September 23, 1959: Paul V. Coates — Confidential File

September 23, 1959: Mirror Cover

September 23, 1959: In Iowa, a host tells Nikita Khrushchev: “We have a saying — the Lord helps those who help themselves.”

Khrushchev replies: “God is helping us too, because we are developing quicker, and God therefore is on our side. He helps the intelligent.” One thing that struck me in reading the old stories about Khrushchev’s visit is how often he made biblical references. There’s no question that religion was against communist teachings and Soviet policy, and yet his conversation is dotted with Christian references.

The Air Force cancels the F-108 and North American Aviation announces plans to lay off 2,000 employees, divided evenly between plants in Los Angeles and Columbus, Ohio.

Paul Coates on how not to start a conversation … and Abby’s advice to a widow who wants to meet a good man and get married.

Continue reading

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A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Movies

Sept. 23, 1941, Yank in the RAF

Sept. 23, 1941: Tyrone Power in "A Yank in the R.A.F."

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Coming Attractions — ONE Archives

Cruising Protest
"Cruising Protest" by A.J. Epstein, showing a 1980 rally against the movie "Cruising."
ONE Archives Gallery & Museum will present "Queer Culture: The Photographs of A. J. Epstein" with an opening on Sept. 26, 2009, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.  The exhibition, at 626. N. Robertson Ave. in West Hollywood, will continue to Jan. 10, 2010. The hours are Fridays 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Saturdays  and Sundays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free but donations are requested.

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Naked Men Found in Women’s Spa

Sept. 23, 1919, Comics

Sept. 23, 1919: “Movie of a Man Holding the Wire,” by Clare Briggs.

Sept. 23, 1919, Tan

How to get rid of that summer tan.

Sept. 23, 1919, Massage

There’s a small problem with Kate Carpenter’s bath and massage emporium for women: Authorities keep finding naked men there. Alvin C. Hammer pleads guilty to drunk driving. This story implies that before July 1919, drunk driving was legal. I’ll have to look into that.

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Circus Performer Charged With Animal Cruelty

Sept. 23, 1909, W.D. Deeble

Sept. 23, 1909: Cartoonist Edmund Waller "Ted" Gale draws W.D. Deeble.


Sept. 23, 1909, Circus

Now wait a minute. We had a story yesterday about two women hobos who were arrested because they dressed like men. Here we have Albert Hodgini, who dresses up like a woman to perform stunts on horseback for Ringling Bros. circus. According to Times' clips, the Hodgini family was known for its trick riding.

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Cooking With the Junior League — Ginger Cookies

Ginger Cookies

In the latest post on Cooking With the Junior League, Mary McCoy makes Til McCutcheon’s Ginger Cookies from the Rochester, NY, Junior League cookbook, "Applehood and Motherpie."

The introduction begins: My mother’s aunt Til had a bake shop in Valois, New York, in the mid-1800s. This is the ginger cookie recipe from her shop.

Read more>>>

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Found on EBay — Engineer Bill

Engineer Bill Poster

This bit of memorabilia for "Cartoon Express" TV show host Engineer Bill Stulla has been listed on EBay.  Bidding starts at $10.
Posted in broadcasting, Television | Comments Off on Found on EBay — Engineer Bill

September 22, 1959: Matt Weinstock

September 22, 1959: How the city library saves money in tough times.

“Sometimes I think many people only think they think for themselves,” Matt Weinstock says. Continue reading

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September 22, 1959: Paul V. Coates — Confidential File

September 22, 1959: Los Angeles Mirror CoverSeptember 22, 1959: Mayor Poulson deliberately “shoved the knife” into Soviet Premier Khrushchev, two television newscasters charged today.

Paul Coates takes a survey on what people think about the visit of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev.

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A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Movies

Sept. 22, 1940, Marjorie Rambeau

Sept. 22, 1940: Hedda Hopper writes about Marjorie Rambeau, one of our former mystery guests!

Marjorie RambeauLos Angeles Times file photo

Marjorie Rambeau in "The Night Duel," 1926.

Posted in Film, Hollywood | 1 Comment

U.S. Tightens Border; DiMaggio and the Angels?

Sept. 22, 1969, Cover

Sept. 22, 1969: The U.S. tightens inspections at the border as part of Operation Intercept.

Sept. 22, 1969, Hippies

And hippies gather at Griffith Park.

Sept. 22, 1969, Akron

Akron had everything for the swinging bachelor pad — including armor.

Sept. 22, 1969, Li'l Abner

Al Capp satirized all sorts of people and popular culture in the 1960s. In this panel, he makes fun of Philip Roth's bestseller "Portnoy's Complaint." 

Sept. 22, 1969, Paint Your Wagon

An ad for "Paint Your Wagon" by Peter Max, an artist who helped define the look of the 1960s. His artwork used to be everywhere.

Sept. 22, 1969, Sports

The Yankee Clipper as Angel manager in 1970?

Joe DiMaggio's name surfaced in a story by The Times' John Wiebusch
on potential replacements for Angel Manager Lefty Phillips. DiMaggio
was in the mix but only because he was telling associates he wanted no
part of a managerial job. Smart man.

Others rumored to be possibilities included another former Yankee
player, Hank Bauer, and Red Schoendienst, who had been a player, coach
and manager with the Cardinals.

Of course, none of those potential managers actually took over.
Phillips stayed for the disaster that became the Angels' 1970 season.

–Keith Thursby


Posted in art and artists, books, Comics, Film, Hollywood, Parks and Recreation, Sports | 1 Comment

George ‘Evil Genius’ Hodel Rides Again II

“Most Evil,” Page 190, photos shown to support Stevel Hodel’s contention that his father was Zodiac.


