December 18, 1907: County Coroner Dead Drunk at Bordello

Posted on December 18, 2025 by lmharnisch


Note: This is an encore post from 2006.

December 18, 1907
Los Angeles

Los Angeles County Coroner Roy S. Lanterman was arrested on charges of being drunk and disorderly at the Navajo, a bordello run by Ida Hastings, 309 Ord St. Hastings called police, who arrested Lanterman.

A Mills Seminary graduate nicknamed “Suicide Ida” because of her attempts to kill herself “every time she has a serious setback in her numerous ‘love’ affairs,” Hastings had contacted police earlier in the evening, asking for protection from Lanterman, saying that he had attacked her. Hastings notified police when Lanterman, who was married, returned to the bordello, went to her bedroom and after a fierce fight, removed several photographs of himself as well as a letter.

Continue reading →

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December 17, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on December 17, 2025 by lmharnisch

Forgotten Men

Matt WeinstockAs you probably read, film director, Joseph Von Sternberg has sued Fox for $1 million, charging the 1959 version of “The Blue Angel” with May Britt and Curt Jurgens was made without his consent and was inferior to his 1929 version with Marlene Dietrich and Emil Jannings, thereby, he contended, decreasing the original’s value.

That, of course, is a question a court will have to decide.

Meanwhile, Louise Schneider is distressed about something else involving “The Blue Angel.”

In all the hubbub over the original and the remake, no one has given credit to Heinrich Mann, whose novel, “Professor Unrat” (Professor Garbage), published in 1905, made them possible. Continue reading →

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December 17, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on December 17, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 17, 1959: Mirror cover

We Have Living Dead Living in Red China

Paul Coates, in coat and tieHistorically, war is a cold fact of life.

And one of its most terrifying aspects is that some men conscripted by their nations to fight are swallowed up and lost in its grisly shuffle.

They’re not among the known dead.  They’re not among the known living.

They’re just gone.

After the war in Korea, The U.S. counted its casualties.  Among them were 5,866 missing. Slowly, since then, it has whittled the number down.

There were 715 who were later located in prison camps and returned.  An additional 1,550 bodies, less than half of them identifiable, were sent back to us by the Chinese.  Others, evidence definitely indicated, had died either in action or prison camps.  Still others were eventually written off by the U.S. government as “presumed dead.” Continue reading →

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Deccember 17, 1947: Frightening Food From the 1940s — ‘Unusual’ Fruitcake

Posted on December 17, 2025 by lmharnisch

L.A. Times, 1947

L.A. Times, 1947
Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project..

Bonus factoid: The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds a $2,500 fine against Hollywood book dealer Marcell Rodd for selling the obscene book “Call House Madam.” The book, by Serge G. Wolsey, is now available at the Los Angeles Public Library.

Quote of the day: “I don’t give a so-and-so what you think.”
Tallulah Bankhead, continuing her feud with Lynn Fontanne, when Fontanne and Noel Coward visited Bankhead backstage to give their compliments after a performance of “Private Lives.” Bankhead asked: “What did you think of me, Noel?”

Continue reading →

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December 16, 1947: Back Broken and Skull Fractured, Girl, 2 Dies of Abuse; Mother Gets 10 Years in Prison

Posted on December 16, 2025 by lmharnisch

L.A. Times, 1947

image

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project.

Somewhere, there’s 57-year-old man; maybe his name is Steven, or maybe his foster parents changed it. He doesn’t know much about himself except that his birthday is March 7, 1948. He doesn’t know that he was born in the jail ward of what’s now County-USC Medical Center. He doesn’t know that before his mother, Shirleen, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing his older sister, Denise, Juvenile Court Judge A.A. Scott told her, “You shall never see this baby again!”

Denise Kunin was nearly 2 years old when she died in 1947 of a broken back and fractured skull. During the trial, it took Dr. Frederick Newbarr, the autopsy surgeon, 15 minutes to describe her injuries. The testimony and color pictures left the jurors devastated.

Continue reading →

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Holiday Gift Suggestion – ‘California Against the Sea’

Posted on December 16, 2025 by lmharnisch

Book jacket: An aerial view of the ocean and waves breaking on the shore near beachfront homes.

California Against the Sea: Visions for our Vanishing Coastline, by my former Los Angeles Times colleague Rosanna Xia, has won a number of awards since it was published in 2023, and would make an excellent gift for anyone seeking to understand our ever-changing coastline. Continue reading →

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Coming in January: The Black Dahlia Book Club!

Posted on December 16, 2025 by lmharnisch

This month’s Ask Me Anything on George Hodel was the last in this series.

No, they aren’t going away. Starting January 20, at 10 a.m. Pacific time, on my YouTube channel, I’ll be doing the monthly Black Dahlia Book Club.

I will continue discussing George Hodel and Steve Hodel, probably the most prolific writer on the Black Dahlia case, but I will also examine the range of books, including the recent publications by Eli Frankel and forthcoming book by William J. Mann, and take a look back at the earliest coverage of the case, starting with the pulp magazines. I also want to discuss the current state of “True Crime Inc.” Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: ‘White Christmas’ Soothes the Home Front in 1942

Posted on December 16, 2025 by lmharnisch

motionpictureher147unse_0603
Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds and Virginia Dale in “Holiday Inn.”

Note: This is an encore post from 2015.

Recognized today as one of the top selling singles and pieces of sheet music of all time, Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” was just one of eleven songs in the 1942 holiday classic, “Holiday Inn.” First put to paper by Berlin in 1940, the tune evolved over time before becoming the beloved hit sung by the dulcet tones of baritone Bing Crosby.

Jody Rosen, in his book, “White Christmas: The Story of an American Song,” reveals that on Monday, January 8, 1940, Berlin composed forty-eight bars which his secretary Helmy Kresa transcribed to manuscript paper, after the composer flew into the office claiming he had written his greatest song. Nearly fully formed as the song we know today, the most famous sixty-seven notes never changed from the first time they hit the page. These emotion-filled lyrics touched hearts during America’s first year in World War II, nostalgic for better and happier times.

“Hollywood Celebrates the Holidays” by Karie Bible and Mary Mallory is now available at Amazon and at local bookstores.

Continue reading →

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December 16, 1907: A Headline for Steve Horn — L.A. Times Sports Covers a Cat Show

Posted on December 16, 2025 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006.

December 16, 1907
Los Angeles

And what ran on the sports pages in 1907? We certainly didn’t have the Lakers. How about a cat show at Chutes Park at Grand and Washington? I can just imagine the reaction of my distinguished colleagues on the other end of newsroom to this:

“In the class of white neuters, Col. Dunham Jr. was awarded the first place, and Tootsie, owned by Mrs. E.H. Coane, was a very close second. Mr. [Frederick] Story said he had never had to decide between two cats having so many equal points. The colonel was the finer and best furnished. The eyes and head of Tootsie were better than those of the colonel.” Continue reading →

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L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Holiday Shopping Guide

Posted on December 15, 2025 by lmharnisch

Los Angeles Book.

Note: This is an encore post from 2014.

“The Los Angeles Book,” with text by Lee Shippey and photos by Max Yavno is one of my favorite books on Los Angeles – but only for Yavno’s photographs. The text is forgettable and, in fact, Yavno said he paid no attention to it when he took his pictures. There are many famous images here, including Muscle Beach, the opening of “The Heiress” at the Carthay Circle Theatre (RIP), etc. Copies can be located on Bookfinder.com starting at $17 (2025 Update: $24.99).

Here’s my 2011 post on “The Los Angeles Book.”

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December 15, 1942: Stripper Discharged From Waacs Was Out of Uniform – and Everything Else

Posted on December 15, 2025 by lmharnisch

Dec. 15, 1942, Comics

December 15, 1942: Some restaurants close for lack of butter, meat and sugar due to wartime food rationing. And people rush to the Pike amusement park in Long Beach after rumors that it had plenty of hamburger, which is scarce throughout Southern California, The Times says.

“Everywhere else were empty meat counters, ghostlike with long rows of clean white trays. Everywhere were empty egg crates and dwindling if not totally depleted stocks of margarine, favorite substitute for the vanishing butter,” The Times says.

Tom Treanor, who was killed covering the liberation of France, writes about a factory in Eritrea.

Continue reading →

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December 15, 1941: Soldier Kills Civilian in Tragedy at Airport Checkpoint

Posted on December 15, 2025 by lmharnisch

Dec. 15, 1941, Tuttle

Dec. 15, 1941, Comics
Terrific artwork from the incredible Milton Caniff.

December 15, 1941: A group of soldiers was stopping motorists on Sepulveda Boulevard near the airport to strip off blue cellophane that had been illegally put over the headlights in the new wartime blackout.  Dr. Harry Brandel, assuming that the soldiers were hitchhiking, ignored the order to stop and Private Eugene I. Tuttle, 19, fired what he said was a warning shot. The bullet struck the car, killing Brandel’s wife, Adele. The case was turned over to military authorities and The Times never published anything further about the resolution of matter.

Hedda Hopper writes a Hollywood version of the “Yes, Virginia” Christmas column, which was an old chestnut 60 years ago.

Jimmie Fidler says: A few minutes after war was declared, Rosalind Russell and Linda Darnell led a daylong parade of screen stars who volunteered their services to the Women’s Emergency Corps of Beverly Hills.

Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide, Jimmie Fidler, World War II | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Movieland ‘Unsuitable’ Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on December 15, 2025 by lmharnisch

Main Title. Lettering over abstract shadows.

This week’s “unsuitable” mystery movie was the 1947 Columbia film The Millerson Case, with Warner Baxter, Nancy Saunders, Clem Bevans, Griff Barnett, Paul Guilfoyle, James Bell, Addison Richards and Mark Dennis. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , | 22 Comments

December 15, 1907: Architectural Rambling to South Pasadena

Posted on December 15, 2025 by lmharnisch


Note: This is an encore post from 2006.

December 15, 1907
Los Angeles

Anybody who sets out to study the development of the city’s neighborhoods can expect to do lots of driving. My recent travels have taken me to an obscure area of South Los Angeles to look for 1907-era houses mentioned in the Dec. 8 issue of The Times: one in the vicinity of 4615 Wesley Ave. and another around 124 W. 52nd St. (Bonus fact: Broadway in that area used to be known as Moneta).

I’ll post some pictures later. The buildings on Wesley are a mix of single-family homes and two-story apartments. As for preservation, you might as well call this neighborhood Stucco Heights.

Continue reading →

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December 14, 1941: War Cancels Rose Parade

Posted on December 14, 2025 by lmharnisch

Dec. 14, 1941, Tournament of Roses
Dec. 14, 1941, Comics

Dec. 14, 1941, Comics Dec. 14, 1941, Comics

Note: This is a post from 2011.

December 14, 1941: The Rose Parade is canceled and the Rose Bowl – between Duke and Oregon State – is moved to Durham, N.C. The streets of Pasadena were oddly quiet on New Year’s Day as millions reviewed memories of previous parades in all their glory, The Times said.

Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Tom Treanor, World War II | Comments Off on December 14, 1941: War Cancels Rose Parade

L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Shopping Guide

Posted on December 14, 2025 by lmharnisch

bunker_hill_politi_low_rez
“Angel’s Flight” by Leo Politi.

Another of my favorite books about Los Angeles is Leo Politi’s “Bunker Hill Los Angeles: Reminiscences of Bygone Days,” published in 1964. Copies are listed on Bookfinder for as little as $20. This painting shows Angels Flight as it was in the 1930s and ‘40s, when it was next to the 3rd Street Tunnel. It was moved to its current location, across from Grand Central Market, as part of a 1980s redevelopment project after years of being in storage.

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December 14, 1908: Mahler’s farewell concert with the New York Philharmonic

Posted on December 14, 2025 by lmharnisch

New York Times "Times Traveler" logo, lettering with a man running on a watch
Update: This is an encore post from 2008 and, sadly, all the newspaper history blogs mentioned in this post are gone, though the Daily Mirror continues as a private project. The rest live on at the Internet Archive. 

I stumbled across–guess what–a daily history blog at the New York Times, headed by William S. Niederkorn. Here’s the New York Times’ review of “Mr. Mahler’s Last Concert.” But wait, what’s this? Overemphasis of the brass? (gasp) … Untunefulness in the ‘wood winds?’ (horrors!) “Mr. Mahler was much applauded and several times recalled.”

Continue reading →

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December 14, 1931: Voices — Christine Collins

Posted on December 14, 2025 by lmharnisch
December 13, 1931: Christine Collins letter“I have tried real hard to secure some kind of employment for my husband…” December 14, 1931: Christine Collins letter, part 2
Posted in #courts, 1931, Changeling, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Comments Off on December 14, 1931: Voices — Christine Collins

December 14, 1907: L.A. Schools Ban Mention of Christ at Christmas (Uh-Oh)

Posted on December 14, 2025 by lmharnisch


Note: This is an encore post from 2006.

December 14, 1907
Los Angeles

The madman who calls himself the superintendent of the Los Angeles schools has touched off an absolute firestorm of anger by ordering teachers not to mention Christ during Christmas pageants or other festivities.

“The town was agog with it yesterday,” The Times said. “It was the talk among both ministers and laymen of the 200 and more churches in Los Angeles.”

Continue reading →

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December 13, 1953: Father charged with leaving son, 4, in car parked on skid row

Posted on December 13, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 13, 1953: A young boy sitting in a chair. Kenny Ross, 4, gazes from window of Juvenile Hall and dreams of becoming a writer. Kenny was found in his father's car in a Main Street parking lot. This is one of those haunting stories from The Times. I wonder what happened to Kenny Ross and whether he ever became a writer. Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1953, Front Pages, LAPD | Comments Off on December 13, 1953: Father charged with leaving son, 4, in car parked on skid row