Author Archives: lmharnisch

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

Jan. 22, 1959: Paul Coates on Another Claim to ‘The Brave One’

Posted on January 22, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 22, 1959: Dalton Trumo (blacklisted and using the name Robert Rich) wrote the script for “The Brave One,” but there was a claim by the widow of Juan Duval. The previous entry is here. Coates’ column was published in … Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Common Myths About the Black Dahlia and Their Origins

Posted on January 22, 2019 by lmharnisch

The FBI file perpetuates the error that Elizabeth Short’s middle name was “Ann.” She had no middle name. Note: This item was originally posted on lmharnisch.com in 2005. Here’s a quick guide to the most frequent errors made in writing … Continue reading →

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

Jan. 22, 1969: Lee Meyers Hoping for a Comeback With the Royals

Posted on January 22, 2019 by lmharnisch

Keith Thursby has the story of baseball player Lee Meyers, who was was making a comeback, hoping to get a job with the first-year Kansas City Royals. Meyers was married to Mamie Van Doren (1966-1969).. Note: This post originally appeared … Continue reading →

Posted in 1969, Baseball, Keith Thursby | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Jan. 22, 1969: Musial and Campanella Elected to Hall of Fame

Posted on January 22, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 22, 1969: Stan Musial and Roy Campanella are voted into baseball’s Hall of Fame. Campanella became only the second black player in the Hall of Fame, after Jackie Robinson. This post originally appeared on latimes.com in 2009 and is … Continue reading →

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Jan. 22, 1959: Rams Draft Rafer Johnson

Posted on January 22, 2019 by lmharnisch

Keith Thursby writes: The Rams picked a real winner in the NFL annual draft. Rafer Johnson would become world famous in 1960 by winning the gold medal in the decathlon at the Rome Olympics. He already held the world record … Continue reading →

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

Posted on January 22, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 22, 1959: Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer is shot to death in a fight with Moses Samuel Stiltz. According to police, Switzer borrowed a dog belonging to Stiltz, then lost the dog. Switzer paid $50 for the return of Stiltz’s dog. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Baseball, Crime and Courts, Dodgers, Film, Hollywood, Keith Thursby, LAPD, Obituaries | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Jan. 22, 1959: ‘Our Gang’ Star Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer Dies in Fight Over $50

Jan. 21, 1959: Matt Weinstock and the Cagey Mr. Mikoyan

Posted on January 21, 2019 by lmharnisch

Now that Anastas Mikoyan has returned whence he came, a lady named Natasha Smith would like a few unkind words. She was born and reared in Russia and barely escaped with her life during the revolution. She speaks and understands … Continue reading →

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Jan. 21, 1959: Paul Coates on the Porn Trade of the 1950s

Posted on January 21, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 21, 1959: Paul Coates takes a look at the way pornography (and pretty light stuff at that) was peddled in the 1950s, when it was illegal to send such things through the mail. Coates’ column was originally published in … Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Fauna Hodel’s Story in 1976 – and No Black Dahlia or George Hodel

Posted on January 21, 2019 by lmharnisch

Before TNT airs “I Am the Night,” (“inspired by a true story,”) I’m digging for references to Fauna Hodel, George Hodel and the Black Dahlia. So far, it’s not going well.. On June 2, 1976, the Nevada State Journal published … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, 1976, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Film | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Black Dahlia: Fauna Hodel’s Story in 1976 – and No Black Dahlia or George Hodel

Martin Luther King Jr. Visits L.A., Urges Defeat of LBJ, Calls for End to Vietnam War

Posted on January 21, 2019 by lmharnisch

March 17-18, 1968: The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. calls for the end of the Vietnam war in appearances at the Disneyland Hotel and Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles. This post originally appeared on latimes.com in 2008 and is … Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Stephen Kay Says No LAPD Coverup in Black Dahlia Case

Posted on January 21, 2019 by lmharnisch

Retired LAPD Capt. Ed Jokisch , who was in the Homicide Division in the 1940s, fought back against the claims in Steve Hodel’s “Black Dahlia Avenger” franchise until his death in 2011. This letter from former Deputy Dist. Atty. Stephen … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, 2003, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Black Dahlia: Stephen Kay Says No LAPD Coverup in Black Dahlia Case

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on January 21, 2019 by lmharnisch

Dear Brain Trust: I received word this week of the loss to cancer of one of our prolific, knowledgeable and veteran contributors, Lee Ann of the trio of solvers Lee Ann, Megan and Thom, who moved with us from latimes.com … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 33 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Bessie Lasky, Painter

Posted on January 21, 2019 by lmharnisch

  Bessie Lasky in her studio, courtesy of Jesse L. Lasky.com. Though overshadowed by her husband, Jesse, Bessie Lasky was as much an artist as he, a multitalented artist in many fields with some renown from the 1920s through the … Continue reading →

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Jan. 21, 1959: Cecil B. De Mille Dies at 77

Posted on January 21, 2019 by lmharnisch

  Jan. 21, 1959: The Mirror brings out an extra when Cecil B. De Mille died of a heart attack at the age of 77.. The post originally appeared on latimes.com in 2009 and is available via Archive.org.

Posted in 1959, Film, Hollywood, Obituaries | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Jan. 20, 1959: Matt Weinstock and the Maligned Mad Men

Posted on January 20, 2019 by lmharnisch

Some earnest men in the advertising business are concerned about the derogatory image of their profession that has been created in the public mind and quietly are running it up on the flagpole to see who salutes. As they see … Continue reading →

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Jan. 20,1959: Paul Coates and Fidel Castro

Posted on January 20, 2019 by lmharnisch

Fidel Castro, the bearded boy wonder of Cuba, has been sassing his kindly, benevolent, slightly wealthy Uncle Sam lately. Young Fidel has taken it as a personal insult that a few of our congressmen are suggesting tough measures to let … Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: No Sign of George Hodel or the Black Dahlia in the Fauna Hodel Story 1990

Posted on January 20, 2019 by lmharnisch

If you’re curious about whether “I Am the Night” is indeed “inspired by a true story,” I did a bit more digging into the tale of Fauna Hodel and her unfinished film “Pretty Hattie’s Baby” (spoiler alert – there’s nothing … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, 1990, 1996, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Jan. 19, 1959: Matt Weinstock and Practical Jokes in Beverly Hills

Posted on January 19, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 19, 1959: Practical jokes in mid-century America. Matt Weinstock has the details.. The column originally appeared in the L.A. Mirror in 1959 and was republished in 2009 on latimes.com. It is available via Archive.org.

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Jan. 19, 1959: Paul Coates Talks to ‘The Head of the Hair Dept.’ at Max Factor

Posted on January 19, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 19, 1959: After Paul Coates column about the man who stole toupees – a new meaning for “hair loss,” he received a call from “the head of the hair department at Max Factor.” (Really).. The column originally in the … Continue reading →

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Exploring Historic Photos on Flickr (Yes, Flickr)

Posted on January 19, 2019 by lmharnisch

In 2007, the Library of Congress began putting historic images on Flickr (remember Flickr?) and this was one of my favorites: The first all-woman jury in Los Angeles AND the first all-women jury in California.. Warning, you will see this … Continue reading →

Posted in 2009, Crime and Courts, Libraries, Photography | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Exploring Historic Photos on Flickr (Yes, Flickr)