Category Archives: Art & Artists

Hedy Lamarr’s Sarong: S’awright!

June 22, 1942: Hedda Hopper says: Joan Crawford got a mighty entertaining picture in “They All Kissed the Bride.” I’ve always liked Joan. She says, “I love being a star and everything that goes with it. I love the work, … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Comics, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Judge Cites ‘Right of Battle’ in Sentencing Conscientious Objector

June 16, 1942:  Robert Lee Allen is sentenced to five years in federal prison for refusing to enlist in the Army. Judge Jeremiah Neter, 80, noted that Allen had not used the available provisions to file for conscientious objector status … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Food and Drink, Music, Religion, Stage, World War II | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Mexican Workers Sought to Fill California’s Farm Labor Shortage

June 15, 1942:  The Japanese who operated farms have been evacuated to internment camps, many farm workers have taken defense jobs and still more have been drafted. So to get farm labor, California turns to …  guess where: Mexico! Times … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Comics, Immigration, World War II | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Gang Member Held in Shooting That Sparked Coliseum Riot

June 14, 1942:   Police arrest Oscar Fierro, 18, an alleged member of the East First Street Gang, in the shooting of Frank Torres, a purported member of the Clanton Street Gang, who was wounded in the head while leaving the … Continue reading

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Westlake Park Renamed in Tribute to Gen. MacArthur

June 13, 1942:Westlake Park is being renamed as part of the city’s observances to honor Gen. Douglas MacArthur, commemorating the day he entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Marines at Camp Elliott are shocked to see women … … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, City Hall, Comics, Parks, World War II | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Now Hiring: Douglas Aircraft of Santa Monica

June 12, 1942: The Douglas plant in Santa Monica is hiring men – and women! Betty Rowland, the Ball of Fire, is at the Follies Theatre. Lionel Atwill refuses to testify before the Los Angeles County Grand Jury about charges … Continue reading

Posted in 1941, 1942, Art & Artists, Aviation, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Theaters, Transportation | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

32 Taverns and Bars Declared Off-Limits

June 7, 1942: The Navy declares 32 bars and taverns off limits in Los Angeles. Most of them are on Main Street and East 5th with a few in Hollywood. The posts on the Zoot Suit Riots have more information … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Aviation, Comics, Food and Drink, Hollywood, World War II, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Doolittle Visits North American Plant, Praises Workers for Bombers Used in Tokyo Raid

June 2, 1942: In a visit to the North American aircraft plant, Brig. Gen. Jimmy Doolittle praises workers who built the bombers used in his raid on Tokyo. Otis W. Hall is accused of killing his estranged wife and sending … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Aviation, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Transportation, World War II | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Doolittle Visits North American Plant, Praises Workers for Bombers Used in Tokyo Raid

John Barrymore Dies at 60

May 30, 1942:  Actor John Barrymore, known as “the Great Profile,” dies at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital 10 days after collapsing during a rehearsal for Rudy Vallee’s radio program. He was 60 and was suffering from liver and kidney problems, plus … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Obituaries, Stage | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Louis B. Mayer, Clark Gable Lead in U.S. Salaries

May 29, 1942: The highest-paid executive in America is Louis B. Mayer, who earned $704,426.60 ($11,025,713.90 USD 2012) in 1941. The next-highest is Clark Gable, who earned $357,500 ($5,595,604.59 USD 2012) and Nicholas M. Schenck is third at $334,204.54 ($5,230,983.10 … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, World War II | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Met Takes Masterworks Off Display for the Duration

When Milton Caniff hasn’t filled up the panel with dialogue balloons – which is most of the time – he’s quite a dramatic artist. May 26, 1942: Edwin Schallert visits New York and writes about a promotional tour for “Yankee … Continue reading

Posted in Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Transportation, World War II | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Dark Side of Rosie the Riveter

May 25, 1942: Tom Treanor, who was killed covering World War II, visits a munitions factory and writes about women in the workplace. Interviewing a foreman, Treanor says: I asked him him how he stood it bossing 150 women doing … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Nuestro Pueblo, Tom Treanor, World War II | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Hollywood Notes

May 24, 1942: Duesenberg for sale (sigh). Read Kendall has the story of Pvt. Kenneth Arlen, a screen extra whose final job involved getting a kiss from Judy Garland as she finished singing “Over There” in “For Me and My … Continue reading

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Accused Killer, Shot in Courtroom, Convicted as He Dies

May 22, 1942: As the prosecutor finished his closing arguments in the trial of Mazo Shepherd, accused of killing a taxi driver, the victim’s nephew walked up to Shepherd and shot him in the head. Shepherd was taken from the … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Comics, Homicide | Tagged | 5 Comments

N.Y. Bans Night Baseball!

May 19, 1942: It’s officially straw hat season in Los Angeles, so men, dump that felt chapeau and get yourself a nice Panama. Lee Shippey writes that the evacuation of the Japanese has forced many (white) Angelenos to get back … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Baseball, Columnists, Comics, Fashion, Lee Shippey, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Found on EBay – Batchelder Tile

This Batchelder soap dish has been listed on EBay. Of all the Batchelder items that I have seen on EBay over the years, I don’t recall one of these. Bidding starts at $49.

Posted in Art & Artists, Batchelder Tile, Found on EBay, Interior Design | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Caltech Students Hold Drag Beauty Contest

May 15, 1942: In a typical publicity stunt, someone from showman Earl Carroll’s operation offered to select Caltech’s beauty queen. Nobody told them that the campus was all-male (oooh girls can’t be engineers!). So the young men decided to have … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Comics, Education, Film, Hollywood, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Suicide, World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Caltech Students Hold Drag Beauty Contest

Eve Golden: Queen of the Dead

This photo of a horse-drawn hearse has been listed on EBay. Bidding starts at $250. Queen of the Dead – dateline May 14, 2012 •   One thing that none of the obits of Vidal Sassoon (who died at 84 on … Continue reading

Posted in Art & Artists, Books and Authors, Eve Golden, Fashion, Film, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Obituaries, Queen of the Dead | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Battle of the Coral Sea, 1942

May 9, 1942: Allied forces fight the first what would be six major aircraft carrier battles with the Japanese, the next being the Battle of Midway. On the jump, a war map by Times artist Charles Owens, whom you may … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Comics, LAPD, Obituaries, Stage, World War II | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Battle of the Coral Sea, 1942

Times Wins Pulitzer for Public Service

May 5, 1942: The Times wins a Pulitzer Prize for public service. The prize was awarded after The Times fought contempt of court charges for publishing editorials on pending cases. The dispute began in 1938 when a group from the … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Comics, Crime and Courts | Tagged , , | 1 Comment