportation | 1 Comment

Matt Weinstock, April 1, 1960

  “Wait! I Don’t Trust You!” Ethereal Hitchhiker       Until recently Rhoda Cross, who lives near Vermont and Fountain Aves., had a two-party telephone line, or at least that's what she thought.  But several weeks ago she started hearing … Continue reading

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, April 1, 1960

Handicapped Group Needs a Few Tools       The night was May 29, 1958.  It was a minute or two after 10 o'clock and I was on the studio lot at KTTV, waiting to go on the air with my … Continue reading

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Kennedy Leads Nixon in Gallup Poll

  April 1, 1960: Vice President Richard Nixon pours Billy Graham a cup of coffee during a White House visit. Sen. John F. Kennedy (D-Mass.) leads Vice President Richard Nixon in a presidential election poll, 53% to 47%, George Gallup … Continue reading

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Baseball Executives Say TV Games Are Bad for Business

  April 1, 1950:  The Hollywood Stars were worried television was bad for business. The Stars, coming off a 1949 season in which they won the Pacific Coast League title, were televising their home games locally. But after disappointing attendance … Continue reading

Posted in Hollywood, Sports, Television | 1 Comment

Holy Week, 1920

  April 1, 1920: The Times reports on the increasing popularity of Easter sunrise services, an observance held on Mt. Rubidoux for the first time in 1909.  “The unique feature of Easter in Southern California is the sunrise service. Since … Continue reading

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Dog Show Stages Bloodhounds’ Chase of African American Boy

April 1, 1910: The Mississippi Valley Kennel Club dog show concludes with a demonstration of bloodhounds chasing an African American boy through the streets of St. Louis and trapping him in the coliseum. “The hounds, Fanney and Queen, are the … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Countdown to Watts | 2 Comments