Monthly Archives: April 2011

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

      Los Angeles Times file photo   [Update: This is Dorothy Mackaill (d. 1990) in an undated photo! ] We’re off to a late start on this week’s mystery photo. It turns out that our mystery guest was … Continue reading

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | 25 Comments

Jim Murray, April 11, 1961

        April 11, 1961: The master-mind in the third base coaching box or the middle of the dugout, acting as though he had St. Vitus' dance or a swarm of bees on his nose, is the super … Continue reading

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Liz Renay Sentenced to Prison

            April 11, 1961: Liz Renay (d. 2007) is sentenced to prison for violating the terms of her probation for perjury in Mickey Cohen’s tax evasion case. She later said: "I have paid a dear … Continue reading

Posted in #courts, 1961, Comics, Crime and Courts, Mickey Cohen | 2 Comments

From the Vaults — ‘Yiddle With His Fiddle’

    “Yiddle With His Fiddle,” a 1936 Yiddish-language production that was filmed in Poland and stars American actress Molly Picon, is — at face value — an  endearing movie with catchy tunes. But hovering over the gaiety is the … Continue reading

Posted in 1936, Film, From the Vaults | 1 Comment

Matt Weinstock, April 10, 1961

    April 10, 1961: Lawrence Clark Powell, head of UCLA’s library school, surveys students’ attitudes on reading and touches off an interesting exploration of their reading habits. Many say they don’t have time to read for pleasure or that … Continue reading

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Paul Coates, April 10, 1961

      April 10, 1961: Notice the Spade Cooley story. It vanished from later editions, and I couldn’t find the jump, just the Page 1 portion. Paul Coates writes about two Beverly Hills police officers' problems with Police Chief … Continue reading

Posted in #courts, 1961, books, Columnists, Crime and Courts, From the Vaults, Homicide, Paul Coates, Zombie Reading List | Comments Off on Paul Coates, April 10, 1961

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 10, 1941

           April 10, 1941: Lee Shippey writes about the wildflower fields of Kern County. “Now I have seen them and I know that until one has seen them one cannot comprehend what California's spring wildflower show … Continue reading

Posted in 1941, art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor | Comments Off on Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 10, 1941

Jim Murray, April 10, 1961

            April 10, 1961: Jim Murray takes his daughter Pam and his two sons to boxing at the Olympic.

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Israel Prepares for Eichmann Trial

         April 10, 1961: Israel is preparing for the trial of Adolf Eichmann, the former Nazi Gestapo chief of Jewish affairs, who is accused of crimes against the Jewish people and crimes against humanity. Eichmann’s trial lasted … Continue reading

Posted in 1961, Crime and Courts | 1 Comment

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 9, 1941

           April 9, 1941: Whom do you think of as the Lone Ranger? Clayton Moore? Brace Beemer? Meet Earl Graser, who played the Lone Ranger on the radio until he was killed in a car accident … Continue reading

Posted in 1941, art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor | 1 Comment

Jim Murray, April 9, 1961

            April 9, 1961: Walt Alston is the first one in his family tree going back about to the time of the discovery of fire to escape being a farmer — a full-time farmer, that … Continue reading

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Buses Replace Red Cars to Long Beach, April 8, 1961

             April 8. 1961: Red Cars are being replaced by buses on service between Los Angeles and Long Beach, San Pedro and Compton. Transportation conspiracy buffs please note: The Metropolitan Transit Authority is making the … Continue reading

Posted in 1961, art and artists, City Hall, Columnists, Comics, Matt Weinstock, Paul Coates, Politics | Comments Off on Buses Replace Red Cars to Long Beach, April 8, 1961

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 8, 1941

           April 8, 1941: Lee Shippey shares a letter from England and Tom Treanor has a roundup of items about the fighting in Europe. Those "changes" in Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" dwindled to one minor alteration, … Continue reading

Posted in 1941, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor | Comments Off on Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 8, 1941

Matt Weinstock, April 7, 1961

       April 7, 1961:  A bail bondsman takes a lesson from “The Untouchables” and finds his missing client in a barber chair, Matt Weinstock says. CONFIDENTIAL TO "HAVING OUR TROUBLES": A very wise woman once told me that … Continue reading

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Paul Coates, April 7, 1961

               April 7, 1961: I came across a letter to the editor (on the jump) about Gov. Pat Brown’s grant of clemency for William Erwin “Machine Gun” Walker, which I overlooked (so many stories, … Continue reading

Posted in 1946, 1961, Columnists, Crime and Courts, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Homicide, Paul Coates | Comments Off on Paul Coates, April 7, 1961

Jimmie Fidler, April 7, 1941

        April 7, 1941: Reporter Leland Stowe certainly drew attention on his sweep through Los Angeles. Lee Shippey has another column about him! Tom Treanor, who was killed covering World War II for The Times, says: A … Continue reading

Posted in 1941, art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor | Comments Off on Jimmie Fidler, April 7, 1941

Jim Murray, April 7, 1961

Trouble for Giants Manager Alvin Dark: Phoenix police found Harvey Kuenn, who weighs 200 pounds, Jim Davenport and Bob Schmidt, one of the few men in baseball who could arm-wrestle Frank Howard even up, being attacked by a 140-pound college student at an hour of the morning no self-respecting student should be roaming the streets. Moreover, the college student kept hitting the players on the fists with his eyeglasses.
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Daily Mirror Readers — ‘The Brain Trust’

Photo courtesy of Howard Decker Most Daily Mirror readers know him as Fibber. His real name is Howard Decker, and here’s a picture of him covering the Spade Cooley trial. He’s the fellow in the background on the right. Howard … Continue reading

Posted in #courts, 1961, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Photography | 3 Comments

Matt Weinstock, April 6, 1961

    April 6, 1961: Regular passengers on the 5:15 p.m. bus that leaves the 6th and Los Angeles Street terminal for Seal Beach gave a farewell party Wednesday to Glenn Van Auker, the nice driver, who is being transferred, … Continue reading

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Paul Coates, April 6, 1961

    April 6, 1961: Paul Coates has an update on Synanon, which was praised for the way it treated drug addiction. Later on, as many may remember, Synanon developed into a notorious cult.

Posted in 1961, Columnists, Crime and Courts, Front Pages, Paul Coates | 2 Comments