Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

Posted on August 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

Aug. 12, 2011, Mystery Photo

Here’s another mystery photo courtesy of Steven Bibb!

Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion, Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Obituaries, Photography | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

#Broadway, #Civil War, #history, #museums, 8|12|2011

Posted on August 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

image

Photo: Diary of Alexander Sterrett Paxton. Credit: Washington and Lee University.

Daniel de Vise of the Washington Post writes about a collection of six Civil War diaries obtained by Washington and Lee University. The diaries were kept by Alexander Sterrett Paxton, who joined his Washington and Lee classmates in the Liberty Hall Volunteers for what he called the “war of Southern Independence & of resistance to Northern Despotism.”

Paxton wrote: “Nothing is so exciting as to get a shot at a Yankee. How strange that the better & kinder feelings of our natures should be thus changed!”

The diaries were purchased for $21,000 by a group of alumni and given to the university.

Mark St. John Erickson of the Newport News Daily Press writes about efforts to conserve the turret of the Monitor, which was recovered by Navy divers and federal archeologists in 2002.

Kate Taylor of the New York Times’ Arts Beat looks at the latest fallout from the Russian embargo on loans to American museums. The embargo is the result of a dispute with the Chabad-Lubavitch organization, which wants Russia to return a large collection of books and documents seized by the Nazis.

Some people really don’t like the idea of reinterpreting “Porgy and Bess” for Broadway.  Like Stephen Sondheim.

The L.A. Daily Mirror and L.A. Crime Beat lovingly prepared from Twitter feeds to the most exacting standards by the bots at paper.li. What’s this? The bots are leading with nude photos of Lee Grace Dougherty from TMZ.

Posted in Art & Artists, History, Museums, Music, Preservation, Stage, World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on #Broadway, #Civil War, #history, #museums, 8|12|2011

Marion Eisenmann: Artist’s Notebook – Union Station

Posted on August 12, 2011 by lmharnisch

2009_0808_union_station_thumb

“Union Station” by Marion Eisenmann, Aug, 8, 2009

Note: I’m reposting the artwork Marion Eisenmann did several years ago. It’s a pleasure to share her work with a new audience.

Continue reading →

Posted in 1939, Art & Artists, Artist's Notebook, Downtown, Marion Eisenmann, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Van Nuys Plane Crash Kills 2 – Aug. 11, 1941

Posted on August 11, 2011 by lmharnisch

Aug. 11, 1941, Comics

Aug. 11, 1941, Plane Crash

Aug. 11, 1941: Walter P. Palmer and William S. Raney are killed when their plane goes into a spin during a flying lesson and crashes into a bean field at Woodley Avenue and Oxnard Street in Van Nuys, which is now somewhere in the middle of the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area.

Lee Shippey writes about the shortage of silk stockings and blacking out aircraft factories as the nation prepares for war. But not everyone is enthusiastic. An opinion piece by former Rep. Samuel B. Pettengill, “The Gentleman From Indiana,” questions whether Japan is worth a war.  “I sometimes think the chief reason for war is that mankind likes to go on a grand drunk at least once in a generation, plastered with slogans,” Pettengill writes.

FALSE ALARM: Nothing to those Barbara Stanwyck-Robert Taylor baby rumors; the new room is for a billiard table, which no stork is bringing, Jimmie Fidler says.

Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Art & Artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Jimmie Fidler, Lee Shippey, Politics, San Fernando Valley, Transportation, World War II | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated ++]

Posted on August 10, 2011 by lmharnisch

Aug. 10, 2011, Mystery Photo

Our mystery lady has at least one fan.

Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

#art, #black dahlia, #books, #courts, #crime, #history, #railroads, 8|10|2011

Posted on August 10, 2011 by lmharnisch

https://i0.wp.com/images2.bonhams.com/erez4/cache/Images_live_2011-05_20_8308567-1-2_JPG_tif_0b8c0a392052174a.jpg

Photo: BMW M1. Credit: Bonhams

A BMW M1 painted by Frank Stella is being auctioned at the Quail Lodge Sale, Aug. 18-19, in Carmel. The BWM belonged to racecar driver Peter Gregg, who committed suicide after an accident left him with double vision and therefore banned from racing.     Phil Patton in the New York Times.

BLACK DAHLIA

A filing in Bankruptcy Court reveals that Steve Hodel is claiming unpaid royalties for “Black Dahlia Avenger.” The unpaid sum: $224,571.07. The court rejected Hodel’s claim for interest against Arcade Publishing.

Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times looks at Michele Bachmann’s views on the Renaissance.

Tea party queen and Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann is convinced that America is sinking into tyranny. Why? In a remarkable profile of the candidate appearing in the Aug. 15 issue of the New Yorker magazine, the artistic flowering of the Italian Renaissance takes a beating for having done away with the God-fearing Dark Ages.

The L.A Daily Mirror and L.A. Crime Beat from Twitter feeds prepared to the most exacting specifications by the bots at paper.li.

Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, History, Motorsports, Museums, Politics, Transportation, Washington | 2 Comments

James Curtis: L.A. Voices – Dick Lane, Part 4

Posted on August 10, 2011 by lmharnisch

 dick_lane_1947-TV
Photo: Dick Lane in 1947. The woman may be Jane Harvey, who was crowned “Queen of Television Week” in March 1947.
Credit: Steve Dichter Collection.

This is Part 4 of James Curtis’ 1975 interview with Dick Lane. In this installment, Lane discusses the early days of television in Los Angeles and Klaus Landsberg.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Continue reading →

Posted in 1942, Film, Hollywood, James Curtis, L.A. Voices, Obituaries, Television | 2 Comments

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

Posted on August 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

Aug. 9, 2011, Mystery Photo

[Update: This is Helene Costello (d. 1957). And yes, that is quite a bracelet.]

Here’s a photo of a mystery woman and some mystery jewelry, courtesy of Steven Bibb!

Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

#architecture, #art, #black dahlia, #history, #religion, 8|9|2011

Posted on August 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

image

Photo: 130 W. 30th, via Google maps’ street view.

SPOTLIGHT

David W. Dunlap, writing in the New York Times’ City Room, tells the story of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah,  sometimes called the “gay synagogue,” which is moving into a building with an Assyrian motif.

NEWS

Google is helping to fund the restoration of one of the buildings at Bletchley Park, the famous site of World War II code-breaking. The machines built to help crack the German Enigma codes are often viewed as the some of the earliest computers. BBC

BLACK DAHLIA

Marilyn Manson’s paintings of the Black Dahlia will go on display Nov. 12 as part of the Theatrification event at the Million Dollar Theatre. The event also features David J’s “Black Dahlia” song cycle, written for the film  “The Chanteuse and the Devil’s Muse,” which will be used in a staging that tells the story of Madi/Mady/Mattie/Matty Comfort. Comfort, in case you have forgotten, became part of the confusing myths surrounding the Black Dahlia case because she was photographed by Dr. George “Evil Genius” Hodel. Hodel, at least according to his son’s book franchise, supposedly committed every unsolved killing in Los Angeles for decades, plus the Zodiac murders, designed the Edsel and discovered Milli Vanilli.

The L.A. Daily Mirror and L.A. Crime Beat gathered from Twitter feeds and prepared to the most exacting specifications by the bots at paper.li.

Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Genealogy, Libraries, Music, New York, Religion, Stage | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Architectural Rambling: Julian Eltinge Home – 1921

Posted on August 9, 2011 by lmharnisch

image

Julian Eltinge Home, 2007

The home of Julian Eltinge at 2328 Baxter Street in Silver Lake is barely visible from the street.

Julian Eltinge Note: While trolling EBay, I found yet another article that had been cut from a magazine, in this case, the Architectural Record of February 1921. I will say again: Vandalizing books and magazines for such purposes is an abomination. And besides, the article question – a visit to the home of Julian Eltinge – is available online for free from Archive.org.

Eltinge (d. 1941) was perhaps the preeminent female impersonator of his era. His lavish home is at 2328 Baxter St., but virtually impossible to see from the street.

By ELMER GREY

HE who attempts to reach the main entrance gates of Mr. Julian Eltinge’s house by automobile atleast the gates which were originally intended to be the main entrance gates takes his life in his hands. Three persons only have so far attempted the feat and they were reckless drivers. When we visited this enchanting spot, we therefore left our car at the bottom of the hill and climbed the rest of the way on foot ; and we could easily have imagined ourselves mounting to some mediaeval
baron’s home or to some impregnable fortress that had been so placed for defensive purposes.

