Category Archives: 1947

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

In Which a Ghostly Visitor Returns

Posted on March 15, 2007 by lmharnisch

March 15, 2007Los Angeles “Well, dear boy, I suppose you thought you were through.” “Yes, I did.” “And?” “Good grief! Do you see this bridge over the Gold Line? It looks like it’s held up with hairpins and spit!” “Saliva, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Comics, Education, Immigration, LAPD, Streetcars, Theaters, Transportation | Tagged | Comments Off on In Which a Ghostly Visitor Returns

In-Cred-I-Ble

Posted on February 13, 2007 by lmharnisch

A large (20×30) reproduction of Elizabeth Short’s mug shot has appeared on EBay at a starting price of $250, or $400 under “buy it now” in an auction by mermaidfx. The word “rare” is ridiculously common on EBay, surpassed only … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on In-Cred-I-Ble

Blogging the Wolfe Book, Our Story So Far

Posted on February 8, 2007 by lmharnisch

Larry Harnisch (described by James Ellroy as a Dahlia scholar/Dahlia freak, take your pick) is blogging in real time as he reads Donald H. Wolfe’s “The Black Dahlia Files: The Mob, the Mogul and the Murder That Transfixed Los Angeles.” … Continue reading →

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

Why Doesn’t L.A. Do Something About Traffic?

Posted on January 27, 2007 by lmharnisch

Jan. 27, 1907Los Angeles One thing you can say about Angelenos: We love to talk about traffic. The only thing we love more is to commission studies and draft plans to deal with the problem, and then ignore them. “With … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Downtown, Freeways, Hollywood, LAPD, Streetcars | Comments Off on Why Doesn’t L.A. Do Something About Traffic?

Also on EBay

Posted on January 16, 2007 by lmharnisch

Jan. 16, 2007 Sfxarchive is selling a 4- by 5-inch negative ostensibly from the Black Dahlia case. I don’t recognize any of these individuals, nor have I ever seen the image. It doesn’t show any of the main suspects, nor … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

In Cred I Ble

Posted on January 13, 2007 by lmharnisch

The sale of 1940s mug shots, including one of Elizabeth Short, sold Jan. 12, 2007, for $1,802.77 (more than $78 per picture) to phenomaly. Although EBay now conceals bidders’ identities, we can see that the next highest bid was $1,777.77. … Continue reading →

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

For Sale on EBay

Posted on January 3, 2007 by lmharnisch

“escalante_sandy” is offering an original mug shot of Elizabeth Short, with bidding starting at $50. The seller says this mug shot, among a lot of 23 photos, belonged to a retired detective and is not a reproduction, a claim that … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on For Sale on EBay

Adios Judy!

Posted on December 16, 2006 by lmharnisch

Judith Regan, the publisher of Donald H. Wolfe’s “The Black Dahlia Files,” has found a way to make Page 1 of The Times: Get fired by HarperCollins. (The New York Times story is here.) I’m trying not to gloat. But … 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 , , , , , , | Comments Off on Adios Judy!

Note to "Dahlia Avenger" Fans

Posted on December 7, 2006 by lmharnisch

Here’s a publicity still of “Maddy” Comfort from “Kiss Me Deadly” for sale on EBay. Her name is also spelled “Mattie” and “Mady.”Comfort is referred to in the Los Angeles County district attorney’s files on George Hodel. Investigators checking on … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Found on EBay, Homicide, LAPD, Streetcars | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Nathan and I

Posted on November 30, 2006 by lmharnisch

Nov. 30, 2006Los AngelesI don’t think anyone who knows both of us will ever confuse me with Nathan Marask; certainly not when it comes to architectural photography. In fact, I don’t really do architectural photography. I take snapshots of buildings—and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Architecture, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Freeways, Hollywood, LAPD, Pasadena, Photography, Streetcars | Comments Off on Nathan and I

1423 S. Van Ness

Posted on November 16, 2006 by lmharnisch

As promised, here are views of the home of Mrs. E.N. Eskey, featured in The Times in 1907. Note the damaged chimney, presumably the victim of seismic Darwinism. And as a bonus, here’s the home of Igor Stravinsky, which I … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Hollywood, LAPD, Streetcars | Comments Off on 1423 S. Van Ness

Bob Belden, Black Dahlia, "Genesis"

Posted on October 1, 2006 by lmharnisch
Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Bob Belden, Black Dahlia, "Genesis"

Bob Belden, Black Dahlia

Posted on October 1, 2006 by lmharnisch
Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Bob Belden, Black Dahlia

Brian De Palma’s ‘The Black Dahlia’

Posted on September 14, 2006 by lmharnisch

“The Black Dahlia,” directed by Brian De Palma, screenplay by Josh Friedman based on the novel by James Ellroy. Starring Josh Hartnett (Dwight “Bucky” Bleichert), Aaron Eckhart (Leeland “Lee” Blanchard), Scarlett Johansson (Kay Lake), Hillary Swank (Madeleine Linscott) and Mia … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Uncategorized, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments