October 30, 1907: ‘Brat Frat’ Defies Ban by L.A. High School

Posted on October 30, 2025 by lmharnisch


Note: This is an encore post from 2006.

October 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.

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Mary Mallory: Hollywood Heights – ‘Auction of Souls’

Posted on October 29, 2025 by lmharnisch

Jue 23, 1919, Auction of Souls
Photo: June 23, 1919, “Auction of Souls.” Credit: Los Angeles Times

Note: This is an encore post from 2011.

Los Angeles has long been a haven for refugees and artists, particularly those fleeing political and militaristic struggles.  As early as 1915, Armenians began arriving in Southern California after fleeing from the massacres and pogroms inflicted on them by Kurds and Turks.  By December of that year, 1,500 Armenians lived here without knowing the whereabouts of many members of their families back home.

Many continued to come, as the papers warned of massacres, imprisonment, torture, and murder of innocent men, women, and children. Genocide.  An article’s headline in the September 27, 1915, Los Angeles Times read, “Massacre of Armenians at Height of Its Fury, … Report States that Five Hundred Thousand Men, Women, and Children Have Either Been Killed by the Turks or Driven to the Desert to Perish of Starvation – Extermination of Non-Moslems is Programme Decided Upon.”  850,000 were reported killed by late October, nearly three quarters of the population of the entire country.

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October 29, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on October 29, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 29, 1959: Pogo

No Boredom Today

Matt WeinstockThe girls in classified are a little dewy-eyed today over a Public Announcement ad.  It states simply, “Happy birthday, pretty Beverly.”  But there’s more to it than that.

Beverly, whoever she is, frequently remarks that nothing exciting ever happens to her.  An admirer, the man who phoned in the ad, confided to the classified ladies that he has arranged a day-long antidote for her boredom.

“When Beverly awakened this morning she was scheduled to be served a champagne breakfast with rosebud in vase.  Her roommate, who arises at 6 a.m., was in on the plot with her admirer.

When Beverly arrived at work she was confronted, according to schedule, by a 15-foot birthday card and a dozen roses. Continue reading →

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October 29, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on October 29, 2025 by lmharnisch

Women of Japan Enjoy Their Liberty

Paul Coates, in coat and tieLADIES DAY IN TOKYO (Part Two) — When General of the Army Douglas MacArthur returned, as he had somehow hurriedly promised to do, Japan got its first taste of democracy.

In the manner of a triumphant but just warrior, he used an iron hand to force the philosophy of freedom on them.

Say what you will about the pompous, rather regal ruler of our Pacific forces during and after our World War II, he was unquestionably the man who finally managed to introduce the West to the East.

And the main beneficiaries of that introduction were the women of Japan.

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October 29, 1907: ‘Oh, God, The Bassoon!’ Musicians Union Dispute Becomes Operatic

Posted on October 29, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 29, 1907: Rampant Laborites Ruin Opera Music

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.

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Matt Weinstock, Oct. 28, 1959

Posted on October 28, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 28, 1959: Peanuts

Misplaced Patch

Matt WeinstockThis one requires the utmost delicacy.

A lady named Irene got an infection on her chin.  Her doctor prescribed a series of shots, not on her chin.  She has been going to his office regularly and the nurse has been administrating them.

The other day when she appeared for her shot she said to the nurse, “I’ve got a business appointment after I leave here, would you put a Band-Aid on it?”

She was thinking, of course, of her chin.  The nurse, administering the shot, was not.  And amid wild laughter from Irene, she slapped the Band-Aid in the wrong place. Continue reading →

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October 28, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on October 28, 2025 by lmharnisch

Nippon Women Split on Retaining Geisha

Paul Coates, in coat and tie LADIES DAY IN TOKYO:  The flowery era of Madame Butterfly is dying, but not quite dead in the postwar life of Japan.

Under the democracy dictated to them by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Japanese women got the vote in 1946.

Since that time, 11 of them have become prominent members of parliament.  There is a very active, very huge, very persuasive League of Women Voters.  Women are beginning to outnumber men at political rallies.

And women are responsible for pushing through a law that banned prostitution for the first time in Japanese history.  It took them five tries in parliament to get the bill through, but they finally did it.

Continue reading →

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October 28, 1956: Charlton Heston on the ‘Ten Commandments’

Posted on October 28, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 28, 1956: Ten Commandments

We had our religion writer Dan Thrapp interview Charlton Heston about his role as Moses in “The Ten Commandments.” Fortunately, Thrapp was not from the “over a salad and mineral water at the Polo Lounge” or “speaking by phone from Paris, where he is at work on his next picture” schools of celebrity interviewers, but he got something of substance.

Quote of the Day: It is interesting to note that once Moses climbs Mt. Sinai and talks to God there is never contentment for him again. That is the way it is with us. Once we talk to God, once we get his commission to us for our lives we cannot be again content. We are happier. We are busier. But we are not content because then we have a mission — a commission, rather.”

— Charlton Heston

This is adapted from an earlier post on Heston’s death >>>

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Religion | Comments Off on October 28, 1956: Charlton Heston on the ‘Ten Commandments’

George Hodel: Ask Me Anything, October 2025

Posted on October 28, 2025 by lmharnisch

Here’s Boxetta (Boxie is on vacation) and I with this month’s “Ask Me Anything” on George Hodel.

In this session, I discussed:

Don’t dress up like the Black Dahlia for Halloween! 

Also: Continue reading →

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October 28, 1938: Mayor investigates honorary LAPD badges

Posted on October 28, 2025 by lmharnisch

Old style LAPD badgeAbove, Police Chief James Davis turns over a list of more than 7,800 people who have received honorary badges from the Los Angeles Police Department. Recipients include Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, Louis B. Mayer, Joe E. Brown, King Vidor, Bela Lugosi and Leo Carrillo.

So many old-style badges like one the at left and the one in the Daily Mirror sidebar were handed out that the department replaced them with the current design and these are tightly restricted.

The old badges (usually with the rank of captain or chief) can sell for a fair amount of money, even though thousands of them were given away.

Posted in #courts, City Hall, Downtown, Front Pages, LAPD, Politics | Comments Off on October 28, 1938: Mayor investigates honorary LAPD badges

October 28, 1907: Former LAPD Chief Calls It ‘Most Detestable Job Ever Created’

Posted on October 28, 2025 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2006.
October 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.

Continue reading →

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October 27, 1968: Wilt Chamberlain and Richard Nixon

Posted on October 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

By Keith Thursby
Times staff writer

Wilt Chamberlain tried to explain his political leanings during a turbulent year in American history, particularly his support of Richard Nixon for president. Continue reading →

Posted in Front Pages, Politics, Sports | Comments Off on October 27, 1968: Wilt Chamberlain and Richard Nixon

October 27, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on October 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 27, 1959: Peanuts

Street Shrinkers

Matt WeinstockStudies are constantly being made to determine the effects of alcohol, smoking, overeating and noise on people but another perhaps more deadly trauma-producing experience is relatively neglected.      Driving in traffic, I mean. It does things to people.  At least it has to a man named Hank.

“I finally got it figured out,” he said the other day.  “You know these outfits that are always digging up streets and funneling three lanes of traffic into one?  They’ve got extrasensory perception!”

Continue reading →

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October 27, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on October 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

Coates Is Reluctant Stripper of Airways

Paul Coates, in coat and tieYou want my opinion, I say there’s something almost indecent about Japan Air Lines’ luxury flight to Tokyo.

We left Los Angeles after midnight — an hour when self-respecting Occidentals give some thought to retiring.  And that was the kind of idea I had in the back of my mind.

But immediately after the no-smoking lights were off, an adorable hostess sidled up to me and, without so much as a by-your-leave, began unbuttoning my jacket.

Well, I knew right then and there what kind of a ride this was going to be.

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October 27, 1957: The rules of the game

Posted on October 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 27, 1957

Here I am, giving away the punchline of a “Nancy” comic. My bad. Which reminds me of a game called “Five Card Nancy” that I learned about from Kim Cooper of 47p.

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October 27, 1927: Follies Theater’s ‘Hot Mamma’ Show Led Court to Overturn Law on ‘Indecent Shows’

Posted on October 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

follies_burlesque_ebay
A EBay vendor posted this photo of a woman named Aline or Alene Carberry, and I could not resist unleashing the hounds of research.

Bidding on the “Hot Mamma” photo is currently at $34.50.

Continue reading →

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October 27, 1907: On the Comics Page

Posted on October 27, 2025 by lmharnisch


Note: This is an encore post from 2006.

October 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.”

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

Posted on October 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

Main Title in lettering evoking carved stone
This week’s mystery movie was the 1940 Warner Bros. film Castle on the Hudson, with John Garfield, Ann Sheridan, Pat O’Brien, Burgess Meredith, Henry O’Neill, Jerome Cowan, Guinn “Big Boy” Williams and John Litel. Continue reading →

Posted in 1940, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , | 39 Comments

October 26, 1959: Matt Weinstock

Posted on October 26, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 26, 1959: Peanuts

L.A. Justice

Matt WeinstockAll Steve Medved wants is to be left alone by the LAPD.  He hopes that now, after a third trial, he has it made.

Medved, 38, is a big (6’2, 230), easy going fellow of Yugoslav descent.  But he can be tough and stubborn when aroused.  He was in the Marine Corps during the Second World War.

His trouble began last Feb. 5 when two officers stopped him at 6th and Bixel and accused him of being drunk.  He said he wasn’t but admitted he’d had several beers.  The words became hotter and the nightmare began. Continue reading →

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October 26, 1959: Paul V. Coates – Confidential File

Posted on October 26, 2025 by lmharnisch

Columnist’s Wife Influences Column

Paul Coates, in coat and tieTOKYO — There’s an ancient and revered Oriental proverb which, roughly translated, goes: “Man who take wife to Japan is man who bring coal to Newcastle.”

But to my way of thinking, this is an archaic, reprehensible attitude.  It has no place in today’s western world of togetherness.  In our way of life, marriage is a partnership.  Fifty-fifty.  When we do things we do them as a team.  That, friends, is red-blooded, true-blue American sportsmanship.  Am I right?

Take my own case, for example.  Where I go, my wife goes.

She insists on it.

Continue reading →

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