Author Archives: lmharnisch

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

Celebrity Politicians: Hollywood’s Honorary Mayors, Part I

Posted on November 5, 2012 by lmharnisch

Photo: Hugh Herbert, honorary mayor of Studio City, courtesy of Mary Mallory. Tomorrow is election day. Elections and politics are important to everyone, be they Joe Citizen or Joseph Kennedy. Over the years, celebrities have entered the political arena, some … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Politics, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Reminder From the Daily Mirror

Posted on November 3, 2012 by lmharnisch

Pier Angeli and friend remind the Daily Mirror readers to turn the clock back one hour.

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Photography | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Women Truck Drivers Replace Men at Ft. MacArthur

Posted on November 2, 2012 by lmharnisch

Nov. 2, 1942: The Army hires 10 women to serve as truck drivers at Ft. MacArthur so that men who have been doing the job can be released to field positions. “The women drivers will work an eight-hour day and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Transportation, World War II, Zoot Suit | 3 Comments

Fire Chief Injured in Blaze

Posted on November 1, 2012 by lmharnisch

A lot of five photos showing the Jan. 23, 1913, fire at the Los Angeles Wallpaper and Paint Co., 529 S. Main St., has been listed on EBay. The blaze injured Fire Chief Archibald “Archie” J. Eley and 18 men, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1913, Fires, Found on EBay, Photography | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Millennial Moment: Renovations at Earl Carroll Theatre

Posted on October 31, 2012 by lmharnisch

Oct. 31, 1982: Times staff writer Ruth Ryon profiles the renovations at the Earl Carroll Theatre, 6230 Sunset Blvd. Now the Nickelodeon Studios, the theater was designed by Gordon B. Kaufmann and opened on Christmas Eve 1938.

Posted in 1982, Architecture, Film, Hollywood, Millennial Moments, Nightclubs | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Black Dahlia – Another Good Story Ruined

Posted on October 30, 2012 by lmharnisch

Curbed L.A. has posted a list of some “haunted” locations in L.A., including the Biltmore, where Elizabeth Short was left by Red Manley in January 1947, never to be seen again. The photo, alas, shows the current lobby, which didn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated +)

Posted on October 30, 2012 by lmharnisch

Here’s another photo from the amazing collection of Steven Bibb!

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

Eve Golden / Queen of the Dead: Bert Savoy

Posted on October 30, 2012 by lmharnisch

Photo: Bert Savoy via Confetta. Bert Savoy   1876 – 1923 Another book I will, frustratingly, never be able to write is about the Godfather of Camp, Bert Savoy—there is just not enough information on him to make a book … Continue reading →

Posted in Eve Golden, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queen of the Dead, Stage | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo

Posted on October 29, 2012 by lmharnisch

Another mystery photo from the amazing collection of Steven Bibb!

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Apartment Buildings and Celebrity Connections – Part I

Posted on October 29, 2012 by lmharnisch

People moved to Hollywood in droves in the 1920s, lured by the exploding motion picture industry, and by gorgeous advertisements placed in magazines and newspapers around the country. Construction of apartment buildings surged to meet demand, especially those offering elegant … Continue reading →

Posted in 1929, Architecture, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Apartment Buildings and Celebrity Connections – Part I

Lon Chaney’s Ghost Haunts Hollywood and Vine!

Posted on October 26, 2012 by lmharnisch

Oct. 26, 1942: Rosetta (D. 1958) and Vivian (D. 1986) Duncan appear in “Topsy and Eva,” a musical version of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” a musical comedy in which they first appeared in San Francisco in the 1920s. The Duncan sisters … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, African Americans, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, World War II, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

Posted on October 25, 2012 by lmharnisch

Here’s another photo from the amazing collection of Steven Bibb!

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Millennial Moment: Iranian Exiles Find a Bit of Home in Santa Monica Park

Posted on October 25, 2012 by lmharnisch

Oct. 25, 1982: Times staff writer Bill Overend profiles Iranian exiles who gather in Santa Monica’s Palisades Park on Sunday afternoons, hundreds of people — mostly Jews and some Muslims — who came to the U.S. because of the Iranian … Continue reading →

Posted in 1982, Immigration, Millennial Moments, Parks, Religion | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Millennial Moment: Iranian Exiles Find a Bit of Home in Santa Monica Park

Feuding Women Sentenced to 90 Days in Same Jail Cell

Posted on October 24, 2012 by lmharnisch

Oct. 24, 1942: Yetta Furst of 2208 Sheridan St. and Anna  Rubenstein of 2214 Sheridan St. had been feuding for 20 years and had been charged with disturbing the peace. Municipal Judge Ida May Adams sentenced them to  90 days … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Crime and Courts, Film, World War II | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo

Posted on October 23, 2012 by lmharnisch

Here’s another mystery photo – in color! – from the amazing collection of Steven Bibb.

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Eve Golden / Queen of the Dead: Margaret Dumont

Posted on October 23, 2012 by lmharnisch

A photo of Groucho Marx and Margaret Dumont in “A Day at the Circus,” listed on EBay for $5.95. Margaret Dumont 1882 – 1965 I think we can all agree that Groucho Marx was a real sonofabitch, can’t we? A … Continue reading →

Posted in Eve Golden, Film, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Obituaries, Queen of the Dead | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo

Posted on October 22, 2012 by lmharnisch

Here’s another mystery photo from the amazing collection of Steven Bibb!

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 25 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Hollywood Boosts Itself With a Song

Posted on October 22, 2012 by lmharnisch

  Hollywood Boulevard came into existence in 1910, when Prospect Avenue saw its name changed to Hollywood Boulevard. This was Hollywood’s main street, full of stores, churches and theaters. As the town grew, and especially when movie studios moved to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1929, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Music | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Gang Blamed in Riot at Glendale Carnival

Posted on October 19, 2012 by lmharnisch

Oct. 19, 1942: Members of the Van Nuys “Chain Gang” are blamed for a riot that broke out at a carnival in Glendale, leaving one man near death from stab wounds and five others injured. About 30 members of the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Religion, World War II | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Millennial Moment: Hit Man Says Car Dealer Belongs to Mafia

Posted on October 18, 2012 by lmharnisch

Oct. 18, 1980: In one of the more unusual revelations in testimony by admitted hit man Jimmy “the Weasel” Fratianno, El Monte Toyota dealer Dominic Longo (d. 1985) is described as a Mafia member. Appearing at the trial of five … Continue reading →

Posted in 1980, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Millennial Moments, Politics, Television | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment