Monthly Archives: December 2015

L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide — Pisco Punch

Posted on December 31, 2015 by lmharnisch

Note: This is a repost from 2013. Just in time for New Year’s, we’ll take a look at a “lost drink,” making a brief inquiry into San Francisco’s Pisco Punch, made famous by Bank Exchange saloon owner Duncan Nicol (often … Continue reading →

Posted in 1915, 1934, 1939, Food and Drink, San Francisco | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide — The Bronx Cocktail

Posted on December 30, 2015 by lmharnisch

Note: This is a repost from 2013. Dec. 20, 1934: In case you doubted me (but you wouldn’t, would you?), here’s a recipe for the Bronx Cocktail, from the Amsterdam Evening Recorder, courtesy of FultonHistory.com. In case you plan to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1934, Food and Drink, Suicide | Tagged , | 1 Comment

L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide — The Brooklyn Cocktail

Posted on December 29, 2015 by lmharnisch

Note: This is a repost from 2013. Yes, the Manhattan cocktail once had competition from drinks named for the other boroughs. Here’s a recipe for the Brooklyn Cocktail, from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, March 7, 1937. The Brooklyn Cocktail as … Continue reading →

Posted in 1937, Food and Drink | Tagged , | Leave a comment

L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide: The Harvey Wallbanger

Posted on December 28, 2015 by lmharnisch

A vintage 1972 iron-on transfer of Harvey Wallbanger himself, on EBay for $12. Note: This is a repost from 2013. We have been looking at some historic drinks for this holiday season. To the millennials in the audience: This is … Continue reading →

Posted in 1971, Food and Drink, Music | Tagged , | Leave a comment

L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide: A Brief History of the Tom and Jerry

Posted on December 28, 2015 by lmharnisch

A recipe for the Tom and Jerry from the San Francisco Call, June 30, 1912. Note: This is a repost from 2013. Over on Facebook, Christopher McPherson asked whether the Tom and Jerry was named for the MGM cartoon characters. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1862, Books and Authors, Food and Drink | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on December 28, 2015 by lmharnisch

This week’s mystery movie has been the 1957 MGM picture “I Accuse!” The film stars Jose Ferrer (who also directed), Anton Walbrook, Viveca Lindfors, Leo Genn, Emlyn Williams, David Farrar, Donald Wolfit and Herbert Lom.  The screenplay was by Gore … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 51 Comments

Mary Mallory: Hollywood Heights – Mary Pickford Day

Posted on December 28, 2015 by lmharnisch

Note: Mary Mallory is taking this week off, so I’m running a post from several years ago. Los Angeles in 1923 was a bustling, growing, optimistic place.  The town recognized all sorts of interesting people and topics, saluting them with … Continue reading →

Posted in 1923, Downtown, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , | Leave a comment

‘Valley of Gwangi’ on TCM Dec. 29!

Posted on December 23, 2015 by lmharnisch

Set your DVRs! TCM is airing “The Valley of Gwangi” on Dec. 29 at 9:45 a.m. (ET). Like “King Kong,” only it’s a dinosaur. With cowboys!

Posted in Film, Television | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Samuel Steward and Rudolph Valentino: Another Good Story Ruined

Posted on December 22, 2015 by lmharnisch

I may have retired, but I haven’t lost any of my annoyance over b.s. when it comes to historical figures. The case in point is today’s review in the New York Times by Jennifer Senior of “Philip Sparrow Tells All,” … Continue reading →

Posted in 1926, Another Good Story Ruined, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

One Door Closes, Another One Opens

Posted on December 21, 2015 by lmharnisch

Dear friends, I left the Los Angeles Times on Friday as one of the people taking the buyout. It was a generous offer and I plan to use the next year as a sort of paid leave to work on … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Black Dahlia | Tagged , | 20 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on December 21, 2015 by lmharnisch

This week’s mystery movie has been the 1933 RKO picture “Christopher Strong,” Katharine Hepburn’s second film and her first in a leading role. It starred Colin Clive and Billie Burke (also in Hepburn’s film debut, “Bill of Divorcement”), with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 44 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: ‘White Christmas’ Soothes the Home Front in 1942

Posted on December 21, 2015 by lmharnisch

Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dale in “Holiday Inn.” Recognized today as one of the top selling singles and pieces of sheet music of all time, Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” was just one of eleven songs in … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Music | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on December 14, 2015 by lmharnisch

This week’s unusual mystery movie is “Once Too Often” and I chose it to promote film preservation. “Once Too Often” is otherwise known as …

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 37 Comments

Fire Up the Lindbergh Beacon!

Posted on December 14, 2015 by lmharnisch

It’s December, which means it is time to fire up the Lindbergh beacon atop City Hall. Here it is, illuminating the skies over Los Angeles in 2014. Update: I wrote this post a week ago and put it on the … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014, City Hall, Downtown | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Al Levy’s Tavern Toasts 1930s Hollywood

Posted on December 14, 2015 by lmharnisch

A detail of a matchbook for Al Levy’s Tavern, 1627 N. Vine St., listed on EBay as Buy It Now for $6.95. Much of the glamour of classic Hollywood grew out of the fame and atmosphere of its famous restaurants … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Food and Drink, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lindbergh Beacon Shines Over Downtown Los Angeles

Posted on December 10, 2015 by lmharnisch

We were pleased to see the Lindbergh beacon fired up on City Hall last night. We were so taken with the moment that we made our first Periscope broadcast with it. Here’s the link to watch it on your desktop.

Posted in 2015, City Hall | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + +)

Posted on December 8, 2015 by lmharnisch

This week’s mystery movie has been the 1938 Warner Bros. picture “Men Are Such Fools,” with Wayne Morris, Priscilla Lane, Humphrey Bogart, Hugh Herbert, Johnnie Davis, Penny Singleton, Mona Barrie, Marcia Ralston and Gene Lockhart. The movie was directed by … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 54 Comments

A Firsthand History Lesson on Pearl Harbor

Posted on December 7, 2015 by lmharnisch

Note: This is a repost from 2011. 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 … Continue reading →

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

L.A. Daily Mirror Holiday Gift Guide

Posted on December 7, 2015 by lmharnisch

Note: This is a repost from 2013. Whenever I’m asked about my favorite books on Los Angeles, my first recommendation is “Nuestro Pueblo,” a selection of features by Times artist Charles Owens and writer Joseph Seewerker that appeared in The … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Artists, Books and Authors, Nuestro Pueblo | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Movie Tie-Ins for the Holidays

Posted on December 7, 2015 by lmharnisch

Since almost the beginning of the motion picture industry, advertising tie-ups and promotions have stoked audience interest and desire in seeing certain moving pictures and movie stars. Studios quickly learned that partnering with another company or popular product cut the … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment