Black Dahlia: The Non-Smoking Gun – George Hodel Files Part 3

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Here’s the third installment of the Non-Smoking Gun for Feb. 20, 1950. Are you bored with this yet?

Phone rang 12 times —  No answer!

Ellen enters –- turns on radio – Mexican program!!!!!

The George Hodel files Part 1 | Part 2

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Posted in 1947, 1950, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Hollywood, LAPD | 4 Comments

Black Dahlia: The Non-Smoking Gun – George Hodel Files Part 2

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And here is the second installment of the Non-Smoking Gun for Feb. 19, 1950. Can you stand the tedium?

The George Hodel files Part 1

 

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Black Dahlia: The Non-Smoking Gun – George Hodel Files Part 1

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OK, I’m fed up with all sorts of claims about what is in the transcript of the bugs placed at Dr. George Hodel’s house, so I’m going to start posting them, a bit every day. Here’s the first installment, from Feb. 18, 1950. Prepare for tedium.

What’s this? Moving around the house!!! Very bad reception!!!

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Posted in 1947, 1950, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Hollywood, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Black Dahlia: Wondering About Buster the Wonder Dog

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Then there are the sites that throw out any pretense of skepticism and flatly state that “Buster the Wonder Dog” is solving the Black Dahlia case.

Like this one by Debbie Emery for Radaronline.com

George ‘Evil Genius’ Hodel on the L.A. Daily Mirror

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Good Fellows Grotto – Found on EBay

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At left, Good Fellows Grotto on Main Street in Los Angeles in a photo from the restaurant’s menu.

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Somebody swiped a teapot from Good Fellows Grotto, the famed Los Angeles restaurant. It’s listed on EBay with bids starting at $78.

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Black Dahlia: Publicity Hounds Wag the Dog Over Purported Death Scene

It’s been interesting to watch the news media’s reaction to Buster the cadaver dog’s cavorting at the Sowden House.  Most of the coverage is single-source or two-source reporting with no counterbalance.

I haven’t seen any reaction from  the LAPD or anyone else who is informed about the Black Dahlia case. One would think that if a writer were reporting on “UFO theorist says alien ship landed in his backyard” that there would be reaction from NASA.

Before we go any further remember this:

— Elizabeth Short is buried in Oakland. Her body was cut in half and mutilated, but nothing was missing when she was found. Some dubious sources report that she was disemboweled, but this is totally wrong.

— The body was drained of blood using running water, and therefore the blood and water went down a drain.

— The killer washed the body and scrubbed it using a brush. Fibers from the brush were found on the body.

Let me repeat: The body was complete and it was washed and scrubbed by the killer.

Bottom line: There is nothing of the Black Dahlia case to be found in the basement of the Sowden House.

Now let’s take a look at what’s being written.

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Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Film, Hollywood, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | 17 Comments

Smallpox Epidemic – Los Angeles, Feb. 7, 1863

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Read the entire Feb. 7, 1863, edition of the Los Angeles Star from the Huntington Library, scanned by USC.

Feb. 7 1863: The coroner holds an inquest in the killing of Christian Hutt. George Wright, the father of accused killer Reason Wright, said Hutt began shooting when he was “geeing” the plow oxen to get out of his way. “Gee” is the word used to tell oxen, mules, etc., to turn to the right. “Haw” means to turn to the left.

The newly created Board of Health reports on the smallpox cases in Los Angeles. Inspectors found a total of 128 cases of smallpox, found 170 people who had not been vaccinated and vaccinated 146 people.

Mr. Mott, Allen and Hubbard competed against Mr. Vandenburg, Phillips and Wiley in a pigeon shoot south of town. And yes, they were using real pigeons, not clay targets.

In an editorial, The Star says that the state Legislature is corrupt.

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Movieland Mystery Photo

Movieland Mystery Photo

Here’s our mystery chap for Monday…

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Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 21 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Charles Butterworth, Professional Silly Ass

Charles Butterworth

Comedy in films has evolved in over a century of production. Beginning with rather crude and slapstick humor, easily understood by immigrants, the film industry developed increasingly sophisticated styles of comedy as it matured. Drawing-room comedies of the mid- to late teens evolved into social satires, and with the introduction of sound, verbal wordplay was introduced. Charles Butterworth reigned as one of the 1930s’ Hollywood upper-class bumbling bachelors, recognized for his subtle performances and erudite style.

