Money Given to Families of Times Bombing Victims

Posted on December 20, 2010 by lmharnisch

 

  Dec. 20, 1910, Santa  

 

  Dec. 20, 1910, Bombing  

Dec. 20, 1910: The Times reports on the distribution of money that was donated by the people of Los Angeles for families of The Times bombing victims. Although some modern writers insist The Times was a hated institution in this era, the amount of money collected for the families indicates a fair degree of support and sympathy. For example, $2,992.96 [$68,056.36 USD 2009] was given to Leola Harvey-Elder, the widow of Assistant City Editor Churchill Harvey-Elder, who died of his injuries after leaping from the burning building.

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From the Vaults: ‘The Black Swan’ (1942)

Posted on December 20, 2010 by lmharnisch

Swan The current Natalie Portman film is not, perhaps, technically a remake of this movie. Instead of dueling ballerinas, the 1942 film features dueling pirates. Instead of the "Dying Swan" dance, there is a big battle at sea with cannons. And instead of Portman and Mila Kunis, the 1942 film stars Tyrone Power and Maureen O'Hara. But everything else is totally the same.

Actually, 1942's "Black Swan" is based on a novel by Rafael Sabatini (I haven't read it, but I loved "Scaramouche") and concerns the uneasy relationships between the English, the Spanish and the non-law-abiding pirates in the glory days of the Spanish Main. Power plays Jamie, a very enthusiastic pirate whose hero Captain Morgan (Laird Cregar) lures him into a respectable non-pirating life as governor of Jamaica. This sits none too well with the feisty Margaret (O'Hara), whose dad was the previous governor, but Jamie finds her an irresistible wench all the same. Sparks fly!

Meanwhile, Jamie and Morgan's former pirating colleague Leech (George Sanders) is continuing to ply his trade off Jamaica in violation of Morgan's wishes. Jamie must use all his old pirating skills to track down his rival and win Margaret's affections! But will the siren song of the high seas lure him back again?

This movie's got a fab cast. In addition to the top stars it's got a sinister Anthony Quinn in an eye patch as Leech's sidekick, and a very lively Thomas Mitchell (yup, Uncle Billy) in a headscarf as Jamie's best friend, Tommie Blue. All the wigs and pirate beards do make it hard to recognize some people — I would never have identified Sanders (whom we last saw thinking about a brick wall in "Village of the Damned").

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Posted in Film, From the Vaults, Hollywood | 3 Comments

Matt Weinstock, Dec. 19, 1960

Posted on December 19, 2010 by lmharnisch

 
 

  Dec. 19, 1960, Comics  

Dec. 19, 1960: Matt Weinstock has the story of a man who cut down a tree that was destroying his sidewalk – but had trouble finding the city-required Melaleuca styphelioides (bottlebrush) to replace it.

Also on the jump: A photo of a few objects swallowed by a patient at a New York mental institution — 258 to be exact. 

DEAR ABBY: There are two men in my life. One I love very much and the other I like only as a friend. My problem is this — the one I like only as a friend is my husband. The one I love is my husband's brother.

I know my feeling for my brother-in-law is a sin, but….

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Grim Sleeper, Interiors 3

Posted on December 19, 2010 by lmharnisch

Grim Sleeper No. 118
Although some images show a window blocked with tinfoil (Interiors, 2) a few photos show windows blocked with what appears to be a paper bag attached with blue masking tape.

ALSO

Grim Sleeper, Interiors
Grim Sleeper, Interiors 2
Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper No. 91
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

Grim Sleeper No. 88
Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, LAPD, Photography | 3 Comments

Grim Sleeper, Interiors 2

Posted on December 19, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Grim Sleeper 22  

  Grim Sleeper No. 22  

The backgrounds in some of the photos show what appears to be a window covered with tinfoil. No. 22, above, is a frame from a video that shows this detail.  Some of the images are indistinct and I’m only including the ones in which I’m fairly certain that the background is the same or similar.

It’s interesting to notice that several types of photo technology are involved in this “series,” including video and print or digital cameras. The tinfoil arrangement in Nos. 42 (video) and 103 (still) appears to be the same and shows a small gap between the foil and the top of the window frame.

ALSO

Grim Sleeper, Interiors
Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper No. 91
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

 

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Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, LAPD, Photography | 1 Comment

Paul Coates, Dec. 19, 1960

Posted on December 19, 2010 by lmharnisch

 
 

  Dec. 19, 1960, Mirror Cover  

Dec. 19, 1960: Paul Coates has the story of William Gossett, who was scraping along on skid row one week and a street corner Santa Claus the next.

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Posted in Columnists, Front Pages, Paul Coates | 1 Comment

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, Dec. 19, 1940

Posted on December 19, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Dec. 19, 1940, March Field Crash  
  Dec. 19, 1940, Crash  

Dec. 19, 1940: Hedy Lamarr never uses red nail polish, Jimmie Fidler says.

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Grim Sleeper, Interiors

Posted on December 19, 2010 by lmharnisch

   

Many of the photos show a woman in the passenger seat of a vehicle. The coiled cord visible through the window in Photo No. 156 made me wonder if this was taken at some sort of drive-in.

I’ve tried to collect these photos on the jump. Photos  36 and 87 appear to show the same woman, as do Photos 95 and 175.

There appear to be at least five vehicles involved, based on the interiors. One (No. 36) appears to have gray upholstered seats, one (No. 157) has a blue interior, one (No. 95) has been stripped down to the body and shows white metal, one (No. 150) has a plain interior of metal painted white. The interior shown above in Photo 156 doesn’t seem to be in any other picture.

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper No. 91
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

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Grim Sleeper No. 91

Posted on December 19, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Grim Sleeper, No. 91  

  Grim Sleeper 91, Detail  

When I first looked at this photo, I thought the item in the background might be a calendar. In fact it’s a page of display ads for a sporting goods store that has been placed over some sort of opening,   like a window covered with a heavy screen.

That’s something of a pattern in these photos. Many pictures have a window in the background that has been covered up, either with tinfoil, or cardboard and blue masking tape.

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

 

Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, LAPD, Photography | 1 Comment

Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays

Posted on December 19, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Dec. 21, 1889, Season's Greetings

Dec. 21, 1889, Season's Greetings

  

  Dec. 25, 1915, Season's Greetings

  
  Dec. 25, 1915, Season's Greetings  

  Dec. 25, 1919, Happy Holidays  

One of the more annoying political pinatas of our era, in which every facet of life is subjected to a “red litmus test” of partisan correctness, is notion that “Season’s Greetings” and “Happy Holidays”  are trendy euphemisms to keep Christ out of Christmas.

Not in the least. 

Here’s an excerpt from the Dec. 21, 1889, Times, two display ads from Christmas 1915 and an ad from 1919 that dispel such ideas.

More on the jump, including a 1933 ad promoting gift subscriptions to The Times with a card that said “Season’s Greetings.” There are many more examples, but I think I’ve made my point.

Please note: ProQuest’s search engine is far from perfect and rarely reads elaborate lettering, so there may be earlier examples that I have missed.

Bonus facts:

First appearance of “Merry Christmas” in The Times, Dec. 25, 1881.
First appearance of “Merry Xmas” in The Times, Dec. 25, 1886.
First appearance of “Happy Holiday” in the Times, Dec. 25, 1890.

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Posted in Religion | 2 Comments

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, Dec. 18, 1940

Posted on December 18, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Dec. 18, 1940, Lend Lease

 
 

image

  

Every lady attending the New Year’s party at the Cocoanut Grove gets a baby panda! Wouldn’t it be great if we could visit the Ambassador? Oh, wait. We let L.A. Unified tear it down.

Dec. 18, 1940: Movie producers should study closely the pictures of 1940's leading box office stars and note that sex and risque scenes or dialogue are nonexistent in those films, Jimmie Fidler says.

[Corrected at 1:23 p.m. A previous version of this post and headline gave the date Dec. 18, 1960. We're in 1940 … for the moment at least!]

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Grim Sleeper No. 139

Posted on December 18, 2010 by lmharnisch

  grim_sleeper139_adjust  

  grim_sleeper139_mail_slot02  

Grim Sleeper No. 139 has a bit of interesting signage that says “The Mail Slot” and gives a phone number that appears to be 419-0395. I’m not able to locate this number or business, so I’m assuming it’s defunct. Does the “82” indicate 1982? A car in the background looks like a Volkswagen Beetle but otherwise identifying the cars will take more research.

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson
Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, Photography | 1 Comment

Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78

Posted on December 18, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Grim Sleeper, No. 76  

  Grim Sleeper No. 76  
  Grim Sleeper, No. 78  

  Grim Sleeper No. 78  

These ladies, plus Nos. 75 and 77, have a labret, or piercing, in their lower lip.   No. 76 also has a tattoo on her chest, but I’m not going to speculate on whether it says “Kendreay” because I can’t clarify the image adequately

Grim Sleeper, No. 76

 

Grim Sleeper, No. 75 Grim Sleeper, No. 76

 

Grim Sleeper, No. 77 Grim Sleeper, No. 78
Grim Sleeper, No. 77 Grim Sleeper No., 78

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

 

Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, Photography | 1 Comment

Reagan May Call Economic Emergency

Posted on December 18, 2010 by lmharnisch

 
 

  image  

  Dec. 18, 1980, Comics  

Dec. 18, 1980: With the prime lending rate at 21% and expected to rise to 23% or 25% (welcome to 1980 and the Carter administration!) President-elect Ronald Reagan is weighing whether to declare an economic emergency when he takes office. 

Notice the twin two-column stories at the bottom of the front page. In Times’ layout style of this era, these were called “corner stories” and prevailed for years. Also notice that one of them deals with Gov. Jerry Brown using tax money for political purposes (he reimbursed the money) and that his chief of staff was Gray Davis.

