Category Archives: books

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, March 12, 1941

Posted on March 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

           March 12, 1941: The first 100 pages of James Hilton’s “Random Harvest” are disappointing but the rest of the novel more than makes up for it, Lee Shippey says. Tom Treanor talks to some watchmakers … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, art and artists, books, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor | 2 Comments

Matt Weinstock, March 10, 1961

Posted on March 10, 2011 by lmharnisch

       March 10, 1961: Matt Weinstock has an item on the novel “Red Alert” by Peter Bryant.  If the plot sounds familiar,   that’s because … well, I won’t spoil it. DEAR ABBY: From the day we married I … Continue reading →

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Philip K. Scheuer, Town Called Hollywood, March 9, 1941

Posted on March 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

           March 9, 1941: It’s a Sunday, which means Jimmie Fidler has the day off. Instead, Philip K. Scheuer writes about “Gone With the Wind” (I know, I know, you’re thinking it’s a 1939 film). He … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, art and artists, books, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor | Comments Off on Philip K. Scheuer, Town Called Hollywood, March 9, 1941

Self-Styled Siren: An Amateur Among Amateurs — Agee on Film

Posted on March 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

  Speaking of our favorite movie blogs, another one we enjoy at the Daily Mirror is “Self-Styled Siren,” by Farran Smith Nehme. (No, the photo is of Joan Fontaine, who serves as Farran’s avatar on the Web). Her latest post … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Film, Hollywood, Weblogs | Comments Off on Self-Styled Siren: An Amateur Among Amateurs — Agee on Film

Paul Coates, March 8, 1961

Posted on March 8, 2011 by lmharnisch

       March 8, 1961: Paul Coates has an item about the possibility that the new postmaster general, J. Edward Day, might run afoul of obscenity laws because he wrote a racy novel that could be unfit for the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1961, books, Columnists, Front Pages, Paul Coates | Comments Off on Paul Coates, March 8, 1961

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, March 3, 1941

Posted on March 3, 2011 by lmharnisch

           March 3, 1941: Lee Shippey has a column on the plight of the Los Angeles Public Library, which was built with great aspirations as a “people’s university” and was then, as it is now, suffering … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, art and artists, books, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor | Comments Off on Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, March 3, 1941

Pages of History — Morrow Mayo’s ‘Los Angeles’

Posted on March 3, 2011 by lmharnisch

      The Evening Express,Dec. 17, 1927       The Evening Express,Dec. 20, 1927       The Times, Dec. 17, 1927     The Times, Dec. 20, 1927   I haven’t forgotten about my little project on … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1927, Another Good Story Ruined, books, Crime and Courts, Parks and Recreation | 1 Comment

Upton Sinclair House for Sale

Posted on March 2, 2011 by lmharnisch

          Photo courtesy of Cecilia Farnum, Century 21     The Upton Sinclair House at 464 N. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia has been listed for sale at $1.5 million. The 1923 home was designed by Frederick H. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1923, 1943, Architecture, art and artists, books, Obituaries | 3 Comments

Military Snaps to Attention for Reagan

Posted on February 27, 2011 by lmharnisch

        Feb. 27, 1981: Military officers are back in uniform around Washington after an informal switch to civilian clothes, apparently prompted by a remark in 1955 by President Eisenhower that “the place looked like an armed camp.” … Continue reading →

Posted in 1981, books, Comics, Ronald Reagan | Comments Off on Military Snaps to Attention for Reagan

What Next for Richard Chamberlain After ‘Shogun?’

Posted on February 24, 2011 by lmharnisch

            Feb. 24, 1981: Young persons…. There was once a sensationally popular TV miniseries called “Shogun,” based on James Clavell’s novel set in feudal Japan, that aired in September 1980 and starred Richard Chamberlain, the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1981, books, Film, Hollywood, Roderick Mann, Television | 1 Comment

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, Feb. 22, 1941

Posted on February 22, 2011 by lmharnisch

        Feb. 22, 1941: Los Angeles gets nearly 2 inches of rain in 24 hours, leaving Reseda and Canoga Park virtually cut off because of rising floodwaters, The Times says. Dr. E.H. Pitts of Sacramento writes a … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, art and artists, books, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Stage | Comments Off on Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, Feb. 22, 1941

Found on EBay — Parkey Sharkey

Posted on February 21, 2011 by lmharnisch

A copy of “Whiskey Road” by the incomparable Parkey Sharkey has been listed on EBay. Sharkey was a frequent presence in Paul Coates’ columns and many readers suspected that Coates fabricated Sharkey’s letters. Not at all. Sharkey was an actual … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Food and Drink, Paul Coates | Comments Off on Found on EBay — Parkey Sharkey

Another Good Story Ruined — The Black Dahlia

Posted on February 18, 2011 by lmharnisch

      This item comes from the Atlantic: by Mark Bernstein “My morning drive to Eastgate, our software workshop, is literary. “In the car this morning, I listened to the estimable Katherine Kellgren reading  Connie Willis' new historical fiction, … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Another Good Story Ruined, books, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | 1 Comment

Pages of History — A. Victor Segno’s ‘How to Be Happy Tho’ Married’

Posted on February 17, 2011 by lmharnisch

    The library at the Daily Mirror HQ recently acquired the elusive work “How to Be Happy Tho’ Married” by our favorite charlatan and con man, A. Victor Segno. Although we have several of Segno’s works (“The Law of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1901, books, Pages of History | 5 Comments

Pages of History – Morrow Mayo’s ‘Los Angeles’

Posted on February 16, 2011 by lmharnisch

    Morrow Mayo didn’t do terribly well in the first page of his chapter on the 1927  Marion Parker case (“Strange Interlude”) in “Los Angeles.” Let’s see if the next page is any better. We find that once again, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1927, Another Good Story Ruined, books, Marion Parker, Pages of History | 1 Comment

Found on EBay – Matt Weinstock

Posted on February 14, 2011 by lmharnisch

  Matt Weinstock’s “My L.A.” and “Muscatel at Noon” have been listed on EBay. “My L.A.” is fairly common and is available in a modern reprint, but “Muscatel at Noon” is a little more difficult to find. Notice that “Muscatel” … Continue reading →

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Pages of History — Morrow Mayo’s ‘Los Angeles’

Posted on February 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

        Any day I can do research is a good day – even if I run into trouble, as I did on Tuesday. I stopped by the Los Angeles Public Library to delve into the microfilm on … Continue reading →

Posted in 1927, Another Good Story Ruined, books, Marion Parker, Pages of History | 1 Comment

Pages of History — Morrow Mayo’s ‘Los Angeles’

Posted on February 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

    For many people, this will be an exercise in tedium. But I’m hopeful that the research fanatics among the Daily Mirror readers will find it engaging. I’m going to spend some time on Morrow Mayo’s “Los Angeles” to … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1927, Another Good Story Ruined, books, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Marion Parker | 3 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

Posted on February 8, 2011 by lmharnisch

      Los Angeles Times file photo   [Update: This photo stumped the brain trust! And perhaps with good reason. It was apparently never published in The Times and is from a somewhat obscure movie called “The Fixer,” which … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | 5 Comments

Google — Don’t Be Annoying

Posted on February 7, 2011 by lmharnisch

    Last summer, I posted an item about “Los Angeles in 7 Days,” a guidebook written for the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. I was happy to discover that the book had been scanned by Google and placed online. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1932, books, Web/Tech | Comments Off on Google — Don’t Be Annoying