Author Archives: lmharnisch

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights – Altadena’s Lovely Christmas Tree Lane

Posted on December 10, 2012 by lmharnisch

Christmas Tree Lane in a vintage postcard, courtesy of Mary Mallory. Nothing says Christmas like the sight of beautiful outdoor twinkling lights lending a bit of romanticism and happiness to the holiday season. Homes and businesses spiffily decorate themselves. Cities … Continue reading →

Posted in Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Pasadena | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

On Eve of Pearl Harbor Anniversary, Roosevelt Halts Enlistments

Posted on December 6, 2012 by lmharnisch

Dec. 6, 1942: As the nation nears the first anniversary of Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt halts all enlistments in the armed forces, shifting the military entirely to the draft. The services also stopped taking men older than 38 and opened … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, African Americans, Hollywood, Music, World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on On Eve of Pearl Harbor Anniversary, Roosevelt Halts Enlistments

Millennial Moment – Cheating at Card Clubs

Posted on December 5, 2012 by lmharnisch

Dec. 5, 1982: George Reasons and Anne La Riviere write a long investigative piece about professional cheats at the card clubs in Bell and Gardena. According to Reasons and La Riviere, cheaters are divided between mechanics who manipulate the cards … Continue reading →

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated +)

Posted on December 4, 2012 by lmharnisch

Here are three mystery chaps in a mystery film.

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

Eve Golden / Queen of the Dead – Joan Crawford

Posted on December 4, 2012 by lmharnisch

  A photo of Joan Crawford and Walter Huston in “Rain” has been listed on EBay with bids starting at $11.99. Joanie   No unknowns for us today, I am going to sing the praises of Joan Crawford, whom I … Continue reading →

Posted in Eve Golden, Film, Hollywood, Queen of the Dead | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights – Alhambra Promoted Through Song

Posted on December 3, 2012 by lmharnisch

One of the all-time greatest booster campaigns led to explosive growth in the city of Los Angeles in the early 20th century. Advertisements, brochures, postcards, sheet music, all boasted of the uniqueness of this unknown urban oasis. Publicists preached the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1922, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights – Alhambra Promoted Through Song

Buck Jones Among Hundreds Killed in Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire

Posted on November 30, 2012 by lmharnisch

Nov. 30, 1942: Saying “My hands are trembling all over this typewriter keyboard,” Associated Press writer Harry C. Glasheen writes of his experiences covering Boston’s Cocoanut Grove fire, which had a final death toll of 492 people, including Western movie … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Comics, Film, Fires, Hollywood, World War II | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Millennial Moment – Nick Stewart’s Ebony Showcase Theater

Posted on November 28, 2012 by lmharnisch

Nov. 28, 1982: Times staff writer John L. Mitchell profiles Horace “Nick” Stewart, who opened the Ebony Showcase Theater with his wife, Edna, in 1950. Stewart used the money from playing Lightnin’ in the 1950s TV series “The Amos n’ … Continue reading →

Posted in 1982, African Americans, Film, Millennial Moments, Stage, Theaters | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Eve Golden / Queen of the Dead – Charlotte Greenwood

Posted on November 27, 2012 by lmharnisch

  Charlotte Greenwood Usually I regale you with harrowing stories about people who die early, grisly deaths, but today we are going to put on our happy faces and talk about Charlotte Greenwood. You probably know her from the film … Continue reading →

Posted in Eve Golden, Film, Queen of the Dead, Stage | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated ++++)

Posted on November 26, 2012 by lmharnisch

Here’s our mystery for Monday: Who’s the guest and what’s the movie?

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 26 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights – Campo de Cahuenga, California’s Birthplace

Posted on November 26, 2012 by lmharnisch

A luminaria festival will be held at Campo de Cahuenga Dec. 2 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free. Driving south down Lankershim Boulevard from Toluca Lake into Universal City, it’s hard to miss the skyscrapers, soundstages, and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1847, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Eve Golden / Queen of the Dead – Lyle Talbot

Posted on November 20, 2012 by lmharnisch

A photo of Lyle Talbot has been listed on EBay with bids starting at $25.   Lyle Talbot I have a thing for those Big Boxy Guys from the 1930s and ’40s. You know, the ones who look like they’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Eve Golden, Film, Hollywood, Obituaries, Queen of the Dead | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated ++)

Posted on November 19, 2012 by lmharnisch

Here’s a mystery chap from a mystery movie. Please congratulate Dewey Webb for being first to identify our mystery fellow and the film. Please congratulate Don Danard, Jenny M, Mike Hawks, La Peregrina, Patrick, Bob Hansen and Rick Scott for … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 30 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights — Nelson Evans, Hollywood’s Early Forgotten Portrait Photographer

Posted on November 19, 2012 by lmharnisch

Photo: Nelson Evans Unlike the theatrical world, the early motion picture industry was slow in recognizing the importance of photographs to help publicize and sell its films. While Broadway producers hired great New York portrait studios like Sarony, White, Lumiere, … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Photography | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Found on EBay – Another Good Story Ruined

Posted on November 16, 2012 by lmharnisch

A vendor on EBay has listed this AP photo from New York as showing Ralph von Hiltz, the “murderer of Black Dahlia.” (Price: $25.44). This is just another crackpot confession. The Times reported in 1956 that then-Chief of Detectives Thad … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, 1956, Black Dahlia, Found on EBay, LAPD | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Found on EBay – Another Good Story Ruined

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated ++)

Posted on November 14, 2012 by lmharnisch

And this location and this movie would be? Identifying the movie:LC, Dewey Webb, Mary Mallory, Nathan and Greg Clancey. Identifying the location: Cal and Lulu, William (note: “The Artist” is in black and white), Lee Rivas and Santos L. Halper.

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 26 Comments

Found on EBay – Editorial Cartoonist Edmund Waller ‘Ted’ Gale

Posted on November 14, 2012 by lmharnisch

An original drawing by Edmund Waller “Ted” Gale has been listed on EBay. Waller was a longtime cartoonist who was an institution at The Times, but he quit in 1934 in a disagreement over its editorial policies and went to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1936, Art & Artists, Found on EBay | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Movieland Mystery Photo

Posted on November 13, 2012 by lmharnisch

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

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Eve Golden / Queen of the Dead – James Reese Europe

Posted on November 13, 2012 by lmharnisch

A piece of sheet music featuring James Reese “Jim” Europe has been listed on EBay with bids starting at $3,999.99. James Reese Europe   I think my favorite period is 1900-15. Not that I’d want to live back then, I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Dance, Eve Golden, Film, Found on EBay, Music, Obituaries, Queen of the Dead | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Found on EBay – A 1947 Visit to the Biltmore

Posted on November 12, 2012 by lmharnisch

A lot of items from the Biltmore Hotel, including a bill for two days in August 1947, seven months after the Black Dahlia killing, has been listed on EBay. This map appears with a booklet titled “Guide to Biltmore Services.” … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Architecture, Black Dahlia, Downtown | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Found on EBay – A 1947 Visit to the Biltmore