Category Archives: Politics

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

Posted on December 19, 2012 by lmharnisch

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

Celebrity Politicians: Hollywood’s Honorary Mayors, Part I

Posted on November 5, 2012 by lmharnisch

Photo: Hugh Herbert, honorary mayor of Studio City, courtesy of Mary Mallory. Tomorrow is election day. Elections and politics are important to everyone, be they Joe Citizen or Joseph Kennedy. Over the years, celebrities have entered the political arena, some … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Politics, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Millennial Moment: Hit Man Says Car Dealer Belongs to Mafia

Posted on October 18, 2012 by lmharnisch

Oct. 18, 1980: In one of the more unusual revelations in testimony by admitted hit man Jimmy “the Weasel” Fratianno, El Monte Toyota dealer Dominic Longo (d. 1985) is described as a Mafia member. Appearing at the trial of five … Continue reading →

Posted in 1980, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Millennial Moments, Politics, Television | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

U.S. Urged to Evacuate Japanese Immediately

Posted on January 31, 2012 by lmharnisch

Jan. 31, 1942: Members of Congress from the West Coast call on the U.S. to expedite the evacuation of “enemy aliens,” a term that includes native-born people of Japanese ancestry. Officials concede that some of them may be loyal – … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, African Americans, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Freeways, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Politics, Richard Nixon, Streetcars, Transportation, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on U.S. Urged to Evacuate Japanese Immediately

Hoaxer Fakes Obama Laughing Over Gingrich’s Primary Victory

Posted on January 22, 2012 by lmharnisch

The alleged Jan. 22, 2012, Washington Post Page 1 at left has been circulating on Facebook, and who knows where else, since Newt Gingrich took the South Carolina primary. It is, of course, a fake. As is obvious from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Another Good Story Ruined, Front Pages, Politics | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Girl ‘11 or 12’ Taken From 62-Year-Old Husband

Posted on January 7, 2012 by lmharnisch

Jan. 7, 1942: Whenever people give me this nonsense about the past being “a kinder, simpler time,” I always think of stories like Joe Downs and his “wife.” President Roosevelt delivers his annual State of the Union address, which was … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Politics, Religion, Tom Treanor, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Movieland Mystery Photos – Special Edition [Updated]

Posted on November 25, 2011 by lmharnisch

[Update: I thought it might be helpful if I enlarged the faces of our mystery gents. My hunch is that the fellow on the right is Laurence Olivier. [I have also received three more photos and I now suspect that … Continue reading →

Posted in 1952, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography, Politics | Tagged , | 23 Comments

An Important Reminder From the Daily Mirror

Posted on November 6, 2011 by lmharnisch

Pier Angeli and friend remind Daily Mirror readers to switch to standard time on Sunday. Or as William Safire said: “Fall is the time of year that conservatives like best because they get to turn the clock back.”

Posted in Photography, Politics | Tagged | 2 Comments

Van Nuys Plane Crash Kills 2 – Aug. 11, 1941

Posted on August 11, 2011 by lmharnisch

Aug. 11, 1941: Walter P. Palmer and William S. Raney are killed when their plane goes into a spin during a flying lesson and crashes into a bean field at Woodley Avenue and Oxnard Street in Van Nuys, which is … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Lee Shippey, Politics, San Fernando Valley, Transportation, World War II | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

#art, #black dahlia, #books, #courts, #crime, #history, #railroads, 8|10|2011

Posted on August 10, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: BMW M1. Credit: Bonhams A BMW M1 painted by Frank Stella is being auctioned at the Quail Lodge Sale, Aug. 18-19, in Carmel. The BWM belonged to racecar driver Peter Gregg, who committed suicide after an accident left him … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, History, Motorsports, Museums, Politics, Transportation, Washington | 2 Comments

#cold cases, #history, #museums, #religion, 8|2|2011

Posted on August 2, 2011 by lmharnisch

[Update: A previous version of this post had a 1972 headline about another hijacking. Thanks to Dewey Webb for pointing out the error.] Nov. 26, 1971: D.B. Cooper bails out with $200,000. Credit: Los Angeles Times SPOTLIGHT Tera W. Hunter … Continue reading →

