Tag Archives: lapd

Jan. 16, 1947: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Driver’s License Revoked!

Posted on January 16, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is a post I wrote in 2006 for the 1947project. I never cease to be amazed at the placement of this story on Page 1 of The Times. While the major competing newspapers—the Examiner, Herald-Express and Daily News—are … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Crime and Courts, LAPD, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Black Dahlia: Today Is Jan. 15 — Trim Your Roses

Posted on January 15, 2018 by lmharnisch

Today is Jan. 15, and the Daily Mirror marks the anniversary of Elizabeth Short’s death by pruning back the roses.

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Black L.A. 1947: LAPD Detectives Cleared of Brutality Against Drunk Woman

Posted on January 10, 2018 by lmharnisch

Jan. 9, 1947: The Sentinel reports on the ruling by the Los Angeles Police Commission in the case of Edythe L. Galloway, 434 E. 48th St. On Nov. 6, 1946, the Police Commission voted to investigate the allegations of brutality … Continue reading →

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Jan. 4, 1947: Angry Sailor Sets Fire to Skid Row Hotel After Being Rolled

Posted on January 4, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is a post I wrote in 2006 for the 1947Project. Jan. 4, 1947: Suppose, for a moment, that you are a 19-year-old mess cook second class stationed in San Pedro. Suppose further that while you are on leave … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, African Americans, Black Dahlia, Crime and Courts, Fires, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Black L.A. 1947: Cross Burnings and Jim Crow Trains in Los Angeles – The Biggest Stories of 1946

Posted on December 29, 2017 by lmharnisch

In its Jan. 2, 1947, issue, the Los Angeles Sentinel looked back at the major stories of 1946, a good introduction to the year ahead: Job discrimination, Jim Crow laws, segregated housing, police beatings and racial violence. We will be … Continue reading →

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

Posted on December 22, 2017 by lmharnisch

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

Black Dahlia: The Formosa Cafe and Another Good Story Ruined

Posted on December 20, 2017 by lmharnisch

My inbox exploded this morning with alerts about the Black Dahlia and links leading to an essay in the Los Angeles Times by David Ulin, writing about the Formosa Cafe (which he calls “the Formosa” – a gaffe nobody bothered … Continue reading →

Posted in 1943, 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Food and Drink, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Black Dahlia: The Formosa Cafe and Another Good Story Ruined

Black Dahlia: ‘Horror at the Cecil Hotel’

Posted on October 17, 2017 by lmharnisch

Just a quick reminder, since Investigation Discovery aired the first episode of “Horror at the Cecil Hotel” last night. There is nothing to show that Elizabeth Short (“the Black Dahlia”) ever set foot in the Cecil Hotel. She was last … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Downtown, LAPD, Main Street, Television | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Black Dahlia: Piu Eatwell’s ‘Black Dahlia, Red Rose’ – A Name to Remember

Posted on October 10, 2017 by lmharnisch

Donald Freed in Piu Eatwell’s “Black Dahlia, Red Rose.” There are many names and many claims in Piu Eatwell’s new book, “Black Dahlia, Red Rose,” but the most important for our purposes is that of Donald Freed, a very pleasant … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Black Dahlia: Piu Eatwell’s ‘Black Dahlia, Red Rose’ – A Bad Beginning

Posted on October 4, 2017 by lmharnisch

Given the brevity of human life, I don’t plan to do a line-by-line debunking of Piu Eatwell’s upcoming book “Black Dahlia, Red Rose.” Longtime readers may recall my labors over Donald Wolfe’s “The Black Dahlia Files,” which lasted for months. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Black Dahlia: Asshats on South Norton Avenue — No. 3

Posted on September 27, 2017 by lmharnisch

And in our continuing coverage of people being asshats at the Black Dahlia crime scene, we have today’s entry. Really, folks, does this seem like a good idea? Also: Black Dahlia: Asshats on South Norton Avenue Black Dahlia: Asshats on … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Black Dahlia: Asshats on South Norton Avenue — No. 2

Posted on September 26, 2017 by lmharnisch

Sprawling on the ground at the Black Dahlia crime scene has apparently become a thing. Here’s another asshat. People like this are one reason I quit giving Black Dahlia tours. Also: Black Dahlia: Asshats on South Norton Avenue.

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Hollywood, LAPD | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Black Dahlia: Asshats on South North Avenue

Posted on September 25, 2017 by lmharnisch

Asshats like this are one reason I quit giving tours of the Black Dahlia crime scene. I don’t know which operator was responsible for this tour, but whoever it was, you need to do a better job riding herd on … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Black Dahlia: Leslie Dillon, Paul De River and the LAPD – Part 5

Posted on September 19, 2017 by lmharnisch

Dr. J. Paul De River analyzes accused killer R. Bernard Finch based on the left and right sides of his face in the Jan. 27, 1960, Herald-Express. In case you just tuned in, we’re exploring some of the topics dealt … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Black Dahlia: Leslie Dillon, Paul De River and the LAPD – Part 4

Posted on September 16, 2017 by lmharnisch

Feb. 24, 1949: Leslie Dillon files a claim against the city of Los Angeles for the LAPD’s massive screw-up in the Dahlia case. And yes, he collected.   Dear [redacted], a Comcast user from Spokane, Wash. I’ll say it again: … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Black Dahlia: Leslie Dillon, Paul De River and the LAPD – Part 3

Posted on September 14, 2017 by lmharnisch

The Mirror (that would be the other Mirror) jumps on the Dahlia Murder “Solved!” bandwagon. Nobody “enjoys a good murder” as much as the Brits, so we are seeing a wave of publicity for Piu Eatwell’s new book, “Black Dahlia, … Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Leslie Dillon, Paul De River and the LAPD — Part 1

Posted on September 13, 2017 by lmharnisch

The Paul De River/Leslie Dillon/LAPD coverup conspiracy theory in the 1947 Black Dahlia murder is getting some traction with the upcoming release of Piu Eatwell’s “Black Dahlia, Red Rose,” which purports to “solve” the Dahlia case. Spoiler alert

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

Black Dahlia – Piu Eatwell’s ‘Black Dahlia, Red Rose’ Exhumes Leslie Dillon

Posted on September 10, 2017 by lmharnisch

Since I learned a few months ago that British writer Piu Eatwell was going to “solve” the Black Dahlia case in the forthcoming book “Black Dahlia, Red Rose,” I have been waiting to see if she would open — Door … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Black Dahlia: ‘Hard-Boiled Hollywood’ and the ‘Blah Dahlia’

Posted on August 7, 2017 by lmharnisch

Hard-Boiled Hollywood: Crime and Punishment in Postwar Los Angeles By Jon Lewis University of California Press, 233 pages.   “Sometimes it’s interesting to see just how bad bad writing can be. This promised to go the limit.” — Joe Gillis, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, 2017, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Cold Cases, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Black Dahlia: Black Dahlia Voodoo Doll Listed on EBay

Posted on May 9, 2017 by lmharnisch

One of the strangest Black Dahlia items I have ever seen – a “Black Dahlia Voodoo Doll” — has been listed on EBay, complete with a box and a set of spells. The vendor says:

Posted in 1947, Black Dahlia, Cold Cases, Found on EBay, LAPD | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments