| Larry Harnisch Reflects on L.A. History | Page 315

Yankee Legend Lou Gehrig Dies at 37

Posted on June 3, 2011 by lmharnisch

June 3, 1941, Lou Gehrig

June 4, 1941, Lou Gehrig

J.T. Sheward, Oct. 30, 1894 une 3, 1941: Until he lapsed into a coma, New York Yankee first baseman Lou Gehrig, the “Iron Horse” of baseball, was sure he would win against the rare disease that was slowly killing him. The Yankees announced that his locker and his number – 4 – would never be used again. In 14 years, he had played in 2,130 regularly scheduled games without a miss. Then he took himself out of the lineup May 1, 1939. He remained with the Yankees the rest of the season, but sat in the far corner of the dugout and occasionally limped to home plate to give the umpire the lineup. He never played again.

In the years that followed, Gehrig took treatments and worked for the New York City Parole Commission until a month before his death, when he decided to remain at home to conserve his strength. He spent his final days sitting in a chair by a window in his room, looking out at the street.

"I never knew a fellow who lived a cleaner life. He was a clean-living boy, a good baseball player, a great hustler. I think the boy hustled too much for his own good. He just wanted to win all the time. His death was a great loss to baseball."

— Babe Ruth

Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, Baseball, Obituaries | 2 Comments

From the Stacks – ‘Facts You Should Know About California’

Posted on June 3, 2011 by lmharnisch

Facts You Should Know About California

Since March, when I examined Louis Adamic’s “The Truth About Los Angeles,” I have been hunting the other pamphlets he wrote for E. Haldeman-Julius. A box of a dozen musty tracts arrived Friday, courtesy of EBay, and I immediately dug into No. 752, “Facts You Should Know About California,” written about 1927-28.

Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1927, 1928, books, Crime and Courts, From the Stacks, Hollywood, Zombie Reading List | 3 Comments

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, June 2, 1941

Posted on June 2, 2011 by lmharnisch

June 2, 1941, Dolly Sister,

June 2, 1941, Comics

June 2, 1941: The pajama-clad body of Hungarian-born danseuse Jenny Dolly, who with her sister Rosie was the toast of two continents two decades ago, was found dangling from a wrought-iron curtain rod in her luxurious Hollywood apartment, 1735 N. Wilcox Ave., The Times says.

TWENTIETH CENTURY-FOX AT A GLANCE: Granite-eyed gatemen relaxing into big grins as Jane Withers drives past, Jimmie Fidler says.

Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Suicide, Tom Treanor | 1 Comment

Jim Murray, June 2, 1961

Posted on June 2, 2011 by lmharnisch

June 2, 1961, Day in Sports

June 2, 1961, Jim Murray

June 2, 1961: Parry O’Brien at the age of 29 will be a chief drawing card at the Compton Invitational tonight. He is one of the most durable and remarkable athletes of our time. In the record books of track and field — which mean more on the veldts of Africa and the steppes of Russian than Spalding’s Baseball Guide ever could — he rates a page all to himself.

Continue reading →

Posted in #Jim Murray, 1961, Columnists, Comics, Sports, Track and Field | Comments Off

Maltese Falcon, 1931

Posted on June 2, 2011 by lmharnisch

June 8, 1931, Malese Falcon

June 8, 1931, Maltese Falcon

June 1931: Warner Bros. releases “The Maltese Falcon,” starring Ricardo Cortez and Bebe Daniels. Although the film is little more than an obscure curiosity today, it made a deep impression at the time. Reviewing the now-famous 1941 remake, The Times’ Philip K. Scheuer said the 1931 version “pales into insignificance.”

Continue reading →

Posted in 1931, boxing, Film, Hollywood | 2 Comments

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, June 1, 1941

Posted on June 1, 2011 by lmharnisch

June 1, 1941, Iraq Conquered by British Troops

June 1, 1941, Streetcar

June 1, 1941: LONDON, May 31. (AP)– German airmen who went belatedly to Iraq to bolster the Axis-inspired war against Britain were reported fleeing the country tonight as Iraqi resistance collapsed. British imperial advance forces entered the disorderly capital of Bagdad.

Lee Shippey says the argument in the Seymour house always begins in May: Should we turn off the furnace?

Probably you've seen some of the new jukebox "soundies" and formed your own opinion of them. I've just previewed 24 at one sitting, all produced by composer Sam Coslow, and I'm convinced that big movie moguls, instead of regarding them with contempt, should give them special attention, Jimmie Fidler says.

Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Music, Tom Treanor, Transportation | 2 Comments

Audie Murphy Dies in Plane Crash, June 1, 1971

Posted on June 1, 2011 by lmharnisch

June 1, 1971, Comics

June 1, 1971: World War II hero Audie Murphy, whose record as the Army’s most decorated soldier launched a movie career, dies in a plane crash with five other people.Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor, two Silver Stars, a Bronze Star, three Purple Hearts, the Distinguished Service Cross and the Legion of Merit, The Times said.

Bonus fact: He was married for former Movieland Mystery Photo guest Wanda Hendrix!

DEAR ABBY: What do you do with a nagging husband? We’ve been married for 15 years and have five children ranging from 6 to 13. This man nags me from the minute he gets home from work until I go to bed at night.

Continue reading →

Posted in Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Obituaries | Comments Off

Jim Murray, June 1, 1961

Posted on June 1, 2011 by lmharnisch

June 1, 1961, Sky Diving

June 1, 1961, Jim Murray

June 1, 1961: Among those celebrating the convictions of Blinky Palermo and Frankie Carbo is a Boyle Heights prizefight manager named Harry Shall. Harry gave the government a chance to throw the book at Blinky Palermo a long time ago, nearly 10 years, when he haled him into Federal Court for stealing a fighter from him but Harry made the mistake of lumping CBS, Pabst beer, the IBC and others in his suit and Harry was lucky to escape in his underwear when their battery of lawyers got through with him.

Notice the ad for a program on skydiving. Fibber, this is for you!

Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, #Jim Murray, 1961, boxing, Columnists, Crime and Courts, Sports | Comments Off

Yorty Elected Mayor!

Posted on June 1, 2011 by lmharnisch

June 1, 1961, Times Cover

June 1, 1961, Comics

June 1, 1961: Sam Yorty defeats Norris Poulson in the mayor’s race. Poulson says one reason for his loss was the Memorial Day riot in Griffith Park in which a mob of African Americans attacked a small group of LAPD officers. The riot broke out when the operator of the merry-go-round tried to eject a teenager who had gotten on without paying, The Times said. Two men were eventually convicted in the incident.

Continue reading →

Posted in #courts, 1961, art and artists, Comics, Countdown to Watts, Crime and Courts, Front Pages, LAPD, Parks and Recreation | Comments Off

Jim Murray, ‘Gentlemen, Start Your Coffins!’

Posted on May 31, 2011 by lmharnisch

May 29, 1966, Mag Wheels

May 29, 1966, Jim Murray

June 29, 1966: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 50th annual Memorial Day Safety Contest, the world's fastest traffic jam. This year, in order to more nearly approximate road conditions on our nation's highways and test performance under authentic hazards, we have brought about several changes in the field."

By special request! This one’s for you, Art!

Continue reading →

Posted in #Jim Murray, 1966, Columnists, Motor Sports | 1 Comment

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, May 31, 1941

Posted on May 31, 2011 by lmharnisch

May 31, 1941, Arthur Hohmann's Son Dies

May 31, 1941, Comics

May 31, 1941 – Arthur Hohmann, the LAPD’s reform police chief, will step down in June, citing the deaths of his son and his mother. He was replaced by Clemence C.B. “Jack” Horrall, who served as chief during World War II and retired in 1949 during the Brenda Allen scandal.

Lee Shippey says: It is strange how masterminds disagree as to whether the president's speech last Tuesday means war. So I think I should clear up the matter for my readers.

The speech does not necessarily mean war. All it means is that we must fight or the Nazis must surrender. I'm not joking. I do not think it impossible that the Nazis will surrender.

Also on the jump: The Times opposes gasoline conservation, Daylight Saving Time and other measures as the country moves toward wartime stringency measures. Typically, The Times says that the real way to prepare for war is to forbid strikes by unions!

And yes, The Times’ editorial page featured a Bible quote every day for many years.

HOLLYWOOD AFTER DARK: Carole Lombard grinning apologetically at the Hollywood and Vine traffic cop as her car rolls too far into the intersection, Jimmie Fidler says.

Also From The Times’ Editorial Page:

Don’t Recall Mayor Frank Shaw, 1938
Don’t Change Immigration Quotas for Jewish Refugees Fleeing Hitler, 1938
We Don’t Need a Federal Anti-Lynching Law, 1938
U.S. Shouldn’t Recognize Red China, 1959
Times Endorses Nixon, 1960

Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, City Hall, Columnists, Comics, Crime and Courts, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor, World War II | Comments Off

Jim Murray, May 31, 1961

Posted on May 31, 2011 by lmharnisch

May 31, 1961, Indianapolis 5000

May 31, 1961, Jim Murray

May 31, 1961: Emile Griffith is a slashing boxer from the Virgin Islands whose waist is so narrow and shoulders so wide that he would have to go to a tailor for his suits even if it weren't the only way he could get a belt in the back that buttons in the middle — and colors to match the silver and gold buckles on his shoes.

Continue reading →

Posted in #Jim Murray, 1961, boxing, Columnists, Sports | 2 Comments

Vote for Poulson!

Posted on May 31, 2011 by lmharnisch

May 31, 1961, Vote for Poulson

May 31, 1961: The Times publishes a Page 1 editorial urging readers to reelect Mayor Norris Poulson because Sam Yorty would “ruin good government.” Despite The Times’ aggressive endorsement of Poulson, voters elected Yorty, who was mayor until 1973, when he was defeated by Tom Bradley.

Posted in 1961, City Hall, Politics | Comments Off

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

Posted on May 30, 2011 by lmharnisch

May 28, 2011, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

[Update: This is Lisa Eilbacher in a photo published Nov. 24, 1977. Please congratulate JM Green, Cold in Phoenix, Barbara, Mary Mallory and Candy C for identifying her. ]

Here’s our weekend mystery gal!

There’s a new photo on the jump!

Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | 17 Comments

Memorial Day, 1941

Posted on May 30, 2011 by lmharnisch

May 31, 1941, Memorial Day

May 31, 1941, Spanish American War Veterans

May 31, 1941, Spanish American War

May 31, 1941, Civil War

May 31, 1941, Memorial Day

Memorial Day, 1941: “The crowd rose to its feet in acclaim to two troops of Boy Scouts marching along behind their unit banners and the national ensign.

“The boys were all Japanese.

“But none carried themselves more proudly than these boys of Los Angeles Scout Troops 197 and 379.

“And who could say that he was a better American than 16-year-old Yoneo Nakashima, color-bearer of Troop 197?”

History will provide an ugly answer to that question in a few months.

Continue reading →

Posted in 1910 L.A. Times bombing, 1941, Cemeteries, Hollywood, World War II | Comments Off

Found on EBay – Symphony Theater

Posted on May 28, 2011 by lmharnisch

Symphony Theater, 1921

Symphony Theater, 1921

Oct. 9, 1921, Never Weaken

Oct. 8, 1921, Never Weaken

A photograph of what appears to be the opening of Harold Lloyd’s 1921 “Never Weaken” has been listed on EBay. The vendor erroneously says that the theater is the Mason Opera House, but The Times shows that the film premiered at the Symphony, at 6th Street and Broadway, and a few letters of the word “Symphony” are visible behind Lloyd’s picture.

I don’t encounter the Symphony Theater very often in the old clips. It opened Aug. 29, 1914, “on the east side of Broadway near Sixth,” The Times said. The theater was apparently demolished in 1923.

Bidding on the photo starts at $9.99.

Posted in 1914, 1923, Architecture, Downtown, Film, Found on EBay | 4 Comments

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, May 28, 1941

Posted on May 28, 2011 by lmharnisch

May 28, 1941, President Declares Emergency

May 28, 1941, Comics

May 28, 1941: LONDON, May 27 (AP) — The 35,000-ton German battleship Bismarck, one of the newest and most powerful in the world, was smashed and sunk today by British warships and aerial bombers on the fifth morning of as coldly implacable a chase as sea warfare has ever known.

Jimmie Fidler says: Tucked away in a corner of the Los Angeles Times the other day was an item that left me cold with rage…. The item to which I refer digested down to this: "The Hollywood Guild may have to close its doors and cease aiding unfortunate members of the film industry because the drain of foreign charities has cut so deeply into the guild's income as to threaten its existence.”

FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE! How can American-born actors and executives of the movie industry be so blind? How can they continue to pour thousands of dollars into foreign relief funds, meanwhile ignoring the pitiful cry of indigents right here at home?

Also on the jump: A map of the Bismarck’s demise by Times artist Charles Owens.

Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Nuestro Pueblo, Tom Treanor, World War II | Comments Off

Jim Murray, May 28, 1961

Posted on May 28, 2011 by lmharnisch

May 28, 1961, Surfboards

May 28, 1961, Jim Murray

May 28, 1961: On the battlefields of baseball this year it has become quite evident that the Los Angeles Angels are the Serbs of the American League. They do not have the firepower to win the war or even any major battles.

Continue reading →

Posted in #Jim Murray, 1961, Baseball, Columnists | Comments Off

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, May 27, 1941

Posted on May 27, 2011 by lmharnisch

May 27, 1941, Battle Raging in Atlantic

May 27, 1941, Comics

LONDON, May 27 (Tuesday.) (AP) — British warships apparently were engaged in a mighty duel with a German battle squadron, including the 35,000-ton Bismarck, in the North Atlantic early today after a British naval plane rammed an aerial torpedo into the Bismarck.

Lee Shippey has an item on Homer Lea (d. 1912), the author of the 1909 book "The Valor of Ignorance." (The book is also listed on world.cat.) Despite considerable physical handicaps, Lea became a military advisor to Sun Yat-sen and his observations on Japan were widely studied during World War II. (I wrote a long post about Lea for the 1947project. Stay tuned for another one on the Daily Mirror.)

The home for destitute actors, to be built near Hollywood with Motion Picture Relief Fund money, will be named "Roosevelt Home," Jimmie Fidler says.

Continue reading →

Posted in 1941, art and artists, books, Columnists, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Lee Shippey, Tom Treanor, World War II | Comments Off

Movieland Mystery Photo [Updated]

Posted on May 27, 2011 by lmharnisch

May 23, 2011, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

[Update 2: Yes, I got tricky. There were two Jack Lamberts in the Jack Lambert envelope!

[BAD MAN … 1800 style … is popular character actor Jack Lambert, here seen as the villainous Valentine, right-hand man to bandit Wallace Beery in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's "Big Jack." Beneath the scar and coonskin cap, Lambert's really a solid citizen who would sooner kid than kill. In addition to Beery, the cast includes Richard Conte, Marjorie Main, Vanessa Brown and Edward Arnold. Richard Thorpe directed, Gottfried Reinhardt, producing.

[Jack Lambert — Popular character actor. Latest release "Big Jack" opposite the late Wallace Beery. Just finished featured lead in "Stars in My Crown" opposite Joel McCrea for M-G-M. Lambert has played in 35 pictures in 4 years.

[The photo is stamped July 26, 1949. ]

[Update: This is everybody’s favorite villain! Please congratulate Julie Merholz, Bob Levinson, Michael Ryerson, Jenny M, Fibber McGee, Lee Ann Thom and Megan, [Update: Mike Hawks], Carmen, Mary Mallory and Don Danard (via email) for identifying him!]

Here’s a tough-looking mystery fellow!

There’s a new photo on the jump!

Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | 37 Comments