Kennedy Visits L.A.!

Posted on November 1, 2010 by lmharnisch

  John_f_kennedy_1960_1101_crop  
  Photograph by Jack Gaunt / Los Angeles Times  

  john_f_kennedy_1960_1101_02_crop  
  Photograph by Art Rogers / Los Angeles Times  

Nov. 1, 1960: Chris Morales, a regular Daily Mirror reader, asked if I could find any photos of John F. Kennedy’s visit to East L.A. Community College. Here you go, Chris. The top photo shows office workers at 8th Street and Broadway waving to Kennedy’s motorcade. The bottom photo shows Kennedy at East L.A. Community College’s stadium, accompanied by his sister Patricia, Adlai Stevenson and Sen. Clair Engle (D-Calif.).

And if any Daily Mirror reader has personal recollections of meeting Kennedy or Vice President Richard Nixon  during the 1960 presidential race, please send them in!

Posted in Education, JFK, Photography | Comments Off on Kennedy Visits L.A.!

The Biltmore Doorman

Posted on November 1, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Nov. 1, 1960, Biltmore Doorman  

Nov. 1, 1960: I always have my eye out for stories about doormen at the Biltmore after researching the often-repeated myth about the “noble doorman” at the hotel, tipping his cap and opening the door for the Black Dahlia when she disappeared in 1947. “He observed her trim form swinging south on Olive Street toward Sixth, the slim legs striding easily, the red heels tapping purposefully on the sidewalk,” or so the folktale says. 

In fact, this story doesn’t appear anywhere in the original news coverage or in any official documents I have ever examined. It seems to have been invented by Jack Webb for “The Badge,” which is notable as the first version of the Dahlia story in which Elizabeth Short is portrayed as a downbeat drifter. Webb treats all the victims in “The Badge” with snide, superior commentary, particularly Karil Graham, who was killed by Donald Keith Bashor. 

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From the Vaults: ‘The Woman Who Came Back’ (1945)

Posted on November 1, 2010 by lmharnisch

Womanposter What an odd yet pleasing little film is “The Woman Who Came Back.” A New England woman returns to her hometown and, after a near-death incident, becomes afraid that she’s under the spell of a famous local witch. It’s like a cross between “Carnival of Souls” and “The House of the Seven Gables.” And atmospherically, it’s got everything: a thunderstorm, a creepy old house, a frightened child, an eerie family crypt, suspicious locals and a band of kids all done up in vintage Halloween costumes. This is a perfect Halloween movie.

Nancy Kelly (who would go on to play Patty McCormack’s mom in “The Bad Seed”) stars as Lorna Webster, who’s heading home after some time away under unspecified circumstances. Almost immediately, strange things start to happen. Her bus crashes, killing everyone else on board. When she recovers, a strange dog starts following her around. She accidentally poisons some goldfish. The townsfolk all look askance at her -– all, that is, but her adoring ex-fiance, Matt (John Loder). Lorna’s soon convinced that there’s something wrong with her.

One of Lorna's ancestors, it turns out, was a notorious New England judge who once convicted a number of local witches and sentenced them to burn at the stake. This, of course, never happened in the United States –- all our witches were hanged, thank you (except for that poor man who was pressed to death) -– but never mind. It’s only a movie! The judge's most famous victim was a woman named Jezebel Traister, who left a statement threatening revenge from beyond the grave, and hinting that she might return by possessing a young maiden. Could this be happening to Lorna?

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Posted in Film, From the Vaults, Hollywood | 2 Comments

Matt Weinstock, Oct. 31, 1960

Posted on October 31, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 31, 1960, Comics  

Oct. 31, 1960: Gene Barry, who swings a wicked gold-headed cane as Bat Masterson, confided at an informal discussion of the subject that he frequently prevails upon his producer to delete scenes of killing and mayhem when they don't advance the story. But, he added, you can't win them all, Matt Weinstock says. 

CONFIDENTIAL TO HEARTSICK MRS. J.: Insisting that your husband give up his traveling job will solve nothing. If he is going to cheat, he'll cheat on his lunch hour. See a marriage counselor.

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Paul Coates, Oct. 31, 1960

Posted on October 31, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 31, 1960, Cover
 

Oct. 31, 1960: Paul Coates has a different sort of Halloween story set in a cemetery. 

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Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, Oct. 31, 1940

Posted on October 31, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 31, 1940, British Ask U.S. Planes
  

 
Oct. 31, 1940, Tom Treanor
 

Oct. 31, 1940 –  Jimmie Fidler asks: When will the men at the helm of this industry learn a lasting lesson? When will they realize that millions of Americans still resent flippant disregard of the accepted decencies? And when will they wake up to the fact that real cleverness need not depend upon dirty implications to put over its points?

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Movieland Mystery Photo — Updated

Posted on October 31, 2010 by lmharnisch

  Oct. 30, 2010, Mystery Photo  

Here’s our weekend mystery woman!

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

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