Golfing in the Crenshaw District, 1940s

Posted on November 9, 2015 by lmharnisch

 

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crensaw_fairways

A matchbook from Crenshaw Fairways, 3901 S. Crenshaw Blvd., has been listed on EBay as Buy It Now for $1.25.

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on November 9, 2015 by lmharnisch

 

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This week’s mystery movie has been the 1949 RKO picture “The Woman on Pier 13” (originally released as “I Married a Communist”)  starring Laraine Day, Robert Ryan, John Agar, Thomas Gomez, Janis Carter, Richard Rober, William Talman, Paul E. Burns, Paul Guilfoyle, G. Pat Collins, Fred Graham, Harry Chesire and Jack Stoney. It was written by Charles Grayon and Robert Hardy Andrews from a story by George W. George and George F. Slavin. It was photographed by Nicholas Musuraca, with art direction by Albert S. D’Agostino and Walter E. Keller, music by Leigh Harline, set decoration by Darrell Silvera and James Altwies, gowns by Michael Woulfe and hairstyles by Larry Germain. It was directed by Robert Stevenson.

“The Woman on Pier 13” is available from Warner Archive for $15.49.

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Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 69 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: The Case of the Clicking Heels, Part 1

Posted on November 9, 2015 by lmharnisch

Hzel Glab mugshot
Hazel Glab’s mug shot.

This story arises from Linda Hammonds asking for further information regarding a 1920s Spanish home that sits at 12744 Ventura Blvd. on the Facebook page SoCal Historic Architecture. While I found virtually no information on the house itself, the story about what happened there proves that truth is stranger than fiction.

Pretty, blonde Hazel Belford was born in Oklahoma circa 1900, becoming orphaned at the age of 4. Her early life was full of adventure: friends with cowboys and Indians on the plains, and befriended by Al Jennings, bank robber. She dreamed of fame and fortune for herself, which many felt possible, with her delicate frame and long blonde hair.

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

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Posted in Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Karie Bible and Mary Mallory Book Signing

Posted on November 8, 2015 by lmharnisch

Nov. 7, 2015, Book Signing
Mary Mallory, left, and Karie Bible spent years tracking down photos for their project.

 

 

We stopped off at Larry Edmunds Bookshop on Hollywood Boulevard on Saturday afternoon for the authors’ presentation and book signing of “Hollywood Celebrates the Holidays,” by Karie Bible and Mary Mallory.

“Hollywood Celebrates” is a handsomely produced, glossy paper book with beautifully reproduced images accompanied by their original captions from the studios, some of which are literate and others no so much.

Mary gave some background on the history of movie stills and publicity shots while Karie talked about the treasure hunt of finding vintage pictures. They noted that Greta Garbo hated doing publicity shots and that finding anything of her was extremely challenging (alas, a Garbo valentine was the closest they could get).

The seasonal images include Thelma Todd (New Year’s), Jack Mulhall (St. Patrick’s Day), Gail Russell (Easter), Lizabeth Scott (the Fourth of July), Clara Bow and Veronica Lake (Halloween) and Gloria Swanson (Christmas).

Karie and Mary gave effusive praise to author and photographer Mark Vieira for working wonders with the old and sometimes battered prints to make them pristine. Mark is one of those rare people who is a scholar, writer, artist and technician and he does gorgeous work, which is on display throughout the book.

“Hollywood Celebrates” is available from Amazon for $28.34. In addition to Larry Edmunds, the book is available for $29.99 at Book Soup, Skylight Books and Vroman’s.

If you missed the appearance at Larry Edmunds, you still have a chance for another signing:

Nov. 8 at 2:30 p.m. at the Orange County Public Library in Cypress, 5331 Orange Ave.

Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. at Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood.

Dec. 5 from noon to 4 p.m. at Hollywood Heritage Museum, 2100 Highland Ave, Los Angeles.

Also on Dec. 5, Karie Bible will be signing books between films at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, 429 Castro St., San Francisco.

Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. Mary Mallory will speak at the Will and Ariel Durant Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, 7140 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles.

Feb. 11 at the Art Deco Society of California, with cocktails at 6:30 p.m. and a talk by Karie Bible at 7:30 p.m., Hotel Rex, 562 Sutter St., San Francisco.

Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m., at a silent film screening and book signing, Niles Film Museum, 37417 Niles Blvd., Fremont, Calif.

Posted in Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Dalton Trumbo Praised by Hedda Hopper!

Posted on November 7, 2015 by lmharnisch

Trumbo, Bryan Cranston, Helen Mirren, Diane Lane

When I was doing the Daily Mirror at latimes.com, I wrote several posts on Dalton Trumbo, the subject of the new movie starring Bryan Cranston as the blacklisted screenwriter.

Here are some links:

Hedda Hopper praises Dalton Trumbo for “Kitty Foyle,” Feb. 3, 1941. 

James Cagney is negotiating with RCA Victor over rights to his monologue recordings of “Johnny Got His Gun,” Jimmie Fidler,   April 15, 1940.

Jimmie Fidler on Dalton Trumbo earning more money from Hollywood than from “Johnny Got His Gun,” Jan. 13, 1941.

Christmas 1950 in Prison With Dalton Trumbo, March 2, 1974.

Paul Coates — Another Claimant to ‘Brave’ Oscar, Jan. 22, 1959.

Posted in 1940, 1941, 1942, 1950, 1959, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Aggie Underwood and Women City Editors on the Frontiers of Journalism

Posted on November 6, 2015 by lmharnisch

Newspaperwoman Cover
Underwood’s autobiography, “Newspaperwoman,” written with Foster Goss. It is full of colorful stories, but like all autobiographies it should be taken with a grain of salt.

It’s probably a good time to bring a little clarity to the Aggie Underwood narrative before it spirals too far out of control.

It is often said (erroneously) that Underwood (d. 1984) was the first woman city editor of a major U.S. newspaper. It’s even in her obituary.

But it’s wrong.

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Posted in History | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

John Bengtson on Silent Films and Hollywood History

Posted on November 3, 2015 by lmharnisch

Silent Echoes

John Bengtson, who does so much amazing research into tracking down the sites where early films were shot, is giving a luncheon talk and book signing Nov. 16 at the Ebell of Los Angeles, 741 S. Lucerne Blvd. The event begins at 11:30 a.m., with lunch at noon. The program begins at 12:45 p.m.

John will discuss the filming of Charlie Chaplin’s “The Idle Class” and “The Kid” at Fremont Place near the club and Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd filming in the neighborhood on Larchmont.

Tickets are $25 for members and $30 for non-members.

Posted in 2015, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Movieland Mystery Photo: Brain Trust Guest Edition (Updated + + +)

Posted on November 2, 2015 by lmharnisch

Nov. 7, 2015, Mystery Photo

This week’s mystery photos are courtesy of guest host Earl Boebert, who says: I was laid up for a bit recuperating from some heavy-duty dental work, and being constitutionally incapable of sitting idle I worked up this mystery photo series for you to enjoy, chuck, or use as you see fit. Don’t feel obligated — it already served its purpose by getting me on the other side of an aching jaw 🙂

This is Season Three, Episode Four of “Perry Mason” — “The Case of the Blushing Pearls.(1959)” One of the more obscure episodes, seldom syndicated because the already convoluted plot was rendered unintelligible by the cuts to accommodate extra commercials. It does have an interesting array of 30s – 40s character actors and one subsequently famous cast member, and is distinctive amongst the early Perry Masons in that the victim is a sympathetic character.

It was the first original Perry Mason story by Jonathan Latimer, an ex-Chicago crime reporter and ex-pulp fiction author who had already adapted two Erle Stanley Gardner stories. Latimer had previously written the screenplays for “The Glass Key” and “The Big Clock” and may have been used to the longer form — his plot could have benefitted by another 20 minutes to tie up all its loose ends. He improved, though, and ended up writing a total of 32 episodes.

The episode occupies an interesting spot in the evolving portrayal of Japanese Americans in mass media. 1959 was as close to the closing of the internment camps as 9/11 is to us today, anti-Japanese sentiment was still strong among veterans of the Pacific War, and it was just one year after the Kingston Trio’s notorious “U.C.R.A” quip on their debut album.

In this environment, and writing for the 10th-rated show that year, Latimer depicts Japanese Americans as something other than houseboys and gardeners — in this case, owners and professionals in the pearl trade. But it pretty much ends there, as he lays on just about the all of the rest of the stereotypes: a submissive female, the threat posed by an interracial marriage, hara kiri, and Charlie Chan Confucianism.

 

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Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 48 Comments

James Curtis: William Cameron Menzies — The Shape of Films to Come

Posted on November 2, 2015 by lmharnisch

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We had lunch recently with James Curtis, who showed us a copy of his upcoming biography: “William Cameron Menzies: The Shape of Films to Come,” to be released Nov. 17.

James is justly proud of his book, which is the culmination of many years of work. The book features color plates of some of Menzies’ remarkable artwork, which has remained in the family’s possession since Menzies’ death in 1957.

James has a number of public appearances scheduled to publicize the book, and in January, he will be co-hosting four nights of Menzies’ films on TCM with Robert Osborne.

He scheduled appearances so far are:

Introducing showings at Film Forum in New York, Nov. 27-29 and Dec. 1.

Rizzoli bookstore in Manhattan, Dec. 4.

A night of UCLA archival restorations at the Billy Wilder Theater, March 26.

And the Pordenone Silent Film Festival, Oct. 1-8, 2016.

Posted in 2015, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Margaret Bourke-White, Motion Picture Photographer

Posted on November 2, 2015 by lmharnisch

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Margaret Bourke-White and Michael Curtiz during filming of “The Adventures of Robin Hood.”

Renowned photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White fearlessly documented battles on land, air, and sea, surviving combat zones, strafing during a bombing run, torpedoing at sea, and the bombardment of Moscow. Always hungry for new experiences, Bourke-White traveled the globe to observe, to learn, and make sense of the world. To that end, she would work briefly in Hollywood learning the art of moviemaking, an area little covered in her career.

Born Margaret White in New York, the young girl quickly grew interested in the field of photography through her father’s enthusiasm for cameras, continuing to work with practitioners and study the field while taking classes in college, before switching her focus to lenswork. White worked for the campus newspaper at her alma mater, Cornell, snapping shots of the area around the school, before establishing a commercial photography studio in Cleveland, Ohio in 1927, specializing in industrial and architectural photography. It was here she combined her parents’ last names to form her professional moniker, Margaret Bourke-White.

“Hollywood Celebrates the Holidays,” by Karie Bible and Mary Mallory is now on sale.

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Black Dahlia: Halloween 2015

Posted on October 31, 2015 by lmharnisch

Oct. 31, 2015, Halloween

Judging by Instagram, there are some people in the world who see nothing wrong with dressing up as the victim of a vicious, brutal murder.

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Posted in 1947, 2015, Black Dahlia, LAPD | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Daylight Saving Time Ends — A Reminder From the Daily Mirror

Posted on October 31, 2015 by lmharnisch

Pier Angeli

Pier Angeli and her little friend remind you that once again it’s time to turn back your clocks tonight.

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Photography | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Pordenone Screens the Best of Silent Films

Posted on October 27, 2015 by lmharnisch

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A PDF of the film festival’s 240-page catalog can be downloaded here.


Note: Mike Hawks recently returned from the Pordenone Silent Film Festival and this is what he tells Mary Mallory.

By Mike Hawks as Told to Mary Mallory

For 34 years, Le Giornate del Cinema Muto (the Pordenone Silent Film Festival) has been screening the best of silent cinema from around the world in Pordenone, Italy, about seventy miles from Venice. Co-founded by Americans and Italians, the festival lasts a week, with a diverse slate of films from virtually every country in the world. Audiences are just as varied and international, ranging from silent film cineastes to cosmopolitan journalists to renowned scholars.

The best available prints are presented to audiences with subtitles in English and Italian and accompanied by a wide range of musicians, screening from 9 in the morning to midnight each day. Ample lunch and dinner breaks are provided, along with opportunities to attend panel sessions or the book fair. It’s a week to enjoy old favorites, discover new treasures, broaden knowledge, and soak in the rich history of silent film and Italy.

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‘Hollywood Celebrates the Holidays’ by Karie Bible and Mary Mallory: Coming Soon to Your Bookstore

Posted on October 26, 2015 by lmharnisch

Hollywood Celebrates the Holidays
Mary Mallory and Karie Bible (whom we profiled at The Times) have collaborated on a new book, “Hollywood Celebrates the Holidays,” which goes on sale starting Wednesday. The book is published by Schiffer and includes 200 images from the silent era through the 1970s. The book is available from Amazon as a pre-order for $23.45. It will also be available at $29.99 at Book Soup, Skylight Books and Vroman’s.

The book launch party will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Larry Edmund’s Bookstore, 6644 Hollywood Blvd., on Nov. 7.

Appearances follow on:

Nov. 8 at 2:30 p.m. at the Orange County Public Library in Cypress, 5331 Orange Ave.

Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. at Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood.

Dec. 5 from noon to 4 p.m. at Hollywood Heritage Museum, 2100 Highland Ave, Los Angeles.

Also on Dec. 5, Karie Bible will be signing books between films at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, 429 Castro St., San Francisco.

Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. Mary Mallory will speak at the Will and Ariel Durant Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, 7140 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles.