On the jump, the rest of George Skelton’s first-rate analysis of what Reagan did wrong on his first trip to Washington as governor and what he did right as president-elect.

Skelton says: “Most veterans of the Reagan era now agree that the former actor's initial poor relationship with the Legislature resulted from a combination of his ignorance of the subtle ways of government and his then basic disrespect for politicians generally.”

"He and all the people around him had the feeling that all the members of the Legislature were a bunch of bums, which is not to say some weren't," said a former Republican state officeholder.

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Posted in Comics, Front Pages, Ronald Reagan, Television | 2 Comments

Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77

Posted on December 18, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Grim Sleeper No. 75

  
  Grim Sleeper, No. 77  

This is a different sort of puzzle. Grim Sleeper No. 75, top, and No. 77, have a tattoo that reads “Kendreay, RIP or HIP” and they both have a piercing (called a labret) in their bottom lips, but one woman is much heavier than the other.  

Grim Sleeper No. 75 Grim Sleeper, No. 77

 

  Grim Sleeper No. 75  

Above, No. 75’s tattoo.

  Grim Sleeper, No. 77  

And No. 77’s tattoo.

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, Photography | 1 Comment

Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-97, Maxine — Updated

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

 
 

Grim Reaper, No. 96 Grim Reaper, No. 97
Nos. 96, left, and 97, right, seem to be the same woman. And in No. 97, she’s wearing a name tag that says “Maxine.” The shape of her name tag is quite distinctive. Does anyone recognize it?

[Update: This is a Taco Bell uniform.]

 Grim Reaper, No. 97

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

 

Posted in Crime and Courts | 7 Comments

Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

 

Grim Sleeper, No. 59 Grim Sleeper, No. 81

It seems that Grim Sleeper Nos. 59, left, and 81, right, show the same woman and may have been taken at the same time.  No. 81 is dated May 8, 2006, which may or may not be accurate. Grim Sleeper, No. 81
  Grim Sleeper, No. 81  

Grim Sleeper, No. 81 The background in No. 81 shows quite a bit of “shade-tree mechanic” material. At left, there are some old traffic cones and some piece of a car (maybe an alternator?) in a Capri Sun box.

And here’s a set of plastic shelves full of motor oil, spray bottles, coolant (Valucraft is sold at AutoZone) and other auto-related  material. Grim Sleeper, No. 81

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142, Deborah B. Cleveland
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, Photography | 1 Comment

Matt Weinstock, Dec. 17, 1960

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

 
 

  Dec. 17, 1960, Comics  
  “Quiet, Dreena … I must think!”  

Dec. 17, 1960: Members of the Associated Plumbing Contractors of L.A. pool their Christmas party money to build an elaborate model train layout for the disabled children at Casa Colina in Pomona, Matt Weinstock says.

Paul Coates dips into his mailbag…. and

CONFIDENTIAL TO BERTHA, SALLY AND ROSALIE: If you want male companionship in Miami this winter, better bring your own.

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Posted in art and artists, Columnists, Comics, Matt Weinstock, Paul Coates | Comments Off on Matt Weinstock, Dec. 17, 1960

Plane Crash Survivor Dies, Dec. 17, 1960

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

 

 
 

  Dec. 17, 1960, Mirror Cover  

Dec. 17, 1960: Maurice Zolotow’s biography of Marilyn Monroe ends with a portrait of the actress’ continual insecurity, professionally and personally. And Zolotow adds a postscript on Monroe and Yves Montand.

“The breakup that was to make Arthur Miller another ex-Mr. Marilyn Monroe, like Jim Dougherty and Joe DiMaggio, had been presaged by the declining status of the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright in the Monroe menage as well as in the world of the stage. And also by rumors and jokes that emanated from Hollywood,” Zolotow says. 

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Posted in Film, Front Pages, Hollywood | 2 Comments

Grim Sleeper Nos. 141-142

Posted on December 17, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Grim Sleeper, No. 141  

Grim Sleeper No. 141 appears to be a Polaroid marked Deborah B. Cleveland, Sept. 18, 2001, although there seems to have been some hesitation about the “18,” as if the writer started with 28 and changed his mind. It is also marked “B.K.A. Chocolate.” If you boost the contrast, you can see the double mirrors outside the passenger’s window, but that’s all.

Grim Sleeper No. 142 is a detail from this photo that crops out the handwriting. 

ALSO

Grim Sleeper Nos. 4 and 52
Grim Sleeper Nos. 48-49
Grim Sleeper Nos. 51-53.
Grim Sleeper Nos. 56-57
Grim Sleeper Nos. 59 and 81
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75-78, labrets
Grim Sleeper Nos. 75 and 77, Kendreay
Grim Sleeper Nos. 96-96, Maxine
Grim Sleeper No. 139, The Mail Slot
Grim Sleeper No. 149
Grim Sleeper No. 166, Ms. D. Johnson

Posted in Crime and Courts, Grim Sleeper, Homicide, LAPD, Photography | 3 Comments