Note: This is an encore post from 2006.
November 3, 1907
Los Angeles
Mrs. E.N. Eskey is building this 10-room house in Pico Heights, on Van Ness just south of Pico.
According to The Times, the two-story house (with basement) has a first floor divided into a reception hall with an oak staircase leading upstairs. The living room features built-in bookcases and a massive brick mantel. The dining room has a built-in buffet and china closet, with a pantry and kitchen.
Update: This is a post from 2006. The location was identified by Crime Buddy Nathan Marsak as Olive Street, with Philharmonic Auditorium and Pershing Square in the background.
Here’s a frame grab from the opening shots of “Double Indemnity.” According to the script, the car driven by Walter Neff speeds through an intersection, narrowly avoiding a delivery truck bearing the sign: “READ THE LOS ANGELES TIMES.”
But tinkering with the photo (the original is very dark, after all we are talking about film noir) shows that the truck apparently reads “Los Angeles Examiner.” Although it’s difficult to be positive, the elaborate “E” on the second line almost surely gives it away as the Examiner. It certainly isn’t the Los Angeles Times. Either way, it’s definitely a newspaper truck as bundles of papers tumble from the back when the driver slams on the brakes.
Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project.
All right, kids, let’s do some math. 1947 take away 1940 leaves 7. That’s how many years Tom Mix has been dead.
Now some science… Does anybody have something at home that glows? Your dad’s wristwatch? The dial on your mother’s radio? How about the instruments in your car?
Who can tell me what makes those things glow? Right. It’s called radium. And why does it glow? Correct. It’s radioactive.
Note: This is an encore post from 2006.
Nov. 2, 1907
Los Angeles
As part of a new city beautification campaign, Boyle Heights residents have suggested turning the Los Angeles River into a garden spot.
The plan calls for “a long, winding strand of posies and greenery—a narrow, picturesque parking, which will be viewed by practically every passenger who arrives or leaves Los Angeles on any of the transcontinental railroads,” The Times said.
Sorry, no.
If you are familiar with Steve Hodel’s elevator pitch (“retired LAPD homicide cop discovers evil genius dad was maniacal serial killer”) you can skip all of this in the South Pasadenan. It’s more of the same old exaggerated claims, distorted details and suppressed facts that don’t fit with the predetermined narrative. And lots of rambling about surrealism.
But for those who are new to the ever-expanding Dr. George Hodel “evil genius” franchise, you might want to read on. I’m not going to rehash all of the George Hodel material I have done over the years (there is a lot of it) but here are some selected links.
Executive summary: Dr. George Hodel was never “the prime suspect” in the Black Dahlia case. That dubious title would be reserved for Robert M. “Red” Manley, Joseph Dumais and Leslie Dillon. Dr. Hodel was investigated for a while, his house was bugged for about a month and a half and that’s it.
See:
Black Dahlia: George Hodel — Soil Samples at the Sowden House: FAIL
Black Dahlia: The Non-Smoking Gun – George Hodel Files (37 parts)
Black Dahlia: Can You Identify the Black Dahlia? (Updated)
Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project.
The assault on USC’s campus canine prompted angry letters to The Times and a pointed barb on the sports pages. “Whoever did that had a warped mind,” columnist Braven Dyer said.
Of course, the Trojans were up to the challenge and shortly before the schools’ annual grudge match, painted the Westwood campus with slogans like “George Tirebiter’s Revenge.” The scoreboard was vandalized to read: “USC 1,000, UCLA 0.” The actual score was much closer. USC, which at that point was unbeaten, defeated UCLA 6-0 and went to the Rose Bowl, although it subsequently lost its homecoming game to Notre Dame 38-7.
Oct. 30, 1947: Annie Rhone, a 60-year-old great-grandmother, was chosen as the Sentinel’s “Sepia Cinderella” in a contest judged by Eddie “Rochester” Anderson and held at West Coast premiere of the film. “Sepia Cinderella” was directed by Arthur H. Leonard and starred Sheila Guyse, Billy Daniels and Tondaleyo, and many musical acts..
“The Lord was with me,” Rhone said as she looked at the prizes she won, including a fur coat and a wristwatch. A niece and nephew convinced her to enter the contest against more than 50 women. “The Lord kept hunching me, so I came,” she said.
Note: This is an encore post from 2006.
Oct. 31, 1907
Los Angeles
John J. Mooney, 23, a Southern Pacific machinist who recently arrived from Butte, Mont., was aboard the West 2nd Street car on his way to be initiated in the Modern Woodmen of America when the brakes failed, sending the car into the southbound Spring Street trolley, killing him and injuring seven other passengers.
The intersection is known as a danger point because of the steep hill on 2nd Street, according to The Times, which noted that another fatal accident occurred there Dec. 24, 1905. Officials say the 2nd Street car stopped at Broadway, then proceeded toward Spring when the brakes failed. The motorman of the Spring Street car accelerated to avoid the oncoming trolley but couldn’t get out of the way.
Oct. 30, 1947: Leading the juke box hits this week: Louis Jordan’s “Early in the Morning,” T-Bone Walker’s “I Know Your Wig Is Gone” and “Look Out” by Louis Jordan.
Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project.
