Monthly Archives: January 2026

January 23, 1958: Matt Weinstock

Posted on January 23, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 23, 1958: The way one writer analyzes the present situation, the public’s appetite for gossip and scandal, whetted by Confidential, is now being satisfied by the so-called conservative magazines. Editors insist writers get full confessions, regardless of whose privacy is invaded, or no sale. Continue reading →

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January 23, 1958: Paul Coates

Posted on January 23, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 23, 1958: Paul Coates writes about the plight of Marines’ wives who are banned from joining their husbands stationed in Japan. Continue reading →

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January 23, 1947: Four Held for Trial in ‘Red Hibiscus Murder’

Posted on January 23, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 23, 1947: Four youths are held in the ‘Red Hibuscus Murder” of Naomi Tullis Cook, who was found in a clump of hibiscus bushes next to the men’s restroom in Lincoln Park. Continue reading →

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January 23, 1907: Felix Chavarino — Lemon Fiend

Posted on January 23, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 23, 1907: Felix Chavarino is addicted to lemons. He was arrested after begging for food in a small restaurant. All he wanted was a lemon. Continue reading →

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January 22, 1959: ‘Our Gang’ Star Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer Dies in Fight Over $50

Posted on January 22, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 22, 1959: Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer dies in a fight over $50. Continue reading →

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January 22, 1947: Police Hunt ‘Large Nose Bandit’

Posted on January 22, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 22, 1947: Police hunt “Large Nose Bandit” in bank holdup. Continue reading →

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January 22, 1907: The Bible Explained — for $1,000

Posted on January 22, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 22, 1907: James Lauer, a self-styled Bible authority, needs $1,000 to publish a book that will explain it all. And apparently in his studies of the Bible, he never found a law against extortion. Continue reading →

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January 21, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on January 21, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 21, 1959: Matt Weinstock tells of a Russian speaker who had her own thoughts about the recent visit of Anastas Mikoyan. And Weinstock has the story of another elaborate party prank. Continue reading →

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January 21, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 21, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 21, 1959: Paul Coates has the story of a boy who received a mail solicitation for a package of nude photos, and a model who did some pinup photos and a recording that a jury deemed “obscene.” Continue reading →

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January 21, 1947: ‘Model Prisoners’ Slip From Custody at Night to Commit Burglaries

Posted on January 21, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 21, 1947: Marley Griggs and his sidekick Oliver Gebhart had the perfect alibi for the burglary of a market on Western Avenue—they were already in custody 60 miles away. But then they outsmarted themselves. Continue reading →

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January 21, 1907: L.A. Hosts First Car Show on the West Coast

Posted on January 21, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 21, 1907: Los Angeles hosts the first car show in L.A. and the West Coast. The show, at Morley’s Skating Ring on Grand between 9th and 10th, featured 97 gas-powered cars and two electric autos. Dignitaries included Barney Oldfield and Henry Ford, The Times said. Continue reading →

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January 20, 1947: ‘Good Night. Sleep Peacefully With Compliments of Jacks’

Posted on January 20, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 20, 1947: Florabel Muir recounts the murder scene of Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel. TW: graphic contents. Continue reading →

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January 20, 1947: Virginia Mayo Disappears!

Posted on January 20, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 20, 1947: With the city in the grips of the Black Dahlia murder, Los Angeles wonders: Where is Virginia Mayo? Or at least some publicist worries enough to feed the item to Louella Parsons at the Examiner. Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia Book Club for January 2026

Posted on January 20, 2026 by lmharnisch

The first session of the Black Dahlia Book Club is on YouTube.com/LMHarnisch. This time, I discussed the October 1948 issue of True Detective, which led to the Leslie Dillon debacle. Continue reading →

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January 20, 1907: Architectural Ramblings

Posted on January 20, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 20, 1907: H.J. Brainerd offers “portable homes,” some of which can still be found in Los Angeles today. Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Ethel B. Higgins, Photographer and Botanist

Posted on January 19, 2026 by lmharnisch

Mary Mallory profiles Ethel B. Higgins, an early Hollywood photographer who became a leading botanist in her later years. Continue reading →

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January 19, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on January 19, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 19, 1959: The hosts of a Beverly Hills party horrify their guests by trying to show that their antique glassware is unbreakable and end up smashing most of it. But it’s all a joke, Matt Weinstock says. Continue reading →

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January 19, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 19, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 19, 1959: Paul Coates gets a call Max Factor’s studio in response to a column about a toupee thief. The hair specialist assures Coates that he “hasn’t got enough time left to get completely bald.” Coates died nine years later at the age of 47. Continue reading →

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January 19, 1947: Watch Out for His Left Jab!

Posted on January 19, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 19, 1947: Southern Pacific conductor Clinton White, a southpaw, fights off two holdup men by throwing a mean left jab. Continue reading →

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January 19, 1942: Lombard’s Body Recovered From Crash

Posted on January 19, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 19, 1942: The bodies of actress Carole Lombard and eight other people are recovered from the wreckage of a DC-3 that crashed in Nevada. Continue reading →

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