Category Archives: Film

Movieland Mystery photo (Updated +++)

Here’s a mystery chap for Monday.

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 36 Comments

Man Held in Brawl With Mexican Youths

Jan. 4, 1942: A rather drunk William Kollomick, who gave his address as “Pearl Harbor,” is in jail after getting into a brawl with four unidentified Mexican youths outside a cafe at 1st and Broadway. The youths walked out of … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Broadway, Comics, Downtown, Film, Hollywood, World War II, Zoot Suit | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Man Held in Brawl With Mexican Youths

Witzel Photographs Charlie Chaplin – Found on EBay

This postcard featuring a Witzel portrait of Charlie Chaplin has been listed on EBay with bids starting at GBP  4.99.

Posted in Film, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Photography, Witzel | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

China Bans Traditional Clothing for Western Fashions

Jan. 3, 1913: The Chinese government issues an edict against traditional clothing in favor of Western fashions. Women were called upon “to abandon their trousers for the occidental skirt and men to give up their comfortable loose clothes for the … Continue reading

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Coming Attractions: January – February 2013

The March 1936 issue of Black Mask magazine includes Raymond Chandler’s “The Man Who Liked Dogs.” Jan. 19: “The Tall T,” part of the Autry museum’s What Is a Western? film series.  $11/$7/$5 1:30 p.m. Jan. 23: The Simple Art … Continue reading

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Eve Golden / Queen of the Dead: Mae Murray

I hope you don’t mind if I use my column to plug a friend’s book, Michael Ankerich’s new Mae Murray biography, The Girl With the Bee Stung Lips (OK, so he did dedicate it to me. But you needn’t dedicate … Continue reading

Posted in Books and Authors, Eve Golden, Film, Hollywood, Obituaries, Queen of the Dead | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated +++)

Here are some mystery folks in a mystery movie.

Posted in African Americans, Film, Hollywood, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Mystery Photo, Nightclubs | Tagged , , , | 38 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Pickford Headlines 1933 Rose Parade

Photo: Mary Pickford in the 1933 Rose Parade. Credit: Courtesy of Mary Mallory Tomorrow sees the 124th annual Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena,  welcoming the new year with magnificent garlands of fresh flowers. It also acts as the 80th … Continue reading

Posted in 1933, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Pasadena | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Eve Golden / Queen of the Dead – Betty Grable

A 1938 publicity photo of Betty Grable listed on EBay with bids starting at $25. Betty Grable Betty Grable is so damned adorable. Her oft-repeated self-assessment does not do her justice: “As a dancer I couldn’t outdance Ginger Rogers or … Continue reading

Posted in Eve Golden, Film, Hollywood, Obituaries, Queen of the Dead | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated +++)

This will be a bit different… A mystery location.

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights — Celebrities in Bloom

  Photo: Mary Pickford admires a namesake orchid. Courtesy of Mary Mallory. Flowers, like actors, sometimes have short-lived celebrity. Once their aura of uniqueness fades, many languish or fall by the wayside. Some disappear. Others continue to thrive because of … Continue reading

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Millennial Moment: Soviets at Stalemate in Afghanistan, U.S. Economy Worst in Four Decades

Licorice Pizza! Michael Jackson’s “Thriller!” Men at Work! Kenny Loggins! Stray Cats! J. Geils Band! Foreigner! Dec. 19, 1982:  In the lead story, Times reporter Tyler Marshall says: “Despite three years of increasingly intense military operations and deepening political involvement, … Continue reading

Posted in 1982, Film, Hollywood, Millennial Moments, Music, Politics, Washington | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Eve Golden / Queen of the Dead – Polly Walters

A photo of Polly Walters that has been listed on EBay at $49.95.   Polly Walters My friend Mel Neuhaus and I have been singing the praises of the Say Girls lately—those wise-cracking dames who flourished in the pre-Code era … Continue reading

Posted in Eve Golden, Film, Hollywood, Queen of the Dead, Stage | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated +++)

Here is today’s mystery chap!

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

Housewives Scour Stores for Butter, Meat

Dec. 13, 1942: Housewives are searching for butter, meat and canned goods as wartime food rationing depletes grocery shelves, The Times says. Farmers report that agents for restaurants and hotels are approaching them “with instructions to get eggs no matter … Continue reading

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated ++++)

Here’s our mystery chap for Monday in a mystery film….

Posted in Film, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 42 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated +)

Here are three mystery chaps in a mystery film.

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

Eve Golden / Queen of the Dead – Joan Crawford

  A photo of Joan Crawford and Walter Huston in “Rain” has been listed on EBay with bids starting at $11.99. Joanie   No unknowns for us today, I am going to sing the praises of Joan Crawford, whom I … Continue reading

Posted in Eve Golden, Film, Hollywood, Queen of the Dead | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Buck Jones Among Hundreds Killed in Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire

Nov. 30, 1942: Saying “My hands are trembling all over this typewriter keyboard,” Associated Press writer Harry C. Glasheen writes of his experiences covering Boston’s Cocoanut Grove fire, which had a final death toll of 492 people, including Western movie … Continue reading

Posted in 1942, Comics, Film, Fires, Hollywood, World War II | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Millennial Moment – Nick Stewart’s Ebony Showcase Theater

Nov. 28, 1982: Times staff writer John L. Mitchell profiles Horace “Nick” Stewart, who opened the Ebony Showcase Theater with his wife, Edna, in 1950. Stewart used the money from playing Lightnin’ in the 1950s TV series “The Amos n’ … Continue reading

Posted in 1982, African Americans, Film, Millennial Moments, Stage, Theaters | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments