Nixon Aides Accuse Columnist of Campaign Smear

Posted on October 31, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 27, 1960, Political Cartoon  

  Oct. 27, 1960, Drew Pearson  

Oct. 27-31, 1960: Columnist Drew Pearson reports on a $205,000 loan from Hughes Tool Co. to struggling restaurant operator Donald Nixon, the vice president’s brother.

Pearson is careful to say that it’s unclear whether Hughes received favorable treatment from the government as a direct result of the 1956 loan, but he reports that the company benefited in the next few years and he emphasizes the extreme secrecy surrounding the money.

Pearson noted the delicacy of publishing the story so close to an election and added that other reporters were also pursuing the matter. But as far as The Times editorial page was concerned, the column was a campaign smear and Pearson was no better than Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels.

Some argue that the story of the loan sank Nixon’s presidential campaign, but remember that by this time Nixon had also been badly bruised in the TV debates with the charismatic Sen. John F. Kennedy (D-Mass.). Still, the loan was certainly a heavy burden on the Nixon campaign and in fact it surfaced in Nixon’s unsuccessful 1962 race against Gov. Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Sr.

Postscript: During a 1973 news conference, President Nixon admitted wiretapping Donald Nixon in an attempt to keep tabs on whether his younger brother was involved in any questionable financial deals.

On the jump, the original Drew Pearson column, which appeared in the Mirror, and which is available nowhere else on the Internet – at least according to a Google search. 

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Posted in Columnists, Richard Nixon | 2 Comments

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, Oct. 30, 1940

Posted on October 30, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 30, 1940, U.S. Conducts Draft Lottery  

  Oct. 30, 1940, Draft  

Oct. 30, 1940: Wallace Beery has really asked ex-wife Gloria Swanson to rule his roost again — and she's giving it a ponder, Jimmie Fidler says 

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Movieland Mystery Photo — Updated

Posted on October 30, 2010 by lmharnisch

  2010_1023_mystery_photo  
  Los Angeles Times file photo  
  Feb. 6, 1922, Iconoclast  

[Updated Oct. 30, 8:58 a.m. Yes, these are more photos from the William Desmond Taylor photo file. Above, a photo of Taylor from “Iconoclast.”]

  William Desmond Taylor letter  

[Several people have speculated about the signature on the letter I posted earlier in the week. There’s no information on the back, but here’s an enlargement of the signature.]

Update: I've decided to extend our mystery chap through the week. I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed. 

Here’s our weekend mystery chap. This week’s mystery guest was Tish Sterling with mystery companions Michael Douglas, Nicholas Buttle and her mother, Ann Sothern.

There's a new photo on the jump!

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Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo, Photography | 52 Comments

Art Exhibit Features Paul Revere Williams

Posted on October 30, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Nov. 2, 1960, Joe Louis, Paul Revere Williams  
  Los Angeles Times file photo  

The Art Museum at the University of Memphis has opened an exhibition on the works of Los Angeles architect Paul Revere Williams, above left, with champion prizefighter Joe Louis in 1960.

The university began the project in 2006 to recognize Williams, whose parents were born in Memphis. The project eventually expanded to include a website devoted to Williams’ work. Researchers were hampered because Williams’ papers were destroyed during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. More information about the project is here.

The exhibit will be on display through Jan. 8, 2011.

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Posted in Architecture, Obituaries, Photography, Richard Nixon | Comments Off on Art Exhibit Features Paul Revere Williams

Fleeing Cubans Force Airliner to U.S., Oct. 29, 1960

Posted on October 29, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 29, 1960, Comics  

Oct. 29, 1960: ONLY IN ARCADIA — Mrs. Mae McClain hides these days when the garbage man comes by. Her husband recently caught a big shark off Catalina and brought it home to show the children. It was eventually placed in the refuse can and she happened to be watching as it slithered out, mouth first, as the frightened gentleman upended the container.

CONFIDENTIAL TO SCHATZIE: The distance between your boyfriend's ears is just one block. That "prove your love" line is pretty stale.

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Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, Oct. 29, 1940

Posted on October 29, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 29, 1940, Greeks Stop Italian Push  

  Oct. 29, 1940, War Map  

Oct. 29, 1940: Frank Morgan is overhauling his yacht for a repeat Alaskan jaunt, come spring, Jimmie Fidler says.

