Monthly Archives: January 2019

Jan. 13, 1969: Jets and Broadway Joe Namath Win Super Bowl

    Jan. 13, 1969: The first Super Bowl – and it doesn’t make Page 1 of the Los Angeles Times. Kicked back to sports. I would love to have been sitting in the news meeting that day… Jim Murray … Continue reading

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Black Dahlia: A Warning About Hollywood and the Black Dahlia

Lucie Arnaz in “Who Is the Black Dahlia?” “Inspired by a true story?” A painful lesson about Hollywood and the Black Dahlia. In 1975, the murder of Elizabeth Short was the basis for the TV movie “Who Is the Black … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, 1975, Black Dahlia, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Television | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Jan. 12, 1959: Matt Weinstock ‘Taxing Times’

Jan. 12, 1959: Matt Weinstock offers a light way to end the day. A little story about a taxpayer’s travails with the IRS, a poem, an honest panhandler asking for a dime for a bottle of wine. And yes, he … Continue reading

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Jan. 12, 1959: Paul Coates Confidential File — East L.A. War Hero Plotted to Kill Batista

Jan. 12, 1959: Paul Coates has the story of Guy Louis Gabaldon, a war hero raised in East L.A. who claimed to have plotted to assassinate Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista. Gabaldon was raised by the parents of a Japanese American … Continue reading

Posted in 1959, Columnists, Film, Hollywood, Paul Coates, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Black Dahlia: Are There Any Good Black Dahlia Sites on the Internet? Part 2

John Gilmore’s “Severed” was once the most popular book on the Black Dahlia case, although it was eclipsed by Steve Hodel’s seemingly endless series of “Black Dahlia Avenger” books. You may Google “Black Dahlia” while you’re watching “I Am the … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD, Wikipedia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Jan. 12-13, 1959: Soviet Leader Mikoyan Visits L.A.

Jan. 12-13, 1959: Protests force the plane carrying Deputy Soviet Premier Anastas Mikoyan to divert to Burbank! Mikoyan did a grip and grin with L.A. Mayor Norris Poulson, but Norrie would not be so friendly during Nikita Khrushchev’s time in … Continue reading

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Jan. 12, 1959: East Wins Pro Bowl 28-21 in L.A.

Keith Thursby says of the 1959 game: The Pro Bowl in its current format has been held in Hawaii since 1971, so that must mean at some point Los Angeles was considered an exotic getaway to lure the players for … Continue reading

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Black Dahlia: Are There Any Good Black Dahlia Sites on the Internet? Oh Dear!

So you may not read any Black Dahlia books before watching “I Am the Night.” But you may turn to Google. You should be warned. BlackDahliaSolution.org may be the worst of the websites on the Black Dahlia case simply because … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Jan. 11, 1959: ‘Who Shot Duke Snider?’

Jan. 11, 1959: Keith Thursby looks at the fledgling acting career of Duke Snider. If it worked for Chuck Connors…. The entire piece appeared on latimes.com in 2009 and is available at Archive.org..

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Victor Segno: How to Live 100 Years – Don’t Boil Water!

For a while, I thought it would be amusing to run advice of A. Victor Segno, my favorite Los Angeles charlatan. Like this item on not boiling water. Look out for the decaying carcasses of dead germs! This item originally … Continue reading

Posted in 1903, Medicine | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Jan. 10, 1959: Matt Weinstock ‘Chinese Puzzle’

Jan. 10, 1959: And we close the day with a lighthearted column from Matt Weinstock. A bit of poetry, an amusing story. Maybe one sentimental yarn. That’s what afternoon papers were all about. Features, news updates, late stock market reports … Continue reading

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Jan. 10, 1959: Paul Coates Confidential File – Mash Notes and Comments

Jan. 10, 1959: Paul Coates runs a letters column – and has an interesting item about Herman Hover’s efforts to reopen Ciro’s (Coates covered L.A. nightlife and restaurants before he became a columnist).. The entire column appeared in the L.A. … Continue reading

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Black Dahlia: Here’s Some More Bad Books on the Black Dahlia Case

In compiling my list of bad books about the Black Dahlia case, I neglected to mention William T. Rasmussen’s fringe publication “Corroborating Evidence,” which I had forgotten, mainly because it’s so nutty that I won’t even let it in the … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Black Dahlia: Here’s Some More Bad Books on the Black Dahlia Case

Jan. 10, 1959: Dodgers Move Outfield Fence

Jan. 10, 1959: The Dodgers are playing in the Coliseum and decide to cut the distance to the outfield fence. It was a victory for Duke Snider, Keith Thursby writes. The post originally appeared on latimes.com in 2009 and is … Continue reading

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Jan. 10, 1959: Nixon Was Born … in a Hospital?

Jan. 10, 1959: This was a fun, strange story. Art Ryon claimed that Richard Nixon’s mother said he was born in a hospital, not at home. Later this was strongly denied and Bela Kornitzer, in “The Real Nixon,”  went out … Continue reading

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Jan. 9, 1959: Matt Weinstock ‘Rugged Fisherman’

Jan. 9, 1959: Boats in Santa Monica harbor break from their moorings under high winds and Weinstock has a story. Also poems. Weinstock loved to run little poems. And Sports Illustrated holds a dinner to honor UCLA’s Rafer Johnson.. One … Continue reading

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Jan. 9, 1959: Confidential File ‘Madame Guillotine,’ Alias Pierre Coates

Jan. 9, 1959: Paul Coates helps his daughter with her homework. Make that “help.”. This column originally appeared in the L.A. Mirror in 1959 and was republished on latimes.com in 2009. It’s available via Archive.org.

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Black Dahlia: Are There Any Good Books on the Black Dahlia Case? Oh Dear!

“Severed”  by pathological liar John Gilmore (d. 2016) was once the go-to book on the Black Dahlia case, but it’s 25% mistakes and 50% fiction. Are there any good books on the Black Dahlia case? No. But there are a … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Black Dahlia: George Hodel – ‘One of the Evilest Men in History?’ Says Who??

One thing you know about evil sociopaths is that they like to treat impoverished people of color. Yep. That’s what evil sociopaths do, fer sure.

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Jan. 9, 1945: The Making of ‘The Blue Dahlia’; Paramount Signs Raymond Chandler for Original Film

Jan. 9, 1945: The New York Times reports that Paramount signed Raymond Chandler to write a script. Contrast this with John Houseman’s account of making the film in “Lost Fortnight,” originally published in Harper’s magazine, August 1965, and reprinted with … Continue reading

Posted in 1945, Blue Dahlia, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, Raymond Chandler | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Jan. 9, 1945: The Making of ‘The Blue Dahlia’; Paramount Signs Raymond Chandler for Original Film