Category Archives: Another Good Story Ruined

Black Dahlia: Blogging ‘Black Dahlia Files’ Part 77 — Request Line XII

Posted on April 18, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. I have ceased blogging in real time as I read Donald H. Wolfe’s “The Black Dahlia Files: The Mob, the Mogul and the Murder That Transfixed Los Angeles.” Wolfe uses the “Laura” … 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, Uncategorized | Tagged 1947, black dahlia, Books and Authors, cold cases, crime and courts, Donald H. Wolfe | Comments Off

Black Dahlia: Blogging ‘Black Dahlia Files’ Part 76 — Request Line XI

Posted on April 17, 2018 by lmharnisch

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Columnists, Crime and Courts, Donald Wolfe, History, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Uncategorized | Tagged 1947, black dahlia, Books and Authors, cold cases, crime and courts, Donald H. Wolfe, lapd | Comments Off

Black Dahlia: Blogging ‘Black Dahlia Files’ Part 75 — Request Line X

Posted on April 16, 2018 by lmharnisch

Black Dahlia: Blogging ‘Black Dahlia Files’ Part 74 —The Old Spuriousity Shoppe

Posted on April 15, 2018 by lmharnisch

Black Dahlia: Blogging ‘Black Dahlia Files’ Part 73 — The Mailbox

Posted on April 15, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. I still haven’t received an answer. —– Forwarded Message —- From: Larry Harnisch To: DHWolfe1213@aol.com Sent: Friday, April 14, 2006 8:51:13 AM Subject: The “D” Memorandum Hi Don old pal, Long time … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Donald Wolfe, Homicide, LAPD, Uncategorized | Tagged black dahlia, cold cases, crime and courts, donald wolfe, lapd | Comments Off

Black Dahlia: Some Rando Stripper, Not Elizabeth Short, in EBay Photos Listed at $3,000

Posted on February 20, 2018 by lmharnisch

A vendor on EBay has listed old pictures of some rando stripper as Elizabeth Short for $3,000. No really. I mean seriously? The description doesn’t hedge a bit – like saying photos that *might* be Elizabeth Short or photos that … Continue reading →

Posted in 1945, 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Found on EBay, LAPD, Photography | Tagged #EBay, 1945, 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, black dahlia, photographs, rando stripper | 5 Comments

New York City’s Homicide Rate – And a Lesson in Using FBI Uniform Crime Reports

Posted on December 28, 2017 by lmharnisch

Actually, no. Ashley Southall of the New York Times has it wrong in saying that the current homicide rate of 286 is “the lowest since reliable records have been kept.” We can say this because the FBI Uniform Crime Reports … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940, Another Good Story Ruined, Crime and Courts, Homicide | Tagged #FBI, 1940, crime and courts, homicide, Uniform Crime Reports | Comments Off

Another Good Story Ruined: Vintage Los Angeles and a Woolworth’s Lunch Counter

Posted on December 28, 2017 by lmharnisch

No. This is not a picture of the longest lunch counter in the world at the Woolworth’s in downtown Los Angeles. This is a file photo published by the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot in 2010 on the 50th anniversary of lunch counter … Continue reading →

Posted in 1960, Another Good Story Ruined, Philadelphia, Photography | Tagged 1960, Another Good Story Ruined, Vintage Los Angeles | 2 Comments

Black Dahlia: The Formosa Cafe and Another Good Story Ruined

Posted on December 20, 2017 by lmharnisch

My inbox exploded this morning with alerts about the Black Dahlia and links leading to an essay in the Los Angeles Times by David Ulin, writing about the Formosa Cafe (which he calls “the Formosa” – a gaffe nobody bothered … Continue reading →

Posted in 1943, 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Food and Drink, LAPD | Tagged 1943, 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, black dahlia, Elizabeth Short, Formosa Cafe, lapd, unsolved murders | Comments Off

Black Dahlia: The Biltmore Hotel, Ghost Hunting and Another Good Story Ruined

Posted on October 31, 2017 by lmharnisch

I think we have found one presumably young and aspiring reporter who apparently believes in doing absolutely no research whatsoever.

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged #Pershing Square, 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Biltmore Hotel, black dahlia, cold cases, Daily Trojan | 6 Comments

Another Good Story Ruined: Gen. Otis’ ‘Death Car’ Rides Again

Posted on September 24, 2017 by lmharnisch

Photo: Times President Gen. Harrison Gray Otis. Credit: Press Reference Library, 1912 Evidently the folks at Esotouric (nee “The Crime Bus”) have neglected their homework when it comes to the bombing of The Times, judging by a recent story. Which … Continue reading →

Posted in Another Good Story Ruined, Books and Authors, Downtown, History, Libraries | Tagged #la, #Times, books | 3 Comments

‘Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood’ at the Toronto Film Festival – Oh Dear

Posted on September 8, 2017 by lmharnisch

Scotty Bowers, author of the b.s.-laden book “Full Service,” is the subject of a “documentary” (cough, cough) by Matt Tyrnauer. Image courtesy of the Vanity Fair, which really ought to know better. This is Scotty Bowers, who wrote a heaping … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, Another Good Story Ruined, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood | Tagged #Full Service, #Scotty Bowers, 2012, Another Good Story Ruined, film, hollywood, Toronto Film Festival | 7 Comments

Google Fail: This Woman Is Not Tabitha Babbitt

Posted on March 7, 2017 by lmharnisch

Does this woman look like a Quaker who died in the 19th century? Probably not. But Google thinks so. Here’s the story.

Posted in Another Good Story Ruined | Tagged #google, Another Good Story Ruined | 2 Comments

Black Dahlia: Remembering ‘Severed’ Con Man John Gilmore

Posted on February 17, 2017 by lmharnisch

I promised I would tell a few tales about the late John Gilmore, author of “Severed.” It’s on L.A. Review of Books. (Though prone to exaggeration, Gilmore actually had a few small roles as an actor, including this 1960 appearance … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, 2016, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Hollywood, Obituaries, Television | Tagged 1947, black dahlia, hollywood, John Gilmore, Steve Hodel, Television | 3 Comments

Black Dahlia and the Hotel Cecil: L.A.’s Noir Folklore

Posted on November 17, 2016 by lmharnisch

The Guardian has jumped into it again with the Black Dahlia case, finding that it can’t resist the yarn about Elizabeth Short “rumored to have had her last drink at the hotel bar.” The Guardian, in case you don’t recall, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, LAPD | 10 Comments

Black Dahlia: Dr. George Hodel, Here We Go Again

Posted on May 28, 2016 by lmharnisch

The latest on Steve Hodel’s allegations, in the Guardian. There are several thousand things I would rather do that poke holes in Steve Hodel’s “theories” once again. As long-time readers know, I have been fact-checking Steve Hodel’s “case” against his … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, black dahlia, George Hodel, lapd, Steve Hodel | 8 Comments

Harry Houdini: An Interview by Marcet Haldeman-Julius, October 1925

Posted on March 24, 2016 by lmharnisch

Note: In honor of Harry Houdini’s birthday, we are reposting this interview from 1925. We have been collecting issues of Haldeman-Julius Monthly for several years, but one issue was particularly elusive: The October 1925 number featuring an interview with Harry … Continue reading →

Posted in 1925, Another Good Story Ruined, From the Stacks | Tagged 1925, From the Stacks, Haldeman-Julius, Harry Houdini | Comments Off

Samuel Steward and Rudolph Valentino: Another Good Story Ruined

Posted on December 22, 2015 by lmharnisch

I may have retired, but I haven’t lost any of my annoyance over b.s. when it comes to historical figures. The case in point is today’s review in the New York Times by Jennifer Senior of “Philip Sparrow Tells All,” … Continue reading →

Posted in 1926, Another Good Story Ruined, Film, Hollywood | Tagged #Scotty Bowers, #Valentino, 1926, film, hollywood | 1 Comment

Black Dahlia: Portrait of ‘Not Elizabeth Short’ for Sale on EBay

Posted on August 18, 2015 by lmharnisch

An EBay vendor has listed this portrait by Eleanor Merriam Lukits, stating that it “looks like Black Dahlia Elizabeth Short.” Actually, no. The work appears to be skillfully done, but it’s not Elizabeth Short and doesn’t look like her. But … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Found on EBay | Tagged #EBay, 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, black dahlia | 3 Comments

Another Good Story Ruined: The L.A. Times and the Watts Riots

Posted on August 4, 2015 by lmharnisch

Myth destroyed: The Times publishes a photo Aug. 13, 1965 of Charles Hillinger in the riot area interviewing people. As next week’s anniversary of the Watts Riots draws near, I am once again hearing the old urban myth that the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1965, African Americans, Another Good Story Ruined, LAPD | Tagged #Los Angeles Times, 1965, Another Good Story Ruined, Charles Hillinger, Watts Riots | 2 Comments