Doctor as Crazy as a March Hare

   Aug. 1, 1889, Jim Jams

 

Aug. 1, 1889: "The doctor's mania is of a rather peculiar character in that he imagines he is surrounded by beautiful women and is discovering them in all sorts of places."

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LAPD Charged With Racism

June 23, 1959, NAACP

June 23, 1959: The NAACP urges the City Council to investigate allegations of police brutality toward blacks and Mexicans.

In March 1959, Municipal Judge David Williams made headlines by dismissing charges against 25 African Americans with accusations that the LAPD selectively enforced gambling laws. His action brought an immediate denial and strong criticism from Police Chief William H. Parker.

The controversy was underscored by the resignation of Police Commissioner Herbert Greenwood, the only African American on the board, out of frustration over being criticized by the city's black newspapers and being stonewalled by officials in trying to investigate allegations of brutality against blacks.

On a recent trip to the city archives, Daily Mirror intern Devon McReynolds and I found these original documents in City Council file 89512
showing the exchange between Williams, the first African American federal judge west of the Mississippi, and Parker.

April 1, 1959, David Williams

April 1, 1959, David Williams

April 1, 1959: Judge Williams writes a personal letter to Herb Schurter in response to Schurter's criticism of dismissing charges against blacks.

"I feel that when police officials instruct their subordinate officers
to arrest only Negroes on a given charge, it will not be long before
their newly gained power will prompt them to enforce other statutes
only against certain other groups."

April 13, 1959, Chief Parker

April 13, 1959: Parker to Williams:

"In that I have no knowledge of any such instruction issued in this department ether orally or in writing, by any officer in authority, I believe I am entitled to the facts upon which you base such statements."

April 21, 1959, Judge Williams
April 21, 1959: Williams to Parker:

"Every person conversant with the true facts knows that vice officers ignore gambling elsewhere and concentrate mainly on Negroes. It is not denied that Negroes gamble, but gambling goes on  rampant in every section of the city and arrests should be made where it is conducted. This is not being done."

June 18, 1959, Wyman
June 18, 1959,

Police Commissioner Herbert Greenwood resigns and the Police, Fire and Traffic Committee moves to examine Williams' charges and Greenwood's resignation.

July 6, 1959, Williams
July 6, 1959

The Police, Fire and Traffic Committee invites Williams to discuss his allegations.

July 9, 1959, Davdi Williams, Page 4

July 9, 1959, Williams writes:

"During the greater portion of the last three and one-half years I have served in one or another of the divisions that heard all petty gambling cases, either on arraignment or for trial. I have noticed that the vast majority of the defendants appearing before these courts are Negroes and that the straggling few Caucasians are those caught in Negro games.

"I became very curious as to the reasons for this …."

July 9, 1959, Page 3

 Page 2:

"I am not urging the police to cease making arrests in Negro districts but only that they enforce the law equally in all districts. I hold strongly to the belief that when the public knows there is equal enforcement of the law resulting in all offenders being subject to arrest, there will be less resentment of the police as an authority figure and the courts will gain more respect."

July 9, 1959, David Williams, Page 2

Page 3

"May I suggest you ask the chief … If the imbalance between the number of Negro arrests and the number of Caucasian arrests for gambling as shown by the department's 1957-1958 statistics are to be taken as indicating that Negroes, who constitute approximately ten percent of the population, actually do about ninety percent of the gambling?"

July 9, 1959, David Williams, Page 1

Page 4

"I appreciate very much your willingness to entertain this matter and I deeply regret that my duties prevent me from personally attending your meeting."

–David W. Williams

July 10, 1959, Holland

July 10, 1959, the Police, Fire and Traffic Committee urges the Police Commission to review the matter.

July 22, 1959, Police Commission

July 22, 1959, the Police Commission notes that Williams' actions were overturned by the appellate department of the Superior Court and says:

"The position of this board is that subject file does not contain sufficient substance to justify exhaustive and time-consuming inquiry. This conclusion is also based on the board's personal knowledge of the policies and activities of the Police Department. It is, therefore, recommended the matter be filed."

Aug. 6, 1959, Commission

Aug. 6, 1959, Police Commission to the City Council:

"Judge Williams' letter consists of a rehash of public statements attributed to him and ignores the fact that the Board of Police Commissioners determines Police Department policy and is its Charter designated head. His repeated reference to the chief of police in a personal vein tends to indicate a personal attack rather than an official inquiry. This entire matter was carefully reviewed by the Police Commission with its general manager at the time of the judge's public utterances and no evidence was discovered to support his allegations."

Sept. 2, 1959, Council

Sept. 2, 1959, the Police, Fire and Traffic Committee moves that the matter be filed. The matter was closed. The Watts riots were six years away.

Parker died in 1966; Williams died in 2000.

Posted in #courts, Countdown to Watts, LAPD | 1 Comment

Found on EBay — Quiet Birdmen


Note: This is an encore post from 2009.

This Quiet Birdmen belt buckle has been listed on EBay.
Continue reading →

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Matt Weinstock, July 31, 1959

Responsibility Law

Matt WeinstockEvery motorist has heard of the financial responsibility law. Today a man named Tom furnishes a horrible example of how it can work.

On May 20 he stopped in the left lane at Sepulveda Blvd. and Vose St., Van Nuys, behind a car which was signaling a left turn.

As he waited, a third car, driven by a woman, crashed with terrific impact into his rear, jamming his car into the car ahead. The skid marks measured 60 ft. before the crash, according to the police report.

Tom suffered a serious whiplash of the neck and lower spine. He has been under treatment since the accident. Curiously enough, he was the only person injured. He has lost 10 weeks’ work and his car, although partially repaired, is still a mess.

Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates — Confidential File, July 31, 1959

Confidential File

‘Stop the Press,’ Cries Flash Reporter Joe

Paul Coates, in coat and tieTo you, the Laurel Canyon fire may be old news.

But I just heard about it.

And I’ve got to admit that it’s a matter of special embarrassment to me, because I should have been the first to know.

I happen to be the only newspaper columnist in the world with a bona fide personal news correspondent in Laurel Canyon. His name is Joe Oliveira. His age is, roughly, 12.

His loyalty, however, is divided between me and a mimeographed weekly neighborhood sheet which he publishes himself, called The Little Press.

Ordinarily,
Joe keeps me up-to-the-minute on Canyon activities, ranging from stray
cats and broken windows to juvenile plots to extort fudge bars from
Sam, the Ice Cream Man.

Continue reading →

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A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Movies

July 31, 1953, Movies
July 31, 1953: "Ride Vaquero!" has a giant, full-stage screen. And it's not on Netflix.

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Movie Star Mystery Photo

 

 July 27, 2009, Mystery Photo

 Los Angeles Times file photo

July 6, 1960: Barry Atwater in "Alcoa Presents: The Day the World Wept — the Lincoln Story."

Update: As many people guessed, this is Barry Atwater, who died in 1978.

Just
a
reminder on how this works: I post the mystery photo on Monday and
reveal the answer on Friday … or on Saturday if I have a hard time
picking only five pictures — sometimes it's difficult to choose. To
keep the mystery photo from getting
lost in the other entries, I move it from Monday to Tuesday to
Wednesday, etc., adding a photo every day.

I have to approve
all comments, so if your guess is posted immediately, that means you're
wrong. (And if a wrong guess has already been submitted by someone
else, there's no point in submitting it again.) If you're right, you
will have to wait until Friday. There's no need to submit your guess
five times. Once is enough. The only prize is bragging rights. 

The answer to last week's mystery star: Grace Bradley!

July 28, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Barry Atwater in "The Reach of a Giant" on "Medic," Oct. 1, 1956.

Here's another photo of our mystery guest, without his Abe Lincoln makeup–just the usual "white goop" treatment from The Times' art department. Please congratulate Carmen, Nick and Don Danard for identifying him!

July 29, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Barry Atwater, Nov. 2, 1961.

And another photo of our mystery guest–slathered with goop by The Times' art department. Please congratulate Annie Frye, Michael Ryerson, Lisa Mateas, Margie and Dewey Webb for identifying him.

July 30, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Barry Atwater in the play "Uncle Marston," May 5, 1963.

Here's another photo of our mystery guest. Please congratulate Thom, Lee and Megan, Ted Mark, "Laura" fan Waldo Lydecker, Greg Clancey, Barbara Klein, Roget-L.A. and Mike Hawks for identifying him.

July 31, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: A badly wrinkled picture of Barry Atwater promoting his appearance in a production of "A Man for All Seasons," 1965. Please congratulate Mary Mallory and Cynthia K. for identifying him!

Posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo | 55 Comments

Pilgrimage Play Opens

May 31, 1920, Pilgrimage Play  

May 31, 1920: Preparations are underway in El Camino Real Canyon for "The National Pilgrimage Play."

Aug. 26, 1938, Nuestro Pueblo  

Aug. 26, 1938: Joe Seewerker and Charles Owens visit what was then Pilgrimage Play Theater for Nuestro Pueblo. The play wasn't presented in 1938 because the theater was being used for a production of "Faust."

July 31, 1939, Pilgrimage Play

July 31, 1939: Jesus cures a leper in a scene from "The Pilgrimage Play."

July 1, 1939, Pilgrimage Play July 31, 1939, Pilgrimage Play

Until the early 1960s, when a legal ruling ended its government funding, "The Pilgrimage Play" was one of the more enduring fixtures in The Times' drama pages, along with "The Mission Play" and "The Drunkard."

Originally called "The National Pilgrimage Play" in hopes that people from across the U.S. would come to Los Angeles to see the annual production, the play was "transcribed from the Scriptures by Mrs. W. Yorke Stevenson, with assistance from Brander Matthews, Clayton Hamilton, Sheldon Cheney and Prof. Baker of Harvard," The Times said in 1920. 

The script consisted of 14 scenes, divided into a prologue, two acts and an epilogue. The original production was directed by Stevenson and H. Ellis Reed.

The play was presented every summer until a fire destroyed the original structure in 1929. After a two-year gap for construction what is now known as the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in honor of the former county supervisor, production resumed, with another gap during World War II. In 1943, the property was deeded to Los Angeles County.

Construction of the Hollywood Freeway once again interrupted productions, which resumed in 1955 under John Arnold Ford, the son of John Anson Ford. 

In 1961, Atty. Gen. Stanley Mosk ruled that the play could not receive city or county funding on the principle of the separation of church and state. A privately funded production was given in 1964 and John Arnold Ford presented some scenes in 1978.

Nov. 4, 1978, Pilgrimage Play

Nov. 4, 1978: John Arnold Ford presents scenes from "The Pilgrimage Play." A movie version, partially shot at the amphitheater with some segments filmed on  leftover sets from "Joan of Arc," was released in 1949.

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Nuestro Pueblo — San Pedro

July 31, 1939, Nuestro Pueblo

July 31, 1939: Nuestro Pueblo visits San Pedro and encounters an irascible lighthouse keeper, Irving Conklin. "Some idiot will write a story with a lighthouse in it," Conklin says of filmmakers. "It doesn't matter if the lighthouse is in the Mediterranean or in Siberia. Down they will come and shoot ours."

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For Men Only

July 31, 1899, Men Only  

July 31, 1899: Dr. Talcott for whatever ails men. Private entrance.

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Small Boys in Trouble!

  July 31, 1889, Small Boys in Trouble
 

July 31, 1889: This looks like a dull, gray page. But read some of the stories: A saloon fight … a feud between neighbors over dirt thrown down a well … a man writes an insulting letter to a woman … and a smart-aleck young boy in the Brooklyn Tract makes a nuisance of himself. 

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Drinking With the Junior League — 1952

Special-daiquiri

Special Daiquiri Cocktail: "This cocktail hits like a sap to the back of the head."

Brady Potts takes over in this week's Cooking With the Junior League and examines mixology from Memphis, 1952:

"Oh my.

"This…this is a tasty, tasty cocktail. Were I the proprietor of a trendy bistro I would put it on the menu in place of the mojito, as a more elegant take on that South American standby that requires no muddling and looks smashing in a cocktail glass adorned with mint leaves. It is light, delicious, pretty, and requires very little in the way of mixology: mint, rum, sugar, and lime juice. What could be more simple?"

Read more>>>

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Matt Weinstock, July 30, 1959

July 30, 1959: Comic strip panel. A woman says "Seems to Me You Have a Complete Disregard for the Female of the Species." the man says he is choosy“Seems to Me You Have a Complete Disregard for the Female of the Species.”


Beatnik Memo

Matt WeinstockAs others before him, Lawrence Lipton, Boswell of the beatniks, has learned that all sorts of unlikely things can happen when a person writes a book. Exhibit A is a letter Lipton received from D.A. MacInnes of Chicopee Falls, Mass. In it was a wryly amusing sales pitch MacInnes had received from a plywood firm in Memphis.