Feb. 11 at the Art Deco Society of California, with cocktails at 6:30 p.m. and a talk by Karie Bible at 7:30 p.m., Hotel Rex, 562 Sutter St., San Francisco.

Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m., at a silent film screening and book signing, Niles Film Museum, 37417 Niles Blvd., Fremont, Calif.

Please congratulate Mary and Karie on their upcoming book!

More information is available here.

Posted in 2015, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, Mary Mallory, Photography | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on October 26, 2015 by lmharnisch

Oct. 31, 2015, Mystery Photo
This week’s mystery movie was the 1948 Warner Bros. film “April Showers,” directed by James V. Kern, with Jack Carson, Ann Sothern, Robert Alda, S.Z. Sakall, Robert Ellis, Richard Rober, Joseph Crehan, Billy Curtis, John Gallaudet and Philip Van Zandt. The screenplay was by Peter Milne, from a story by Joe Laurie Jr. The movie was photographed by Carl Guthrie, with art direction by Hugh Reticker and montages by James Leicester. The period wardrobe was by Travilla and makeup by Perc Westmore. The musical numbers were created and staged by LeRoy Prinz.

I rarely use musicals as mystery movies because they are usually much too familiar to the Brain Trust. “April Showers” was a bit of an exception because it’s more obscure and because it has a certain similarity to the life of Buster Keaton. (I will leave it to the Keaton experts to state exactly what those similarities are and possible legal ramifications arising from them.)

“April Showers” is not currently available on DVD.

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Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 69 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Chateau des Fleurs Provides Elegant French Style

Posted on October 26, 2015 by lmharnisch

6626 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles, Calif.
6626 Franklin Ave., via Google Street View.

Hollywood, California, exploded in population during the late 1910s and early 1920s with the influx of moving picture companies arriving in town and people looking to work in the industry following suit. Originally a quiet, rural, farming community, Hollywood quickly grew more urbanized, with an increase in density.

Many people did not own their own homes during this period, renting single-family residences as well as apartment units from others. Subdivisions in the foothills began opening to cater to the more affluent new residents. Bungalow court apartments opened, appealing to middle-class singles and couples looking for somewhat independent living. Apartment houses were rushed into construction, replacing the family boarding houses that had dominated the scene.

Mary Mallory’s “Hollywoodland: Tales Lost and Found” is available for the Kindle.

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Posted in 1927, Architecture, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Black Dahlia Halloween Costume: Just Say No

Posted on October 22, 2015 by lmharnisch

Oct. 22, 2015, Mystery Photo

Halloween is drawing closer and that means people are working on their costumes. Let us say again: You can do better than dressing up as the victim of a brutal murder. Really you can.

You might consider, for example, Mad Moxxi or Harley Quinn as styled by some of our favorite cosplayers…

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Enasni Volz
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Enasni Volz
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and Alyssa King.

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Dear Steve Hodel Fan 24.125.XXX.XXX

Posted on October 21, 2015 by lmharnisch

You may rant all you want about being “East Hollywood,” but your reverse ISP geolocation shows you to be a Comcast customer in Ashland, VA.

Thanks for the crazy post. It was the best one I have seen in a long time.

ps. You’re blocked.

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Posted on October 19, 2015 by lmharnisch

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This week’s mystery movie has been the 1948 film “Raw Deal,” released by Eagle-Lion Films, starring Dennis O’Keefe, Claire Trevor, Marsha Hunt, John Ireland, Raymond Burr, Curt Conway and Chili Williams. It was written by Leopold Atlas and John C. Higgins, from a story by Arnold B. Armstrong and Audrey Ashley.  It was photographed by John Alton and directed by Anthony Mann.

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Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , | 63 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: ‘Your Girl and Mine’ Promotes Women’s Suffrage

Posted on October 19, 2015 by lmharnisch

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“Your Girl and Mine,” Moving Picture World.

From the 1840s on, many women in the United States fought to vote. Considered merely chattel, like slaves, women were forced to endure horrible marriages, see their children taken away, and forbidden to work in most professions, the property either of their fathers or their husbands.

Women like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton began fighting for woman’s suffrage, believing if women had the right to vote, not only would their rights and conditions improve, but so would that of those less fortunate: the factory worker, the slave, the foreign laborer. The states and country would be forced to look at conditions like economics, schooling, and social issues, rather than focusing on military and industrial issues. As Anthony stated, “Women, we might as well be great Newfoundland dogs baying to the moon as to be petitioning for the passage of bills without the right to vote.”

Mary Mallory’s “Hollywoodland: Tales Lost and Found” is available for the Kindle.

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Posted in Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments