Category Archives: 1959

Jan. 8, 1959: Paul Coates Confidential File – Wife Tells of Mate Who Died, and Lived

Posted on January 8, 2019 by lmharnisch

Note: This column originally appeared in the L.A. Mirror in 1959 and was republished on latimes.com in 2009.  Also at Archive.org..

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Jan. 7, 1959: Matt Weinstock ‘News From Detroit’

Posted on January 7, 2019 by lmharnisch

A group of grimly playful fellows at SC who call themselves Asthmatics Anonymous advise that at a raw-lunged meeting in the basement which serves as headquarters they have regrouped as Asthmatics Militant. First move was to change the association’s motto … Continue reading →

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Jan. 7, 1959: Paul Coates — Stolen Toupees, a New Kind of Hair Loss

Posted on January 7, 2019 by lmharnisch

I don’t know what you do for kicks, but my friend Tiger Small snatches toupees. Not just anybody’s toupees, understand. The Tiger’s selective. He’s been working the Catskill-Manhattan-Miami circuit for years, dealing only with the best people. The cream of … Continue reading →

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Jan. 6, 1959: Matt Weinstock ‘Law Is Upheld’

Posted on January 6, 2019 by lmharnisch

A very upsetting ruling came down recently from Appellate Justice Paul Vallee. Shocked by the discovery that three men were held in jail for five days before being arraigned, he stated in an opinion, “It appears the police are permitted … Continue reading →

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Jan. 6, 1959: Paul Coates Confidential File – My Responsibilities as Your Reporter

Posted on January 6, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 6, 1959: Paul Coates writes about protecting his sources, citing the case of New York Herald Tribune writer Marie Torre, who was sentenced to 10 days in jail for refusing to reveal her source for a story about Judy … Continue reading →

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Jan. 6, 1959: Errol Flynn Wounded in Cuba!

Posted on January 6, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 6, 1959: Here’s a busy news day in 1959. Errol Flynn is wounded in the leg while “campaigning” with Fidel Castro. On the jump, Keith Thursby takes a look at The Times’ interview by Jeane Hoffman with Eleanor Gehrig. The … Continue reading →

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Jan. 5, 1959: Matt Weinstock ‘Men of Good Will’

Posted on January 5, 2019 by lmharnisch

Matt Weinstock was a master of stringing little vignettes into a column. He didn’t do major reporting, like Paul Coates, but had a nice, light touch and occasionally stirred the heartstrings of Los Angeles. He also delved into L.A. history … Continue reading →

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Jan. 5, 1959: Paul Coates Confidential File – Desmond Slattery Is Home

Posted on January 5, 2019 by lmharnisch

Along with Parkey Sharkey, Desmond Slattery was one of the colorful characters in Paul Coates columns.. The entire piece is here, via Archive.org.

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January 1959: Studio Exec Says They Would Have to Kill Him to Get Wallet – So They Did

Posted on January 5, 2019 by lmharnisch

Kenneth Savoy told holdup men “If you want my wallet, you’re going to have to kill me to get it.” So they did. The story of George Albert Scott and Curtis C. Lichtenwalter, who were robbing bars across Los Angeles. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jan. 4, 1959: Grocermat – The Supermarket of Tomorrow!

Posted on January 4, 2019 by lmharnisch

I love “futurism” stories like this one, featuring a 7-Eleven for the Jetsons.  In sports, football coach Earl “Curly” Lambeau says the split-T offense is dead. He also thinks college ball should put the goal posts back on the goal … Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, 2009, Futurism, Sports | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Jan. 3, 1959: Russia Winning Space Race! Bulla Leads L.A. Open!

Posted on January 3, 2019 by lmharnisch

The Soviets are winning the space race! Moral Re-Armament stages “Turning of the Tide” and “The New American!” French Foreign Legion rifles, only $9.88!  Johnny Bulla leads the L.A. Open! The entire post from the 2009 Daily Mirror via Archive.org.

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Jan. 2, 1959: Paul Coates ‘Repeal the Mann Act?’

Posted on January 2, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 2, 1959: Long before Nate Silver launched 538, Paul Coates was skeptical of polls and to prove his point formed his own polling concern: the Los Angeles Survey Institute. His question: “Do you think the Mann Act deters or … Continue reading →

Posted in 1959, 2009, Columnists, Paul Coates | 3 Comments

Jan. 2, 1959: Matt Weinstock ‘Reader’s Choice’

Posted on January 2, 2019 by lmharnisch

The old-school newspaper columnists were tough, writing six pieces a week. Six-day-a-week columnists like Matt Weinstock and Paul Coates took it easy by making their Saturday columns a roundup of readers’ letters. In those days, apparently, newspaper columnists received interesting … Continue reading →

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Jan. 1, 1959: Matt Weinstock, ‘Unsung Heroines’

Posted on January 1, 2019 by lmharnisch

The other joy of doing the Daily Mirror was reintroducing readers to the columns of Matt Weinstock, taken from the Mirror (d. 1962). Weinstock is remembered today for the 1947 book “My L.A.” (I have enough copies, thank you), which … Continue reading →

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Jan. 1, 1959: Paul Coates, Confidential File ‘Looking Back at ‘58; Looking Ahead to ‘59’

Posted on January 1, 2019 by lmharnisch

One of my particular joys in doing the Daily Mirror at the Los Angeles Times was rerunning Paul Coates’ columns, which originally appeared in the Mirror (d. 1962). I was particularly fortunate to have several excellent interns who transcribed them. … Continue reading →

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July 20, 1947: Wealthy Woman Gives Estate – Including Homeless Camp -– to Santa Barbara

Posted on July 20, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. This was a follow-up to a post by Kim Cooper. Lillian Child died in 1951 at the age of 75, four years after setting up provisions … Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: A Concert Program Inscribed to ‘Betty Short’ … From 1959. Wut?

Posted on May 27, 2018 by lmharnisch

Here’s an opportunity to buy a program from a David Rubinoff performance that was inscribed to “Eva and Betty Short” … for $150 …

Posted in 1947, 1959, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Found on EBay | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Cecil B. DeMille – Big Man on Campus

Posted on January 30, 2017 by lmharnisch

  Cecil B. DeMille meets students who will attend DeMille Junior High School, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Sept. 9, 1956. Schools are often named after historic or famous figures that offer inspiration, hope, and good examples to students of that neighborhood … Continue reading →

Posted in 1956, 1959, Architecture, Education, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dalton Trumbo Praised by Hedda Hopper!

Posted on November 7, 2015 by lmharnisch

When I was doing the Daily Mirror at latimes.com, I wrote several posts on Dalton Trumbo, the subject of the new movie starring Bryan Cranston as the blacklisted screenwriter. Here are some links: Hedda Hopper praises Dalton Trumbo for “Kitty … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940, 1941, 1942, 1950, 1959, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Black Friday Special — An Aluminum Christmas Tree From 1959!

Posted on November 28, 2014 by lmharnisch

To all who long for a “kinder simpler time” and say that today’s retailers start their Christmas sales too early, here is the May Co. ad for aluminum Christmas trees, which was published Oct. 11, 1959, well before Halloween. (You … Continue reading →

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