Category Archives: Music

#history, #museum 7|17|2011

Posted on July 17, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: Mail sent by airplane from the 1912 Aviation Meet at Dominguez Field.  Credit: New York Public Library   7|17|2011DEATHSArdis Butler James, 85, co-founder of the International Quilt Study Center & Museum at the University of Nebraska. Margalit Fox in … Continue reading →

Posted in 1912, Aviation, Baseball, Books and Authors, History, Museums, Music, Obituaries | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on #history, #museum 7|17|2011

Michael Jackson – Art Collector

Posted on July 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

Is Michael Jackson’s art collection with $900 million? Well, maybe not. Dylan Howard of Star magazine writes: Michael Jackson secretly left behind an almost billion-dollar secret art fortune that is now at the center of an international tug of war, … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Artists, Crime and Courts, Music | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

#history

Posted on June 30, 2011 by lmharnisch

A summary of history-related posts on the Web: Chicago Tribune The Trib has an item on the Children’s Museum remaining at Navy Pier rather than moving to Grant Park as the facility is transferred to private management. Here’s the Trib’s … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Baseball, Chicago, Film, History, Hollywood, Museums, Music, Native Americans, Photography, Sports | Tagged , , | Comments Off on #history

‘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

Quote: Fred Steiner, 1923 – 2011

Posted on June 25, 2011 by lmharnisch

Randy Lewis of The Times has a nice obit on Fred Steiner (1923-2011), who composed the famous theme for the “Perry Mason” show: Steiner said he wanted to create music for Mason, writer Erle Stanley Gardner’s legal-eagle lawyer, that projected … Continue reading →

Posted in 1923, Music, Obituaries, Television | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Found on EBay – Rube Wolf

Posted on June 24, 2011 by lmharnisch

This poster for “Secrets of a Secretary” – with an appearance by Edna Fisher and Rube Wolf, above right, has been listed on EBay. Rube Wolf isn’t terribly well-known today, except around the Daily Mirror HQ. He was a prominent … Continue reading →

Posted in 1931, Film, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Music, Photography, Theaters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Reinvention [Updated]

Posted on June 19, 2011 by lmharnisch

[Updated June 21, 2011: Photographer Eddie Caraeff says: [Larry certainly was crazy! [I think Frank was just making a PG rated gesture w/ his hand,  however that was many, many years ago. [Not sure you know that my Grandmother is … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Obituaries, Photography | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

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

Found on EBay – 345 S. Broadway

Posted on June 13, 2011 by lmharnisch

This postcard showing the interior of the H.J. Whitley & Co. jewelry store, 345 S. Broadway, has been listed on EBay. The store opened on Dec. 9, 1903, (yes, just in time for Christmas)  and was a branch of the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1903, Architecture, Downtown, Found on EBay, Interior Design, Music, Photography | 1 Comment

Senator Demands Probe of Lewd ‘Soundies’

Posted on June 5, 2011 by lmharnisch

    July 2, 1941: Sam Coslow announces a deal with Mills Novelty Co. to produce 208 "soundies"  and plans to make 20 of them in the next month, directed by Josef Berne. The acts include Gale Page, Martha Tilton, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Film, Hollywood, Music | 4 Comments

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, June 1, 1941

Posted on June 1, 2011 by lmharnisch

                     June 1, 1941: LONDON, May 31. (AP)– German airmen who went belatedly to Iraq to bolster the Axis-inspired war against Britain were reported fleeing the country tonight as Iraqi resistance … Continue reading →

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

Found on EBay – Frank Sinatra

Posted on May 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

A 33 rpm album of the audio from an uncompleted animated feature of “Finian’s Rainbow,” featuring Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, has been listed on EBay. According to The Times’ clips, this project was begun by Maurice Binder … Continue reading →

Posted in art and artists, Film, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Music | Comments Off on Found on EBay – Frank Sinatra

Spade Cooley: ‘I’m not sure, but I think Ella Mae is dead’

Posted on April 5, 2011 by lmharnisch

      Los Angeles Times file photo   Oct. 15, 1949: Spade Cooley and his daughter Melody pose for a publicity photo aboard his yacht.     April 5, 1961: In a switch from its usual policy of keeping … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1961, Crime and Courts, Homicide, Music, Photography | 4 Comments

Spade Cooley Held in Wife’s Death

Posted on April 4, 2011 by lmharnisch

Los Angeles Times file photo April 4, 1961: Western music star Donnell “Spade” Cooley is accused of killing his estranged wife, Ella Mae,  in a jealous rage after listening to tape recordings of her phone conversations about what the defense … Continue reading →

Posted in 1961, books, Front Pages, Homicide, Music | 4 Comments

From the Vaults — ‘Vamonos Con Pancho Villa!’

Posted on March 28, 2011 by lmharnisch

    “Vamonos Con Pancho Villa!” (“Let’s Go With Pancho Villa!”) is the surprisingly dark, roughly hewn story of six friends who call themselves “the lions of San Pablo” and join the Mexican Revolution as much for the adventure as … Continue reading →

Posted in 1936, classical music, Film, From the Vaults, Music | 1 Comment

Found on EBay — Rube Wolf

Posted on March 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

This poster from the 1935 showing of “The President Vanishes” at the Paramount Theatre has been listed on EBay. Fans of vintage typography (you know who you are) this is for you! Bidding starts at $400, which is too rich … Continue reading →

Posted in 1935, Downtown, Film, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Music | Comments Off on Found on EBay — Rube Wolf

Conductor’s Remarks on L.A.’s Music Touch off Sound and Fury

Posted on March 1, 2011 by lmharnisch

        Feb. 24-March 4, 1941: British conductor Sir Thomas Beecham comes to town to conduct two programs by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and my doesn’t he get people furious with his comments about classical music in the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, classical music, Film, Hollywood, Music | Comments Off on Conductor’s Remarks on L.A.’s Music Touch off Sound and Fury

Grammys Hit a New Low in Conservatism

Posted on February 22, 2011 by lmharnisch

        Feb. 22, 1981: “The nominees this year represent a new low in Grammy conservatism,” Robert Hilburn says. "The gap in attitude between NARAS members — the people who are in the business of making music — … Continue reading →

Posted in 1981, Columnists, Music | 1 Comment

On the Frontiers of Ethnomusicology

Posted on February 11, 2011 by lmharnisch

           Feb. 11, 1911: Among the items at the Southwest Museum is a flute, made of a human bone, that was discovered while excavating Native American graves on Santa Catalina Island.  The flute was something of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1911, classical music, Music, Obituaries | 1 Comment

Matt Weinstock, Jan. 27, 1961

Posted on January 27, 2011 by lmharnisch

       Jan. 27, 1961: Matt Weinstock has an item about folk music featuring singer Joyce James and guitarist Bill Fernandez. One of their songs is David Arkin’s “The Klan,” about a cross burning in East L.A. CONFIDENTIAL TO … Continue reading →

Posted in #East L.A., art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Matt Weinstock, Music | Comments Off on Matt Weinstock, Jan. 27, 1961