Continue reading →

Posted in 1921, Architecture, Found on EBay, Interior Design, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Stage | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

#history, #museums, 8|8|2011 [Updated]

Posted on August 8, 2011 by lmharnisch

Colonel Sanders 1976

Photo: Colonel Harland Sanders, 1976. Credit: KFC

 

The Edgar Allan Poe House in Baltimore is threatened with “Nevermore.” Kate Taylor in the New York Times.

KFC has launched a website to collect people’s stories about Colonel Sanders.

[Update: The L.A. Daily Mirror and L.A. Crime Beat from Twitter feeds, prepared to the exacting standards of the bots at paper.li.]

Posted in Books and Authors, Food and Drink, History, Museums | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on #history, #museums, 8|8|2011 [Updated]

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

Posted on August 8, 2011 by lmharnisch

Aug. 8, 2011, Mystery Photo

Our friend Fibber sends along this mystery photo

Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Eve Golden: Queen of the Dead

Posted on August 8, 2011 by lmharnisch

hearse_packard_ebay_crop

This 1939 Packard Hearse has been listed on EBay. Bidding starts at $16,000, but there is a reserve.

Queen of the Dead—dateline August 8, 2011

 

 •  Milly del Rubio, the last of the amusingly camp del Rubio Triplets, died on July 21. She was 89. The del Rubios seemed to “get the joke,” which I always admire in any celeb. Edith, Elena and Mildred were born in 1921, and “even though we knew we didn’t have any talent, we wanted to be in show business,” as Milly told People in 1988. With their showgirl looks, honking voices, and sense of sheer fun, the triplets played cruises, clubs and cut the occasional record from the 1950s through the early ‘80s—by which time they were reduced to playing old-folks’ homes. But with the ’80s came retro camp, and the del Rubios were discovered by booker and songwriter Allee Willis, who turned them into New Wave stars: they appeared on Pee-Wee’s Christmas Special and The Golden Girls, cut new albums (covering hits by the Beatles, Devo and the Doors). They continued performing till Eadie’s death in 1996; Elena died in 2001.

Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Obituaries, World War II | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Voices: Police Capt. Ed Jokisch, 1914 – 2011

Posted on August 7, 2011 by lmharnisch

LAPD Homicide Detectives, 1946

Photo: LAPD homicide detectives in a gag photo, Christmas 1946. Ed is on the left in the back row. Credit: Ed Jokisch

 

I received word Saturday that my friend, retired Police Capt. Ed Jokisch, has died at the age of 96. I’ll write more about him later. But here’s Part 1 of an interview I did with him several years ago.

In the interview, Ed discusses serving in the Navy in the 1930s, joining the Police Department in 1940,  World War II, Chief of Detectives Thad Brown, and working in the Homicide Division under Capt. Jack Donahoe after World War II. Ed also critiques Steve Hodel’s book “Black Dahlia Avenger.”

Posted in 1914, Crime and Courts, Downtown, LAPD, Obituaries, World War II | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Carlos Lozano: Sunday Journal – Norms

Posted on August 7, 2011 by lmharnisch

Norm's

Photo: Norm’s. Credit: Carlos Lozano.

Note: My friend Carlos Lozano, the state editor at The Times, passed along one of the essays he calls Sunday Journal and gave me permission to post it here.

BREAKFAST AT NORM’S 

The place is packed this morning. Norms is always busy, even during the week, when you can get the Four Deuces special — 2 hotcakes, 2 bacon strips, 2 eggs and 2 link sausages — for $3.99. The Monday through Friday crowd is older, mostly retirees, regulars who have lived in the neighborhood for years. But Saturdays and Sundays are different. It’s packed, shoulder-to-shoulder, nose-to-nose, egg-to-egg. And it’s a different crowd. They’re workers, they’re tired and they want someone else to flip their pancakes on the weekend. It’s also a younger crowd. You can hear the kids screaming and crying the minute you walk in. It’s all part of a familiar soundtrack, which today includes an army of waitresses barking orders in Spanish to an overworked chef named Juan, the clattering of empty plates all around and the sound of endless strips of bacon sizzzzling on the football-field size grill. Above the din can be heard the occasional refrain: “More coffee?”

Continue reading →

Posted in Food and Drink, Sunday Journal | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Changeling Stories — Part 4

Posted on August 7, 2011 by lmharnisch
Los Angeles Times file photo

Louisa Northcott, the mother of Gordon Northcott, isn’t portrayed in “Changeling,” but played a key role in the actual case. Above, she’s booked in jail.

Los Angeles Times file photo

Louisa Northcott with one of her attorneys (she was represented by Norbert Savay, A.H. De Tremaudan and J. McKinley Cameron).

Los Angeles Times file photo

Deputy P.H. Peterson and his wife escort Louisa Northcott to San Quentin for her role in the killings.
Los Angeles Times file photo
Louisa Northcott, December 1928. She was paroled in 1940.
Posted in 1928, Changeling, Crime and Courts, Film, Homicide | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Found on EBay – ‘London After Midnight’

Posted on August 6, 2011 by lmharnisch

"London After Midnight"

A German poster for the lost film “London After Midnight” has been listed on EBay. Notice that the vendor is in Spain. Also notice that it is listed as Buy It Now for $14,000. As with anything on EBay, an item and vendor should be evaluated thoroughly before submitting a bid.

Posted in 1927, Art & Artists, Film, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Preservation | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Found on EBay – ‘London After Midnight’

#art, #history, #museums, 8|6|2011

Posted on August 6, 2011 by lmharnisch

Mark Twain, Library of Congress
Photo: Mark Twain. Credit: Library of Congress.

 


RECOMMENDED

Kim Palchikoff has a fascinating op-ed piece in the New York Times about some family icons that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945.

Edward Rothstein of the New York Times reviews the North Carolina History Center in New Bern, N.C., and compares it with Tryon Palace, completed in 1770.

Could there be a more startling contrast? The new history and the old confront each other not in the form of academic debate or historiographical argument, but in the form of experience: one history is here, another there. And visitors — whose number has doubled to about 200,000 a year since the new center opened last fall — can’t miss the juxtaposition. On the one hand, there is a 20-acre complex of historical buildings and gardens, which opened in 1959 as Tryon Palace: an ambitious development project inspired by John D. Rockefeller’s re-creation of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. A highway had to be rerouted, a bridge rebuilt, property acquired and buildings moved so that these places could re-establish New Bern’s claim to historical importance.

NEWS

Donna Gregor, a controller at the Mark Twain House and Museum, admits embezzling more than $1 million. Shelly Banjo in the Wall Street Journal | NBC Connecticut

Robert B. Townsend of the American Historical Assn. writes about changes in institutional review boards intruding on historical research such as oral histories. “Any historian who uses oral history methods, or supervises students who conduct interviews, should speak out and demand change,” Townsend writes.

The L.A. Daily Mirror and L.A. Crime Beat lovingly prepared from Twitter feeds by the bots at paper.li.

Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art & Artists, History, Museums | Tagged , , | Comments Off on #art, #history, #museums, 8|6|2011

Changeling Stories — Part 3

Posted on August 6, 2011 by lmharnisch
Photograph by Tony Rivetti Jr. / Universal PicturesAbove, Colm Feore as Police Chief James Davis, “Changeling,” set in 1928.

Los Angeles Times file photoAbove, Police Chief James Davis, 1926.

Northcott signs confession.		 I don’t care much for the press passes in the reporters’ hats (at top), in fact they make me cringe, but costume designer Deborah Hopper  did a nice job on Chief Davis’ uniform, taking a small liberty to show a bit more of his tie.At left, Gordon Northcott admits killing five boys, including Walter Collins. Northcott says he made Walter kneel at an improvised altar before killing him and kept his body around the house for several days. Northcott later told Christine Collins that he didn’t kill her son.Below, Northcott’s mother is given a life term in the killings.
“I kept his body around the house for three days before I buried it.”

“The old fool is crazy! There aren’t
any bodies!”

“My boy never had anything to do with the murders…. It was all my fault.”
“It is only because you are a woman that I do not sentence you to be hanged.”
Posted in 1928, Changeling, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, Homicide | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Found on EBay – Florentine Gardens

Posted on August 5, 2011 by lmharnisch

Florentine Gardens EBay

This souvenir photograph from the Florentine Gardens has been listed on EBay. Most of these pictures come in a cardboard holder that’s stamped with a date. This one isn’t marked, oddly enough, but a comparison with my reference file indicates that it’s probably from 1942. The club, which was managed by Nils T. Granlund, was known for having its showgirls tease the customers, as this woman is doing. I suspect she is Marie Van Schaack, better known as Lili St. Cyr, who was one of the regulars at the Florentine Gardens. If anyone can verify her identity, thought would be great. Bidding starts at $19.50.

Florentine Gardens Souvenir

Posted in 1942, Found on EBay, Hollywood, Nightclubs, Photography, World War II | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments