Category Archives: 1947

Found on EBay – Clifton’s Pacific Seas

Posted on November 3, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: 618 S. Olive via Google’s Street View. This postcard of Clifton’s Pacific Seas (d. 1960), postmarked 1947, has been listed on EBay. The Pacific Seas was at 618 S. Olive and was torn down to make – a parking … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, 1960, Downtown, Found on EBay, Interior Design, Nightclubs, Preservation | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Found on EBay – ‘For the Life of Me’

Posted on October 24, 2011 by lmharnisch

A copy of Jim Richardson’s flawed autobiography “For the Life of Me” has been listed on EBay. Richardson was the notorious city editor of the Examiner who orchestrated its coverage of the Black Dahlia case. He was legendary for his … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Film, Found on EBay, Hollywood | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Black Dahlia Scavenger

Posted on October 18, 2011 by lmharnisch

“Black Dahlia Avenger” CSI forensics edition! I was in Vroman’s in Pasadena, my favorite independent bookstore, and when I wandered by the “true” crime section, I noticed that Steve Hodel’s “Black Dahlia Avenger” was – rather quaintly, I thought — … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Found on EBay – ‘Thicker’n Thieves’

Posted on September 22, 2011 by lmharnisch

Every so often, Charles Stoker’s “Thicker’n Thieves shows up on EBay for way too much money. There was a time when you could pick up a copy for $8 or $10 in almost any used book store in Los Angeles … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Found on EBay, LAPD | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Found on EBay – ‘Thicker’n Thieves’

Ray Bradbury — Newsboy

Posted on August 22, 2011 by lmharnisch

June 27, 1947: Ray Bradbury, who once sold newspapers at Olympic and Norton, publishes “Dark Carnival,” a book of short stories.

Posted in 1947, Books and Authors | Tagged | 3 Comments

Voices: Police Capt. Ed Jokisch, 1914 – 2011, Part 2

Posted on August 14, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: Capt. Ed Jokisch. Credit: Jokisch family   This is Part 2 of my interview with the late Ed Jokisch.

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Obituaries, World War II | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

#art, #black dahlia, #books, #courts, #crime, #history, #railroads, 8|10|2011

Posted on August 10, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: BMW M1. Credit: Bonhams A BMW M1 painted by Frank Stella is being auctioned at the Quail Lodge Sale, Aug. 18-19, in Carmel. The BWM belonged to racecar driver Peter Gregg, who committed suicide after an accident left him … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, History, Motorsports, Museums, Politics, Transportation, Washington | 2 Comments

Time Traveling With the L.A. Daily Mirror [Updated]

Posted on July 20, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: Pier Angeli and friend with a reminder on Daylight Saving Time, 1958 I decided to import my old lmharnisch blog, devoted mainly to dissecting “The Black Dahlia Files” by Donald “Fake Document” Wolfe. Now there are posts going back … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, 2008, 2009, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Donald Wolfe, Film, History, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Photography | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Bill James’ ‘Popular Crime’: Another Good Story Ruined

Posted on July 19, 2011 by lmharnisch

I have procrastinated about looking at Bill James’ “Popular Crime” because, as curious as it may seem, I don’t care much for “true” crime books. Even when they are well done (which is almost never) the subject matter is depressing … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Donald Wolfe, History, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

The FBI Thins Its Files

Posted on July 6, 2011 by lmharnisch

I had the strangest experience Saturday when I was going through Ernest Hemingway’s FBI file. I was sure the buro had posted Louis Armstrong’s dossier — it’s brief and not terribly interesting except for the fact that it exists. Or … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, African Americans, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, History, Homicide, LAPD, Libraries | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The FBI Thins Its Files

‘Zoot Suit’ and history – Part 1

Posted on June 27, 2011 by lmharnisch

I was extremely fortunate to attend Wednesday night’s showing of “Zoot Suit” and hear remarks by the panel that preceded the show. Betto Arcos moderated a session with director Luis Valdez, Rose Portillo (Della), Edward James Olmos (El Pachuco) and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, 1943, 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Fashion, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Latinos, Music, Stage, Theaters, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Immigrants Overwhelm San Diego!

Posted on June 13, 2011 by lmharnisch

San Diego has everything a family might want: A moderate climate and jobs in the expanding defense industries. But there’s no place to live.  Rep. John H. Tolan (D-Oakland) is holding hearings in San Diego on the plight of migrants … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Environment, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Immigration, LAPD, San Diego, Transportation, World War II | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Found on EBay – 1947 Thomas Bros. Guide

Posted on May 17, 2011 by lmharnisch

       A 1947 Thomas Bros. guide has been listed on EBay. These are terrific resources (the Daily Mirror HQ has a small collection of them) showing what Los Angeles looked like before freeways. The guides also include streetcar … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Found on EBay, Freeways, Transportation | Comments Off on Found on EBay – 1947 Thomas Bros. Guide

Another Good Story Ruined — The Black Dahlia

Posted on May 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

    The Black Dahlia has become so thoroughly transformed into a myth about what happens to nice, small-town girls in big, bad Hollywood  (“achieving in death the fame that eluded her in life”) that it’s almost impossible to write … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, books, Crime and Courts | 4 Comments

Last Showing of ‘Heaven Is Here!’

Posted on April 19, 2011 by lmharnisch

  http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-382479120564900203&hl=en&fs=true   Google has announced that it will be removing its uploaded videos on April 29. I made this little movie about the Black Dahlia case four years ago and at 21 minutes, it's too long to upload anywhere … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1947, Crime and Courts, Film, LAPD | 3 Comments

Architectural Ramblings — The Sowden House

Posted on March 20, 2011 by lmharnisch

      Drawing by Charles Owens/Los Angeles Times   The Sowden House by architect Lloyd Wright at 5121 Franklin Ave. is on the market for $4.2 million. You may recall that this was the purported murder HQ of Dr. … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1947, Architecture, art and artists, books, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Nuestro Pueblo, Real Estate | 1 Comment

From the Vaults — ’13 Rue Madeleine’

Posted on March 18, 2011 by lmharnisch

        Robert “Bob” Sharkey (James Cagney) and Charles Gibson (Walter Abel) discuss the incoming class of American secret agents in “13 Rue Madeleine.”  One of their students is a Nazi spy! After a longwinded exposition, the 1947 … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Film, From the Vaults, Hollywood | 1 Comment

Another Good Story Ruined — The Black Dahlia

Posted on March 15, 2011 by lmharnisch

I received a news alert the other day about an upcoming play titled “The Chanteuse and the Devil’s Muse” in which Daniele Watts will portray Mady Comfort, at left, purportedly “Elizabeth Short's best friend.” I honestly don’t know how such … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, books, Coming Attractions, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Stage | 6 Comments

The Black Dahlia — Another Good Story Ruined

Posted on January 5, 2011 by lmharnisch

he anniversary of Elizabeth Short’s killing is Jan. 15, so I thought I would try to anticipate the annual rehash of fiction and mistakes with a post commenting on potential sources on the 1947 case.  People often ask me which … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, books, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | 6 Comments

Santa Claus Is No Ordinary Man!

Posted on December 23, 2010 by lmharnisch

    Dec. 23, 1960: Take that, Sluggo, you gender-stereotyping clod! On the jump, a “legless World War II veteran” is charged with having 250 reels of stag films…. Jack Smith goes Christmas shopping and finds his fellow human beings … Continue reading →

Posted in #games, 1947, 1957, 1960, art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Jack Smith, LAPD, Religion | 1 Comment