Offering with seeming reluctance to supply materials for beatnik shops, the firm wrote, “I guess there is a little beatnik in all of us, especially in the summertime. This letter is to show how far people will go to get out of work and to warn you that if you have any salesmen or secretaries who are either growing beards or wearing leotards you had better either replace them, marry them or send them to Memphis.”

Memphis to Chicopee Falls to Venice, Cal. Don’t try to make sense out of it, it’s pure irrelevance.

Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates — Confidential File, July 30, 1959

July 30, 1959: Los Angeles Mirror Cover

Confidential File

A Crumbled Kookie Caper, and No Comb

Paul Coates, in coat and tieI don’t know Edd Byrnes personally, and it’s probably for the best.

In person, he might be a charming, very likable young man.

And if that were the case, all of my firm convictions about him would be destroyed.

Mr. Byrnes — for those of you who don’t have straying teen-age children — is the latest of Hollywood’s incessant stream of male idols.

They call him, for reasons beyond my aging ken, “Kookie.”

I first became aware of him as a peril to my peace of mind when my kids began performing the ritual of chanting “Kookie, Kookie, lend me your comb.”

Naturally, I hadn’t the vaguest notion what it meant. And I hadn’t the vaguest interest in finding out.

But I did. Continue reading →

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A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Elite Spy Agency

 July 30, 1952, CIA in Look Magazine

July 30, 1952: Look, the also-ran weekly rival to Life, runs a story about the elite, super-secret Central Intelligence Agency. The title, "Inside CIA," is a play on John Gunther's book "Inside USA" and its successors.

Posted in @news, books, Current Affairs | Comments Off on A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Elite Spy Agency

Bicycles on Sale!

 

July 30, 1899, Bicycle

July 30, 1899: A bicycle on sale for $35 ($894.21 USD 2008).

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Sanity Hearing for Clara Lightfoot

July 30, 1889, Clara Lightfoot

 

July
30, 1889: Former Mother Superior Clara Lightfoot is suffering from acute mania. She will be taken to the asylum today … Henry Penk and J.H. Gomer shoot a dog and are arrested for discharging firearms within the city limits. 

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Matt Weinstock, July 29, 1959

Great Scott! I've Kept You Rigid for Almost Two Hours!“Great Scott! I’ve Kept You Rigid for Almost Two Hours! Why Didn’t You Stop Me, Miss Simmons?


Body Surfers

Matt WeinstockIt appears that Bob Lee, who, as reported here, was knocked down by an unidentified object, which turned out to be a young man, while wading at Newport Beach, has cast a slur upon a noble sport, body-surfing — riding the
waves to shore without benefit of boards, water wings or other appurtenances.

“In the old days,” B.G. of Wilmington writes, “before the shoreline was filled with feather merchants (turistas)
and the beaches were cluttered by breakwaters, the sport was wonderful.

Now we practice it at the mercy of every wave jumper. I am a native and I have been playing the surf for 30 years, taking time out to eat, of course, and have yet to be struck by a body surfer. However, my husband, also a native, recently had four stitches taken in his chin to repair the damage caused by an idiot who attacked him with his thick skull. These people should get out of the way before they really hurt someone.”

Continue reading →

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Paul V. Coates — Confidential File, July 29, 1959

July 29, 1959: Hawaii Puts 2 "Orientals" in U.S. Congress. Ouch!

July 29, 1959: The “Orientals” being sent to Congress from Hawaii include future Sen. Daniel K. Inouye. And notice the story about Nikita Khrushchev being invited to visit the U.S.


Confidential File

Great White Hunter White Feels Blue

Paul Coates, in coat and tieI present you with my recently completed thesis on the subject: “Proper Protocol to Get a Wildcat Out of Your Back Yard.”

My collaborator on this project was Mr. Keith White, an engineer.

Mr. White, who lives in Northridge, first suspected that there was a wildcat in his back yard several weeks ago.

For no apparent reason, huge branches of eucalyptus trees began crashing down on the premises in the middle of the night. Two of them — 5 or 6 in. thick — were snapped off last weekend. Continue reading →

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A Kinder, Simpler Time Dept.: Your Reading Material

 July 29, 1951, Best Sellers

July 29, 1951: Some familiar titles: "The Caine Mutiny" and "From Here to Eternity" and then there's "Communism, Democracy and Catholic Power." What's this? "A study of the Kremlin and Vatican as suppressors of free thought?" Of course, you don't have to wonder what it's about. The full text is here.

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