Monthly Archives: January 2019

Jan. 9, 1969: ‘Hair’ Cast Kicked Out of Mexico

Posted on January 9, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 9, 1969: A Martin Bernheimer byline on a story about the misfortunes of a Mexican production of “Hair.” “Upbraided?” Now there’s a clever headline. Keith Thursby writes: The ABA and LA should have been a good fit. The game … Continue reading →

Posted in 1969, Music | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Jan. 8, 1959: Matt Weinstock ‘Dogs, Diapers, Taxes’

Posted on January 8, 2019 by lmharnisch

Comes now that hiatus between cries, when the feverish race begins to clear away Christmas bets in time to pay for auto license renewals by Feb. 4 and then face up to income taxes in April. “Any changes in the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Columnists, Matt Weinstock, Radio | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jan. 8, 1959: Paul Coates Confidential File – Wife Tells of Mate Who Died, and Lived

Posted on January 8, 2019 by lmharnisch

Note: This column originally appeared in the L.A. Mirror in 1959 and was republished on latimes.com in 2009.  Also at Archive.org..

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Black Dahlia: How Do People Get the Story So Wrong?

Posted on January 8, 2019 by lmharnisch

This popped into my inbox this morning and golly it’s amazing just how many mistakes some crime buffs can pack into one blog post. Then again, the Internet. Ready? Let’s find five obvious errors.

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jan. 8, 1939: ‘Little Buttercup’ — Baby Abandoned at Hospital

Posted on January 8, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 8, 1939: The Times’ Edwin Schallert makes his Oscar predictions, seconding a “Warner landslide” published in The Times two weeks earlier with James Cagney (“Angel With Dirty Faces”) as best actor, Bette Davis (“Jezebel”) as best actress, Michael Curtiz … Continue reading →

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Jan. 7, 1959: Matt Weinstock ‘News From Detroit’

Posted on January 7, 2019 by lmharnisch

A group of grimly playful fellows at SC who call themselves Asthmatics Anonymous advise that at a raw-lunged meeting in the basement which serves as headquarters they have regrouped as Asthmatics Militant. First move was to change the association’s motto … Continue reading →

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Jan. 7, 1959: Paul Coates — Stolen Toupees, a New Kind of Hair Loss

Posted on January 7, 2019 by lmharnisch

I don’t know what you do for kicks, but my friend Tiger Small snatches toupees. Not just anybody’s toupees, understand. The Tiger’s selective. He’s been working the Catskill-Manhattan-Miami circuit for years, dealing only with the best people. The cream of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Columnists, Paul Coates | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Black Dahlia: ‘Black Dahlia Avenger’ Was Just a Prankster’s Joke

Posted on January 7, 2019 by lmharnisch

A practical joke from 1947 is the source of the “Black Dahlia Avenger” franchise. During the investigation of the Black Dahlia case, the killer mailed a small envelope of Elizabeth Short’s belongings to the newspapers. After that, crackpots and pranksters … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Black Dahlia: ‘Black Dahlia Avenger’ Was Just a Prankster’s Joke

Jan. 7, 1969: Stocks suffer worst day in 19 months; Rams rehire Allen

Posted on January 7, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 7, 1969: A 15-point drop in the Dow is Page 1 news in 1969. I wonder what they would think of today’s economic meltdowns.. Also: Gordon Lightfoot makes his debut in Los Angeles and Keith Thursby on the Rams … Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Olvera Street, Salute to Los Angeles’ Spanish Past

Posted on January 7, 2019 by lmharnisch

A postcard of the Avila Adobe, listed on EBay for $1.89. “A people that has lost touch with its historical past, forgotten its traditions and wasted its heritage is as unfortunate as a man who has lost his memory. Without … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Downtown, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on January 7, 2019 by lmharnisch

This week’s mystery movie was the 1954 Columbia film “Pushover,” with Fred MacMurray, Phil Carey, Kim Novak (her film debut), Dorothy Malone, E.G. Marshall and Allen Nourse. Screenplay by Roy Huggings, based on stories by Thomas Walsh and William S. … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 29 Comments

Jan. 6, 1959: Matt Weinstock ‘Law Is Upheld’

Posted on January 6, 2019 by lmharnisch

A very upsetting ruling came down recently from Appellate Justice Paul Vallee. Shocked by the discovery that three men were held in jail for five days before being arraigned, he stated in an opinion, “It appears the police are permitted … Continue reading →

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Jan. 6, 1959: Paul Coates Confidential File – My Responsibilities as Your Reporter

Posted on January 6, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 6, 1959: Paul Coates writes about protecting his sources, citing the case of New York Herald Tribune writer Marie Torre, who was sentenced to 10 days in jail for refusing to reveal her source for a story about Judy … Continue reading →

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Jan. 6, 1959: Errol Flynn Wounded in Cuba!

Posted on January 6, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 6, 1959: Here’s a busy news day in 1959. Errol Flynn is wounded in the leg while “campaigning” with Fidel Castro. On the jump, Keith Thursby takes a look at The Times’ interview by Jeane Hoffman with Eleanor Gehrig. The … Continue reading →

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Jan. 5, 1959: Matt Weinstock ‘Men of Good Will’

Posted on January 5, 2019 by lmharnisch

Matt Weinstock was a master of stringing little vignettes into a column. He didn’t do major reporting, like Paul Coates, but had a nice, light touch and occasionally stirred the heartstrings of Los Angeles. He also delved into L.A. history … Continue reading →

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Jan. 5, 1959: Paul Coates Confidential File – Desmond Slattery Is Home

Posted on January 5, 2019 by lmharnisch

Along with Parkey Sharkey, Desmond Slattery was one of the colorful characters in Paul Coates columns.. The entire piece is here, via Archive.org.

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January 1959: Studio Exec Says They Would Have to Kill Him to Get Wallet – So They Did

Posted on January 5, 2019 by lmharnisch

Kenneth Savoy told holdup men “If you want my wallet, you’re going to have to kill me to get it.” So they did. The story of George Albert Scott and Curtis C. Lichtenwalter, who were robbing bars across Los Angeles. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Video: David Blight on ‘Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom’

Posted on January 4, 2019 by lmharnisch

I’m late to the party on this book, but I was pleased to run across a Q and A with historian David Blight of Yale on his new biography, “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom.” The session, with Princeton professor Eddie … Continue reading →

Posted in 2018, African Americans, Books and Authors, History | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jan. 4, 1959: Grocermat – The Supermarket of Tomorrow!

Posted on January 4, 2019 by lmharnisch

I love “futurism” stories like this one, featuring a 7-Eleven for the Jetsons.  In sports, football coach Earl “Curly” Lambeau says the split-T offense is dead. He also thinks college ball should put the goal posts back on the goal … Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, 2009, Futurism, Sports | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Victor Segno: ‘How to Live 100 Years’

Posted on January 4, 2019 by lmharnisch

A. Victor Segno is my favorite Los Angeles charlatan. I wrote a feature about him for The Times in 2012.. The entire Daily Mirror post appears on Archive.org.

Posted in 1903, 2009, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Victor Segno: ‘How to Live 100 Years’