Category Archives: World War II

1944 in Print — Hollywood News and Gossip by Louella Parsons, June 18, 1944

June 18, 1944 HOLLYWOOD, June 17 – On June 21, Leo the Lion will have roared for 20 years, carrying many glamorous and popular stars to fame. When I came to Hollywood 19 years ago, this company was making itself … Continue reading

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Black Dahlia: Joseph G. Fickling Memorabilia on EBay

An EBay vendor has listed the pilot wings that belonged to Joseph G. Fickling, Elizabeth Short’s onetime boyfriend. Apparently these items were in a storage unit. The vendor has posted a photo of Fickling’s dog tags (not included in the … Continue reading

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U.S. Troops Report Nazi Atrocities During Invasion, June 13, 1944

June 13, 1944 The Times reports the death of pilot Maj. Joseph D.R. Shaffer, 26, of Long Beach, who received the Silver Star and the  Distinguished Service Cross for shooting down a Nazi bomber near Reykjavik — the first German … Continue reading

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1944 in Print — Hollywood News and Gossip By Louella Parsons, June 13, 1944

June 13, 1944 HOLLYWOOD, June 12 — There isn’t a chance of MGM making the same mistake with 14-year-old Jane Powell they made with Deanna Durbin. Deanna slipped through their fingers and then made “Three Smart Girls” for Charles Rogers … Continue reading

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1944 in Print — Life Magazine, June 12, 1944

June 12, 1944 Life’s cover photo shows 500-pound bombs falling on an oil refinery in Leghorn, Italy. Where does Al Capp get ideas for his characters? Would you believe Veronica Lake? A feature on Humphrey Bogart says that while filming … Continue reading

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ALLIES INVADE FRANCE! JUNE 6, 1944; Complete Radio Coverage

The headline and map by Charles Owens from The Times. June 6, 1944: Complete radio coverage of the D-Day Invasion. This was pool coverage using correspondents from various news organizations. By 10 a.m., CBS had resumed regular programming with news … Continue reading

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D-Day Invasion: Full Radio Coverage of the Invasion of Europe Coming Tomorrow

Just a reminder that I will be posting full radio coverage from 1944 of the D-Day invasion starting at 12:37 a.m. Eastern Time (9:37 p.m. Pacific Time), precisely when the first radio announcement was made on June 6, 1944, citing … Continue reading

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1944 in Print — Life Magazine, June 5, 1944

June 5, 1944 Reporter Charles Christian Wertenbaker says: The spring of 1944 will be remembered by those who passed it in England as a time when nerves were tauter than during the blitz. All spring long the tension grew until … Continue reading

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1944 in Print — Hollywood News and Gossip by Louella Parsons, May 30, 1944

May 30, 1944 Dear younger readers, Memorial Day (created as Decoration Day, a time to place flowers on the graves of Civil War veterans) used to be May 30, until Congress decided in 1968 that a three-day weekend was more … Continue reading

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1944 in Print — Life Magazine, May 29, 1944

May 29, 1944 Life’s cover story features Lt. Gen Carl “Tooey” Spaatz, commander of the American air forces preparing for the invasion of Europe. Gjon Mili photographs Gene Kelly dancing. The movie of the week is “Once Upon a Time,” … Continue reading

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1944 in Print — Life Magazine, May 22, 1944

May 22, 1944 America is waiting breathlessly for the impending invasion of Europe. In Dallas, churches promised to ring their bells and open their sanctuaries for prayer as soon as the invasion was announced. With the South hit by flooding … Continue reading

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1944 in Print — Hollywood News and Gossip by Louella Parsons, May 21, 1944

May 21, 1944 Louella Parsons asks Olivia De Havilland: “Do you feel your court battle with Warners will affect your chances of getting back to the screen and good pictures?” “Certainly not,” she said. “I won and am now reading … Continue reading

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1944 in Print — Life Magazine, May 15, 1944

May 15, 1944 On the cover, George Rodger’s photo of Sir Bernard Montgomery. This week’s movie:  “The Hitler Gang,” starring Robert Watson as Hitler. And a photo essay by Andreas Feininger on war production in the U.S. Courtesy of Google … Continue reading

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Nazis Prepare for Invasion of Europe, May 14, 1944

May 14, 1944 The invasion of Europe is less than a month away. Even the Germans admit it. On the jump: Movies in production: “Farewell, My Lovely,” “The House of Fear” and “A Stranger in Our Midst.” Best Sellers: “The … Continue reading

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1944 in Print — Hollywood News and Gossip by Louella Parsons, May 14, 1944

May 14, 1944 Joe E. Brown pioneered entertainment in Alaska and the South Pacific, and only Don Barclay beat him to China. Bill Gargan, who was with Paulette Goddard in China, says the name Barclay is known to every serviceman … Continue reading

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The ‘Greatest Generation’ — What Causes ‘Sissies,’ May 8, 1944

May 8, 1944 Many factors contribute to the “sissification” of youth: White flour, not getting your teeth cleaned,  sugar, being a sports fan instead of a player, riding in a vehicle, smoking and drinking, and wearing too much clothing. From … Continue reading

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1944 in Print — Life Magazine, May 1, 1944

Navy Lt. Harold Vita shows young Richard Kovacks how to shoot down an enemy plane in this week’s cover story. May 1, 1944 Life magazine looks at the travails of George Yamamoto, who keeps getting running out of town because … Continue reading

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A Salute to Forgotten Heroism, April 30, 1944

April 30, 1944 Here’s a story of forgotten heroism. I stumbled across it in the Miami News while digging out a Sidney Skolsky column. Lt. Newell Putnam Wyman waves off rescuers trying to save him and the crew of his … Continue reading

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1944 in Print — Hollywood by Sidney Skolsky, April 30, 1944

Note: This is the last of the Sidney Skolsky columns for a while. There are no online issues of the Miami News for May 1944, so that’s it until June. What do you think of Skolsky? Is he a keeper? … Continue reading

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1944 in Print — Hollywood Gossip by Louella Parsons, April 30, 1944

April 30, 1944 The U.S. loses 63 bombers and 14 fighters in a daylight raid on Berlin. The Nazis lost 88 aircraft. Meanwhile, the RAF made its 16th consecutive nighttime raid on Germany. Louella Parsons interviews Irving Cummings, who received … Continue reading

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