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Posted in art and artists, Columnists, Film, Hollywood, Nuestro Pueblo | Comments Off on Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, Oct. 29, 1940

Pages of History

Posted on October 29, 2010 by lmharnisch

  carole_lombard_spareribs_crop  


Longtime reader Jenny Lerew mentioned this recipe in a recent comment about “What Actors Eat When They Eat!” so I thought I would share it. Also on the jump, Jimmie Fidler’s recipe for Boston baked beans. Wot’s this? They misspelled his name?

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Posted in books, Film, Food and Drink, Hollywood | 1 Comment

Matt Weinstock, Oct. 28, 1960

Posted on October 28, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 28, 1960, Comics  

Oct. 28, 1960: ONLY IN L.A. — Another bus became lost in the big city Tuesday. It was a Beverly Boulevard express which is supposed to turn on Vermont Avenue and take the Hollywood Freeway downtown. Somehow the driver missed his turnoff and meandered aimlessly on Bunker Hill, finally reaching 3rd and Beaudry. A passenger, an attorney due in court, was nearly frantic. Oddly enough, the bus arrived at 4th and Hill ahead of schedule.

CONFIDENTIAL TO JUDY: Don't plan on marrying for "better or for worse" … plan on marrying for GOOD!

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Paul Coates, Oct. 28, 1960

Posted on October 28, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 28, 1960, Cover
 

Oct. 28, 1960: Paul Coates gets an anonymous letter about teenage violence.

“I was born in what you'd call the slums, I guess, but at the age of 10 I moved to a better neighborhood. Still, it's not the best. I go to Virgil Junior High.

“I go to school with kids who belong to street gangs and who are always popping in and out of Juvenile Hall. I hear so much every day that it doesn't shock me the way it used to."

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Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, Oct. 28, 1941

Posted on October 28, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 28, 1941, Shooting Has Started  

  Oct. 28, 1941, Tom Treanor  

Oct. 28, 1941: Did no one note the passing of the widow of once-famous star Harold Lockwood? She'd been working as a studio wardrobe woman, Jimmie Fidler says.

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Posted in Columnists, Environment, Film, Hollywood, Tom Treanor | Comments Off on Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, Oct. 28, 1941

L.A. Archives Bazaar

Posted on October 28, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 23, 2010, Archives Bazaar  
  Photograph by Larry Harnisch / Los Angeles Times  

The fifth annual L.A. Archives Bazaar on Saturday at USC’s Doheny Library.

I had the pleasure of being on one of the panels at the annual L.A. Archives Bazaar on Saturday at USC and thought I’d elaborate a bit on some of the questions and comments that were made about using old newspapers for research.

To recap for those who weren’t there, the moderators were USC librarians Dace Taube and Sue Tyson, and the other panelists were Michelle Welsing of the  Southern California Library and Nick Beck, former UPI correspondent and journalism teacher.

Michelle talked about Charlotta A. Bass, publisher of the California Eagle, whom I have mentioned on the Daily Mirror.  Anyone who is truly interested in understanding Los Angeles needs to look at the California Eagle and the Los Angeles Sentinel, two African American weeklies that are so different from the daily newspapers of the era that they almost exist in a parallel world.

Nick mentioned the once common practice of indicating ethnicity in news stories, such as “John Jones, colored” or “John Jones, Negro.” These sorts of references are common in the Los Angeles Examiner and The Times as late as the 1940s, but they are increasingly infrequent in the 1950s unless the story is dealing with something like desegregation of lunch counters or civil rights marches.

Several people were curious about accessing historic copies of The Times via ProQuest. The archives are available through latimes.com or the Los Angeles Public Library website (you’ll need a library card to sign in). The Library of Congress also has a link to various historic newspapers, including the Los Angeles Herald.

 

The most important aspect of having newspaper archives online is that they will force historians to do more pick and shovel work in research instead of recycling material from other books. One of my favorite examples is the tale of Gen. Harrison Gray Otis’ armored car. At one time, it is was far easier for a writer to pick up (and sometimes embellish) a story from a book rather than hunt through reels of microfilm in hopes of finding a contemporary account.  With digitized newspapers, however, a conscientious researcher can locate the true story rather quickly. Historians who continue to cut and paste from old books without questioning or verifying the material can expect to be challenged with what is revealed in historic papers.  

 
Posted in books | 2 Comments

Matt Weinstock, Oct. 27, 1960

Posted on October 27, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 27, 1960, Comics  

Oct 27, 1960: Matt Weinstock weighs in on Ben Hecht’s discredited claims that Paul Bern’s suicide was a “whitewash.”

