Author Archives: lmharnisch

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

Hollywood Model Dies of Botched Abortion, Nov. 19, 1941

Posted on November 19, 2011 by lmharnisch

This post has be edited. See note at bottom for explanation. Nov. 19, 1941: Angelka Rose Gogich was 18 when she died at Glendale Emergency Hospital after undergoing an abortion. She had be working as a model, hat check girl … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Abortion, Art & Artists, Black Dahlia, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Medicine, Obituaries | Tagged | 1 Comment

Found on EBay – Bullock’s Wilshire

Posted on November 18, 2011 by lmharnisch

A lot of 10 commemorative covers from the 1940s mailed to Bullock’s Wilshire has been listed on EBay. I’m not sure whether Bullock’s had a coin and stamp department or if this is from some other activity. Bidding starts at … Continue reading →

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Movieland Mystery Photo

Posted on November 18, 2011 by lmharnisch

Here’s today’s mystery photo, courtesy of Steven Bibb!

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

Private Detective Held in ‘Love’ Killing, Nov. 18, 1941

Posted on November 18, 2011 by lmharnisch

Nov. 18, 1941: Jimmie Fidler says that new Alan (Paramount white hope) Ladd and Sally Wadsworth romance won’t please his studio, which is readying a “wolf” buildup.

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood | Tagged | Comments Off on Private Detective Held in ‘Love’ Killing, Nov. 18, 1941

Found on EBay – Chocolate Shop

Posted on November 17, 2011 by lmharnisch

217 W. 6th St. via Google Street View. A wooden box from the Chocolate Shop has been listed on EBay. The shops were located at 211 W. 5th St., 217 W. 6th St., 731 S. Broadway and 20 E. Colorado … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Batchelder Tile, Downtown, Food and Drink, Found on EBay | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Ford’s Theatre Bans O’Reilly’s ‘Lincoln’ Book Over Mistakes

Posted on November 17, 2011 by lmharnisch

Manson family member Charles “Tex” Watson was denied parole. L.A. Times | AP via Washington Post Stephan Benzkofer of the Chicago Tribune takes a look at Police Officer Francis O’Neill in Part 2 of his Legendary Lawmen series. Edith Brady-Lunny … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and Authors, Chicago, Crime and Courts, History, Homicide, Washington, World War II | Tagged , | Comments Off on Ford’s Theatre Bans O’Reilly’s ‘Lincoln’ Book Over Mistakes

Women Reporters

Posted on November 17, 2011 by lmharnisch

Nov. 17, 1941: Reporter Mary Shaw Leader is honored posthumously for her work in covering Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Leader, a reporter for the Hanover Spectator, walked 15 miles to Gettysburg, Pa., to cover the Lincoln’s talk. “She carried his … Continue reading →

Posted in 1863, 1941, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Immigration, Obituaries, World War II | Tagged , | Comments Off on Women Reporters

Found on EBay – The Florentine Gardens

Posted on November 16, 2011 by lmharnisch

This image, dated May 17, 1945, from the Florentine Gardens has been listed on EBay. The war in Europe had just ended on May 8 and perhaps these folks are doing a little celebrating – and wondering what peacetime would … Continue reading →

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How to Wear a Hat – Noir Edition

Posted on November 16, 2011 by lmharnisch

One thing that drives me crazy about the current crop of period films is that men usually don’t know how to wear hats. “The Black Dahlia” (with costume design by Jenny Beavan) is a particularly excruciating lesson in unfortunate hat … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, 1947, Black Dahlia, Fashion, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , | 13 Comments

Found on EBay – Mae Murray

Posted on November 15, 2011 by lmharnisch

A 1923-24 guide to Metro pictures, published for theater managers, has been listed on EBay. Full-color printing was quite expensive in this era, and it’s always interesting to see how much mileage a commercial artist could get from two colors. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1923, Art & Artists, Film, Hollywood, Photography | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

When Hollywood Goes Wrong — ‘The Black Dahlia’

Posted on November 15, 2011 by lmharnisch

There are so many things that Brian De Palma got wrong in “The Black Dahlia” that a list of mistakes would fill a long book. I had forgotten that the movie starts out with what is purportedly the Zoot Suit … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Dahlia, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, World War II, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated ++]

Posted on November 14, 2011 by lmharnisch

Here’s today’s mystery lady…. Update: This is Cobina Wright Jr., who recently appeared in Eve Golden’s Queen of the Dead.

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

Eve Golden: Queen of the Dead

Posted on November 14, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: 1997 Cadillac hearse for sale on EBay. Bidding starts at $3,800. Queen of the Dead—dateline November 14, 2011 •  Family Circus has long been one of those legacy comics you love to hate. But I was sad when creator … Continue reading →

Posted in Comics, Eve Golden, Fashion, Film, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Obituaries, Queen of the Dead, Sports | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

W.C. Fields and the Los Angeles Public Library — Mystery Photo

Posted on November 13, 2011 by lmharnisch

Last night, I was watching “The Bank Dick,” as I have  many times before, but this was the first with my new plasma TV, so I was much more aware of the detail. I spotted a photo of what looked … Continue reading →

Posted in 1926, Film, Hollywood, Libraries, Location Sleuth, Mystery Photo, Photography | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

U.S. Prepares to Round Up Japanese in Event of War, Nov. 13, 1941

Posted on November 13, 2011 by lmharnisch

Nov. 13, 1941: An FBI investigation into the Los Angeles Japanese Chamber of Commerce and the Central Japanese Assn. reveals monthly donations of $4,000 to $5,000 to the Japanese government “for the army and navy,” The Times says. Atty. Gen. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, World War II | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

Posted on November 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

Update: This is Eve Miller (d. 1973). Here’s a mystery woman, courtesy of Steven Bibb.

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

Crowds Line Broadway for Armistice Day Parade, Nov. 12, 1941

Posted on November 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

We just don’t get deep thoughts in comics anymore. Nov. 12, 1941: Crowds line Broadway in downtown Los Angeles for the annual Armistice Day parade, which marked the end of what used to be called the Great War or the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, A Kinder, Simpler Time, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Downtown, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Streetcars, Theaters, Tom Treanor, Transportation, World War II | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Scientists to Build Computer From 1830s Drawings

Posted on November 11, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: The lobby of La Concha Motel, designed by Paul Revere Williams. Credit: The Neon Museum The first in a planned series of monthly lectures in the newly reopened Globe Lobby is sold out. The next lecture is Dec. 8, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Books and Authors, Chicago, Crime and Courts, Museums, Music, Preservation, World War II | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Scientists to Build Computer From 1830s Drawings

A Casebook on ‘Los Angeles Plays Itself’

Posted on November 11, 2011 by lmharnisch

A user named smithrs has uploaded Thom Andersen’s elusive film essay “Los Angeles Plays Itself” to YouTube. The two-part film is something of a cult item in Los Angeles because Andersen made it without licensing the hundreds of clips he … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, History, Hollywood, Native Americans, Nightclubs | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Found on EBay – ‘Justice for the McNamaras’

Posted on November 10, 2011 by lmharnisch

A “Justice for the McNamaras” pin, referring to the 1911 trial of the McNamara brothers in the 1910 bombings of the Times Building and the Llewellyn Iron Works, has been listed on EBay.  Bidding on this button starts at $24.99.

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