Tag Archives: hollywood

Black L.A. 1947: The Story of Jimmie Lunceford’s Death

Mike’s Waikiki Inn, 3741 S. Western Ave. 3741 S. Western Ave., via Google Street View. July 24, 1947: The Sentinel publishes an account of the death of bandleader Jimmie Lunceford. According to the article by Wendell Green, at dinner before … Continue reading

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

This week’s mystery movie has been the 1949 Warner Bros. picture “The Girl From Jones Beach,” with Ronald Reagan, Virginia Mayo, Eddie Bracken, Dona Drake, Henry Travers, Lois Wilson, Florence Bates, Jerome Cowan, Helen Westcott, Paul Harvey, Lloyd Corrigan, Gary … Continue reading

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July 21, 1947: Julie London Marries Jack Webb

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. In the courthouse corridor, just after she received one of the biggest divorce settlements in Los Angeles history, someone asked her: “If you had your choice … Continue reading

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Hollywood on Wheels: Gary Cooper’s 1935 Duesenberg SSJ Heading for Auction

Gary Cooper’s 1935 Duesenberg SSJ is heading for auction by Gooding and Company, Aug. 24-25 at Pebble Beach. The car was on display at the Briggs Cunningham Automotive Museum in Costa Mesa and later acquired by the Miles Collier Collections.

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July 17, 1907: Hollywood Organizes to Catch Serial Arsonist

Note: This is an encore post from 2006. July 17, 1907 Los Angeles A serial arsonist has been at work in Hollywood, setting six fires in the last three weeks. The community’s small volunteer fire department has been overwhelmed by … Continue reading

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

This week’s mystery movie has been the 1958 British production “Fiend Without a Face” or the “The Flying Brains Movie,” made by Amalgamated and released by MGM. With Marshall Thompson, Kynaston Reeves, Kim Parker, Stanley Maxted, Terence Kilburn, James Dyrenforth, … Continue reading

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: The Enchanted Hill – Hollywood’s Ultimate Mansion

Fred Thomson in an undated image. In the early days of the Hollywood film industry, moguls and movie stars lived simply, residing in comfortable but elegant homes. As the business evolved from small companies into large-scale moviemaking factories in the … Continue reading

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July 15, 1947: Orson Welles Films ‘Macbeth’ on Tight Deadline

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. Over at Republic Studios, master showman Orson Welles is engaged in an enormous stunt: He has promised to film “Macbeth” in 24 days (later cut to … Continue reading

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Historic L.A. in ‘Illegal’ | Part 6

In the last post on historic Los Angeles in “Illegal,” here are a few nighttime shots of Main Street. At the far right you can see the sign for the Hotel Cecil. The 500 block of South Main Street via … Continue reading

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Historic L.A. in ‘Illegal’ | Part 5

In this portion of “Illegal,” we have a long chase sequence. I’m not able to identify all the locations so any help would be appreciated.

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Historic L.A. in ‘Illegal’ | Part 4

I suppose you prop guys at Warner Bros. think this is very funny.

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Historic L.A. in ‘Illegal’ | Part 3

Here’s another shot of the California State Building lobby and the bank of elevators as Hugh Marlowe exits.

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Historic L.A. in ‘Illegal’ | Part 1

If you are cursed with the memory of having seen “Gangster Squad,” you may recall this ridiculous shot of Spring Street from City Hall. In last week’s mystery movie, “Illegal”  (1955) we have the actual location, now occupied by Grand … Continue reading

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: ‘Sins of Hollywood – Tinseltown’s First Sordid Look at Scandal

“The Sins of Hollywood,” via Archive.org. Note: This is an encore post from 2015. From its very beginnings, the motion picture industry has endured protests and censorship attacks from conservative members of the American public, those scandalized at seeing women … Continue reading

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

This week’s mystery movie has been the 1939 RKO picture “Fixer Dugan,” with Lee Tracy, Virginia Weidler, Peggy Shannon, Bradley Page, William Edmunds, Edward Gargan, Jack Arnold, Rita LaRoy, Irene Franklin, John Dilson and Edythe Elliott. Photography was by J. … Continue reading

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Black L.A. 1947: Sugar Chile Robinson and a Review of ‘Crossfire’

Sugar Chile Robinson performs at the Lincoln. I should do an entire post on him, but so many stories and only one Larry Harnisch. July 3, 1947: One of the regular complaints in my Twitter feed is about the lack … Continue reading

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

This week’s mystery movie has been the 1955 Warner Bros. film “Illegal,” and yes, it is the studio’s second remake of “The Mouthpiece.” With Edward G. Robinson, Nina Foch, Hugh Marlowe, Jayne Mansfield, Albert Dekker, Howard St. John, Ellen Corby, … Continue reading

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July 1, 1947: ‘Mom and Dad’ — Elliot Forbes and Sexploitation in the 1940s

  Well, we know where this story is going. Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. I had never heard of this particular cinematic triumph, but it was apparently a fixture of sexploitation … Continue reading

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Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

This week’s mystery movie has been the 1929 MGM picture “Hallelujah,” with Daniel L. Haynes, Nina Mae McKinney, William Fountaine, Harry Gray, Fanny Belle DeKnight, Everett McGarrity, Victoria Spivey, Milton Dickerson, Robert Couch, Walter Tait and the Dixie Jubilee Singers. … Continue reading

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Virgil Apger, MGM’S Classic Portrait Photographer

  Virgil Apger, photo courtesy of Mary Mallory Note: This is an encore post from 2013. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios excelled in most areas of film production, including that of still portrait photography. Several of its head portrait photographers, like Ruth Harriet … Continue reading

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