Category Archives: World War II

Pilot Lands P-38 Between Venice, Ocean Park Piers

Posted on May 17, 2012 by lmharnisch

May 17, 1942: Lt. William K. Long lands his P-38, with smoke pouring from one of the engines, between the Venice and Ocean Park piers. “Then, swimming a short distance through deep water, he waded ashore,” The Times said. Philip … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, African Americans, Film, Hollywood, Music, Mystery Photo, Transportation, World War II | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Caltech Students Hold Drag Beauty Contest

Posted on May 15, 2012 by lmharnisch

May 15, 1942: In a typical publicity stunt, someone from showman Earl Carroll’s operation offered to select Caltech’s beauty queen. Nobody told them that the campus was all-male (oooh girls can’t be engineers!). So the young men decided to have … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Comics, Education, Film, Hollywood, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Suicide, World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Caltech Students Hold Drag Beauty Contest

Battle of the Coral Sea, 1942

Posted on May 9, 2012 by lmharnisch

May 9, 1942: Allied forces fight the first what would be six major aircraft carrier battles with the Japanese, the next being the Battle of Midway. On the jump, a war map by Times artist Charles Owens, whom you may … Continue reading →

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For Mother’s Day – The Victory Bra

Posted on May 3, 2012 by lmharnisch

May 3, 1942: No, really. There was such a thing.

Posted in 1942, Fashion, World War II | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Snake Killer Dies on Gallows

Posted on May 2, 2012 by lmharnisch

May 2, 1942: Major Raymond Lisenba, better known as Robert S. “Rattlesnake” James, becomes the 214th and last person to be executed by hanging in California. James was hanged because the murder of his wife occurred in 1935, before the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Homicide, World War II | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Men 45-64 Register With Draft Boards

Posted on April 26, 2012 by lmharnisch

April 26, 1942: Men between the ages of 45 and 64 form a line a block long outside the draft board at 329 W. 2nd St. to comply with a new registration order. The men would be called upon to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Comics, Film, Hollywood, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

State OKs Women Wearing Pants to Work

Posted on April 21, 2012 by lmharnisch

April 21, 1942: It took the approval of State Public Works Director Frank W. Clark, but women are wearing pants to work! The fashion iconoclasts are Olive Faisy and Lorena Hermance, telephone operators at the State Building. They were joined … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Fashion, World War II | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Internment of Japanese Farmers Causes Food Shortage

Posted on April 16, 2012 by lmharnisch

April 16, 1942: If you send all the Japanese farmers to internment camps, there’s no one to grow strawberries, tomatoes, carrots, green peas and onions. Oops. Charlotte LeNordtestifies that she killed her foster mother Celeste Frank — who read palms … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, World War II | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Eve Golden: Queen of the Dead

Posted on April 9, 2012 by lmharnisch

A postcard of a horse-drawn hearse listed on EBay with bidding starting at $2.50. Queen of the Dead – dateline April 9, 2012 •  The Telegraph hits another one out of the ballpark with their tribute to Peregrine John Wishart … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Artists, Dance, Eve Golden, Film, Queen of the Dead, World War II | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Guards Shoot at Car Refusing to Halt Outside Army Camp; Man Near Death

Posted on April 5, 2012 by lmharnisch

April 5, 1942: Sentries fire at a car that refused to stop on a street leading to the Army camp in Alondra Park.  Ralph W. Spaulding, 26, was hospitalized after being shot in the head. Bessie Edwards, who suffered a … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Fashion, World War II | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Manzanar Internment Camp Rising Rapidly in Owens Valley

Posted on March 20, 2012 by lmharnisch

March 20, 1942: A crew of 400 carpenters working 10-hour shifts is hurriedly building the internment camp at Manzanar for “10,000 alien and American-born Japanese from Los Angeles and other Southern California cities,” The Times says. “Manzanar is the former … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, World War II | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

FBI Arrests Buddhist Priests in Japanese Roundup

Posted on March 14, 2012 by lmharnisch

  March 14, 1942: The FBI leads arrests of Buddhist priests, teachers, photographers, housewives, gardeners and businessmen in the continuing roundup of “enemy aliens.” Among the arrested was the Rev. Hiroshi Izumi of the Japanese Congregational Church in Santa Barbara. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, World War II | Tagged , | 1 Comment

‘Full Service’: Fun With Fact-Checking, Part 11

Posted on March 9, 2012 by lmharnisch

In case you just tuned in, I’m doing a little fact-checking as I go through Scotty Bowers’ “Full Service.” This will be fairly tedious except to a research drudge. Before we go any further, we need to take a little … Continue reading →

Posted in 1946, Another Good Story Ruined, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, World War II | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

‘Full Service’: Fun With Fact-Checking, Part 8

Posted on March 6, 2012 by lmharnisch

In case you just tuned in, I’m doing a little fact-checking as I go through Scotty Bowers’ “Full Service.” This will be fairly tedious except to a research drudge. Good grief, Harnisch, eight posts and you’re still on Page 1? … Continue reading →

Posted in Another Good Story Ruined, Brain Trust, Film, Hollywood, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Libraries, World War II | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

‘Enemy Aliens’ Farms Ideally Located to Sabotage L.A., Times Says

Posted on March 4, 2012 by lmharnisch

March 4, 1942: In what must surely be a classic example of war hysteria, The Times publishes a master map of land owned or leased by “enemy aliens” that constitutes ideal locations to conduct espionage, operate signaling outposts and stage … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Artists, Film, Hollywood, Nuestro Pueblo, Theaters, World War II | Tagged , , | Comments Off on ‘Enemy Aliens’ Farms Ideally Located to Sabotage L.A., Times Says

Ansel Adams – Images of Los Angeles

Posted on March 2, 2012 by lmharnisch

Photo: “The Pup.” Notice that it served French dip sandwiches! Credit: Los Angeles Public Library. I stopped by the reception for the Ansel Adams show at drkrm, 727 S. Spring St., on Wednesday night to see the photos of Los … Continue reading →

Posted in Coming Attractions, Libraries, Nuestro Pueblo, Photography, World War II | Tagged , | 6 Comments

‘Full Service’: Fun With Fact-Checking, Part 6

Posted on February 29, 2012 by lmharnisch

In case you just tuned in, I’m doing a little fact-checking as I go through Scotty Bowers’ “Full Service.” This will be fairly tedious except to a research drudge. In our last installment, I didn’t do all that well on … Continue reading →

Posted in 1945, 1946, 1947, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, World War II | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

UCLA Provost Calls for a Return to Basics in Education

Posted on February 25, 2012 by lmharnisch

Feb. 25, 1942: UCLA Provost Earle Hedrick (d. 1943) describes the prevailing disdain for the “three Rs” as “the Pearl Harbor” of American education. Charging that American education is ruled by an elite clique, Hedrick says: “I propose that we … Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Education, Film, Hollywood, World War II | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Times Editorial Praises Japanese Evacuation

Posted on February 21, 2012 by lmharnisch

Feb. 21, 1942: The Times editorial page praises the Japanese evacuation while scolding the government for its slow response. I think this is my favorite quote: … it is important to remember in case any situations of the kind arise … Continue reading →

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Japanese Evacuation: Images of Executive Order 9066

Posted on February 19, 2012 by lmharnisch

Scott Harrison, my colleague on The Times photo desk, has posted a gallery of images from the evacuation of Japanese Americans in 1942. He plans to add to these photos, so check back for more.

Posted in 1942, Photography, World War II | Tagged , , | 1 Comment