CONFIDENTIAL TO IGNORANT AND ASHAMED: Your question is one that troubles many people … and it is nothing to be ashamed of. I cannot print the answer in my column, but will mail you a personal reply if you will send me a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

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Paul Coates, Oct. 27, 1960

Posted on October 27, 2010 by lmharnisch

 

  Oct. 27, 1960, Cover
 

Oct. 27, 1960: Paul Coates digs into his mailbox and finds “Johnny Grant was once a stunt car driver … and Dick Whittinghill sang with the Pied Pipers.”

Notice: Art Pepper is arrested for possession of heroin.

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

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, Oct. 27, 1941

Posted on October 27, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 27, 1941, German Raiders Bomb Kremlin  

  Oct. 27, 1941, Tom Treanor  

Oct. 27, 1941: Already-rich Robert Stack is piling up more as prexy of a water heater factory supplying Army camps, Jimmie Fidler says.

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Death Threats Sent to Grand Jury Investigating Times Bombing

Posted on October 27, 2010 by lmharnisch

 

 

 

image

Oct. 27, 1910, Grand Jury

 
  Oct. 28, 1910, Herald

Oct. 28, 1910, Herald

 

Oct. 27-28, 1910: Threatening letters are sent to five members of the Los Angeles County Grand Jury investigating The Times bombing – or were they? The foreman of the grand jury tells the Herald that the story is utterly untrue.  Although the foreman said he planned to demand a correction from the paper in question, nothing further was ever published in The Times.

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Posted in #courts, 1910 L.A. Times bombing, Fashion | Comments Off on Death Threats Sent to Grand Jury Investigating Times Bombing

Matt Weinstock, Oct. 26, 1960

Posted on October 26, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 26, 1960, Comics  

Oct. 26, 1960: Matt Weinstock says, “When he receives a letter with the stamp cancellation ‘Report Obscene Mail to Your Postmaster,’ a troublemaker I know mails it back to the postmaster with the note, ‘What — and spoil my fun?’ ”

DEAR ABBY: Ever since I can remember I wanted to play piano. My father laughed at me and said music was for sissies. He tried to get me interested in sports but I was never any good at it. (He was a good athlete). I took piano lessons at school and stayed evenings to practice there.

When my mother bought me a spinet last Christmas I became the world's happiest boy. My father became the world's most disappointed man. Abby, I love music and my teacher says I have talent. I know I have failed my father and I am sorry but what can I do to make it up to him? I am 14.

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Paul Coates, Oct. 26, 1960

Posted on October 26, 2010 by lmharnisch

 

  Oct. 26, 1960, Cover  

Oct. 26, 1960: Paul Coates takes another look at the gang killing of Manuel Castro. This time he talks to Manny Tovar, a skid row bartender whose son was charged in the shooting. "I tried to be a good father," Tovar said. "Sometimes you try your best and it's still not enough."

ps. L.A. is getting an American League team.

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Posted in Columnists, Front Pages, Homicide, Paul Coates | Comments Off on Paul Coates, Oct. 26, 1960

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, Oct. 26, 1940

Posted on October 26, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 26, 1940, France Reported Joining Axis  

  Oct. 26, 1940, Tom Treanor  

Tom Treanor, who died covering World War II for The Times,  files a first-rate story from Bucharest, Romania.

Oct. 26, 1940: Wot's this about the too-rich Willis Hunt, Carole Landis' "ex," taking an airplane factory job at $20 a week? Jimmie Fidler’s staff asks.

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Another Good Story Ruined — Updated

Posted on October 26, 2010 by lmharnisch

Sept. 6, 1932: The scene of Paul Bern’s suicide in his home at 9820 Easton Drive.

Oct. 25-28, 1960: In response to an article alleging a “suicide whitewash,” the district attorney’s office reopens the investigation in the 1932 death of movie studio executive Paul Bern.
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Posted in Film, Hollywood, Suicide | 1 Comment

Voices – Ingrid Bergman

Posted on October 26, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 26, 1980, Ingrid Bergman  

  Oct. 26, 1980, Ingrid Bergman  

Oct. 26, 1980: Roderick Mann interviews Ingrid Bergman on the release of her autobiography, “My Story.”

Mann writes: Yesterday's scandal is tomorrow's yawn, and young people today, let alone future historians, may well marvel that Ingrid Bergman's romance with Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini should have so shocked Hollywood that Joseph Breen of the Motion Picture Assn. of America felt prompted to advise her that stories of her romance 'may result in the American public becoming so thoroughly enraged that your pictures will be ignored and your box office value ruined.' "

Also on the jump, Sheila Benson’s review of “My Story.”

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Posted in books, Film, Hollywood, Obituaries | 2 Comments