Posted in 1972, Art & Artists, History, Museums, Politics, Religion, Television | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on #cold cases, #history, #museums, #religion, 8|2|2011

Nixon Library Releases New Recordings

Posted on July 22, 2011 by lmharnisch

The Associated Press has filed a story on the Nixon Library and Museum’s release of more Nixon recordings. Of course, that’s not good enough for the Daily Mirror, so we tracked them down ourselves. The library has released digital recordings … Continue reading →

Posted in Libraries, Politics, Richard Nixon | Tagged , | Comments Off on Nixon Library Releases New Recordings

Eve Golden: Queen of the Dead

Posted on July 18, 2011 by lmharnisch

Photo: New, horse-drawn hearse for sale on EBay, $9,500. Credit: Justin Carriage Works Queen of the Dead—dateline July 18, 2011   • All the silent movie stars are long-gone, now we are down to memorializing their children. Rex Bell, Jr., … Continue reading →

Posted in Brain Trust, Eve Golden, Film, Hollywood, Obituaries, Politics, Queen of the Dead, Television | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Architectural Rambling – The Van Griffith Estate

Posted on June 22, 2011 by lmharnisch

The Times Sunday Business section featured the former home of Van M. Griffith (d. 1974), the son of Griffith Park donor Colonel Griffith J. Griffith.  (For some reason, the early stories in The Times refer to him as “Dan Griffith” … Continue reading →

Posted in 1925, Architecture, City Hall, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Obituaries, Politics, Real Estate, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Heresy on L.A. Streetcars!

Posted on June 15, 2011 by lmharnisch

My hair (or what’s left of it) stood on end when I read this portion of Tim Rutten’s column on Wednesday about Rick Caruso’s mayoral campaign: Mythology has it that the old Red Cars were killed by a conspiracy, but … Continue reading →

Posted in City Hall, Columnists, Downtown, Politics, Transportation | 7 Comments

Found on EBay – 1909 Mayor’s Race

Posted on June 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

A campaign button for George A. Smith has been listed on EBay. The vendor mistakenly identifies the individual as Mayor George Alexander. Actually, this is onetime Councilman George A. Smith, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in  1909 against Alexander. The … Continue reading →

Posted in 1909, City Hall, Found on EBay, Obituaries, Politics | Comments Off on Found on EBay – 1909 Mayor’s Race

Vote for Poulson!

Posted on May 31, 2011 by lmharnisch

    May 31, 1961: The Times publishes a Page 1 editorial urging readers to reelect Mayor Norris Poulson because Sam Yorty would “ruin good government.” Despite The Times’ aggressive endorsement of Poulson, voters elected Yorty, who was mayor until … Continue reading →

Posted in 1961, City Hall, Politics | Comments Off on Vote for Poulson!

Vice President Predicts ‘Long, Costly’ Struggle in Southeast Asia

Posted on May 24, 2011 by lmharnisch

May 24, 1961: Radio and TV comedy star Joan Davis dies of a heart attack and gets a Page 1 obituary with a jump. Raymond Chandler got an six-paragraph obituary on Page 4.  Davis was 48 when she died.

Posted in 1961, broadcasting, Film, Hollywood, Obituaries, Politics, Raymond Chandler, Television | 1 Comment

Libel Suit in L.A. Mayor’s Race!

Posted on May 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

        May 12, 1961: Mayor Norris Poulson accused challenger Sam Yorty of being “backed by the underworld” and Yorty responded with a libel suit.   The basis of Poulson's charge was that as an Assemblyman, Yorty supported a … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1961, art and artists, City Hall, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Politics | Comments Off on Libel Suit in L.A. Mayor’s Race!

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, May 7, 1941

Posted on May 7, 2011 by lmharnisch

           May 7, 1941: Mayor Fletcher Bowron is reelected and another Times endorsement goes down in flames. Still recovering from surgery, Lee Shippey files  a column from the hospital, this time on nurses. Tom Treanor, who … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, City Hall, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Politics, Tom Treanor | Comments Off on Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, May 7, 1941