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Posted in Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Black Dahlia: The Non-Smoking Gun – George Hodel Files

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Much has been written about the transcripts of the law enforcement bugging of Dr. George “Evil Genius” Hodel’s house, but the material is actually pretty dull. Here are some sample pages, chosen at random, published in their entirety.

There’s more. Can you stand the tedium?

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Posted in 1950, Black Dahlia, Hollywood, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Black Dahlia: Can’t Anybody Get This Story Right?

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Writers who are unfamiliar with the Black Dahlia case have a terrible time keeping the facts straight, as shown in the latest coverage by Christine Pelisek in the Daily Beast. There are the common mistakes and one can almost track them as they spread virally until they become “commonly known.” The incorrect middle name, Ann, for example, originated in the Los Angeles Times and has even infected the FBI file. You can be sure that people who refer to “Elizabeth Ann Short” don’t know what they are talking about.

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Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Black Dahlia – Another Good Story Ruined (Updated)

Daily News Fake Photo

Let me say this again. This photo is a fake.

The actual Daily News front page for Jan. 15, 1947,  looks like this.

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Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

George ‘Evil Genius’ Hodel and the Black Dahlia – Another Good Story Ruined

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Look who fell for the fake Daily News front page. Yes, it’s a fake.


There are about a thousand things I would prefer to do besides shoot holes in the latest installment of the Dr. George “Evil Genius” Hodel franchise. But I heard from a friend last night that KNBC-TV Channel 4 had aired a segment about the Black Dahlia case. I missed it (thank heavens) but it’s on the nbclosangeles.com website. And the whole thing reminds me of poor old crazy Janice Knowlton (RIP), who insisted that her father, George, killed the Black Dahlia.

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Posted in 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Architecture, Black Dahlia, Hollywood, LAPD | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Architectural Rambling on Lemoyne Street in Echo Park

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Above: 1548 Lemoyne St. via Google Street View.

A vendor has posted photos of 1548 Lemoyne St. in Echo Park on EBay. Personally, I prefer the way it looked in 1911. Bidding starts at $12.99.

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C.C. Pierce — Found on EBay

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A vendor has listed a good number of C.C. Pierce photos on EBay. As I have written before, Pierce was a prolific photographer who added work by other photographers to his own collection. What I find particularly interesting about them is his notations on the back. Bidding starts at $2.50.

(All the Pierce photos have been scanned and are online at USC. This one is No. 6342)

This one says:

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How Not to Wear a Hat – Film Noir Edition (Updated ++)

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This mystery gent has a rather crushed chapeau.

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Posted in Fashion, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , , , | 33 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo

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Today’s mystery folks are from the collection of Mary Mallory. Thanks, Mary!

Please congratulate Bob Hansen, Mike Hawks and Tim Doherty for identifying our mystery gal. And thanks to Mary for sharing a mystery photo.

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Pressbooks to Sell Movies

Studio Girl Magazine

From the beginning of the motion picture industry, film companies devised all types of advertising to entice consumers to buy movie tickets. Posters, lobby cards and window displays, glass slides, sheet music and photographs could be employed by exhibitors to lure patrons to see new moving pictures. But how did theater owners learn about promotional materials to help grow their profits?

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Posted in Film, Hollywood, Hollywood Heights, Mary Mallory | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

LAPD Officer Kicks News Photographer, Delays Beebe Inquest

Jan.1 3, 1943, Comics

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Jan. 13, 1943: The inquest in the death of Stanley H. Beebe, who was fatally injured in a beating by LAPD officers, is halted when Officer John Yates kicks Herald-Express photographer Edward Phillips in the groin. Recall that it was the police attack on another photographer, covering the 1956 wreck of the San Diegan south of downtown, that began unraveling the cozy relationship between the press and the police in Los Angeles.

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Posted in 1943, Crime and Courts, LAPD | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

On Location: The May Co.

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A little of Loretta Young (featured this month on TCM) goes a long way at the Daily Mirror HQ, but I noticed these shots of a department store in “Employees’ Entrance” and they reminded me of the sequence in “Public Enemy,” which was identified as being filmed at the May Co. These light fixtures certainly look familiar.

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Posted in 1933, Architecture, Broadway, Downtown, Film, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments