Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: ‘Too Much Johnson’ Introduces Orson Welles’ Talent

Posted on May 9, 2014 by lmharnisch

 

Too Much Johnson program
Joseph Cotten, left, in “Too Much Johnson.”


The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Los Angeles County Museum of Art opened their salute to Orson Welles Saturday, May 3, 2014, by screening the first films ever made by the famous director, “The Hearts of Age” and “Too Much Johnson.” Both demonstrated his great visual flair and theatrical storytelling while also providing evidence of his propensity for overreaching. “Too Much Johnson” shows a young filmmaker finding his way and gaining a love of his craft while also attempting to juggle too many plates.

RESTORATION
George Eastman House video on restoring “Too Much Johnson’”

ORIGINAL MUSIC (via Spotify)

Paul Bowles’ “Music for a Farce” I
Paul Bowles’ “Music for a Farce” II
Paul Bowles’ “Music for a Farce” III
Paul Bowles’ “Music for a Farce” IV
Paul Bowles’ “Music for a Farce” V
Paul Bowles’ “Music for a Farce” VI
Paul Bowles’ “Music for a Farce” VII
Paul Bowles’ “Music for a Farce” VIII

Before the films, AMPAS’ managing director of programming and education, Randy Haberkamp, led a panel discussion featuring Annette Melville of the National Film Preservation Foundation, Andrea Kalas of Paramount and Bruce Barnes, director of the George Eastman House, relating the background and history of this film, once believed to be lost. Discovered serendipitously in a Pordenone, Italy, warehouse in 2005, “Too Much Johnson” was repatriated to the United States and given to George Eastman House. After major damage was discovered to Reel 2, Haghefilm in the Netherlands executed a magnificent restoration and preservation, saving the reel. 99-year-young Norman Lloyd stole the show, however, regaling the audience with humorous tales of working with Welles as part of the Mercury Theatre in 1938.

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

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Posted in 1938, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Woman’s Body Found in Trunk at Union Station, May 6, 1944

Posted on May 9, 2014 by lmharnisch

 

May 6, 1944, Trunk Murder

May 6, 1944

An old trunk wrapped with wire and tied with rope arrives at Union Station, where people noticed that it was leaking — and smelled. Sent to the repair department for inspection, the trunk was opened by Eugene Biledeau, who discovered a woman’s body wrapped in a sheet.

The victim had been dead about six days and was described as a young, 5-3 brunette, weighing 130 pounds. She was wearing a girdle, bra, slip and white bobby socks, with fingernails painted a “brilliant red,” The Times said. She had curlers in her hair.

 

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Posted in 1944, Crime and Courts, LAPD | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

1944 in Print — Life Magazine, May 8, 1944

Posted on May 8, 2014 by lmharnisch

May 8, 1944, Life Magainze

The glittering suit worn by Lynn Davis bears the label of Hattie Carnegie, America’s No. 1 fashion designer.

May 8, 1944

This week’s movie: “The Adventures of Mark Twain.”  

The Ohio Reformatory for Women puts on a show.

On the jump, part of a feature on “Carmen Jones,” four scenes painted by Miguel Covarrubias.

Courtesy of Google Books.

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‘While the City Sleeps’ — John Bengtson Edition

Posted on May 8, 2014 by lmharnisch

Aerial_photograph_of_the_City_Hall_and_surrounding_area_in_Downtown_Los_Angeles

John Bengtson, who has researched and written so much about early movie locations in Los Angeles, sends this Spence Air Photo of the Civic Center and weighs in on “While the City Sleeps.”

Hi Larry – thank you for the City Sleeps posts.  I too was puzzled by those cityscapes with City Hall in the background, and came to a similar conclusion that it must have been a special effect.  For one thing, City Hall was the tallest building in town. You can see the Harper & Reynolds sign on Main Street in this photo.

While the City Sleeps
The Harper & Reynolds sign in “While the City Sleeps,” with Lon Chaney, left, showing City Hall in the background.

Aerial_photograph_of_the_City_Hall_and_surrounding_area_in_Downtown_Los_Angeles

Those towers in the background of the movie frames are reminiscent of Manhattan towers, but with the image quality it’s difficult to tell whether they are copied after true buildings, or are just an artistic approximation of what Manhattan would look like.

Either way, as shown by this photo, there would have been only low buildings in the background of that shot without the special effect.

Thanks John!

Aerial_photograph_of_the_City_Hall_and_surrounding_area_in_Downtown_Los_Angeles

I’ll take time to point out that another  part of the photo shows the state office building under construction (this is vacant lot on 1st between Broadway and Spring), the third Los Angeles Times Building with the tower at 1st and Broadway and in the lower left-hand corner, the Hotel Nadeau, the current site of the Los Angeles Times.

Aerial_photograph_of_the_City_Hall_and_surrounding_area_in_Downtown_Los_Angeles

Here’s a better look at 1st and Spring. Notice how narrow 1st Street is west of Spring. Once the old Times Building and the adjoining storefronts were demolished, 1st Street was widened. I mention this because traffic congestion in Los Angeles isn’t new. It’s a 100-year-old problem.

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The ‘Greatest Generation’ — What Causes ‘Sissies,’ May 8, 1944

Posted on May 8, 2014 by lmharnisch

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May 8, 1944

Many factors contribute to the “sissification” of youth: White flour, not getting your teeth cleaned,  sugar, being a sports fan instead of a player, riding in a vehicle, smoking and drinking, and wearing too much clothing.

From Milwaukee Sentinel.

Posted in 1944, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, World War II | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

1944 in Print — Hollywood News and Gossip by Louella Parsons

Posted on May 8, 2014 by lmharnisch

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May 8, 1944, Louella Parsons

May 8, 1944

HOLLYWOOD, May 7 — Susan Hayward’s radiant happiness at playing the lead in “Dark Waters” was short lived, for Susie is out and Merle Oberon is in. This is the way it happened. Before Susan was so much as mentioned, Ben Bogeaus, the producer, was doing his best to get Merle. The deal was nearly closed, with Mike Levee negotiating the contract. But it wasn’t until Saturday that Merle found she could accept the offer.

From the Milwaukee Sentinel.

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From the Vaults — ‘While the City Sleeps,’ Part V

Posted on May 7, 2014 by lmharnisch

While the City Sleeps

This is the last in our series of posts on the 1928 Lon Chaney film “While the City Sleeps.” We have previously looked at the history of the film, the plot (convoluted), the reviews (mixed) the condition of this print (damaged and missing about 20 minutes), and the use of Los Angeles’ then-new City Hall.

Today, we’re going to pull back the curtain on a bit of movie trickery used in the film.

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

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Posted in 1928, Architecture, City Hall, Film, Hollywood, Photography | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

From the Vaults — ‘While the City Sleeps,’ Part IV

Posted on May 6, 2014 by lmharnisch

While the City Sleeps

 

In the three previous posts on the 1928 Lon Chaney film “While the City Sleeps,” we took a brief look at the production history and the plot, the critical reaction (mostly mixed) and the curious condition of the print, which is missing fairly substantial portions of the film and has nitrate damage.

In this post, we will examine the film’s use of Los Angeles City Hall, which was dedicated April 26, 1928, a little more than a month before shooting began on “While the City Sleeps.”  I hesitate to say that this is the first use of City Hall in a motion picture (one never knows what crazy movie people were doing in the crazy ‘20s), but it must be one of the earliest.

This is going to be a breakdown of the film sequence. Then we’ll go back and look for locations.

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

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Movieland Mystery Photo ( Updated + + + )

Posted on May 5, 2014 by lmharnisch

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

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Wiltern Theatre Jazzes Up Movie Theater Construction

Posted on May 5, 2014 by lmharnisch

Warner Western Theatre Premiere
The grand opening of what was then the Warner Western Theater, courtesy of Mary Mallory.

 

 


The history of one street corner can often show the growing pains of a burgeoning city. What started out as a rural location can often times become a gorgeous office tower drawing all eyes to its sleek structure. Such is the case with the magnificent Wiltern Theatre, still proudly standing at the southeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue, an emblem of a city dreaming of a spectacular future.

Since the 1880s, the 80 acres southeast of Wilshire Boulevard at Western Avenue had been the Germain Pellissier family ranch, green pasture housing merino sheep. As early as 1913, they smartly recognized the economic potential of the area and subdivided their 80 acres southeast of the intersection of Wilshire and Western into residential lots in a district named Pellissier Square, nicknamed “Uptown.” The land included a provision that the area would remain single-family homes until Jan.1, 1925. In 1916, some homeowners attempted to get this covenant overturned so that the land would always remain residential, but lost.

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

 

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Posted in 1931, Architecture, Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory, Theaters | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Remembering Dr. Glen Stassen: From the Pulpit

Posted on May 3, 2014 by lmharnisch

While we are on the subject of obituaries, here’s a sermon by the late Dr. Glen Stassen, “The Ten Commandments,” delivered in 2008 at First Baptist Church of Pasadena.

Here’s a sermon from 2007 titled “God Is Green: Do We Care?”

Dr. Glen Stassen’s L.A. Times obituary.

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Black Dahlia: RIP Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

Posted on May 3, 2014 by lmharnisch

"Who Is the Black Dahlia?"

Efrem Zimbalist Jr., who died yesterday at the age of 95, is better remembered for “77 Sunset Strip” and “The F.B.I.”  He’s probably even better remembered for “The Chapman Report.” But yes, he did portray LAPD Det. Harry Hansen in the 1975 TV movie “Who Is the Black Dahlia?” As far as I know, this film only exists in various bootleg versions. And for the moment, there is a copy on YouTube. The important thing to remember is that many individuals were still living when the movie was made, so their identities and details of the case were changed because of clearance issues.

L.A. Times obituary | N.Y. Times obituary

"Who Is the Black Dahlia?"

And yes, that’s the saintly Tom Bosley as reporter Bevo Means.

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Obituaries | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

1944 on the Radio — ‘The First Nighter’

Posted on May 3, 2014 by lmharnisch

radio_dial_1944

May 3, 1944: “The First Nighter” in a show titled “Mother’s Angel Children.” Courtesy of otronmp3.com.

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Black Dahlia: ‘Not Elizabeth Short’ For Sale on EBay

Posted on May 2, 2014 by lmharnisch

not_elizabeth_short_ebay_2014_0502

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

An EBay vendor has listed this hand-colored picture with bids starting at $99.99, stating that….

Well, read it in their own words:

AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS OF RESEARCH AND COMPARING OTHER ELIZABETH SHORTS PHOTOS AND SENDING THE PHOTO TO A FEW DETECTIVES AND ALL MY FACEBOOK FRIENDS, ALL SAY IT IS HER. THERE IS NO MAYBE’S, UNLESS SHE HAD A TWIN THIS IS HER. SO I AM SELLING THIS PHOTO AS A PHOTO OF ELIZABETH SHORT (THE FAMOUS BLACK DAHLIA).  THIS WAS A ESTATE SALE FIND THAT WAS FROM A WWII SOLDIER THAT WAS NEVER MARRIED. FROM RESEARCH SHE DATED SOLDIERS SO POSSIBLY IT COULD OF BEEN FROM SOMEONE THAT DATED HER. THERE IS A PHOTO OF HER WITH A SOLDIER AND SHE IS WEARING A SIMILAR DRESS. THERE ISN’T MANY PHOTOS OF HER SO THIS WOULD BE EXTREMELY RARE. IT’S DATED 2 YEARS BEFORE SHE WAS KILLED. I PUT A PHOTO OF HER FROM THE INTERNET SO YOU CAN COMPARE THEM.

Actually no. Not even close. It’s just some random old picture from an estate sale.

This isn’t the first time a false Elizabeth Short photo has turned up on EBay. Here’s one that sold for $100 in November 2002.

bdgal_from_ebay

Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Found on EBay, Photography | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Black Dahlia: 1947 L.A. Examiner Front Page Sells for $500+

Posted on May 2, 2014 by lmharnisch

1947_0117_examiner_cover_ebay_edited

Someone bought this front page of the Jan. 17, 1947, Los Angeles Examiner, with the story about the identification of Elizabeth Short, for $511.01. Not the entire paper. Just the front page. The seller was Timothy Hughes: Early and Rare Newspapers.

The story is illustrated with her mug shot from her arrest in Santa Barbara and one of her fingerprints, which was sent by wirephoto machine to the FBI. Notice the small box in the lower right-hand corner. That was a daily listing of the major crimes that occurred in Los Angeles.

The January 1947 issues of the Examiner used to be available on microfilm at the Los Angeles Public Library, but I have been told by several people that there’s a problem with those reels. Either they are badly damaged from heavy use or keep disappearing.  I copied all of them in 1996, so it’s not a concern for me, but others aren’t so fortunate.

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Found on EBay, LAPD | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

From the Vaults — ‘While the City Sleeps,’ Part III

Posted on May 2, 2014 by lmharnisch

While the City Sleeps

The previous two posts gave a brief production history and plot summary of the 1928 Lon Chaney film “While the City Sleeps” and a sample of the reviews.

Today, we’ll look at some of the more unusual aspects of this print, which was provided by a longtime reader. (I have no idea as to the source of the print used to make the DVD.)

From the Vaults: While the City Sleeps
Part I | Part II |

The big question is how much of the film is missing. The short answer is: quite a bit.

Motion Picture News reported on Dec. 8, 1928, that “While the City Sleeps” had a synchronized score and sound effects and was 7,231 feet long.  I’ve had a bit of trouble determining the precise speed of silent projectors to calculate the running time of the film. The standard for sound projectors was 90 feet per minute, with slower speeds for silents. So depending on projection speed, that makes the running time of “While the City Sleeps” 90 minutes at 80 feet per minute and 85 minutes at 85 feet per minute.  This print times out to a fraction over 66 minutes, which means 19 to 24 minutes of the film is missing. No wonder that it’s plot is hard to follow.

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

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Posted in 1928, Film, From the Vaults, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

1944 in Print — Hollywood Gossip by Louella Parsons, May 2, 1944

Posted on May 2, 2014 by lmharnisch

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May 2, 1944

THE MANY AND ASSORTED RUMORS that James Cagney has signed with this or that studio are all denied by his brother Bill, who says five stories are lined up to star Jimmy for his independent company. Says Bill: “If we get an outside offer that is terrific. I won’t say that Jimmy won’t be interested, but we are committed to United Artists to turn over ‘Bugles in the Afternoon,’ a historical novel by Ernest Hayeux. Then there is ‘Blood on the Sun,’ ‘Only the Valiant’ ‘Port Royal’ and an untitled murder mystery. Also, we’ll make ‘The Stray Lamb,’ the Thornton Smith comedy, without Jimmy. Altogether, these pictures represent an outlay of about $10 million.”

From the Milwaukee Sentinel.

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Posted in 1944, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Union Station Opens in Los Angeles, May 1939

Posted on May 1, 2014 by lmharnisch

1938_0629_nuestro_pueblo

June 29, 1938: Nuestro Pueblo, by artist Charles Owens and writer Joe Seewerker,  depicts the construction of Union Station.

Here are some posts that I wrote years ago, including several when Union Station turned 70.

— Grand Design for Los Angeles Proposes Union Station at 5th and Central.

— Memories of Union Station, by Keith Thursby.

— Chinatown to Make Way for Union Station.

— Los Angeles Prepares for Opening of Union Station.

— Union Station Turns 70.

— Union Station Preview.

— Union Station Opens, May 4, 1939.

— Union Station Opens, May 5, 1939.

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From the Vaults — ‘While the City Sleeps,’ Part II

Posted on May 1, 2014 by lmharnisch

While the City Sleeps

In yesterday’s post, I gave a brief production history of the 1928 Lon Chaney film “While the City Sleeps,” and a summary of the rather complex plot, rendered even more convoluted because substantial portions of the print are missing, either due to content, damaged nitrate or some other reason. Based on The Times clips, the movie had a one-week run in Los Angeles after opening Sept. 21, 1928, and two brief showings (less than a week) in November, and was never mentioned in the paper again except for Chaney’s obituary.

Warning: Spoilers ahead

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1944 in Print — Life Magazine, May 1, 1944

Posted on May 1, 2014 by lmharnisch

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Navy Lt. Harold Vita shows young Richard Kovacks how to shoot down an enemy plane in this week’s cover story.

May 1, 1944

Life magazine looks at the travails of George Yamamoto, who keeps getting running out of town because he is —

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