Category Archives: LAPD

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, May 31, 1941

Posted on May 31, 2011 by lmharnisch

        May 31, 1941 – Arthur Hohmann, the LAPD’s reform police chief, will step down in June, citing the deaths of his son and his mother. He was replaced by Clemence C.B. “Jack” Horrall, who served as … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, City Hall, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor, World War II | Comments Off on Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, May 31, 1941

Bullet of Mystery – Part 4

Posted on May 22, 2011 by lmharnisch

In case you just tuned in, I’m posting a small case study of research I did with Caroline Comport on her grandfather Lionel Comport for her master’s thesis. Researching Los Angeles is a treasure hunt, and every time I dig … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1901, Architecture, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Real Estate | Comments Off on Bullet of Mystery – Part 4

Bullet of Mystery — Part 3

Posted on May 21, 2011 by lmharnisch

In case you just tuned in, I’m posting a small case study of research I did with Caroline Comport on her grandfather Lionel Comport for her master’s thesis. Researching Los Angeles is a treasure hunt, and every time I dig … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1901, Architecture, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Real Estate | Comments Off on Bullet of Mystery — Part 3

Bullet of Mystery – Part 1

Posted on May 19, 2011 by lmharnisch

    Los Angeles history in the 1900s is an acquired taste. Most people limit themselves to  the Raymond Chandler era, the 1930s through the 1950s, as if Philip Marlowe moonlighted as a historian. Perhaps they find the city’s horse-and-buggy … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1901, Animals, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Raymond Chandler | 1 Comment

From the Stacks – ‘Portraits of Crime’ (1977)

Posted on April 29, 2011 by lmharnisch

    Two years after writing about  LAPD Det. Ector Garcia, I finally located a copy of his book, “Portraits of Crime,” which arrived in the mail from the U.K. while I was on vacation. No one will ever mistake … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1977, books, Crime and Courts, Downtown, From the Stacks, Hollywood, Hollywood Division, Homicide, LAPD, Pages of History, San Fernando Valley, Venice Division, West Hollywood, Zombie Reading List | 1 Comment

‘The Chinese Murder,’ April 29, 1891

Posted on April 29, 2011 by lmharnisch

               April 29, 1891: The Times reports the death of a Chinese woman named Ah Gue/Goot Gue, who was shot in the abdomen by her husband, Wong Ark/Gam Duck, outside a brothel on Apablasa Street. … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1891, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Comments Off on ‘The Chinese Murder,’ April 29, 1891

Last Showing of ‘Heaven Is Here!’

Posted on April 19, 2011 by lmharnisch

  http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-382479120564900203&hl=en&fs=true   Google has announced that it will be removing its uploaded videos on April 29. I made this little movie about the Black Dahlia case four years ago and at 21 minutes, it's too long to upload anywhere … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1947, Crime and Courts, Film, LAPD | 3 Comments

Architectural Ramblings — The Sowden House

Posted on March 20, 2011 by lmharnisch

      Drawing by Charles Owens/Los Angeles Times   The Sowden House by architect Lloyd Wright at 5121 Franklin Ave. is on the market for $4.2 million. You may recall that this was the purported murder HQ of Dr. … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1947, Architecture, art and artists, books, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Nuestro Pueblo, Real Estate | 1 Comment

Voices: Warren Christopher, 1925 — 2011

Posted on March 19, 2011 by lmharnisch

“When human beings are forcibly abducted from their homes, interrogated incessantly at the pleasure of their captors and prodded with electrodes or held under water to the point of drowning — when such things are happening around the world, as they are, all who truly value human rights must speak out.”
Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Courts, LAPD, Obituaries, Politics | Comments Off on Voices: Warren Christopher, 1925 — 2011

Another Good Story Ruined — The Black Dahlia

Posted on March 15, 2011 by lmharnisch

I received a news alert the other day about an upcoming play titled “The Chanteuse and the Devil’s Muse” in which Daniele Watts will portray Mady Comfort, at left, purportedly “Elizabeth Short's best friend.” I honestly don’t know how such … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, books, Coming Attractions, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Stage | 6 Comments

Paul Coates, Feb. 27, 1961

Posted on February 27, 2011 by lmharnisch

         Feb. 27, 1961: “The Apartment” gets 10 Academy Award nominations, including best picture. The other nominees are "The Alamo," "Elmer Gantry," "Sons and Lovers" and "The Sundowners." Paul Coates has an interview with  Herman Abrams, who … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1961, Columnists, Crime and Courts, Film, Front Pages, Hollywood, LAPD | Comments Off on Paul Coates, Feb. 27, 1961

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

Back in the News: Fred Otash

Posted on February 15, 2011 by lmharnisch

            Feb. 15, 1961: Remember Fred Otash’s alleged involvement in the doping of racehorses? The private detective (and former LAPD officer) got probation.  ALSO Fred Otash on the Daily Mirror

Posted in #courts, 1961, Animals, art and artists, Comics, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Sports | Comments Off on Back in the News: Fred Otash

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

Another Good Story Ruined – The Black Dahlia

Posted on January 21, 2011 by lmharnisch

Here we have another popular faked picture of Elizabeth Short. The image on the left is genuine, as far as I know. The bizarre image on the right has been flopped and retouched.  ALSO Another Good Story Ruined – The … Continue reading →

Posted in Another Good Story Ruined, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Photography | Comments Off on Another Good Story Ruined – The Black Dahlia

In Remembrance, Elizabeth Short

Posted on January 15, 2011 by lmharnisch

The Daily Mirror is dark today.

Posted in #courts, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Comments Off on In Remembrance, Elizabeth Short

Black Politics in L.A.

Posted on January 14, 2011 by lmharnisch

    Charles H. Matthews, African American member of the Police Commission, at a 1946 meeting. I was intrigued by the remark on L.A. Observed, quoting the Root, “According to historian Raphael J. Sonenshein, ‘No African-American, Latino or Jewish person … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Crime and Courts, Education, LAPD | Comments Off on Black Politics in L.A.

Philip K. Scheuer, Town Called Hollywood, Jan. 12, 1941

Posted on January 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

        Jan. 12, 1941: Fantasound — by its own name or any other name — is here to stay, and Walt Disney is going right ahead with plans for it. I had a long talk with him … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | 1 Comment

Another Good Story Ruined – The Black Dahlia

Posted on January 10, 2011 by lmharnisch

It is deceptively difficult to write with any degree of accuracy about the Black Dahlia case. Here’s a recent example of a mangled account by Scott McCabe of the Washington Examiner: On this day, Jan. 9, 1947, Elizabeth Short, anaspiring … Continue reading →

Posted in Another Good Story Ruined, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Comments Off on Another Good Story Ruined – The Black Dahlia

Jimmie Fidler in Europe, Jan. 8, 1941

Posted on January 8, 2011 by lmharnisch

        Jan. 8, 1941: Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, the “perfect lovers,” had an out-loud row just before sailing for Europe — and almost went in opposite directions, Jimmie Fidler says.  Keeping reading for more on the … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, Columnists, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Comments Off on Jimmie Fidler in Europe, Jan. 8, 1941