Less than three years ago the average American solider in combat was under oath to kill Japanese—but yesterday it was learned that a former combat soldier, Herbert D. Long, 32, of 540 N. Orange Drive, had virtually “adopted” one.
Cables from Tokyo quoting the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri described how the former Army man had carried out the request of a Japanese who died at Attu Island—by assuming responsibility for the future welfare of the soldier’s young daughter in Japan.
Continue reading
Note: This is an encore post from 2006.
Oct. 30, 1907
Los Angeles
The young men of Los Angeles High School have issued a direct challenge to the Board of Education, defying its authority by enlisting fraternity members despite a ban issued last year.
The chief offenders are the Pi Phis, who just added seven members, The Times says. “Another ‘brat frat,’ as they have been dubbed, recently held high jinks at Levy’s restaurant and made a burning declaration of independence in which the city superintendent of schools and all persons concerned in opposing them were relegated to a place where a fire company would not be a circumstance,” The Times said.
This week’s mystery movie was the 1922 “The Toll of the Sea,” one of the earliest two-strip Technicolor features. Story by Frances Marion, directed by Chester M. Franklin, photographic direction by J.A. Ball, with Anna May Wong, Kenneth Harlan, Beatrice Bentley, Baby Moran, Etta Lee and Ming Young.
“Toll of the Sea” is available on DVD from Amazon.
Film studios often employed gimmicks as ways to build word of mouth, increase box office, and promote movie stars throughout the golden age of Hollywood. Pennants, dolls, photos, dishes, and even sheet music produced in conjunction with sponsors or major companies cost the studios virtually nothing but added bonus revenues to their coffers, a cheap form of advertising and promotion.
At the same time, sheet music publishers rushed to create songs around the newest craze, one-hit wonder, and popular novelty, anything to make a sale. These companies sometimes developed material that the studios either purchased or joined forces with in order to create synergy, and thereby sell more products for both. Selig Polyscope Co. employed a song titled “The Kathlyn Waltz” to help promote their action serial “The Adventures of Kathlyln” in 1914, while other sheet music companies also devised songs to play off the popular title.
Mary Mallory’s latest book, “Living With Grace: Life Lessons from America’s Princess,” is now on sale.
Note: This is an encore post from 2006.
October 29, 1907
Los Angeles
Given The Times’ view of unions, it’s a little difficult to determine precisely what went wrong with a production of Ambroise Thomas’ “Mignon” at the Auditorium, but it went very wrong indeed because of a labor dispute.
The traveling company included orchestral players from Italy who had, according to The Times, joined the musicians union. However local union officials, citing labor leaders in St. Louis, appeared shortly before the evening’s performance and insisted that the musicians be thrown out of the union and therefore unable to perform.
Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project.
Sen. Glen H. Taylor (D-Idaho) gave up his cross-country trip after three days, arriving in Phoenix by car with the admission that “he bit off more than he could chew.” One of the more colorful politicians of the 1940s, Taylor made news in 1946 when he knocked a legislative committeeman to the floor of a Boise hotel over a political dispute.
Note: This is an encore post from 2006.
Oct. 28, 1907
Los Angeles
You know the song even if you’ve never seen “Pirates of Penzance”: A policeman’s lot is not a happy one” and that is doubly true for one anonymous former LAPD chief.
The ex-chief has nothing but complaints: “It is the most detestable job ever created.” He can’t get enough men and when he does, many of them are political appointees who have friends in high places but nothing upstairs.
Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project.
The night of witches and hobgoblins is a beloved holiday to all children. Exciting masquerade dress, gleaming jack o’ lanterns, eerie black cats, laughter and traditional prankish games combine to make it the night of nights to have a party.
Fortune-telling games and bobbing for apples lead in popularity, but if you need other games for children too young for dancing, here are some ideas:
Note: This is an encore post from 2006.
Oct. 27, 1907
Los Angeles
Along with “Little Nemo,” “Buster Brown” was a popular feature of the Sunday comics. Like other cartoons of the era, such as “The Katzenjammer Kids” and “Foxy Grandpa,” that were full of naughty children, Buster Brown was fond of pulling pranks on adults.
Unlike Hans and Fritz, who usually ended up getting a good paddling and threats of being sent to reform school, Buster Brown usually learned his lesson the hard way and in the final panel always promised to mend his ways in a long block of text titled “RESOLVED.”
One bit of Buster Brown’s wisdom has stayed with me since I read it as a kid in an anthology on the history of comics: “If the carpet were as worn in front of the bookcase as it is in front of the mirror it would be a better world.”
Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project.
America’s first postwar airliner, the DC-6, was given a royal debut in a ceremony March 28, 1947, at Douglas’ Santa Monica plant attended by 15,000 people, including Gov. Earl Warren, Donald Douglas and the presidents of American and United airlines. Two aircraft were parked nose to nose, linked by a ribbon that was cut by a pair of stewardesses, releasing a flurry of helium balloons.
The new luxury aircraft was the keystone of Douglas’ move from wartime production of military planes to postwar commercial aviation. The DC-6 had club-style seating, a pressurized, air-conditioned and heated cabin, flew at high altitude and was 100 mph faster than the craft it was replacing, the DC-4. American even introduced “Skyberth” sleeping compartments on its nonstop flights to New York. President Truman was one of the first to get one to replace his DC-4, and he named the plane “The Sacred Cow.”
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