Author Archives: lmharnisch

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

June 26, 1947: ‘White’ or ‘Negro?’ LAPD Holds Sentinel Columnist for Having Two Driver’s Licenses

Posted on June 26, 2026 by lmharnisch

June 26, 1947: Los Angeles Sentinel columnist Edward Robinson is held by the LAPD because he has two driver’s licenses, one identifying him as “white” and the other as “Negro.” Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, African Americans, Columnists | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

June 26, 1947: Helicopter Hovers Over Clipper Ship

Posted on June 26, 2026 by lmharnisch

June 26, 1947: A new helicopter, nicknamed “the flying eggbeater” or “the whirlybird,” carrying passengers around Long Beach Harbor, overs over the Pacific Queen, built in 1886, Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Aviation, Transportation | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

June 25, 1947: L.A. Times Praises Gangland Slaying of Bugsy Siegel

Posted on June 25, 2026 by lmharnisch

June 25, 1947: The L.A. Times praises the gangland slaying of Bugsy Siegel: ‘The assassination of a crook is of no particular importance to a community, and grief at his passing is restricted to a minor and unselect circle.’ Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Crime and Courts, Homicide | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

June 24, 1947: Death in the Ring — Sugar Ray Robinson and Jimmy Doyle

Posted on June 24, 2026 by lmharnisch

June 24, 1947: Sugar Ray Robinson and the fatal fight in Cleveland with Jimmy Doyle. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Obituaries, Sports | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

June 23, 1947: Jim Tully, Hobo Novelist and Prizefighter, Dies at 56

Posted on June 23, 2026 by lmharnisch

June 23, 1947: Jim Tully, hobo author of “Shanty Irish” and “Beggars of Life” dies at 56. Continue reading →

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + +)

Posted on June 22, 2026 by lmharnisch

For Monday, we have a mystery girl having tea with her mysterious doll. Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Black Dahlia: Mamie Van Doren Is Hallucinating About Knowing the Black Dahlia

Posted on June 20, 2026 by lmharnisch

Mamie Van Doren, age 95, is hallucinating about knowing Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Black Dahlia: Mamie Van Doren’s Invented Memories of Elizabeth Short

Posted on June 19, 2026 by lmharnisch

It’s a bit sad when a superannuated actor writes a memoir about what they think they “remember” about old Hollywood. There’s no truth to Mamie Van Doren’s claim that she knew Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia. It’s all imagined. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, books, Books and Authors, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

June 18, 1947: Actor Jon Hall Says Tale of Being Shot Down in Plane Was a Hoax

Posted on June 18, 2026 by lmharnisch

June 18, 1947: Actor Jon Hall admits he was lying with a story that a bullet tore into the propeller of his plane as he and his wife, Frances Langford, were taking off from Clover Field for Tulare. Continue reading →

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June 18, 1907: Immigration Agent Accused of Poisoning Neighbor’s Dog

Posted on June 18, 2026 by lmharnisch

June 18, 1907: Hazel Schurger accuses neighbor J.J. Brady of poisoning her dog, Baby, with strychnine. Brady was freed after an examination showed that Baby was given a small dose of the poison, incapable of killing the dog immediately as Schurger described. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Animals, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, Fashions, Immigration, LAPD, Streetcars | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

June 17, 1947: Bank Robber Shot in Head During Gunfight With LAPD Officers

Posted on June 17, 2026 by lmharnisch

June 17, 1947: Police shoot a bank robber in the head. Jesse Houston survives and becomes the shuffleboard champion at San Quentin and a noted gardener. Continue reading →

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June 17, 1908: Los Angeles’ First Taxi

Posted on June 17, 2026 by lmharnisch

June 17, 1908: The first taxicab arrives in Los Angeles. The fare from a hotel to a theater is 30 cents. From Third and Spring to the railroad stations is 50 cents. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Downtown, Front Pages, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Black Dahlia Book Club for June 2026

Posted on June 16, 2026 by lmharnisch

In this episode of the Black Dahlia Book Club, I discussed Elizabeth Short’s FBI file, Michael Connelly’s Killer in the Code podcast, a James Ellroy sighting and more. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Book Club, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

June 16, 1947: LAPD Officers Hidden in Bar Kill Watchman Stealing Liquor

Posted on June 16, 2026 by lmharnisch

June 16, 1947: Two LAPD officers staked out at a bar kill night watchman Wanzy Patterson, who crawled through a transom to steal liquor. Officers said they shot Patterson 11 times after he made a move toward his pistol. Continue reading →

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June 16, 1907: Lawyer Edith Foulkes Handles Her Own Divorce Case

Posted on June 16, 2026 by lmharnisch

June 16, 1907: Attorney Edith Foulkes sues her husband, Ralph, for divorce, saying he drank constantly. “Suspecting that his wife was beginning to consider her marriage a failure, he had talked in melancholy fashion of murder and suicide, somewhat to the martial discomfort of Mrs. Foulkes,” The Times said. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Crime and Courts, Fashions, Homicide, LAPD, Streetcars | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Tsuru Aoki, Lotus Flower of the Cinema

Posted on June 15, 2026 by lmharnisch

Mary Mallory profiles Japanese American actress Tsuru Aoki, often obscured by her famous husband, Sessue Hayakawa. An encore post from 2017. Continue reading →

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on June 15, 2026 by lmharnisch

For Monday, we have two mysterious guests. Continue reading →

Posted in 1951, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

June 10, 1947: Artist John Decker Speaks at His Funeral Via Recording

Posted on June 10, 2026 by lmharnisch

June 10, 1947: Artist John Decker leaves a recording to be played for mourners at his funeral. He recited a speech from Rostand’s “Cyrano de Bergerac.” Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia Book Club – Coming June 16, 2026

Posted on June 9, 2026 by lmharnisch

Reminder: The next session of the Black Dahlia Book Club is June 16 at 10 a.m. Pacific time on YouTube.com/LMHarnisch This time I will discuss the FBI files on the Black Dahlia case. Continue reading →

Posted in Black Dahlia, Black Dahlia Book Club, books, Books and Authors | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Black Dahlia Book Club – Coming June 16, 2026

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Nation’s First Legally Permitted Gay Pride Parade

Posted on June 8, 2026 by lmharnisch

Mary Mallory looks at the nation’s first legally permitted Gay Pride parade, June 28, 1970. Continue reading →

Posted in Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Nation’s First Legally Permitted Gay Pride Parade