Category Archives: 1959

January 22, 1959: ‘Our Gang’ Star Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer Dies in Fight Over $50

Posted on January 22, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 22, 1959: Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer dies in a fight over $50. Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Baseball, Crime and Courts, Dodgers, Film, Hollywood, Keith Thursby, LAPD, Obituaries | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

January 21, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on January 21, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 21, 1959: Matt Weinstock tells of a Russian speaker who had her own thoughts about the recent visit of Anastas Mikoyan. And Weinstock has the story of another elaborate party prank. Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Columnists, Matt Weinstock | Leave a comment

January 21, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 21, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 21, 1959: Paul Coates has the story of a boy who received a mail solicitation for a package of nude photos, and a model who did some pinup photos and a recording that a jury deemed “obscene.” Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Columnists, Paul Coates | Leave a comment

January 16, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on January 16, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 16, 1959: Matt Weinstock recounts the war story of a wounded sailor, expected to die, who was revived by a glass of brandy from a nurse. Continue reading →

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January 16, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 16, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 16, 1959: Paul Coates on the story of Butch Harris, who was refused admission to the Cub Scouts because he was Black. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1959, Columnists, Countdown to Watts, Freeways, Paul Coates | Comments Off on January 16, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

January 14, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 14, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 14, 1959: Paul Coates has an update on three boys, the oldest age 10, who killed their father as he slept. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1959, Columnists, Homicide, Paul Coates | Comments Off on January 14, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

January 7, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on January 7, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 7, 1959: A group of grimly playful fellows at USC have changed their names from Asthmatics Anonymous to Asthmatics Militant, bringing a report from Detroit about the new Flatulente Four Fifty auto, Matt Weinstock says. Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Columnists, Environment, Freeways, Matt Weinstock, Transportation | Comments Off on January 7, 1959: Matt Weinstock

January 7, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 7, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 7, 1959: Tiger Small steals toupees, but it’s only a sideline Paul Coates writes. Small stole his first toupee as a favor for a chorus girl and it took off from there. Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Columnists, Paul Coates | Comments Off on January 7, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

January 5, 1959: LAPD Suspends Officer for – Uh-Oh

Posted on January 5, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 5, 1959: The LAPD suspends Officer Charles Wolf for 15 days for — no, he didn’t! (Yes, he did). Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, City Hall, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Libraries | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on January 5, 1959: LAPD Suspends Officer for – Uh-Oh

January 1, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on January 1, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 1, 1959: Matt Weinstock looks at the origins of the “little old lady from Pasadena.” Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Columnists, Downtown, LAPD, Matt Weinstock | Comments Off on January 1, 1959: Matt Weinstock

January 1, 1959: Paul Coates — Confidential File

Posted on January 1, 2026 by lmharnisch

January 1, 1959: Paul Coates looks back at some of his major stories of 1958, including new evidence that won a reprieve from the gas chamber for Remmel Wayne Brice. Continue reading →

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

December 31, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on December 31, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 31, 1959: Publicist Doris Hellman has taken over the job of returning abandoned shopping carts to the five stores in her neighborhood, Matt Weinstock says. Continue reading →

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December 17, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on December 17, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 17, 1959: Paul Coates looks at the estimated 3,000 members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are missing in the Korean War. Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Columnists, Front Pages, Homicide, Paul Coates, Richard Nixon | Comments Off on December 17, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

December 11, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on December 11, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 11, 1959: Ida Gutierrez has a nightmare encounter with the legal system after a woman accuses her of “stealing” two sweaters that Gutierrez just bought. Why? “The police officer said derogatory things about Mexicans,” though she is from South America. Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Columnists, Food and Drink, LAPD, Matt Weinstock | 1 Comment

December 11, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on December 11, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 11, 1959: George Bergeman Jr., 24, commits suicide because he lost so much money gambling on pinball and Paul Coates has the story. Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Columnists, Paul Coates, Suicide | Comments Off on December 11, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

December 9, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on December 9, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 9, 1959: A reporter for Ici Paris is assigned an interview with Caryl Chessman, and Matt Weinstock has the story. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1959, art and artists, broadcasting, Caryl Chessman, Columnists, Comics, Matt Weinstock, Television | Comments Off on December 9, 1959: Matt Weinstock

December 4, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on December 4, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 4,1959: Matt Weinstock looks at the public relations industry’s attempts to improve its image. Continue reading →

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December 4, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on December 4, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 4, 1959: Paul Coates has the story of Roger “The Terrible” Touhy, Prohibition gangland boss who was finally released from prison. Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Columnists, Countdown to Watts, Mickey Cohen, Paul Coates | Comments Off on December 4, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

December 4, 1959: Mickey Cohen Arrested

Posted on December 4, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 4, 1959: Mickey Cohen is arrested in the cafe slaying of Jack “The Enforcer” Whalen. Cohen is a “perfect gentleman,” says companion Sandy Hashagen, 18. Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Front Pages, Mickey Cohen | Comments Off on December 4, 1959: Mickey Cohen Arrested

December 1, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on December 1, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 1, 1959: Matt Weinstock writes about Los Angeles Times columnist Lee Shippey and discusses Shippey’s blindness. Continue reading →

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