Tag Archives: Black Dahlia

Black Dahlia: How Low Can You Go in Merchandising the Black Dahlia?

I occasionally scan the Web to see what’s out on the distant fringes of the Black Dahlia case. And wow. This is fringe. Here we have a portrait of Elizabeth Short – post-mutilation – painted in the artist’s blood. Listed … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, 2019, Art & Artists, Black Dahlia | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Black Dahlia: ‘Definitely Not Betty’ Elizabeth Short’s Family Refutes Hodel Photos of ‘Black Dahlia’

  The Short family rarely speaks on the record, but in 2003, they were so incensed by Steve Hodel’s “Black Dahlia Avenger” and his bogus claims of photos purportedly showing Elizabeth Short that they issued a public statement through me. … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Black Dahlia: ‘Definitely Not Betty’ Elizabeth Short’s Family Refutes Hodel Photos of ‘Black Dahlia’

Black Dahlia: A Warning About Hollywood and the Black Dahlia

Lucie Arnaz in “Who Is the Black Dahlia?” “Inspired by a true story?” A painful lesson about Hollywood and the Black Dahlia. In 1975, the murder of Elizabeth Short was the basis for the TV movie “Who Is the Black … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, 1975, Black Dahlia, Film, Hollywood, LAPD, Television | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Black Dahlia: Are There Any Good Black Dahlia Sites on the Internet? Part 2

John Gilmore’s “Severed” was once the most popular book on the Black Dahlia case, although it was eclipsed by Steve Hodel’s seemingly endless series of “Black Dahlia Avenger” books. You may Google “Black Dahlia” while you’re watching “I Am the … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD, Wikipedia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Black Dahlia: Are There Any Good Black Dahlia Sites on the Internet? Oh Dear!

So you may not read any Black Dahlia books before watching “I Am the Night.” But you may turn to Google. You should be warned. BlackDahliaSolution.org may be the worst of the websites on the Black Dahlia case simply because … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Black Dahlia: Here’s Some More Bad Books on the Black Dahlia Case

In compiling my list of bad books about the Black Dahlia case, I neglected to mention William T. Rasmussen’s fringe publication “Corroborating Evidence,” which I had forgotten, mainly because it’s so nutty that I won’t even let it in the … Continue reading

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Black Dahlia: Are There Any Good Books on the Black Dahlia Case? Oh Dear!

“Severed”  by pathological liar John Gilmore (d. 2016) was once the go-to book on the Black Dahlia case, but it’s 25% mistakes and 50% fiction. Are there any good books on the Black Dahlia case? No. But there are a … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Black Dahlia: ‘Black Dahlia Avenger’ Was Just a Prankster’s Joke

A practical joke from 1947 is the source of the “Black Dahlia Avenger” franchise. During the investigation of the Black Dahlia case, the killer mailed a small envelope of Elizabeth Short’s belongings to the newspapers. After that, crackpots and pranksters … Continue reading

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Black Dahlia: My Annual Donation in Memory of Elizabeth Short

As longtime readers know, I always begin a new year with an annual donation in memory of Elizabeth Short to Heading Home, which works with the homeless in the Boston area. Partly because of my research on Elizabeth Short, I … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Black Dahlia: 6 Reasons Dr. George Hodel Didn’t Kill Elizabeth Short — No. 6 No Connection

Elizabeth Short contrasted with the unidentified woman found in George Hodel’s photo album. Not at all the same. Here are six reasons Dr. George Hodel did not kill Elizabeth Short that you will need to know before watching the TNT … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Black Dahlia: 6 Reasons Dr. George Hodel Didn’t Kill Elizabeth Short — No. 5 Not a Practicing Surgeon

Here are six reasons Dr. George Hodel did not kill Elizabeth Short that you will need to know before watching the TNT mini-series “I Am the Night” or listening to the eight-part podcast accompanying the production. Reason No. 5: Dr. … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Medicine, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Black Dahlia: 6 Reasons Dr. George Hodel Didn’t Kill Elizabeth Short — No. 5 Not a Practicing Surgeon

Black Dahlia: 6 Reasons Dr. George Hodel Didn’t Kill Elizabeth Short — No. 4 Clinic Served Poor Blacks of Bronzeville

Los Angeles, May 25, 1944: At a Shinto shrine near City Hall, Los Angeles Mayor Fletcher Bowron, second from left, Dr. George M. Uhl and Nicola Giulli of the city housing authority talk to black residents of Bronzeville. Courtesy of the … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Downtown, Homicide, LAPD, Medicine, Television, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Black Dahlia: 6 Reasons Dr. George Hodel Didn’t Kill Elizabeth Short — No. 3 Not Pals With Man Ray

The “minotaur love/death cult of Hollywood” is apparently getting a big play in “I Am the Night.” Oh dear. Here are six reasons Dr. George Hodel did not kill Elizabeth Short that you will need to know before watching the … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, Art & Artists, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD, Libraries, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Black Dahlia: 6 Reasons Dr. George Hodel Didn’t Kill Elizabeth Short — No. 2 Not Guilty of Morals Charges

Here are six reasons Dr. George Hodel did not kill Elizabeth Short that you will need to know before watching the TNT mini-series “I Am the Night” or listening to the eight-part podcast accompanying the production. Reason No. 2: George … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, 1949, 1950, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Homicide, LAPD, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Black Dahlia: 6 Reasons Dr. George Hodel Didn’t Kill Elizabeth Short — No. 1 Not a Prime Suspect

Here are six reasons Dr. George Hodel did not kill Elizabeth Short that you will need to know before watching the TNT mini-series “I Am the Night” or listening to the eight-part podcast accompanying the production. Reason No. 1: Dr. … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, 1949, 1950, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, Homicide, LAPD, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Black Dahlia: Blogging ‘Black Dahlia Files’ Part 57 — Lines of History

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. I’m blogging in real time as I read Donald H. Wolfe’s “The Black Dahlia Files: The Mob, the Mogul and the Murder That Transfixed Los Angeles.” Wolfe is using the “Laura” format, … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Black Dahlia: Blogging ‘Black Dahlia Files’ Part 57 — Lines of History

Black Dahlia: 5 Reasons Leslie Dillon Didn’t Kill Elizabeth Short

Leslie Dillon in an undated photo, probably taken in the late 1940s.   My inbox is exploding with alerts about Piu Eatwell “solving” the Black Dahlia case by attributing it to Leslie Duane Dillon. Here are five simple reasons that … Continue reading

Posted in 1947, 2017, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Georgette Bauerdorf: An Unsolved Murder, Part 7

  Georgette Bauerdorf found dead, Oct. 13, 1944, Los Angeles Times. Oct. 13, 1944 This account has been assembled from newspaper stories that generally agree, but contradict one another on some details. Newspapers of this era often published long excerpts … Continue reading

Posted in 1944, Black Dahlia, Homicide | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Georgette Bauerdorf: An Unsolved Murder, Part 5

Oct. 3, 1942: Abbott and Costello outside the Hollywood Canteen at the opening ceremony, in a Times photo. Cahuenga Boulevard south of Sunset Boulevard, former location of the Hollywood Canteen, via Google Street View.  One of the important locations in … Continue reading

Posted in 1944, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Hollywood | Tagged , , , , | 16 Comments

Georgette Bauerdorf: An Unsolved Murder, Part 4

Jan. 23, 1947: The Herald-Express publishes an article headlined “Werewolves Leave Trail of Women Murders in L.A.” (The obnoxious watermark is so that people who see this image after it has been swiped by Pinterest, skyscraper.com and all the Black … Continue reading

Posted in 1944, 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Hollywood, Homicide, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 16 Comments