Category Archives: #opera

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, Jan. 14, 1941

Posted on January 14, 2011 by lmharnisch

           Jan. 14, 1941: Open letter to Al Jolson. My Dear Al: If this letter angers you, forgive me. I realize that the $500 you sent me before Christmas to spread good cheer among the poor … Continue reading →

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Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, Nov. 8, 1940

Posted on November 8, 2010 by lmharnisch

            Nov. 8, 1940: Hear tell the Basil Rathbones will give up their Brentwood mansion for a more modest home. Big charity donations make it necessary, Jimmie Fidler says. Also on the jump, a review … Continue reading →

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Voices – Joan Sutherland, 1926 – 2010

Posted on October 11, 2010 by lmharnisch

    Nov. 22, 1966: Times music critic Martin Bernheimer interviews Joan Sutherland … in his Volkswagen? Yes, it’s true. She and Ricky (her husband, conductor Richard Bonynge) are getting ready to do “Lucia” at the new Met, which will … Continue reading →

Posted in #opera, classical music, Music, Obituaries | 1 Comment

Pavarotti in ‘La Boheme’

Posted on June 6, 2010 by lmharnisch

    June 6, 1980: With the skill of a surgeon, Martin Bernheimer dissects a performance by operatic sensation Luciano Pavarotti (d. 2007). “He conquered. He came. He sang. In that order,” Bernheimer says. Notice that in return for agreeing … Continue reading →

Posted in #opera, classical music, Stage | 1 Comment

‘I Laugh, Ho, Ho, at Black Hand,’ Caruso Says

Posted on March 6, 2010 by lmharnisch

  March 6, 1920: Enrico Caruso laughs at threatening letters from the Black Hand. “I will sing in Brooklyn on Monday!” he vows.

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Paul V. Coates – Confidential File, March 5, 1960

Posted on March 5, 2010 by lmharnisch

Leonard Warren, 1911-1960 Telephone Girls Belie Propaganda       I'm a client, reasonably well paid up, of Pacific Telephone Co.  And I'd like to assure you that my complaint is nothing personal.       In fact, over the years, I've … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, #opera, classical music, Columnists, Environment, Homicide, Obituaries, Paul Coates | Leave a comment

‘Madame Butterfly’

Posted on February 25, 2010 by lmharnisch

Feb. 4, 1908: Sharpless (Ottley Cranston) and Pinkerton (Vernon Stiles) find the body of Cio-Cio San (Phoebe Strakosch) in the Los Angeles premiere of “Madame Butterfly.”   One of the joys of research is following a thread wherever it leads. In … Continue reading →

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Nixon, the ‘Indispensible Man’

Posted on February 1, 2010 by lmharnisch

“You Remember Her?”     NBC used to have an opera company. Amazing, no? Although I can’t say I’ve ever heard of Virginia Copeland (Gordoni), David Poleri or Chester Ludgin. “Goliath and the Barbarians” in Colorscope!  Paul Zimmerman takes a … Continue reading →

Posted in #opera, broadcasting, classical music, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, JFK, Lakers, Politics, Richard Nixon, Sports, Television | Leave a comment

Three Tristans Update

Posted on December 30, 2009 by lmharnisch

      Three Tristans update: I sent this item to bass-baritone  Alan Held, who’s appearing in the current Metropolitan Opera production of “Tales of Hoffmann.” Held says, “ I have been in several performances where a singer had to … Continue reading →

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Three Tristans!

Posted on December 29, 2009 by lmharnisch

  Ramon Vinay, the tenor cast with Birgit Nilsson in "Tristan," said he was too ill to do the entire opera, so Rudolph Bing had Vinay sing Act I, Karl Liebel (likewise under the weather) sing Act II and Albert … Continue reading →

Posted in #opera, broadcasting, Columnists, Sports, Television | 1 Comment

Grand Jury Hears Testimony in Whalen Killing

Posted on December 10, 2009 by lmharnisch

Mickey Cohen says: "I'm a lover, not a fighter." Sandy Hashagen says going steady with Mickey Cohen for 14 days gave her a police record and cost her a job as a dancer in Las Vegas.. Adjusted for inflation, these … Continue reading →

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Hula Dance Craze Sweeps New York

Posted on October 23, 2009 by lmharnisch

Clare Briggs, “When a Feller Needs a Friend.” Oct. 23, 1919: Harry Carr, one of The Times' best-known writers, files a series of vignettes from New York. He says that prohibition is lightly enforced and that it’s still easy to … Continue reading →

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Riot in Times Square Over Wagner Opera!

Posted on October 21, 2009 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 21, 1919: Servicemen and civilians riot in Times Square over a production of Richard Wagner's "Die Meistersinger" staged at the Lexington Theater despite Mayor John Francis Hylan’s ban on German opera!

Posted in #opera, classical music, Music, Stage | 1 Comment

Chief Abolishes Vice Squad

Posted on August 17, 2009 by lmharnisch

Aug. 17, 1939: USC football player Al Kreuger keeps in shape over the summer by milking cows. Above, in a radical move, Police Chief Arthur C. Hohmann abolishes the LAPD's vice squad and transfers all the officers to other divisions. … Continue reading →

Posted in #opera, Animals, City Hall, classical music, Comics, Downtown, LAPD, Sports | 1 Comment

Found on EBay — Enrico Caruso

Posted on July 11, 2009 by lmharnisch

Caruso in "I Pagliacci." What appears to be a collection of ephemera given by Enrico Caruso to Rosa Ponselle has been listed on EBay. There is no strong tie to Los Angeles, although both of them performed here. For example, … Continue reading →

Posted in #opera, classical music, Music, Stage | 1 Comment

Found on EBay — 1905 Performance of ‘Parsifal’

Posted on March 28, 2009 by lmharnisch

Listed on EBay: An usher’s ribbon from the 1905 performances of "Parsifal" in Los Angeles. Bidding starts at $9.99. The 1905 performance of "Parsifal" was such a significant event that The Times published the names of what appears to be … Continue reading →

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Baghdad Welcomes Leader; Senate OKs Hawaiian Statehood, March 12, 1959

Posted on March 12, 2009 by lmharnisch

Iraqi Premier Abdel Karim Kassem waves to a crowd in Baghdad after putting down a rebellion. He was overthrown and executed in February 1963 after surviving an assassination attempt by a team that included Saddam Hussein. "Throwback" Thursby threw me … Continue reading →

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George Garner Rediscovered

Posted on March 7, 2009 by lmharnisch

The Garner Concert Jubilee Company, in a photo from a promotional brochure. I’ve been able to gather some more information about George Robert Garner, a Pasadena choral director and singer who was the first African American to solo with the … Continue reading →

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April 8, 1958

Posted on April 8, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, Al Jolson in blackface as the lead in "Porgy and Bess" while African Americans play all the other roles? Now there’s a casting idea that takes my breath away. Philip Scheuer interviews Ira Gershwin and notes that the lyricist … Continue reading →

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