Author Archives: lmharnisch

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

Matt Weinstock — March 6, 1959

Posted on March 6, 2009 by lmharnisch

Lost Chords A PTA meeting at Center Avenue Elementary School in Inglewood opened Tuesday with a salute to the flag, after which the audience remained hushed as a Girl Scout choral group assembled for a song and the accompanist approached … Continue reading →

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Paul Coates — Confidential File, March 7, 1959

Posted on March 6, 2009 by lmharnisch

CONFIDENTIAL FILE Inactivated Barber Makes Superb Clip Any man who can overcome a handicap like an underactive thyroid and make a name for himself in show business, is, in my book, all right. Therefore, to wit, I like Perry Como. … Continue reading →

Posted in broadcasting, Columnists, Mickey Cohen, Paul Coates, Television | Comments Off on Paul Coates — Confidential File, March 7, 1959

We’re Twittering — and on Facebook!

Posted on March 6, 2009 by lmharnisch

We may delve into the past, but we also try to be up to date. "Throwback" Thursby got us on Twitter. So I upped the ante and created a Facebook page.

Posted in @news, Fashion, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, UFOs | Comments Off on We’re Twittering — and on Facebook!

In the Theaters — March 6, 1920

Posted on March 6, 2009 by lmharnisch
Posted in Film, Hollywood | 1 Comment

Trouble Was His Business — Raymond Chandler

Posted on March 6, 2009 by lmharnisch

I hate to say it, but as far as I can tell, The Times didn’t review Chandler’s second novel, "Farewell, My Lovely," at left. We did review the 1945 film, however.  

Posted in books, Film, Hollywood, Raymond Chandler | 1 Comment

Movie Star Mystery Photo

Posted on March 6, 2009 by lmharnisch

Our mystery movie star is Betty Bronson, who died in 1971. Her last film was "Evel Knievel."  Eve Golden also points out that she appeared in an episode of "Marcus Welby" not listed on imdb.  Check back Monday for another … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | 315 Comments

Voices — Sydney Chaplin, 1926 – 2009

Posted on March 6, 2009 by lmharnisch

By Valerie J. NelsonMarch 6, 2009 Sydney Chaplin, an actor who experienced his greatest success on stage, earning a Tony Award for starring in the late 1950s musical "Bells Are Ringing," died Tuesday. He was 82. Chaplin, the oldest surviving … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Obituaries | 1 Comment

March 5, 1959: Blinded by Bullet, Officer Shoots Gunman Who Killed Partner

Posted on March 6, 2009 by lmharnisch

Through the 1950s, Police Officer Ector A. Garcia became a minor celebrity for producing sketches of crime suspects that were astonishingly accurate. But he wanted the excitement of being on the streets and that’s what he got. Garcia and his … Continue reading →

Posted in #East L.A., art and artists, books, Front Pages, Homicide, LAPD | Comments Off on March 5, 1959: Blinded by Bullet, Officer Shoots Gunman Who Killed Partner

Found on EBay — Hollywood Boulevard

Posted on March 5, 2009 by lmharnisch

View Larger Map Notice that there’s no traffic signal at Highland, just a stop sign. This postcard of Hollywood at night, showing the neon signs on Hollywood Boulevard, has been listed on EBay. Bidding starts at $5.99. I suspect my … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Hollywood | 2 Comments

Matt Weinstock, March 5, 1959

Posted on March 5, 2009 by lmharnisch

Panes in Stomach First let it be stated that G.K. Williams, editor of the Coronado Journal, and Jane Reed, his assistant, are known by me to be utterly reliable. Now go on. They depose, on a stack of pancakes, that … Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Paul Coates | Comments Off on Matt Weinstock, March 5, 1959

Paul Coates — Confidential File, March 5, 1959

Posted on March 5, 2009 by lmharnisch

CONFIDENTIAL FILE Big Money Bonanza Fails to Pay Off LeRoy McFarland of Huntington Park, has a money mine. It’s in his back yard. He just discovered it. It’s a lively one — chock full of coins, thousands of them. From … Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Matt Weinstock | Comments Off on Paul Coates — Confidential File, March 5, 1959

In the Theaters — March 5, 1918

Posted on March 5, 2009 by lmharnisch
Posted in Film, Hollywood, Music, Stage | 1 Comment

Trouble Was His Business — Raymond Chandler

Posted on March 5, 2009 by lmharnisch

Feb. 19, 1939: "The Big Sleep," reviewed in The Times by Wilbur Needham, a name Chandler might have used for one of his characters. Needham and his wife, Ida, operated Needham Book Finders at 2317 Westwood Blvd. Note: To mark … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Film, Hollywood, Raymond Chandler | Comments Off on Trouble Was His Business — Raymond Chandler

Rediscovering George Garner, March 5, 1939

Posted on March 5, 2009 by lmharnisch

From The Times, Feb. 12, 1933. Seven lines of type in the March 5, 1939, issue of The Times unspooled into quite a story. If the beginning of the tale is a bit unclear, the end is even more enigmatic. … Continue reading →

Posted in classical music, Music, Stage | 2 Comments

Found on EBay — Tick Tock Restaurant

Posted on March 4, 2009 by lmharnisch

This postcard of the Tick Tock restaurant, onetime Los Angeles landmark at 1716 N. Cahuenga, has been listed on EBay. Bidding starts at $5.99.

Posted in Architecture, Food and Drink | 1 Comment

Voices — Horton Foote, 1916 – 2009

Posted on March 4, 2009 by lmharnisch

Photograph by Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times Horton Foote at New York’s Booth Theatre, where his "Dividing the Estate" was being performed, Oct. 11, 2008. Horton Foote: "I Stick With It" * Theater * The playwright, 86, keeps very … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Film, Hollywood, Stage | 3 Comments

Matt Weinstock — March 4, 1959

Posted on March 4, 2009 by lmharnisch

New Twist on Smog Along with the rest of us, W. B. France is weary of reading about smog. But he thinks he has a solution. It is based on a science-fiction story he read long ago. In this tale … Continue reading →

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Paul Coates — Confidential File, March 4, 1959

Posted on March 4, 2009 by lmharnisch

CONFIDENTIAL FILE It Happened Here, Believe It or Not In big cities, little dramas are born every minute. This one happened a few Wednesdays ago. Its protagonist was a dark-haired lady, barely 5 feet tall, with a very soft voice. … Continue reading →

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March 4, 1959: Lou Costello Dies!

Posted on March 4, 2009 by lmharnisch

Comedian Lou Costello dies at Doctor’s Hospital in Beverly Hills after collapsing the week before while watching television. He was 52. His partner, Bud Abbott, died in 1974.

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Obituaries | 1 Comment

In the Theaters — March 4, 1916

Posted on March 4, 2009 by lmharnisch
Posted in Film, Hollywood, Music, Stage | Comments Off on In the Theaters — March 4, 1916