Category Archives: San Fernando Valley

U.S. launches rocket

Posted on February 1, 2008 by lmharnisch

Feb. 1, 1958 Los Angeles Scientists–bruised by the Soviet success with Sputnik–celebrate the successful launch of Explorer … The launch is a triumph for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Rocketdyne, The Times says. … Worries about a television strike against … Continue reading →

Posted in @news, San Fernando Valley, Science, Transportation | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on U.S. launches rocket

Gang shooting

Posted on January 3, 2008 by lmharnisch

Jan. 1, 1958Los Angeles  

Posted in San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Gang shooting

Van Nuys Boulevard

Posted on December 29, 2007 by lmharnisch

Dec. 29, 1957Los Angeles Isn’t this building cool, in its weird 1950s Space Age way? This is a wonderful detail from a Times ad for the opening of a Van Nuys Savings and Loan office at 8201 Van Nuys Blvd. … Continue reading →

Posted in San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Christmas past

Posted on December 7, 2007 by lmharnisch

Dec. 24, 1956Los Angeles      Photograph by Pete Grant / The Los Angeles Times The Times features the home of W.N. Chandler, 13060 Otsego St., Sherman Oaks, in a Dec. 24, 1956, photo essay on holiday yard decor.

Posted in San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Christmas past

Wife shoots husband

Posted on November 21, 2007 by lmharnisch

  Nov. 21, 1957 Los Angeles You remember that 35-year-old woman out in the Valley who hooked up with her daughter's 16-year-old boyfriend three years ago? Well, she shot him. Accident. Jimmy and Dee Dee got married in 1957 and … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1957, Crime and Courts, LAPD, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Wife shoots husband

Times endorsements

Posted on November 19, 2007 by lmharnisch

Nov. 19, 1957Los Angeles Here’s something from another era in politics: An endorsement masquerading as a Page 1 item urging people to vote. And in case people missed it on Page 1, The Times ran another item on Page 4 … Continue reading →

Posted in San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Times endorsements

Doctor murdered

Posted on November 17, 2007 by lmharnisch

  Nov. 17, 1957 Los Angeles Let’s go back about six months before it happened out on a lonely road half a mile from the cemetery. Monty was 19 and had just gotten out of the Deuel Vocational Institution for … Continue reading →

Posted in #gays and lesbians, Homicide, San Fernando Valley | 2 Comments

Trick or Treat murder

Posted on November 14, 2007 by lmharnisch

  Nov. 13-14, 1957Los Angeles Just as I suspected. Although The Times was too squeamish to even allude to homosexuality in the Trick or Treat murder of Peter Fabiano, the Mirror was a bit more brave. A bit. It’s fairly … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, #gays and lesbians, 1957, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

October 31, 1957: Trick or Treat murder

Posted on October 31, 2007 by lmharnisch

Photograph by Larry Harnisch / Los Angeles Times The “Trick-or-Treat Murder” house, 13236 Community St., October 27, 2007. October 31, 1957 Los Angeles They had planned the murder for months as the vague wish turned into a solid, horrible truth. … Continue reading →

Posted in #gays and lesbians, Homicide, LAPD, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Random shot

Posted on October 28, 2007 by lmharnisch

  Photograph by Larry Harnisch / Los Angeles TimesCircus Liquor, Burbank Boulevard and Vineland Avenue, Oct. 27, 2007.

Posted in San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Blue movies

Posted on October 25, 2007 by lmharnisch

Oct. 24, 1957Los Angeles The wages of sin was a hilltop mansion in Bel-Air for Donald De Munck, who according to The Times provided his home at 10689 Somma Way as a location to shoot stag films.* The Times account … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, LAPD, San Fernando Valley, Suicide | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Ramblin’ man

Posted on October 12, 2007 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 11-23, 1957Los Angeles Hey there, men, feeling blue because you can’t get a date? You might try the Clifford Earl Burton method: You don’t have to be tall (he was 5-5), highly educated (he could barely read or … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, LAPD, San Fernando Valley | Comments Off on Ramblin’ man

Madness

Posted on October 4, 2007 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 4, 1957Los Angeles I’ve read any number of horrible stories in the old papers, but this is one of the worst in terms of senseless tragedy. The facts, such as they are, don’t even begin to explain what … Continue reading →

Posted in Homicide, LAPD, San Fernando Valley, Suicide | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Madness

Matt Weinstock

Posted on October 2, 2007 by lmharnisch

Sept. 30, 1957 Ever since returning from my vacation I’ve been thinking about an eerie piece of information I picked up while driving along Highway 395 near Big Pine. Riding along was Sid Parratt of the Department of Water and … Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Matt Weinstock, San Fernando Valley, Science, UFOs | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Matt Weinstock

It was loaded

Posted on September 27, 2007 by lmharnisch

  Sept. 27, 1957 Los Angeles Thomas Lee Anglin’s first mistake was buying a gun so his wife could protect herself. His next mistake was arguing with her while she was holding the loaded .22-caliber pistol. His third mistake, which … Continue reading →

Posted in San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fatal crash

Posted on September 25, 2007 by lmharnisch

  Sept. 25, 1957 Los Angeles John and Beatrice Stone had been warned that their home at 16433 Chase St. would be condemned by 1959 for expansion of Van Nuys Airport. Although most of the houses had already been cleared … Continue reading →

Posted in San Fernando Valley, Transportation | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Fatal crash

Runaway

Posted on September 12, 2007 by lmharnisch

  Sept. 12, 1957 Los Angeles There’s no telling what spooked Ben, but the horse was frightened and galloped toward Nordhoff Street and Tobias Avenue in what was then the rural San Fernando Valley. The rider, Carol Goetzinger, 13, tried … Continue reading →

Posted in San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Runaway

A rambling man

Posted on September 6, 2007 by lmharnisch

  Sept. 6, 1957 Los Angeles Kindly, mild-mannered and quiet, The Traveler, 51, was the last person anyone would suspect of a crime. He seemed more like a Sunday school teacher, which he had been, or perhaps an itinerant newsman. … Continue reading →

Posted in LAPD, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A rambling man

Fuzzy Pink Nightgown

Posted on August 23, 2007 by lmharnisch

  Aug. 23, 1957Los Angeles Bad things happen when two men (Ralph Meeker and Keenan Wynn) abduct a movie star (Jane Russell). It turns out that her upcoming film is "The Kidnapped Bride" and everyone–including the studio and the alleged … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, LAPD, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fuzzy Pink Nightgown

Four-time loser

Posted on August 12, 2007 by lmharnisch

Aug. 12, 1957Los Angeles John Gordon Fawcett, 42, had enough. His last three marriages had ended with his wives getting boyfriends and so when he found his fourth wife in the bedroom with another man…. “This happens every time,” he … Continue reading →

Posted in LAPD, San Fernando Valley | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Four-time loser