Mystery Of What Burned Martha Mansfield To Death How Were They Kindled, and by Whose Hand — the Flames That So Strangely Wrapped the Lovely Young Film Star in Their Cruel Embrace and Quickly Killed Her? The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 30, 1923 As her thousands of sorrowing admirers already know, Martha Mansfield, the charming young […]
The Los Angeles Athletic Club, designed by architects John Parkinson and Edwin Bergstrom, was nicknamed “the Club” shortly after it opened in 1912. Its address is 431 West Seventh Street. According to Photoplay Magazine, the Los Angeles Athletic Club quickly became the “capital of the screen rialto – the Lambs, Players and Friars rolled into one.” […]
Wife Fades Out of Andy Gump’s Hot Dog ‘Dump’ Los Angeles Times, February 18, 1927 Marian G. Turner, by decree of Judge Summerfield, is out of “Andy Gump’s Dump” in El Monte. She passed out yesterday at the same time that Beryl R. Turner passed out of her life. Mrs. Turner was awarded a decree […]
“Kids talk to me and say they want to do musicals again because they’ve studied the tapes of the old films. We didn’t have that. We thought once we had made it, even on film, it was gone except for the archives.”— Gene Kelly “You know, that Kelly, he’s just terrific. That’s all there […]
A team of models participate in the 20-day Women’s Bowling Congress Tournament held at Vogue Bowl, once located on the corner of Grand and 9th Streets. The Vogue was a popular place for women keglers. Photo, circa 1941. Left to right: June Davis, Virginia Buchanan, Barbara Bitticks, Alice Gifford, Helen Cornelius, and Sharon Gormly. (LAPL: 00045252) […]
Allegedly haunted: Private residence on Genesee Ave. The following is a partially transcribed ghost story told to me by a couple, Willis and CC, during a taped interview. Not only did I change the couple’s names to protect their identity, but I also edited the transcript so that their ghost story is more focused and easier to understand. […]
Phyllis Crane (1914-1982) was a low-level contract player who’s best known for her appearances in a handful of Columbia comedy shorts. Mini Bio Crane was born in Calgary, Canada. As a youngster, she started out in vaudeville. Sometime in the late 1920s, she and her mother, Margaret, moved to Los Angeles. In 1928, Crane made her film debut […]
Allegedly haunted: Wolf Lair Castle, located at 2869 Durand Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90068. Wolf Lair Castle (aka Wolf’s Castle) is a 1927 storybook mansion built on 3.3 acres in the Hollywood Hills. Its haunted reputation dates back at least 40 years. Back in the 1970s, these ghost stories were spread via word-of-mouth. Then in 1982, it went […]
The life of strongman Arthur Blackmer, aka Arthur Santell (1910-1998), is interesting — if a little sketchy. He was born Ezra Arthur Blackmer Jr. in Orange County on February 2, 1910. He came from a large family, and had three siblings. His father was a ranch hand, who moved around a lot. His mother died when […]
“When they tell me one of my old movies is on TV, I don’t look at it.” – Alexis Smith “When a person is judged, his or her accomplishments should be considered first. The performance of a person’s life must be focused upon. The chronological is of minor consequence. Years are like dollar signs. […]