Category Archives: Books and Authors

Eve Golden: Queen of the Dead

Posted on July 11, 2011 by lmharnisch

Queen of the Dead—dateline July 11, 2011   • Archduke Otto of Austria, pretender to the throne of the late Austria-Hungary, died on the Fourth of July, at 98. I must admit to a schoolgirl crush on his  . . … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and Authors, Brain Trust, Eve Golden, Film, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Obituaries | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Another Good Story Ruined – Mulholland and the Valley ‘Conspiracy’

Posted on July 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

My L.A. Times colleague Elaine Woo has a first-rate obituary on Catherine Mulholland, author of “William Mulholland and the Rise of Los Angeles.” One reason Mulholland took on the biography was to provide what she viewed as a more balanced … Continue reading →

Posted in 1963, Another Good Story Ruined, Books and Authors, Film, History, Hollywood, Obituaries, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Another Good Story Ruined – Mulholland and the Valley ‘Conspiracy’

The FBI Thins Its Files

Posted on July 6, 2011 by lmharnisch

I had the strangest experience Saturday when I was going through Ernest Hemingway’s FBI file. I was sure the buro had posted Louis Armstrong’s dossier — it’s brief and not terribly interesting except for the fact that it exists. Or … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, African Americans, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, History, Homicide, LAPD, Libraries | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The FBI Thins Its Files

Zoot Suits in the News

Posted on July 5, 2011 by lmharnisch

Just as we were exploring the history of the Zoot Suit Riots comes news of Kathy Peiss’ book “Zoot Suit” from the University of Pennsylvania Press. Writing about the book in the New York Times’ Arts Beat, Patricia Cohen raises … Continue reading →

Posted in 1943, Books and Authors, Fashion, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Zoot Suits in the News

More Letters From J.D. Salinger

Posted on July 4, 2011 by lmharnisch

The New York Times’ City Room has a story about a group of letters between author/recluse J.D. Salinger and E. Michael Mitchell, the artist who illustrated the original cover of “Catcher in the Rye.” Mitchell put the letters up for … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Artists, Books and Authors, Libraries, Museums | Tagged , , | Comments Off on More Letters From J.D. Salinger

#books, #Scientology

Posted on July 4, 2011 by lmharnisch

My L.A. Times colleague Kim Christensen has an interesting review of Janet Reitman’s “Inside Scientology,” the latest book on L. Ron Hubbard, who got his start in Los Angeles. Christensen, an investigative reporter at The Times, says: “Reitman’s book, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and Authors, Religion | 2 Comments

Another Good Story Ruined! Stephen Jay Gould

Posted on July 3, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: Janet Monge and Alan Mann Credit: Penn Museum, Philadelphia It’s always interesting to see research debunked – and even more interesting when a debunker is debunked, as in the case of Stephen Jay Gould’s 1981 “The Mismeasure of Man.” … Continue reading →

Posted in 1981, Another Good Story Ruined, Books and Authors | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Hemingway’s FBI File!

Posted on July 2, 2011 by lmharnisch

The 50th anniversary of Ernest Hemingway’s death has prompted a variety of articles, including an op-ed piece in the New York Times by A.E. Hotchner, who portrays the famous novelist as being obsessed about FBI surveillance. He told Hotchner: “It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in 1961, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, Libraries, Suicide | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

From the Stacks: ‘The Big Picture’

Posted on June 29, 2011 by lmharnisch

I picked up “The Big Picture,” Melba Levick and Stanley Young’s 1988 book about Los Angeles murals, not realizing what a terribly sad book it would be. As Young notes: “Most artists are aware that, exposed as it is to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1988, Architecture, Art & Artists, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, Downtown, From the Stacks, Hollywood, Latinos, Photography, Preservation, San Fernando Valley, Sports, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

‘Zoot Suit’ and history – Part 1

Posted on June 27, 2011 by lmharnisch

I was extremely fortunate to attend Wednesday night’s showing of “Zoot Suit” and hear remarks by the panel that preceded the show. Betto Arcos moderated a session with director Luis Valdez, Rose Portillo (Della), Edward James Olmos (El Pachuco) and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, 1943, 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Fashion, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD, Latinos, Music, Stage, Theaters, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Times and ‘The Deal From Hell’

Posted on June 26, 2011 by lmharnisch

Bryan Burrough reviews James O’Shea’s “The Deal From Hell” in the New York Times column “Off the Shelf.” Burrough writes: “Mr. O’Shea, a onetime top editor at both The Chicago Tribune and The Los Angeles Times, tells the story of … Continue reading →

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Location Sleuth: ‘Safety Last’

Posted on June 25, 2011 by lmharnisch

The Los Angeles Conservancy has posted a guide to filming locations for Harold Lloyd’s 1923 film “Safety Last” in conjunction with a showing of the film on June 29 at the Orpheum as part of the Last Remaining Seats series. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1923, Architecture, Books and Authors, Downtown, Film, Hollywood, Location Sleuth, Photography | Comments Off on Location Sleuth: ‘Safety Last’

Coming Attractions: ‘They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?’

Posted on June 15, 2011 by lmharnisch

Sydney Pollack’s 1969 film “The Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” will be shown as a tribute to Michael Sarrazin on June 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. Also showing, “Harry in Your Pocket” (1973). … Continue reading →

Posted in 1969, Books and Authors, Coming Attractions, Film, Hollywood | 1 Comment

Queen of the Dead by Eve Golden

Posted on June 14, 2011 by lmharnisch

You’ll recognize Eve Golden as one of the Daily Mirror regulars. Now that I’m no longer at latimes.com I’m free to use outside writers and Eve is my first addition. She describes herself as: a biographer, show-business historian, photo archivist … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, Music, Obituaries, Photography, Queen of the Dead, Religion, Stage | 9 Comments

From the Reference Desk

Posted on June 13, 2011 by lmharnisch

My childhood heroes: The Lookies! They don’t guess, they look it up in their new World Book Encyclopedia! Dr. Michele K. Troy of Hillyer College writes: Rob Wagner (Red Ink, White Lies) recommended I contact you with an odd research … Continue reading →

Posted in 1936, Books and Authors, Brain Trust, Columnists, From the Reference Desk, Lee Shippey, Libraries, World War II | 2 Comments

Immigrants Overwhelm San Diego!

Posted on June 13, 2011 by lmharnisch

San Diego has everything a family might want: A moderate climate and jobs in the expanding defense industries. But there’s no place to live.  Rep. John H. Tolan (D-Oakland) is holding hearings in San Diego on the plight of migrants … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Environment, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Immigration, LAPD, San Diego, Transportation, World War II | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Found on EBay – Groucho Marx

Posted on June 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

A program from Groucho Marx’s one-night performance of “The Same Boat, Brother” at Philharmonic Auditorium on Nov. 14, 1945, has been listed on EBay.  According to reviews in the Los Angeles Times, the show was fairly unsuccessful. Bidding for the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1945, Books and Authors, Film, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Stage, Theaters | Comments Off on Found on EBay – Groucho Marx

Coming Attractions – L.A. Maps

Posted on June 11, 2011 by lmharnisch

Glen Creason, the map specialist at the Los Angeles Public Library, will give a presentation on “Los Angeles in Maps, Part II,” on Thursday, June 16, at 6:45 p.m. at the Los Feliz Branch Library, 1874 Hillhurst Ave. Creason is … Continue reading →

Posted in Books and Authors, Coming Attractions, Libraries | Comments Off on Coming Attractions – L.A. Maps

Postcards From the Past

Posted on March 16, 2007 by lmharnisch

The Hotel Green, Pasadena

Posted in Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, LAPD, Pasadena, Streetcars | Comments Off on Postcards From the Past

The Bridge

Posted on March 15, 2007 by lmharnisch

March 15, 2007South Pasadena Here’s the Gold Line, its passengers mercifully unaware that they are zipping along to Pasadena in the “Gorge of Eternal Peril” beneath “The Bridge of Death.” Here’s a close-up of a patch made to fix one … Continue reading →

Posted in 1907, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, LAPD, Pasadena, Streetcars | Tagged | Comments Off on The Bridge