Author Archives: lmharnisch

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

Phil Rizzuto–MVP

Posted on August 14, 2007 by lmharnisch

Los Angeles Times, Oct. 27, 1950

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It’s called a Volkswagen

Posted on August 14, 2007 by lmharnisch

Fuel efficiency in the 1950s.

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Womanpower

Posted on August 14, 2007 by lmharnisch

  I’m always interested in what working women–in this case a group of women writers–have to say about other working women. I wasn’t surprised to find some attitudes that are outmoded today and I’ll try not to judge the stories … Continue reading →

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You Have Got to Be Kidding Me

Posted on August 14, 2007 by lmharnisch

Aug. 15, 1957Los Angeles

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Paul Coates

Posted on August 13, 2007 by lmharnisch

Aug. 13, 1957 SUBJECT’S NAME–Jack Pearson. SUBJECT’S DESCRIPTION–Age, 41. Height, approximately 6 feet. Probably husky build. Blue eyes. Dark, possibly graying hair. Fingers of both hands, once frozen during childhood, have slight twist. Any person with information as to subject’s … Continue reading →

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The want ads

Posted on August 13, 2007 by lmharnisch

Aug. 13, 1957 Los Angeles Swedish massages, photo models (they even provide the camera) and lots of lonely people. Take a look at the Daily Mirror’s personals (click on the image for the full listings):

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The saga of Long Sam

Posted on August 13, 2007 by lmharnisch

Aug. 4-12, 1957Mooresville, N.C. A reporter and a photographer from a small North Carolina weekly were hacking their way through the woods along the Catawba River for a story about a hydroelectric project when they came to a clearing and … Continue reading →

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Jean Spangler

Posted on August 12, 2007 by lmharnisch

  I was listening to the prayers of the people during today’s church service and was shocked to hear "Jean Spangler"  among the names. I told myself it could be a coincidence. Maybe it was someone else named Jean Spangler, … Continue reading →

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Four-time loser

Posted on August 12, 2007 by lmharnisch

Aug. 12, 1957Los Angeles John Gordon Fawcett, 42, had enough. His last three marriages had ended with his wives getting boyfriends and so when he found his fourth wife in the bedroom with another man…. “This happens every time,” he … Continue reading →

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Literary diversions

Posted on August 11, 2007 by lmharnisch

Aldous Huxley, July 20, 1952

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King/Drew–1975

Posted on August 11, 2007 by lmharnisch

"Horror stories implying neglect and incompetence, especially by nursing personnel, are heard regularly." "We all came with such high hopes. Can we provide high-quality healthcare in the ghetto? I’m not sure. It’s very spotty so far." "I have never seen … Continue reading →

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Inklings of Camelot

Posted on August 11, 2007 by lmharnisch

Aug. 11, 1957 Princeton, N.J. I’ve intentionally avoided politics so far, but hindsight is a wonderful way to judge 50-year-old attempts to forecast the future, in this case, the 1960 presidential election. Let’s see how George Gallup did with the … Continue reading →

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The Nielsens–add 1

Posted on August 10, 2007 by lmharnisch

What was "Gunsmoke?" Oh don’t do this to me. OK, kids. "Gunsmoke" was an incredibly popular TV show that went off the air in . . . 1975. (What? Could this be right?  Surely it wasn’t that long ago). It … Continue reading →

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Confidential: Tells the Facts and Names the Names

Posted on August 10, 2007 by lmharnisch

Aug. 10-15, 1957 Los Angeles In testimony that was at times as colorful as its red and yellow covers, the Confidential magazine trial continued with an appearance by its former editor in proceedings that were all the more interesting because … Continue reading →

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The Nielsens

Posted on August 9, 2007 by lmharnisch

Aug. 9, 1957 Los Angeles Top shows for the first two weeks of July 1957: "Gunsmoke" "The Ed Sullivan Show" "The $64,000 Question" "I’ve Got a Secret" "Playhouse 90" "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (reruns) "The Lineup" (reruns) "20th Century-Fox Hour" "What’s … Continue reading →

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Immigration and labor notes

Posted on August 9, 2007 by lmharnisch

Aug. 9, 1957 Los Angeles The Times ran a series of brief stories in 1957 on the braceros, workers brought from Mexico to the U.S. In January, it noted that 460,000 to 470,000 braceros would be working in the U.S. … Continue reading →

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Fashion notes

Posted on August 8, 2007 by lmharnisch

Aug. 8, 1957Los Angeles Los Angeles men: You’re slobs, surpassed only by your male counterparts in Houston and Fort Worth. You should let your wives pick out your clothes, or so says Francis DeWitt Pratt of the American Institute of … Continue reading →

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Confidential: Tells the Facts and Names the Names

Posted on August 8, 2007 by lmharnisch

  Aug. 8, 1957 Los Angeles Prosecutors opened the case against Confidential and Whisper by charging that the magazines used prostitutes to lure movies stars into compromising situations and published the incidents in scandalous articles. The magazines, Publishers Distributing Corp. … Continue reading →

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Hal Fishman–1970

Posted on August 7, 2007 by lmharnisch

Nov. 8, 1970, Los Angeles Times

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Oliver Hardy dies

Posted on August 7, 2007 by lmharnisch

The world mourns one of film’s greatest comedians, Oliver Hardy, who died in North Hollywood on Aug. 7, 1957. He was 65. Part 1 Part 2 The Mirror, Page 1 (Note the price of gas, 23.9 cents a gallon, is … Continue reading →

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