Author Archives: lmharnisch

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

Paul Coates

Posted on March 12, 2008 by lmharnisch

March 12, 1958 The fact that I detest the tactics of some car repossession outfits has nothing to do with why this story appeals to me. It’s just that I’ve always been a pushover for a tale which blends a … Continue reading →

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Body dumped

Posted on March 12, 2008 by lmharnisch

March 4-May 7, 1958 Riverside A couple of Pinal County deputies found the new Fiat, wrecked and abandoned in Florence, Ariz., with a bloodstain in the backseat and a charge slip dated the previous day from a gas station in … Continue reading →

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Dear Abby

Posted on March 12, 2008 by lmharnisch

March 12, 1968 Dear Troubled, Let me get this straight. You’re married. You leave your husband at home so you and your much younger–unmarried–boss can take coordinated vacations … to Europe. While you’re there, he and his friends entertain you … Continue reading →

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March 12, 1958

Posted on March 12, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, a cook goes on a bloody rampage–and no, we didn’t follow up on this story. According to California death records, mad cook Andrew Rewal lived to the age of 79, presumably without access to sharp objects  … Below, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Front Pages, LAPD, Robberies | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Hitler seizes Austria!

Posted on March 12, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, an excerpt from the Saturday religion page featuring the Church of the Open Door and Sister Aimee at Angelus Temple … Below,  Hitler seizes Austria and the world holds its breath. Quote of the day: Developments in Austria "make … Continue reading →

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March 12, 1908

Posted on March 11, 2008 by lmharnisch

Below, notes on pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski during his stay in Los Angeles. A typical musician, he is usually so wound up after his performances that he doesn’t go to bed until 4 a.m., then sleeps to noon … The … Continue reading →

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Matt Weinstock

Posted on March 11, 2008 by lmharnisch

March 11, 1958 Committees have been formed, speeches are being made and posters and slogans are everywhere to discourage that abomination of society, the litterbug. It is clear that in the scale of villainy he is barely one notch below … Continue reading →

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Paul Coates

Posted on March 11, 2008 by lmharnisch

March 11, 1958 He sat across the desk from me, and while he didn’t admit it outright, I got the feeling that he knew–by standards of our society–he was the lowest form of human being. Because in our kind of … Continue reading →

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Dirty pix

Posted on March 11, 2008 by lmharnisch

March 11, 1958 Los Angeles As rackets go, it was a pretty good one. There was a lot of quick, easy money to be made from suckers. And because the victims were breaking the law, they couldn’t complain that they … Continue reading →

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Dear Abby

Posted on March 11, 2008 by lmharnisch

March 11, 1968 Dear Stuck With Mother, boy do I hear you…. At 55, your mother is exactly the age that the Eskimos put their "ancient ones" on an ice floe and push them out to sea–just to solve problems … Continue reading →

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Mystery photo

Posted on March 11, 2008 by lmharnisch

Los Angeles Examiner Negatives Collection in the the Regional History Collection of USC Libraries OK, who are they? Jerry Geisler and Lana Turner? (Chris Morales and Mike Mynahan). Yep, they were easy. Now for the fun part: Who are the … Continue reading →

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March 11, 1958

Posted on March 11, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, an early column by Jack Smith. Click on the thumbnail for the entire story … Below, meat prices are going up by 3 cents to 21 cents a pound (22 cents to $1.53 USD 2007) … The U.S. will … Continue reading →

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March 11, 1938

Posted on March 11, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, The Times not only identified a woman who says she was the victim of an attack (notice how we tiptoe around the word "rape"), we even ran her picture. Even though I knew newspapers used to do identify rape … Continue reading →

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March 11, 1908: Masked Night Riders Terrorize Blacks

Posted on March 10, 2008 by lmharnisch

Below, 100 masked night riders shoot and whip African Americans in Birmingham, Ky. …  A man is arrested after a fight over a woman turns deadly …  And there’s pandemonium in prices at Bukowski Square, courtesy of Overell’s.

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Matt Weinstock

Posted on March 10, 2008 by lmharnisch

March 10, 1958 In the dark days of the Depression of the 1930s, Police Chief James E. Davis deployed 40 L.A. policemen to the Arizona state line to turn back the stream of jobless people heading for California. The rumor … Continue reading →

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Paul Coates

Posted on March 10, 2008 by lmharnisch

March 10, 1958 He’s a character actor. In movie circles his name is well known, and if I told it to you you’d probably say it sounded familiar. But he’d prefer that I didn’t use it. He’s suffered enough embarrassment … Continue reading →

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Videotape

Posted on March 10, 2008 by lmharnisch

April 28, 1958Los Angeles As The Times noted in November 1957, NBC planned to introduce videotaped programs with the switch to daylight saving time. Although the time switch didn’t occur until April 27 in 1958, we have already rolled the … Continue reading →

Posted in broadcasting, Hollywood, Television | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dear Abby

Posted on March 10, 2008 by lmharnisch

March 10, 1968 Dear Disenchanted … I’m going to take the high road here. I could say a lot of cynical, petty things by channeling Al Bundy, but that wouldn’t solve anything … OK, you can dump her and end … Continue reading →

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March 10, 1958

Posted on March 10, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, yes, it’s William Peter Blatty, author of "The Exorcist," writing about the Middle East. In fact, he was in the U.S. Foreign Service and stationed in Beirut … Below, attempts to control air pollution in California … Mamie Eisenhower … Continue reading →

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March 10, 1938

Posted on March 10, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, two more movies that are not on Netflix … Below, Mayor Frank Shaw dismisses the recall campaign as the work of "New York vice lords" who are trying to take over the city … Please don’t pick the wildflowers … Continue reading →

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