I turned on the computer this morning, made a pot of coffee and cracked open Steve Hodel’s “Most Evil.” And I sighed. For anyone who knows anything about historic crimes, this book is a joke. If “Black Dahlia Avenger” was seeing the face of Jesus on a tortilla, then “Most Evil” is the whole enchilada — with rice and beans.

Here’s an example. On Pages 191-192 of “Most Evil,” Steve Hodel gives his father’s shoe size as 10E to support his contention that his father was the Zodiac killer. And, as anyone who isn’t steeped in the minutia of old crimes will ask, “What’s wrong with that?” Continue reading

Posted in books, LAPD | 18 Comments

Bullet Claims an Innocent Victim

Sept. 22, 1919, Vigilantes


Sept. 22, 1919: "The Vigilantes" is playing at the Victory Theater, 838 S. Broadway.

Sept. 22, 1919, Shooting

Sept. 22, 1909:
Nicolas Rodriguez is killed when a bullet ricochets several times and strikes him as he rides his bicycle near 3rd Street and Traction Avenue.

"It was just one of those ordinary sordid tragedies that every now and then find their way into the police records. The same dismal combination of motives and elements marked its formation: The woman whose youth and beauty are fading, the drink-crazed lover, the bottle of liquor and the loaded gun.

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Women Arrested for Dressing as Men

Sept. 22, 1909, Hobo

Being a hobo is one thing, but dressing up as a man is something else!

Sept. 22, 1909, Hobos

Sept. 22, 1909: As there are laws prohibiting women from masquerading in men's clothes and he recognized Mrs. Gunn has having been taken in custody and released last week on her promise to leave the city immediately, the officer called the patrol wagon and took them to the Central Police Station.

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George ‘Evil Genius’ Hodel Rides Again

Hodel Book  Someone, I'm not sure who, left a copy of Steve Hodel's new book, "Most Evil," on my desk. Does Steve Hodel, author of "Black Dahlia Avenger," say his father was Zodiac? In a word, yes.

From the introduction: "I know now that my father was also responsible for a series of infamous murders in Chicago (where he was known for a time as the Lipstick Killer), Manila (where the local press dubbed him the Jigsaw Murderer) and the Bay Area of California (where he called himself Zodiac).

It's a bizarre, terrifying and surreal story that will alter criminal history, exonerate the innocent, and change the way we think about the motives and signatures of serial killers. Hang on."

Note: I already found one major error. The book evidently relies
heavily on handwriting analysis. Several of what "Most Evil" claims are samples of George Hodel's handwriting are actually the handwriting of Elizabeth Short. (Unless you
think a grown man dots his "I's" with little circles).

What else is in "Most Evil?" Stay tuned.

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

September 21, 1959: Matt Weinstock

September 21, 1959:  “After many months of research and collaboration, writers Harry Essex and Irving Shulman have finished a pre-sold novel based on [Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle’s] life and the sensational scandal that marred it. The title, ‘Fatty.’ ” (This book was evidently never published–lrh).

Continue reading

Posted in books, Columnists, Film, Hollywood, Matt Weinstock | 1 Comment

September 21, 1959: Paul V. Coates — Confidential File

Sept. 21, 1959: Paul Coates writes about the damaging effects of Little Rock, Ark., closing its schools over integration.

Continue reading

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A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Movies

Sept. 21, 1939, Movies

Sept. 21, 1939: Joel McCrea in "Espionage Agent." Not on Netflix.

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The Dodgers, Juan Marichal and the Beanball

Sept. 21, 1969, Surfing

Sept. 21, 1969: Surfers are cleaning up their act, The Times says.


Sept. 21, 1969, Surfing

Richard Nixon owns a surfboard?

Sept. 21, 1969, Feiffer

Jules Feiffer on the Miranda case.

Sept. 21, 1969, Surfing

All the pseudo-surfers have become pseudo-hippies!

Sept. 21, 1969, Sports

The Dodgers and Giants were fighting again and Juan Marichal was in the middle of it.

Marichal, infamous for taking his bat to Dodger catcher John
Roseboro, hit Willie Davis in July and this was the first time since
that incident Davis and Marichal met. Nothing happened when Davis was
hitting but Marichal was unhappy that a couple of pitches during one of
his at-bats were too close.

"The Dodgers, they are dummies if they think I threw at Davis,"  he
told The Times' Ross Newhan. "Sure I am not perfect. Some people say I
should have great control and should never hit a batter. Yes, but I am
not a rifle. Even a great shooter will miss."

Dodger Manager Walter Alston wasn't buying.

"He is the sensitive one if he thinks he can throw at other people
and not be thrown at in return," Alston said. "I can name you a dozen
hitters who bear Marichal's scars. He stuck it in Willie Davis' ear and
he did it on purpose."

Makes me think twice about the designated hitter.

–Keith Thursby

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Dodgers Beat Giants to Lead League!

Sept. 21, 1959, Dodgers

Sept. 21, 1959: Tigers Thwart White Sox Bid to Clinch Rag

The Dodgers moved into first place in the National League by sweeping the Giants.

Duke Snider hit his 23rd home run of the season and Maury Wills
continued to be unstoppable. He had seven hits in the three-game series.

The game was big enough that one of the Dodger relief pitchers was a left-hander named Sandy Koufax.

The Dodgers also announced another chance for fans hoping for
playoff tickets. There was still time to mail in your orders. Don't
forget to add $1 per order for "insurance and mailing."

–Keith Thursby

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