Monthly Archives: December 2011

Location Sleuth – ‘Between Midnight and Dawn’

Posted on December 11, 2011 by lmharnisch

Hey, it’s the Florentine Gardens! Here it is via Google’s Street View. I was watching the 1950 Columbia film “Between Midnight and Dawn” and several locations caught my eye. The first one is an aerial view during the credits that … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950, Architecture, City Hall, Downtown, Film, Hollywood, Location Sleuth | Tagged , | 7 Comments

FDR Warns of Long Struggle; Nisei Vow Loyalty to U.S.

Posted on December 10, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 10, 1941: At Los Angeles City College, Japanese American students are stunned by the Pearl Harbor attack and promise loyalty to the United States. “We American students of Japanese blood have confidence in the fairness of white Americans. Everyone … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Nuestro Pueblo, World War II | Tagged , | Comments Off on FDR Warns of Long Struggle; Nisei Vow Loyalty to U.S.

Pearl Harbor and the Rose-Colored Rearview Mirror

Posted on December 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

  Aug. 10, 1942: Politics is politics, war or not. My distinguished colleague George Skelton, who understands Sacramento like a watchmaker knows the inner workings of a precision timepiece,   has gazed rather fondly into the rose-colored rearview mirror with a … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, World War II, Zoot Suit | Tagged , | Comments Off on Pearl Harbor and the Rose-Colored Rearview Mirror

Found on EBay – ‘Los Angeles in Blockprint’

Posted on December 8, 2011 by lmharnisch

Here’s a stunning discovery. You may recall the saga of Everett Ruess, the young vagabond artist, photographer and poet who vanished in 1935 while exploring southern Utah and whose life remains an inspiration for people intoxicated with the romance of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1932, Art & Artists, Books and Authors, Found on EBay | Tagged , | 1 Comment

FBI Rounds Up Japanese in Hunt for Subversives, Dec. 8, 1941

Posted on December 8, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 8, 1941: The FBI begins rounding up 200 “alien Japanese suspected of subversive activities” Several truckloads of Japanese were seen passing through Brea toward Pomona, Brea police reported, and orders to stop all cars bearing Japanese and to confiscate … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Artists, Aviation, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Nuestro Pueblo, Tom Treanor, World War II | Tagged , , | Comments Off on FBI Rounds Up Japanese in Hunt for Subversives, Dec. 8, 1941

L.A.’s Views on Pearl Harbor Attack

Posted on December 7, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 8, 1941: The Times interviewed average Angelenos (if there is such a thing) for their opinions about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Many, like Horace Goodrich, thought the U.S. would wrap up the war in a few weeks. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, World War II | Tagged | 1 Comment

A Firsthand History Lesson on Pearl Harbor

Posted on December 7, 2011 by lmharnisch

In 1962, I was a seventh-grader at Washington Junior High School in Naperville, Ill. On Dec. 7, Mr. Humbert, our social studies teacher, put aside the regular curriculum to give his young pupils a firsthand account of Pearl Harbor. Many … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Education, History, World War II | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

60% Chance of Immediate War With Japan, Dec. 6, 1941

Posted on December 6, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 6, 1941: Burt Lancaster gets an important phone call from Deborah Kerr. Edgar Ansel Mowrer of the Chicago Daily News Foreign Service says “… well-informed American officials are still convinced that Japan will start a fight in the near … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Columnists, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Tom Treanor, Vietnam, Washington, World War II | Tagged , , | Comments Off on 60% Chance of Immediate War With Japan, Dec. 6, 1941

Japan Ready to Reject U.S. Terms

Posted on December 5, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 5, 1941: There’s almost too much interesting news on Pearl Harbor Day minus 2. Josephine Trout Barnes is reunited with her baby girl Camelia/Camellia/Carmelia (newspapers in the Linotype era sometimes had a fluid sense of spelling when it came … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Books and Authors, City Hall, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Tom Treanor, World War II, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Eve Golden: Queen of the Dead

Posted on December 5, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: 1955 Cadillac hearse, listed on EBay at $7,500. Queen of the Dead—dateline December 5, 2011 •  With Loretta Young and Clark Gable as parents, Judy Lewis was bound to be a knockout—and since she looked like a Photoshop mash-up … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Artists, Eve Golden, Film, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Obituaries, Queen of the Dead, Television | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Found on EBay – ‘Salome’

Posted on December 4, 2011 by lmharnisch

What is advertised as original still No. 25-17 of Theda Bara from the lost film “Salome” has been listed on EBay. I have seen enough of these photos to confirm that the production code begins with “25-XX.” The Witzel studios … Continue reading →

Posted in 1918, Film, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Witzel | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

Posted on December 4, 2011 by lmharnisch

[Update: This is Mona Barrie.] Here’s another mystery lady from the collection of Steven Bibb. There’s a new photo on the jump!

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Peace Talks Between U.S., Japan on Verge of Collapse

Posted on December 4, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 4, 1941:Dr. Richard A. Carter, head of the Carter Neurological Clinic in Garden Grove, is accused of negligence in administering a fatal dose during insulin shock treatments for Virginia Lamb, 22, of Anaheim for dementia praecox. It’s unclear from … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Medicine, Tom Treanor, World War II, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Peace Talks Between U.S., Japan on Verge of Collapse

Back online

Posted on December 3, 2011 by lmharnisch

The Daily Mirror HQ lost power for two days after the Santa Ana winds hit Southern California. It will be a while before I get caught up.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Back online

L.A. County Pays Immigrants on Welfare to Go Back to Mexico

Posted on December 3, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 3, 1941: Here’s how Los Angeles County once handled immigration. Officials paid families on welfare $100 ($1,464.25 USD 2010) over 10 months to go back to Mexico. Since 1930-31, more than 4,000 families had gone back to Mexico under … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Immigration, Jimmie Fidler, Tom Treanor, World War II, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on L.A. County Pays Immigrants on Welfare to Go Back to Mexico

Found on EBay – Harrison Gray Otis

Posted on December 1, 2011 by lmharnisch

An interesting bit of Los Angeles Times memorabilia has turned up on EBay. This is a Sept. 4, 1911, letter from Harrison Gray Otis (notice that he didn’t use his military title) to Drayton Pitts, acknowledging the receipt of a … Continue reading →

Posted in 1910, 1911, 1912, Downtown, Found on EBay | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Army Is Prepared, but Needs to Toughen Up for War, General Says

Posted on December 1, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 1, 1941: With the attack on Pearl Harbor six days away, Lt. Gen. Lesley J. McNair says U.S. troops are ready to fight, but would suffer heavy losses with only six months of field training. “Properly trained units cannot … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Music, Radio, World War II | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Army Is Prepared, but Needs to Toughen Up for War, General Says