Author Archives: lmharnisch

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

Bullocks Wilshire – Collegienne Department

Posted on September 9, 2013 by lmharnisch

Yes, people actually used to dress this way back in the era of “I Love You, Alice B. Toklas” and “The Magic Christian.” This dress is from the Collegienne department of the now-defunct Bullocks Wilshire. Alas, there’s no shot of … Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion, Found on EBay | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights — Los Angeles’ Forgotten J. B. Lankershim Monument

Posted on September 9, 2013 by lmharnisch

Charles Owens’ drawing of the Lankershim monument in “Nuestro Pueblo.” Los Angeles’ Boy Scout Camp Arthur Letts is a distant memory today, a large getaway in the Hollywood Hills offering camping, drilling and country escapes by area Boy Scout troops. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1921, 1939, Art & Artists, Books and Authors, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Nuestro Pueblo, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights — Los Angeles’ Forgotten J. B. Lankershim Monument

‘Headline Happy’ by Florabel Muir

Posted on September 8, 2013 by lmharnisch

A copy of Florabel Muir’s “Headline Happy” has been listed on EBay for $75. Muir’s book is interesting, and tends to be priced high, but I would never pay that kind of money for a copy – especially with a … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on ‘Headline Happy’ by Florabel Muir

Black Dahlia and ‘Double Indemnity’ – KCET Gets It Way Wrong

Posted on September 7, 2013 by lmharnisch

Is it really possible to write about the film “Double Indemnity” without mentioning Raymond Chandler, who collaborated on the screenplay, or James M. Cain, who wrote the book that was the basis for the film? Sadly, Ryan Reft (identified as … Continue reading →

Posted in 1944, 1947, Black Dahlia, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Mary Mallory’s ‘Hollywoodland’ Now Available at Amazon

Posted on September 6, 2013 by lmharnisch

The L.A. Daily Mirror is very pleased to announce that Mary Mallory has collected her first entries in the Hollywood Heights series — with additional content — into an ebook that is now available on Amazon. The book is available … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights – Cinecon 2013, Part 2

Posted on September 6, 2013 by lmharnisch

A still from “Suddenly It’s Spring” has been listed on EBay with a price of $9.35. Labor Day weekend at Cinecon is jam-packed with movies all day. For the first time, Saturday’s session began a little later at noon, and … Continue reading →

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

Barbara Graham Sobs During Son’s Visit to Jail

Posted on September 6, 2013 by lmharnisch

Sept. 6, 1953: Barbara Graham, on trial in the Mabel Monahan killing, sobs “almost hysterically” as she holds her 18-month-old son, Tommy, during a visit at the Hall of Justice, The Times says. He was in the custody of his … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Artists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Downtown, Film, Hill Street, Obituaries | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights — Cinecon 2013, Part 1

Posted on September 5, 2013 by lmharnisch

Featured at Cinecon: Carmen Miranda in “Down Argentine Way.” Another year, another Cinecon. A jam-packed schedule of watching films, sharing meals, and trying to catch up with friends from far and near during the five days. Cinecon, a 49-year-old film … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Union Pleads With Streetcar Workers Not to Strike

Posted on September 5, 2013 by lmharnisch

Sept. 5, 1943: Explaining that “war strategies between President Roosevelt and Britain’s Prime Minister Churchill come first,” William P. Nutter of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen pleads with dissatisfied employees of the Pacific Electric Railway to stay on the job. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1943, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Streetcars, Transportation, World War II | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Union Pleads With Streetcar Workers Not to Strike

Our Sainted Streetcars – Glendale Edition

Posted on September 4, 2013 by lmharnisch

A postcard showing what the vendor says is a depot for the Los Angeles and Glendale Electric Interurban Railway system has been listed on EBay. Bidding starts at $249.99. Times clips show that by 1904, the Los Angeles and Glendale … Continue reading →

Posted in 1904, Downtown, Found on EBay, Streetcars, Transportation | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Downtown L.A. — Street Artist (Updated)

Posted on September 4, 2013 by lmharnisch

I came across this street artist last evening while walking in downtown Los Angeles. He’s painting a street scene of the corner of Broadway and 7th Street. Update: Ed Fuentes identifies our artist: “Alex Schaefer. And he has a show … Continue reading →

Posted in 2013, Architecture, Art & Artists, Broadway, Downtown | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Man Kills Wife and Daughter, Commits Suicide Over Pink Bedroom

Posted on September 4, 2013 by lmharnisch

Sept. 4, 1933: A streetcar broadsides an auto at the crossing on Olympic Boulevard between Broadway and Figueroa, killing two people and leaving two others near death, The Times said. A man fatally stabs his estranged wife and daughter, then … Continue reading →

Posted in 1933, Art & Artists, Comics, Downtown, Film, Homicide, LAPD, Main Street, Nightclubs, San Fernando Valley, Streetcars, Suicide, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Tempest Storm at the Follies Burlesque

Posted on September 3, 2013 by lmharnisch

An undated photo of the famous Tempest Storm at the Follies Burlesque in Los Angeles – which reveals more than I am showing here – has been listed on EBay. Bidding starts at $17.95.

Posted in Dance, Downtown, Found on EBay, Main Street, Theaters | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

On the Frontiers of Medicine

Posted on September 3, 2013 by lmharnisch

The complete Sept. 5, 1863, edition of the Los Angeles Star is available at USC and the California Digital Newspaper Collection. Sept. 5, 1863: Dr. J.C. Welsh is apparently too early to be listed in George H. Kress’ “A History … Continue reading →

Posted in 1863, Medicine, Obituaries | Tagged , , | Comments Off on On the Frontiers of Medicine

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated +++)

Posted on September 2, 2013 by lmharnisch

And for Monday, three mystery gents.

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 36 Comments

Mason Opera House – a Lost Landmark

Posted on September 2, 2013 by lmharnisch

Downtown hipsters know the spot at 1st Street and Broadway as a big hole in the ground, where construction seems to be getting underway. More mature Angelenos may recall the 1950s Cold War monstrosity that was demolished after being damaged … Continue reading →

Posted in 1913, Architecture, Broadway, Downtown, Found on EBay, Preservation, Theaters | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights — The Three Lives Of Villa Aurora

Posted on September 2, 2013 by lmharnisch

Cats have nine lives. People often experience second or third acts in their lives or careers. Some homes have multiple lives as well, like Villa Aurora, which has experienced three diverse lives, bringing knowledge and refuge to those who come … Continue reading →

Posted in 1928, Architecture, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Spring Street — 1907

Posted on September 1, 2013 by lmharnisch

  If this image looking south on Spring Street on this 1907 postcard looks unfamiliar, there’s a reason. Most of the buildings are gone and Spring Street was straightened out to make way for City Hall. The postcard is listed … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Architecture, Downtown, Found on EBay, Spring Street, Streetcars | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Parkey Sharkey – Found on EBay

Posted on August 31, 2013 by lmharnisch

A copy of Parkey Sharkey’s “Whiskey Road” has been listed on EBay. Several years ago, the L.A. Daily Mirror acquired a copy and it occupies an honored place in the research library. There are those who assumed that Parkey Sharkey … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and Authors, Columnists, Found on EBay, Paul Coates | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Parkey Sharkey – Found on EBay

Barbara Graham Defense Wins Delay After Prosecution Bombshell

Posted on August 30, 2013 by lmharnisch

Aug. 30, 1953: Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charles W. Fricke grants attorneys for Barbara Graham a slight delay in opening their defense after the prosecution closes with a “bombshell”: A transcript of a recorded conversation between Graham and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1953, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Paul Coates | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment