Author Archives: lmharnisch

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated +]

Posted on December 17, 2011 by lmharnisch

[Update: This is Evelyn Daw in the 1937 film “Something to Sing About,” in which James Cagney plays a bandleader.] Here’s a mystery lady from the amazing collection of Steven Bibb! There’s a new photo on the jump!

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Former LAPD Chief Demoted to Lieutenant

Posted on December 17, 2011 by lmharnisch

Wake Island will fall to the Japanese on Dec. 23, 1941. Dec 17, 1941: Police Chief C. B. Horrall demotes former Chief Arthur C. Hohmann from deputy chief to lieutenant and assigns him to the Highland Park station. Hohmann, who … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, LAPD, World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Former LAPD Chief Demoted to Lieutenant

Found on EBay – Mullen and Bluett

Posted on December 16, 2011 by lmharnisch

This photo of a window display at Mullen and Bluett, at Broadway and 6th Street, has been listed on EBay. This photo is undated and I would have pegged this as the 1940s, but The Times clips shows that Timely … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Fashion, Found on EBay, Photography | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Found on EBay – Mullen and Bluett

The L.A. Daily Mirror Holiday Gift Guide

Posted on December 16, 2011 by lmharnisch

Here are some recommendations for things that might please a Daily Mirror reader. The out of print books can usually be found on Bookfinder.com. “Spencer Tracy: A Biography,” by Daily Mirror contributor James Curtis. “Hollywoodland,” by Daily Mirror contributor Mary … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Artists, Books and Authors, Eve Golden, James Curtis, Marion Eisenmann, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

Posted on December 15, 2011 by lmharnisch

Here’s a mystery pair from the incredible collection of Steven Bibb – in the news business this pose is often called a “grip and grin.” [Update: Producer Harlan Thompson welcomes Gladys Swarthout to Hollywood to appear in “Champagne Waltz,” 1936. … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Soldier Kills Civilian in Tragedy at Airport Checkpoint

Posted on December 15, 2011 by lmharnisch

Terrific artwork from the incredible Milton Caniff. Dec. 15, 1941: A group of soldiers was stopping motorists on Sepulveda Boulevard near the airport to strip off blue cellophane that had been illegally put over the headlights in the new wartime … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Jimmie Fidler, World War II | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

War Cancels Rose Parade, Dec. 14, 1941

Posted on December 14, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 14, 1941: The Rose Parade is canceled and the Rose Bowl – between Duke and Oregon State – is moved to Durham, N.C. The streets of Pasadena were oddly quiet on New Year’s Day as millions reviewed memories of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Tom Treanor, World War II | 3 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo [Update]

Posted on December 13, 2011 by lmharnisch

Gosh, a mystery photo in color? Yes, thanks to Steven Bibb! And no, I can’t think of any Native Americans who actually dress like this, except for Hollywood Indians. [Update: This is Lisa Gaye. Please congratulate CandyC, Don Danard and … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | Tagged , | 11 Comments

Roundup of Aliens Overwhelms L.A. Jails, Dec. 13, 1941

Posted on December 13, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 13, 1941: The Daily Mirror HQ was thrilled to see a brief appearance by Jimmie Fidler in “Garden of the Moon,” so here he is, in case you ever wondered what he looked like. On the jump: Times artist … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Fashion, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Nightclubs, Nuestro Pueblo, World War II | Tagged , | Comments Off on Roundup of Aliens Overwhelms L.A. Jails, Dec. 13, 1941

Found on EBay – Witzel Photo of Sid Ziff

Posted on December 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

A Witzel photo of Sid Ziff, the Mirror’s sports editor from 1950 to 1962 and a sports columnist at The Times until his retirement in 1967, has been listed on EBay. Ziff was “one of the most controversial and opinionated … Continue reading →

Posted in 1991, Columnists, Found on EBay, Obituaries, Photography, Sports, Witzel | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

Posted on December 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

Here’s a mystery fellow, from the collection of Steven Bibb. [Update: This is Juan Varro. According to imdb, his roles include a gigolo in “Mighty Joe Young.” I don’t recall a gigolo in “Mighty Joe Young,” but I haven’t seen … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | Tagged , | 11 Comments

