Tag Archives: politics

October 19, 1947: Times Political Editor Kyle Palmer Waves the Banner for Earl Warren

Posted on October 19, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 19, 1947: Kyle Palmer was an institution at The Times for many years, the embodiment of a reporter as backstage powerbroker and kingmaker, and his front-page story and opinion column were the opening salvos of his campaign to put Earl Warren in the White House. Continue reading →

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September 5, 1944: Left in Car While Mother Goes Dancing, Boy, 6, Drinks Fatal Shot of Whiskey

Posted on September 5, 2025 by lmharnisch

September 5, 1944: Maria Fierro goes dancing with Robert Fierro and Robert Gomez. Her children weren’t allowed in the cafe, so she left them in the car. Her daughter, Stella, went to get a bottle of soda, but her son, Rudolfo, found a bottle of whiskey and drank enough to kill him.
Continue reading →

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1944 in Print — Life Magazine, August 21, 1944

Posted on August 21, 2025 by lmharnisch

August 21, 1944: Life magazine has Alfred Eisenstaedt’s photo essay on European immigrants arriving in America. Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights — Committee for the First Amendment Defends Free Speech

Posted on January 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

In this week’s encore post, Mary Mallory looks at Hollywood’s Committee for the First Amendment, formed in 1947 in response to the House Un-American Activities Committee. Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Upton Sinclair’s EPIC Race for Governor vs. the Studios and News Media

Posted on July 30, 2024 by lmharnisch

Epic Answers: How to End Poverty in California. 90 years ago, author and former Socialist Upton Sinclair entered the race for Governor of California as a Democrat, hoping to better the lives of common people and the unemployed. Upset at … Continue reading →

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L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Holiday Shopping Guide

Posted on December 11, 2021 by lmharnisch

Gladwin Hill’s “Dancing Bear: An Inside Look at California Politics,” published in 1968, is a new addition to my annual holiday gift suggestions. I’m generally cool toward books on California politics (the result of reading a zillion stories out of … Continue reading →

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L.A. Daily Mirror Retro Holiday Shopping Guide

Posted on December 4, 2020 by lmharnisch

Gladwin Hill’s “Dancing Bear: An Inside Look at California Politics,” published in 1968, is a new addition to my annual holiday gift suggestions. I’m generally cool toward books on California politics (the result of reading a zillion stories out of … Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights — Committee for the First Amendment Defends Free Speech

Posted on September 2, 2019 by lmharnisch

Herbert Biberman, one of the Hollywood 10, courtesy of Mary Mallory. Note: This is an encore post from 2014. In times of social uncertainty and economic malaise, those in fear often turn to discriminating, finger pointing, blame and stonewalling, claiming … Continue reading →

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Jan. 10, 1959: Nixon Was Born … in a Hospital?

Posted on January 10, 2019 by lmharnisch

Jan. 10, 1959: This was a fun, strange story. Art Ryon claimed that Richard Nixon’s mother said he was born in a hospital, not at home. Later this was strongly denied and Bela Kornitzer, in “The Real Nixon,”  went out … Continue reading →

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October 1947: Idaho’s Singing Cowboy Senator, a Future Toupee Tycoon, Saddles Up for Cross-Country Ride

Posted on October 28, 2018 by lmharnisch

  Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. Sen. Glen H. Taylor (D-Idaho) gave up his cross-country trip after three days, arriving in Phoenix by car with the admission that “he bit off … Continue reading →

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Oct. 19, 1947: Times Political Editor Kyle Palmer Waves the Banner for Earl Warren

Posted on October 19, 2018 by lmharnisch

  Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. RIVERSIDE, Oct. 18.—Gov. Earl Warren was formally and officially called on here today by the executive committee of the California Republican State Central Committee to … Continue reading →

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Sept. 30, 1886: ‘An Orgie Such as Even the Most Salacious Pen of Ancient Rome Never Dared Describe’

Posted on June 17, 2018 by lmharnisch

Sept. 30, 1886: We decided to dig out the original quote from Joe Mozingo’s history of the Los Angeles Times in Sunday’s paper. And let it be said that the editorial pages of frontier newspapers were not known for their … Continue reading →

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June 7, 1947: Kenneth Hahn Sworn in as L.A. Councilman

Posted on June 7, 2018 by lmharnisch

Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project. Hahn retired from public service in 1992, after being elected 10 times to the county Board of Supervisors, beginning in 1952. Source: Los Angeles Times, June … Continue reading →

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Black L.A. 1947: Four African Americans File for City Council 7th District Race

Posted on January 29, 2018 by lmharnisch

Jan. 30, 1947: An ad in the Sentinel announces a preview of a model home in Carver Manor, a housing development designed by Paul R. Williams at 135th Street and Avalon Boulevard. Stanford Avenue in Carver Manor, via Google Street … Continue reading →

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Left in Car While Mother Goes Dancing, Boy, 6, Drinks Fatal Shot of Whiskey

Posted on September 5, 2014 by lmharnisch

Harry Truman, friend of libraries! Sept. 5, 1944 Maria Fierro of 879 1/2 Lookout Drive decided to go dancing with Robert Fierro (apparently her brother) and Robert Gomez at a cafe in the 4600 block of Brooklyn Avenue (now Cesar … Continue reading →

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1944 in Print — Life Magazine, Aug. 21, 1944

Posted on August 21, 2014 by lmharnisch

The churning craft on the cover are amphibious tractors, sometimes called “alligators.” The alligator, armed with machine guns, is designed to carry small loads of troops through the water to an enemy beach and, if possible, to carry them through … Continue reading →

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GOP Picks Dewey in Race for President; California Gov. Warren Rejects Draft Movement

Posted on July 16, 2014 by lmharnisch

  June 29, 1944 I need to do a little catching up on national politics, with the Republican National Convention, which was held in Chicago. Of course, the convention was covered by Times political editor Kyle Palmer and as usual, … Continue reading →

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1944 in Print — The Lyons Den, March 23, 1944

Posted on March 23, 2014 by lmharnisch

March 23, 1944 When Walter Winchell didn’t file a column, the St. Petersburg Times ran Leonard Lyons’ “The Lyons Den” instead. All of which will be explained in a few days. At Mrs. Evelyn Walsh McLean’s party in Washington, Rep. … Continue reading →

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1944 in Print — Walter Winchell on Broadway, March 22, 1944

Posted on March 22, 2014 by lmharnisch

March 22, 1944 Man About Town Lyle Talbot is getting used to civilian life with Judy Cook … Vaughn Paul, the ex of Deanna Durbin, is trying to make Joy Barlow his next … The Humphrey Bogarts are gunning for … Continue reading →

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1944 in Print — Walter Winchell on Broadway, March 21, 1944

Posted on March 21, 2014 by lmharnisch

March 21, 1944 Notes of an Innocent Bystander The Wireless: Cong. Dies, who riles easy, is demagoging at a couple of news broadcasters. Now he intends to ask the stations, he says, if they are willing “to afford maligned persons … Continue reading →

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