Author Archives: lmharnisch

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About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times

I love to tell the story

Posted on April 20, 2007 by lmharnisch

  April 19, 1957 Los Angeles It seems incredible, but The Times never ran an obituary on Charles E. Fuller, who helped found Fuller Theological Seminary and was one of the pioneers of radio evangelism. Broadcasting live from the Long Beach … Continue reading →

Posted in 1957, broadcasting, Long Beach, Religion | Comments Off on I love to tell the story

Dear Mr. O’Malley

Posted on April 19, 2007 by lmharnisch

April 19, 1957 Los Angeles Dear Walter, We all know that the lease on Ebbets Field expires in 1959. How would you like a nice 78-acre parcel in Flushing Meadows, 12 miles from Midtown Manhattan, for the Dodgers? Forget this … Continue reading →

Posted in 1957, Dodgers, Downtown, Sports | Comments Off on Dear Mr. O’Malley

Confidential tells the facts and names the names

Posted on April 19, 2007 by lmharnisch

April 19, 1957 Los Angeles Jerry Giesler, one of the most prominent attorneys in Los Angeles, was chosen to lead the war against Confidential magazine during a meeting of the Beverly Hills Bar Assn. at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Giesler, … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Hollywood | Comments Off on Confidential tells the facts and names the names

This is your life

Posted on April 19, 2007 by lmharnisch

April 19, 1957 Los Angeles Your name is Jay. You are 55. You grew up in the San Fernando Valley–15224 Willard Way in Van Nuys, to be specific. You were adopted at birth by a couple named Strickland: Jane and … Continue reading →

Posted in Adoptions, San Fernando Valley | Comments Off on This is your life

You have got to be kidding me

Posted on April 18, 2007 by lmharnisch

  Tulsa buries a 1957 Plymouth in a time capsule. Email me

Posted in #video, 1957, Television | 2 Comments

Con game

Posted on April 18, 2007 by lmharnisch

April 18, 1957 Los Angeles By Matt Weinstock  Dist. Atty. William O. Weissich of Marin County has announced that he plans to ask all persons with access to San Quentin’s death row to take lie-detector tests to find out how … Continue reading →

Posted in 1957, Caryl Chessman, Columnists, Matt Weinstock | Comments Off on Con game

“My Father, My Son”

Posted on April 18, 2007 by lmharnisch

April 18, 1957 Los Angeles Someone at The Times had a sense of humor to place a story about a drunk driving case next to an ad for Southern Comfort. There really wasn’t much news to it, just the son … Continue reading →

Posted in 1957, Hollywood | Comments Off on “My Father, My Son”

Voices

Posted on April 17, 2007 by lmharnisch

Cliff Dektar was a copy boy for The Times in 1943. He worked for the Mirror from 1950 to 1956, when he left for ABC-TV. On Jan. 2, 1951, Photographer Bud Gray and I were working the overnight Mirror radio … Continue reading →

Posted in Hollywood Division, Mickey Cohen | Comments Off on Voices

A lack of curiosity

Posted on April 16, 2007 by lmharnisch

April 16, 1957 Los Angeles Everyone seems to be wondering what became of Evelyn–everyone except her husband, Leonard. The way he tells it, on May 8, 1955, they took a car for a test drive along Mulholland, came back to … Continue reading →

Posted in Homicide | Comments Off on A lack of curiosity

Like gonesville

Posted on April 15, 2007 by lmharnisch

Billie Holiday, 1957, “Fine and Mellow” Email me

Posted in #Jazz, #video | Comments Off on Like gonesville

The case of the new courthouse

Posted on April 15, 2007 by lmharnisch

April 15, 1957 Los Angeles The Times features the new courthouse rising at 1st Street and Hill in the Civic Center.  After cataloging  the materials (Italian  marble,  red granite from Texas  and ceramic veneer from Springfield, Calif.)  The  Times’ Ray … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown | Comments Off on The case of the new courthouse

Forest Lawn

Posted on April 14, 2007 by lmharnisch

Easter Sunday seemed like a good time to drive over to Forest Lawn and visit a few graves. I bought some flowers and went off to find Norma McCauley and Caren Lynn "Sande" Crabbe. The woman at the front gate … Continue reading →

Posted in Cemeteries, Forest Lawn | 1 Comment

Voices

Posted on April 13, 2007 by lmharnisch

          In 1957, saxophonist Dave Pell was the leader of the Dave Pell Octet, the house band at the Crescendo on the Sunset Strip. He recently reminisced about performing there with comedian Lenny Bruce. Pell performs once … Continue reading →

Posted in #Jazz, Mickey Cohen, Nightclubs, Sunset Strip | 5 Comments

The Wife-Saving House

Posted on April 13, 2007 by lmharnisch

April 13, 1957 Los Angeles By Larry Harnisch Step back with me for a moment to that 1950s home the McCauleys built, one of those futuristic places that practically took care of itself and just needed a little soap and … Continue reading →

Posted in Homicide | Comments Off on The Wife-Saving House

Strictly: Human Interest

Posted on April 13, 2007 by lmharnisch

April 8, 1957Los Angeles   Latin Holidayby Pepe Arciga Here's how the anguished voice of a stricken lady, Norberta Venegas, pleaded for what should not be perhaps a lost cause. This she said to me in hesitant Spanish: "Senor Arciga… … Continue reading →

Posted in 1957, Columnists, Pepe Arciga | Comments Off on Strictly: Human Interest

Silver Spoon

Posted on April 12, 2007 by lmharnisch

April 12, 1957Los Angeles  By Larry Harnisch Those who say you can never be too rich or too thin never heard of Caren Lynn Crabbe, the daughter of "Flash Gordon" star Buster Crabbe, a young woman of wealth and privilege … Continue reading →

Posted in anorexia, Forest Lawn | Comments Off on Silver Spoon

Look to the Skies!

Posted on April 11, 2007 by lmharnisch

April 11, 1957 Temple City By Larry Harnisch Early that morning, about 4:40 a.m., a sonic boom that was perhaps from some secret aircraft shook the San Gabriel Valley awake, setting off burglar alarms and breaking a window at 275 … Continue reading →

Posted in 1957, Temple City, UFOs | Comments Off on Look to the Skies!

The Education of Mrs. Snethen

Posted on April 10, 2007 by lmharnisch

April 10, 1957 Los Angeles By Larry Harnisch Mrs. Andrew Snethen, 39,  of Lakewood (remember this is the era when married women had no first names), a recent arrival from Omaha, Neb., had never been to downtown Los Angeles, had … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown | Comments Off on The Education of Mrs. Snethen

Smog Is a Four-Letter Word

Posted on April 10, 2007 by lmharnisch

Paul V. CoatesConfidential File April 10, 1957 And it is a comparatively new word in the American vocabulary. The 1953 Webster in my office defines smog as "a fog made heavier and darker by the smoke of a city." But … Continue reading →

Posted in 1957, Columnists, Environment, Paul Coates | Comments Off on Smog Is a Four-Letter Word

15 Minutes

Posted on April 9, 2007 by lmharnisch

April 9, 1957 Los Angeles By Larry Harnisch He was 4. His mother dressed him in a coat and tie, and took him to the airport. Out to the airplane. There were lots of people there. Men with cameras. A … Continue reading →

Posted in 1957 | Comments Off on 15 Minutes