Eve Golden: Queen of the Dead

Posted on December 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: A model of a 1959 Cadillac hearse listed on EBay at $599.99. Queen of the Dead—dateline December 12, 2011 •  For all its youthquake aura, Laugh-In had a lot of middle-aged folks in its cast: the delightfully camp and … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Eve Golden, Film, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Obituaries, Queen of the Dead, Television | Tagged , | Comments Off on Eve Golden: Queen of the Dead

Location Sleuth – ‘Between Midnight and Dawn’

Posted on December 11, 2011 by lmharnisch

Hey, it’s the Florentine Gardens! Here it is via Google’s Street View. I was watching the 1950 Columbia film “Between Midnight and Dawn” and several locations caught my eye. The first one is an aerial view during the credits that … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950, Architecture, City Hall, Downtown, Film, Hollywood, Location Sleuth | Tagged , | 7 Comments

FDR Warns of Long Struggle; Nisei Vow Loyalty to U.S.

Posted on December 10, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 10, 1941: At Los Angeles City College, Japanese American students are stunned by the Pearl Harbor attack and promise loyalty to the United States. “We American students of Japanese blood have confidence in the fairness of white Americans. Everyone … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Nuestro Pueblo, World War II | Tagged , | Comments Off on FDR Warns of Long Struggle; Nisei Vow Loyalty to U.S.

Pearl Harbor and the Rose-Colored Rearview Mirror

Posted on December 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

  Aug. 10, 1942: Politics is politics, war or not. My distinguished colleague George Skelton, who understands Sacramento like a watchmaker knows the inner workings of a precision timepiece,   has gazed rather fondly into the rose-colored rearview mirror with a … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, World War II, Zoot Suit | Tagged , | Comments Off on Pearl Harbor and the Rose-Colored Rearview Mirror

Found on EBay – ‘Los Angeles in Blockprint’

Posted on December 8, 2011 by lmharnisch

Here’s a stunning discovery. You may recall the saga of Everett Ruess, the young vagabond artist, photographer and poet who vanished in 1935 while exploring southern Utah and whose life remains an inspiration for people intoxicated with the romance of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1932, Art & Artists, Books and Authors, Found on EBay | Tagged , | 1 Comment

FBI Rounds Up Japanese in Hunt for Subversives, Dec. 8, 1941

Posted on December 8, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 8, 1941: The FBI begins rounding up 200 “alien Japanese suspected of subversive activities” Several truckloads of Japanese were seen passing through Brea toward Pomona, Brea police reported, and orders to stop all cars bearing Japanese and to confiscate … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Artists, Aviation, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Nuestro Pueblo, Tom Treanor, World War II | Tagged , , | Comments Off on FBI Rounds Up Japanese in Hunt for Subversives, Dec. 8, 1941

L.A.’s Views on Pearl Harbor Attack

Posted on December 7, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 8, 1941: The Times interviewed average Angelenos (if there is such a thing) for their opinions about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Many, like Horace Goodrich, thought the U.S. would wrap up the war in a few weeks. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, World War II | Tagged | 1 Comment

A Firsthand History Lesson on Pearl Harbor

Posted on December 7, 2011 by lmharnisch

In 1962, I was a seventh-grader at Washington Junior High School in Naperville, Ill. On Dec. 7, Mr. Humbert, our social studies teacher, put aside the regular curriculum to give his young pupils a firsthand account of Pearl Harbor. Many … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Education, History, World War II | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

60% Chance of Immediate War With Japan, Dec. 6, 1941

Posted on December 6, 2011 by lmharnisch

Dec. 6, 1941: Burt Lancaster gets an important phone call from Deborah Kerr. Edgar Ansel Mowrer of the Chicago Daily News Foreign Service says “… well-informed American officials are still convinced that Japan will start a fight in the near … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Columnists, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Tom Treanor, Vietnam, Washington, World War II | Tagged , , | Comments Off on 60% Chance of Immediate War With Japan, Dec. 6, 1941