Category Archives: Hollywood

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 16, 1941

           April 16, 1941: Tom Treanor writes another column about Leland Stowe and Thomas Mann. “Both of these splendid speakers emphasized strongly the evil that Germany is doing. They spoke on moral grounds and they used … Continue reading

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Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

      Los Angeles Times file photo   [Update: I call Daily Mirror readers the Brain Trust and here’s why. Mike Hawks and Don Danard (via email) independently identified our mystery woman and Wednesday’s mystery companion. This still is … Continue reading

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | 41 Comments

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 15, 1941

           April 15, 1941: Lee Shippey writes about the restoration of the Don Ignacio de Palomares house as a WPA project to help celebrate the centennial of the Rancho Santa Anita grant to Don Hugo Reid. … Continue reading

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From the Stacks — ‘Ride the Pink Horse’

        Out of curiosity, I picked up this paperback for 50 cents at the Southern California Library’s book sale because the 1947 movie based on Dorothy B. Hughes’ novel is often mentioned as a classic film noir, … Continue reading

Posted in 1946, books, Film, From the Stacks, Hollywood, Zombie Reading List | 1 Comment

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 14, 1941

            April 14, 1961: One of the joys of these old newspapers is stumbling across an undiscovered gem, and Tom Treanor has one today: An interview with Paul Revere Williams, the famous African American architect. … Continue reading

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Matt Weinstock, April 13, 1961

    April 13, 1961: The Mirror publishes a tough editorial on Robert Welch and the John Birch Society. A sample: "Welch's spurious reasoning went the full circle and came back to the familiar cry — if you are not … Continue reading

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Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 13, 1941

           April 13, 1941: Stocking buyers to whom I have talked believe there is only about a two-month supply of raw silk in the country. That would seem to be the tipoff to buy. In a … Continue reading

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Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 11, 1941

        April 11, 1941: These soldier boys sneer a little when they read of strikes in war industries. My lad is on duty for a 12-hour shift, apparently. The first four months of his soldiering he got … Continue reading

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‘Citizen Kane’ — April 10, 1941

    April 10, 1941: "Citizen Kane" does occasionally sink to dullness because of its reiterations, notwithstanding it can be classified as, in a number of aspects, one of the most arresting pictures ever produced, Edwin Schallert says.

Posted in 1941, Film, Hollywood | 2 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

      Los Angeles Times file photo   [Update: This is Dorothy Mackaill (d. 1990) in an undated photo! ] We’re off to a late start on this week’s mystery photo. It turns out that our mystery guest was … Continue reading

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | 25 Comments

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 10, 1941

           April 10, 1941: Lee Shippey writes about the wildflower fields of Kern County. “Now I have seen them and I know that until one has seen them one cannot comprehend what California's spring wildflower show … Continue reading

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Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 9, 1941

           April 9, 1941: Whom do you think of as the Lone Ranger? Clayton Moore? Brace Beemer? Meet Earl Graser, who played the Lone Ranger on the radio until he was killed in a car accident … Continue reading

Posted in 1941, art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor | 1 Comment

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 8, 1941

           April 8, 1941: Lee Shippey shares a letter from England and Tom Treanor has a roundup of items about the fighting in Europe. Those "changes" in Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" dwindled to one minor alteration, … Continue reading

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Paul Coates, April 7, 1961

               April 7, 1961: I came across a letter to the editor (on the jump) about Gov. Pat Brown’s grant of clemency for William Erwin “Machine Gun” Walker, which I overlooked (so many stories, … Continue reading

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Jimmie Fidler, April 7, 1941

        April 7, 1941: Reporter Leland Stowe certainly drew attention on his sweep through Los Angeles. Lee Shippey has another column about him! Tom Treanor, who was killed covering World War II for The Times, says: A … Continue reading

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Daily Mirror Readers — ‘The Brain Trust’

Photo courtesy of Howard Decker Most Daily Mirror readers know him as Fibber. His real name is Howard Decker, and here’s a picture of him covering the Spade Cooley trial. He’s the fellow in the background on the right. Howard … Continue reading

Posted in #courts, 1961, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Photography | 3 Comments

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 6, 1941

The country is virtually at war. Its defense efforts are being hamstrung by unjustified strikes, uncooperative industrialists and blathermouthed, spotlight-hunting politicians. The average man in America has, with excellent reason, such a deep distrust of inefficient nincompoops in public office that his patriotism is in danger of being poisoned by his distrust.
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From the Stacks — ‘City of Angels’

      Rupert Hughes’ “City of Angels,” 1941.   How much of a book must one read before deciding that it’s going to be a dog? Does an author deserve a running start of the first chapter? Can one … Continue reading

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Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, April 5, 1941

           April 5, 1941: A well-paid reporter was thinking of quitting journalism to write fiction. He sought advice from a reader for a publishing house, who told him to stick to reporting and write fiction on … Continue reading

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Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

      Los Angeles Times file photo   This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details [Update 3: This is Madeleine Carroll and her husband Philip/Phillip Astley in a photo published Nov. 7, 1936]. … Continue reading

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | 53 Comments