Category Archives: 1958

Al Martinez, a Dying Boy and Some Peaches — A (Non) Christmas Story

Posted on December 25, 2017 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2015. Jim Romenesko, for those who aren’t in the news business, runs an essential blog that serves as a clearing house for information, gossip, bad headlines and assorted gaffes. A Jan. 6 post … Continue reading →

Posted in 1949, 1958, Books and Authors, Columnists | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Al Martinez, a Dying Boy and Some Peaches — A (Non) Christmas Story

Cafe Frankenstein, When a Cappuccino was 70 Cents

Posted on May 7, 2015 by lmharnisch

Here’s something truly awesome: A menu for the Cafe Frankenstein in Laguna Beach with artwork by Burt Shonberg, listed on EBay as Buy It Now for $125.  I wrote about Cafe Frankenstein in 2011 when a group of slides was … Continue reading →

Posted in 1958, Art & Artists, Food and Drink, Found on EBay | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Al Martinez, a Dying Boy and Some Peaches

Posted on January 14, 2015 by lmharnisch

Jim Romenesko, for those who aren’t in the news business, runs an essential blog that serves as a clearing house for information, gossip, bad headlines and assorted gaffes. A Jan. 6 post dealt with former Times columnist Al Martinez, who … Continue reading →

Posted in 1949, 1958, Books and Authors, Columnists | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Harvey Glatman: The Early Years — Part 2

Posted on January 3, 2014 by lmharnisch

Aug. 26, 1946: Harvey Glatman is arraigned on robbery charges in Albany, N.Y. When he was still a teenager, Harvey Glatman was already displaying the behavior that led to the deaths of three Southern California women in the 1950s and … Continue reading →

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Harvey Glatman: The Early Years — Part I

Posted on January 2, 2014 by lmharnisch

Aug. 27, 1946: Harvey Glatman in the Yonkers, N.Y., Herald Statesman. Whenever I am contacted by TV producers about appearing on a crime show, I always caution them that I’m a specialist not a generalist. I don’t do Sal Mineo, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1946, 1957, 1958, 1959, Crime and Courts, Homicide, Television | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Harvey Glatman: The Early Years — Part I

One Magazine From 1957 and 1958

Posted on September 20, 2013 by lmharnisch

What the vendor says are complete runs of the 1957 and 1958 issues of One magazine have been listed on EBay at $69.99 each. Individual issues often sell for $10-$20 or more, so this is actually a deal – if … Continue reading →

Posted in 1957, 1958, Books and Authors, Found on EBay, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

‘Gangster Squad’: Fail — Part 3

Posted on May 16, 2013 by lmharnisch

In responding to my post on “Gangster Squad,” Earl Boebert raised the interesting question about whether officers used a one-handed or two-handed grip in the 1940s. For comparison, here’s a picture from Jack Webb’s “The Badge” (1958) showing LAPD cadets … Continue reading →

Posted in 1949, 1958, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | 9 Comments

Found on EBay: The Ma Duncan Trial

Posted on September 28, 2012 by lmharnisch

Rare (or r@re) is terribly overused on EBay, but this time it’s accurate. A LP from clandestine recordings made at the murder trial of Elizabeth “Ma” Duncan, has been listed. Bidding starts at $5. The Duncan case (she was convicted … Continue reading →

Posted in 1958, Found on EBay, Homicide | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Carl and Jerry Get a Kindle Fire

Posted on December 23, 2011 by lmharnisch

Gort: Tannenbaum baringa! Futurism in 1958. I bought a Kindle Fire a few days ago and since it arrived I’ve been thinking about John T. Frye W9EGV. Unless you are an electronics geek of a certain age, it’s likely you … Continue reading →

Posted in 1958, 1963, Books and Authors, Radio, Television | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Carl and Jerry Get a Kindle Fire

Coming Attractions: Cheryl Crane

Posted on September 13, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: Cheryl Crane and Lana Turner in court. Credit: Los Angeles Examiner collection, USC. April 5, 1958: Cheryl Crane is held in the death of Johnny Stompanato. Mary Mallory points out that Cheryl Crane will be discussing her new book, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1958, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Mike Wallace Interviews

Posted on August 20, 2011 by lmharnisch

I stumbled into a trove of interesting interviews by Mike Wallace that are online at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Austin at Texas. Here’s Wallace’s Aug. 25, 1957, interview with the notorious Freddie Otash, the former LAPD … Continue reading →

Posted in 1957, 1958, Film, Hollywood, Television | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

El Segundo Revisited

Posted on July 23, 2011 by lmharnisch

orman Frederick Gagnon looks like an excellent suspect in the unsolved killing of two El Segundo police officers last year. In an incident quite similar to the El Segundo case, Charles H. May and a female companion (The Times, fortunately, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1958, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide | Tagged , , | Comments Off on El Segundo Revisited

December 10,1958: White mothers bar black child from Cub Scouts

Posted on January 17, 2009 by lmharnisch

Who Wants to Kick Little Butch Harris? This is a personal column. Personal to a group of young mothers who probably consider themselves pretty typical American parents. They’re the mothers of 8, 9 and 10-year-old Cub Scouts in Thunderbird Pack … Continue reading →

Posted in 1958, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

January 1, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 1, 2009 by lmharnisch

Confidential File Looking Back at ’58; Looking Ahead to ’59 In this business, all years go by fast. But ’58, somehow, seemed to be out to break records. It just doesn’t seem like a year ago this week that I … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1958, 1959, Columnists, Paul Coates | Comments Off on January 1, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

December 2, 1958: Model stabbed, dumped off mountain highway

Posted on December 5, 2008 by lmharnisch

People v. Feasby (1960) 178 Cal.App.2d 723 [3 Cal.Rptr. 230] [Crim. No. 6783.Second Dist., Div. Three. Mar. 9, 1960.] THE PEOPLE, Respondent, v. GERALD BYRON FEASBY, Appellant. COUNSEL Ellery E. Cuff, Public Defender (Los Angeles), Richard S. Buckley and Richard … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1958, Courts, Crime and Courts, Front Pages, Homicide | Comments Off on December 2, 1958: Model stabbed, dumped off mountain highway

December 2, 1958: 90 die in Chicago school fire

Posted on December 2, 2008 by lmharnisch
Posted in 1958, @news, Front Pages | 2 Comments

November 30, 1958: Former deputy strangles wife, kills himself as police close in

Posted on November 30, 2008 by lmharnisch

This is one of those stories where I wouldn’t change a word. We can only speculate as to who the anonymous rewrite man was, but he did a first-class job. All I can say is the obvious, which is that … Continue reading →

Posted in 1958, Front Pages, Homicide, Suicide | Comments Off on November 30, 1958: Former deputy strangles wife, kills himself as police close in

November 20, 1958: Valley man killed with hammer

Posted on November 20, 2008 by lmharnisch

The crash of a Marine plane near El Toro derails the Santa Fe’s San Diegan, but no serious injuries are reported. Ernest E. Hargis, who had been a city ambulance driver for 20 years, is found beaten to death with … Continue reading →

Posted in 1958, Front Pages, Homicide | 1 Comment

November 18, 1958: Mickey Cohen pal back from the dead

Posted on November 18, 2008 by lmharnisch

Here’s an amusing little wrap-up of crime news: Mickey Cohen’s pal comes back from the dead and a minor actress figures in a major trial about drunk driving. It never ceases to amaze me how much publicity celebrities were willing … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1958, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, Mickey Cohen | Comments Off on November 18, 1958: Mickey Cohen pal back from the dead

Dog IQ test, August 10, 1958

Posted on August 10, 2008 by lmharnisch

How smart is your dog? Read the Gettysburg Address to your faithful friend and find out. No, I mean it! Answers below. No cheating, Princess!

Posted in #games, 1958, Animals, Front Pages | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments