Author Archives: lmharnisch

Unknown's avatar

About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

Black Dahlia and … Zodiac?? Ask Me Anything, January 2026

Posted on January 6, 2026 by lmharnisch

This month’s Ask Me Anything was devoted to debunking alleged claims (by an “amateur code breaker”) that the Black Dahlia and Zodiac murders were by the same killer. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

January 5, 1962: Examiner, Mirror Fold; L.A. Becomes Two-Newspaper Town

Posted on January 5, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 5, 1962: A dark day in the world of Los Angeles journalism. Overnight, the city loses two of its daily papers, Hearst’s morning Examiner and the Times evening Mirror. Continue reading →

Posted in 1962, Columnists, Front Pages | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

January 5, 1959: LAPD Suspends Officer for – Uh-Oh

Posted on January 5, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 5, 1959: The LAPD suspends Officer Charles Wolf for 15 days for — no, he didn’t! (Yes, he did). Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, City Hall, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Libraries | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights – 1938 Floods Wreak Havoc on Los Angeles Area

Posted on January 5, 2026 by lmharnisch

Mary Mallory has the story of the 1938 Los Angeles flood, when record rains caused heavy damage and left more than 90 dead, leading the Army Corps of Engineers to cover much of the river channel in concrete. Continue reading →

Posted in 1938, Mary Mallory, Pasadena, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

January 5, 1947: Two Black 15-Year-Olds Set for Electric Chair After Losing Plea

Posted on January 5, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 5, 1947: In Mississippi, two Black 15-year-olds lose their appeal for clemency despite the efforts of Blanche Meiers of Oakland, who pleaded for their lives. The teens are set to be electrocuted January 17 in the killing of a white man. Continue reading →

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

January 5, 1907: A Fatal Can of Beans

Posted on January 5, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 5, 1907: Food poisoning from aged cans of pork and beans kills three people staying at a mountain cabin. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, LAPD, Streetcars | Leave a comment

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on January 5, 2026 by lmharnisch

For Monday’s mystery photo, we have a mysterious fellow. Continue reading →

Posted in 1933, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , | 20 Comments

January 4, 1947: Angry Sailor Sets Fire to Skid Row Hotel After Being Rolled

Posted on January 4, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 4, 1947: 19-year-old mess cook second class Edward Pavlischak is so angry at being rolled for $30 while drunk in a hotel room that he sets fire to the place, killing 1 and injuring 5. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, African Americans, Black Dahlia, Crime and Courts, Fires, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

January 4, 1928: Voices — Christine Collins

Posted on January 4, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 4, 1928: Christine Collins, whose life inspired the Clint Eastwood film ‘Changeling,’ writes to the warden urging parole for her husband, Walter. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1928, Changeling, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Leave a comment

January 4, 1907: The Mayor Departs From His Prepared Remarks

Posted on January 4, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 4, 1907: Mayor-elect Arthur C. Harper lays aside his prepared speech and tells an audience that he would look at every department in city government and that he had complete faith in the Owens River project. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, City Hall, LAPD, Streetcars | Leave a comment

January 1, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on January 1, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 1, 1959: Matt Weinstock looks at the origins of the “little old lady from Pasadena.” Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Columnists, Downtown, LAPD, Matt Weinstock | Comments Off on January 1, 1959: Matt Weinstock

January 1, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 1, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 1, 1959: Paul Coates looks back at some of his major stories of 1958, including new evidence that won a reprieve from the gas chamber for Remmel Wayne Brice. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1958, 1959, Columnists, Paul Coates | Comments Off on January 1, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

January 1, 1947: New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on January 1, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 1, 1947: Pansy Yokum writes her “Noo Yars Resolutions,” from Al Capp’s Li’l Abner. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Art & Artists, Comics, World War II | Tagged , , | Comments Off on January 1, 1947: New Year’s Resolutions

December 31, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on December 31, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 31, 1959: Publicist Doris Hellman has taken over the job of returning abandoned shopping carts to the five stores in her neighborhood, Matt Weinstock says. Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Columnists, Matt Weinstock | Comments Off on December 31, 1959: Matt Weinstock

December 31, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on December 31, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 31, 1959: Do names affect a person’s destiny? Paul Coates reveals that he was nearly named Percival. Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Paul Coates | Comments Off on December 31, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Mary Astor’s Lost Film ‘New Year’s Eve’

Posted on December 31, 2025 by lmharnisch

Our annual look at Mary Astor’s lost 1929 film “New Year’s Eve.” It was a silent with music and sound effects and apparently disappeared after 1930. Continue reading →

Posted in 1929, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mary Astor’s Lost Film ‘New Year’s Eve’

L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide — Pisco Punch

Posted on December 31, 2025 by lmharnisch

For New Year’s Eve, the last of our retro drinking guides: Pisco Punch. Continue reading →

Posted in 1915, 1934, 1939, Food and Drink, San Francisco | Tagged , , | Comments Off on L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide — Pisco Punch

December 31, 1907: Old Watchman, Beaten by Robbers, Revealed as Cocaine Addict

Posted on December 31, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 31, 1907: W.H. Reynolds laid out all night after being beaten up and thrown in the weeds by two robbers. Hospital staff found his arms and legs covered with needle marks from where he had injected himself with cocaine. Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, LAPD, Medicine, Streetcars | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on December 31, 1907: Old Watchman, Beaten by Robbers, Revealed as Cocaine Addict

December 30, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on December 30, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 30, 1959: Matt Weinstock observes a trend toward calling everything off between Christmas and New Year’s Day. All they’re interested in, besides having a little fun, is getting through the week alive or at least not spending a night in the drunk tank.  Everyone is frightened by the traffic statistics. Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Matt Weinstock | Comments Off on December 30, 1959: Matt Weinstock

L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide – The Queens Cocktail

Posted on December 30, 2025 by lmharnisch

In today’s edition of the Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide, we have the Queens cocktail, not as in royalty but as in the borough of Queens, New York. Continue reading →

Posted in 1935, 1937, Food and Drink | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Drinking Guide – The Queens Cocktail