Category Archives: Zombie Reading List

From the Stacks – ‘Facts You Should Know About California’

Posted on June 3, 2011 by lmharnisch

    Since March, when I examined Louis Adamic’s “The Truth About Los Angeles,” I have been hunting the other pamphlets he wrote for E. Haldeman-Julius. A box of a dozen musty tracts arrived Friday, courtesy of EBay, and I … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1927, 1928, books, Crime and Courts, From the Stacks, Hollywood, Zombie Reading List | 3 Comments

From the Stacks: ‘Bookmen and Their Brothels’

Posted on May 27, 2011 by lmharnisch

    “Bookmen and Their Brothels: Recollections of Los Angeles in the 1930s” by Ward Ritchie recently showed up on EBay for too much money, so I borrowed a copy through interlibrary loan and spent a happy hour or so … Continue reading →

Posted in 1970, art and artists, books, From the Stacks, Pages of History, Zombie Reading List | 2 Comments

Bullet of Mystery – Part 5

Posted on May 24, 2011 by lmharnisch

In case you just tuned in, I’m posting a small case study of research I did with Caroline Comport on her grandfather Lionel Comport for her master’s thesis. Researching Los Angeles is a treasure hunt, and every time I dig … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1901, Crime and Courts, Film, From the Stacks, health, Hollywood, Pages of History, Zombie Reading List | 3 Comments

From the Stacks: ‘The Los Angeles Book’

Posted on May 13, 2011 by lmharnisch

    It has been years since I looked through “The Los Angeles Book” and even longer since I read it. Then several weeks ago, I bought a copy so I could point out a particular photo of Chavez Ravine … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950, books, Columnists, From the Stacks, Zombie Reading List | 1 Comment

From the Stacks — ‘The Long Season’

Posted on May 6, 2011 by lmharnisch

    I haven’t read a baseball book since my mother gave away my trading cards of the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Braves. No, I’m not quite that old. I got them from a neighbor lady who was surreptitiously … Continue reading →

Posted in #Jim Murray, 1960, Baseball, books, broadcasting, Dodgers, Sports, Zombie Reading List | Leave a comment

From the Stacks – ‘Portraits of Crime’ (1977)

Posted on April 29, 2011 by lmharnisch

    Two years after writing about  LAPD Det. Ector Garcia, I finally located a copy of his book, “Portraits of Crime,” which arrived in the mail from the U.K. while I was on vacation. No one will ever mistake … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1977, books, Crime and Courts, Downtown, From the Stacks, Hollywood, Hollywood Division, Homicide, LAPD, Pages of History, San Fernando Valley, Venice Division, West Hollywood, Zombie Reading List | 1 Comment

From the Stacks – ‘Dancing Bear’ (1968)

Posted on April 20, 2011 by lmharnisch

    Out of curiosity, I picked up Gladwin Hill’s “Dancing Bear” at the Southern California Library’s book sale.  I never met Hill (d. 1992), the New York Times bureau chief in Los Angeles, but I had heard about him … Continue reading →

Posted in 1968, books, From the Stacks, Politics, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Zombie Reading List | Leave a comment

Kennedy Names First Black U.S. Attorney

Posted on April 16, 2011 by lmharnisch

           April 16, 1961: President Kennedy nominates Cecil F. Poole (d. 1997) as U.S. attorney for the Northern District California. He was the first African American U.S. attorney in the Continental U.S., the first black federal … Continue reading →

Posted in 1961, Adolf Eichmann, art and artists, books, Columnists, Comics, JFK, Zombie Reading List | Leave a comment

From the Stacks — ‘Ride the Pink Horse’

Posted on April 15, 2011 by lmharnisch

        Out of curiosity, I picked up this paperback for 50 cents at the Southern California Library’s book sale because the 1947 movie based on Dorothy B. Hughes’ novel is often mentioned as a classic film noir, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1946, books, Film, From the Stacks, Hollywood, Zombie Reading List | 1 Comment

Matt Weinstock, April 10, 1961

Posted on April 10, 2011 by lmharnisch

    April 10, 1961: Lawrence Clark Powell, head of UCLA’s library school, surveys students’ attitudes on reading and touches off an interesting exploration of their reading habits. Many say they don’t have time to read for pleasure or that … Continue reading →

Posted in 1961, Adolf Eichmann, books, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Education, Matt Weinstock, Zombie Reading List | Leave a comment

Paul Coates, April 10, 1961

Posted on April 10, 2011 by lmharnisch

      April 10, 1961: Notice the Spade Cooley story. It vanished from later editions, and I couldn’t find the jump, just the Page 1 portion. Paul Coates writes about two Beverly Hills police officers' problems with Police Chief … Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1961, books, Columnists, Crime and Courts, From the Vaults, Homicide, Paul Coates, Zombie Reading List | Leave a comment

From the Stacks — ‘City of Angels’

Posted on April 6, 2011 by lmharnisch

      Rupert Hughes’ “City of Angels,” 1941.   How much of a book must one read before deciding that it’s going to be a dog? Does an author deserve a running start of the first chapter? Can one … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, books, Film, From the Stacks, Hollywood, Zombie Reading List | Leave a comment

Found on EBay — ‘Headline Happy’

Posted on April 4, 2011 by lmharnisch

  Los Angeles Times file photo   A somewhat distressed copy of “Headline Happy” by Florabel Muir  has been listed on EBay. You may recall that Muir, above, has a terrific description of the Busgy Siegel crime scene and, yes, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950, books, Crime and Courts, Mickey Cohen, Zombie Reading List | Leave a comment

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, March 25, 1941

Posted on March 25, 2011 by lmharnisch

           March 25, 1941: Tom Treanor has another column on Jan Valtin’s “Out of the Night,” which I have begun reading, thanks to the Los Angeles Public Library, and I must say that so far the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, art and artists, books, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor, Zombie Reading List | Leave a comment

Make Your Own Pickwick Book Shop Bookmarks!

Posted on March 22, 2011 by lmharnisch

    I noticed that L.A. Observed had an item on the reissue of “Los Angeles: A Guide to the City and Its Environs,” a book that is well worth having. The Daily Mirror HQ acquired its copy (formerly the … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Pages of History, Zombie Reading List | 1 Comment

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, March 19, 1941

Posted on March 19, 2011 by lmharnisch

        March 19, 1941: A couple of years ago Louis Bromfield told me he believed the country was waiting for a novel by someone who knew Hollywood and would play it straight. Authors who couldn't fit into … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor, Zombie Reading List | Leave a comment

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, March 18, 1941

Posted on March 18, 2011 by lmharnisch

        March 18, 1941: Lee Shippey has a letter from author Harlan Ware about attempts to deport Jan Valtin, who wrote “Out of the Night.”  This is the book that Tom Treanor mentioned recently. I never heard … Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Zombie Reading List | Leave a comment