Author Archives: lmharnisch

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + + +)

Posted on March 21, 2016 by lmharnisch

This week’s mystery movie has been the 1952 Hammer Films picture “Wings of Danger” alias “Dead on Course,” with Zachary Scott, Robert Beatty, Naomi Chance, Kay Kendall, Colin Tapley, Arthur Lane, Harold Lang and Diane Cilento. The screenplay was by … Continue reading →

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

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: H.N. Zahn Building Pushes L.A.’s Zoning Laws

Posted on March 21, 2016 by lmharnisch

Ida Lupino promotes Easter in 1934, with the Zahn building in the background. What was intended strictly as a publicity photo promoting young actress Ida Lupino celebrating the Easter season on a large rabbit outside Desmond’s Department Store leads to … Continue reading →

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on March 14, 2016 by lmharnisch

  This week’s mystery movie has been the 1932 Fox picture “Call Her Savage,” directed by John Francis Dillon, with a screenplay by Edwin Burke from the bestselling novel by Tiffany Thayer.  With Clara Bow, Gilbert Roland, Thelma Todd, Monroe … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 34 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: 100-Year-Old Grocery Stores Still Serve the Public

Posted on March 14, 2016 by lmharnisch

Las Palmas Market, 1259 N. Las Palmas Ave., via Google Street View. While architectural styles have changed over the centuries, the use of buildings has remained virtually unchanged, meaning an older bank building can still function as a bank, a … Continue reading →

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Movieland Mystery Photos

Posted on March 12, 2016 by lmharnisch

It was a tough week for the mystery photos and here’s why: All of these mystery movies are unidentified films listed on the Nitrate Film Interest Group page – and if you ever feel like testing your mystery movie skills, … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Preservation | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo

Posted on March 11, 2016 by lmharnisch

And for Friday, we have a mystery comedy in which a billboard for Ben-Hur Coffee inspires some mystery young people to stage a chariot race. This is the final entry in this week’s mystery movies and there haven’t been any … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo

Posted on March 10, 2016 by lmharnisch

Several members of the Brain Trust have noted that this week’s photos are unusually tough, which is quite true. The reason for their difficulty will become clear in good time. For Thursday, we have a mystery movie starring a mystery … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Movieland Mystery Photo

Posted on March 9, 2016 by lmharnisch

This week, I am running five mystery movies, one per day with multiple images. And today, we have a mystery samurai movie! Update: This is indeed a toughie. Benito has identified the mystery gent in images No. 4 and 8. … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo

Posted on March 8, 2016 by lmharnisch

As I noted yesterday, I’m doing the mystery movie posts a bit differently this week. For reasons that will become clear at a future date, I’m posting multiple images from a mystery movie each day, rather than stringing them out … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Little Brown Church in the Valley

Posted on March 7, 2016 by lmharnisch

Photo: Republic Studios President Herbert Yates marries Vera Hruba Ralston in 1952. Courtesy of Mary Mallory. Note: The death of former First Lady Nancy Reagan has renewed interest in the Little Brown Church, where she and Ronald Reagan were married … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Religion, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Los Angeles Conservancy Announces Last Remaining Seats for 2016

Posted on March 7, 2016 by lmharnisch

The Los Angeles Conservancy has announced its lineup for the Last Remaining Seats film series, choosing movies from previous seasons to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The movies are: “Top Gun” (June 4) “To Kill a Mockingbird” (June 8) “Some Like … Continue reading →

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At the Follies Burlesque: Blaza Glory and Myrna Dean

Posted on March 7, 2016 by lmharnisch

An EBay vendor has listed two undated articles on performers at the Follies Burlesque, 337 S. Main St. Blaza Glory (a name I hadn’t encountered before) seems to have been performing in the early 1950s. Myrna Dean (identified as Deane … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Found on EBay, Theaters | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated)

Posted on March 7, 2016 by lmharnisch

I’m going to try something different this week. Instead of posting one image per day and identifying the mystery movie at the end of the week, I am going to post several images per day from the same mystery movie, … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: ‘Take Your Girlie to the Movies’ Promotes Film and Romance

Posted on March 7, 2016 by lmharnisch

   “Take Your Girlie to the Movies,” as recorded by Billy Murray, 1919. Popular songs often speak to issues of the period in which they are written, providing commentary on political, social, and cultural issues. Most of the songs in … Continue reading →

Posted in 1919, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Music | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on February 29, 2016 by lmharnisch

This week’s mystery movie has been the 1938 Twentieth Century-Fox picture “The Baroness and the Butler,” with William Powell, Annabella (in her American screen debut), Helen Westley, Henry Stephenson, Joseph Schildkraut, J. Edward Bromberg, Nigel Bruce and Lynn Bari.  The … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 45 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Maurine Watkins — Chicago Murder Reporter to Screenwriter

Posted on February 29, 2016 by lmharnisch

Maurine Watkins, in an ad promoting Fox studios’ writers in the Motion Picture Herald.  Journalism and screenwriting have one thing in common: telling a good story in order to get the audience hooked. Both depend on excellent observation, character development, … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on February 22, 2016 by lmharnisch

This week’s mystery movie has been the 1945 MGM picture “Yolanda and the Thief,” starring Fred Astaire, Lucille Bremer, Frank Morgan, Mildred Natwick, Mary Nash, Leon Ames and Ludwig Stossel. The screenplay was by Irvin Brecher based on a story … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 65 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Picture City – Florida’s Proposed Answer to Hollywood

Posted on February 22, 2016 by lmharnisch

Picture City, as shown in Exhibitors Trade Review. The madcap Jazz Age bubbled with possibility, exploding mores and conventions as it raced to the next new thing, the next adventure. After the harrowing days of the Great War and the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1925, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Coming Attractions: Anna Sklar on L.A. Water

Posted on February 17, 2016 by lmharnisch

  Anna Sklar, the author of “Brown Acres,” on the history of Los Angeles’ sewer system, will give a lecture about the history of the city’s water supply Sunday, Feb. 21, at 2 p.m. at the Central Library, 630 W. … Continue reading →

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on February 15, 2016 by lmharnisch

This week’s mystery movie has been the 1932 First National Pictures film “Frisco Jenny,” directed by William A. Wellman, from a screenplay by Wilson Mizner and Robert Lord, based on a story by Gerald Beaumont, Lillie Hayward and John Francis … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 50 Comments