Jim Murray, May 19, 1961

May 19, 1961: Jim Murray revisits the 1960 crash of a chartered plane carrying the Cal Poly football team, killing 22 people.  As always, he does a terrific job.

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, May 18, 1941

 

May 18, 1941: Nazi sky fleet?   Lee Shippey returns for a Sunday column. Tom Treanor says: Americans are here developing Venezuela's oil resources for just one reason. They have the capital and the know-how for oil production which the Venezuelans lack. The Venezuelans take advantage of American knowledge to get the oil out of the ground with great profit to Venezuela. The Americans take advantage of Venezuela's greatest natural resources to make themselves rich. But what will happen when and if the Venezuelans learn to get the oil out of the ground themselves? Jimmie Fidler says: The other day Paramount chiefs summoned new foreign find Eva Gabor (Hungarian) to the front office and suggested that she change her name because it sounds like a steal from Garbo. "Change my name?" shrieked Miss Gabor. "I was born with mine, and her real name is Gustafson. Let Garbo change hers!"

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, May 17, 1941

May 17, 1941: Allen Rivkin fills in for Lee Shippey with a column about problems at the post office in Westwood. Notice that even in the glory days of the streetcars, traffic was still a problem. Tom Treanor, on a press junket to Venezuela, attends a benefit for British Relief at the Caracas opera house featuring the Jooss Ballet.   Sensational if True: Veteran press agent Mike Newman's claim that he recognizes Rudolf Hess -- that Hess, under another name, was once Mae Murray's stage dance partner, Jimmie Fidler says.

Jim Murray, May 17, 1961

May 17, 1961: John F. "Pep" Lemon, an old-time catcher, is superintendent of parks in the city of Fullerton and his job is trees and shrubs and lawns. But it's also kids. Pep never had a child of his own, but the den of his home is lined with pictures of kids in uniform -- most of them catchers' uniforms but some in military uniforms. Three of them --"best prospects you ever did see" -- were buried in those military uniforms, Billy Jones, Von Jones and Earl Stoner, before a big league scout ever got a look at them.

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, May 15, 1941

May 15, 1941: Harry Bedford-Jones, “one of America’s most prolific writers” (and no, I’ve never heard of him either,) is filling in for Lee Shippey, who is recovering from surgery. Nobody lives in Texas anymore. They've all come to Venezuela, says Tom Treanor, who is on a press junket sponsored by U.S. oil companies. Dorothy ("Citizen Kane") Comingore, after furnishing a new home, must move out because of her hay fever, Jimmie Fidler says.

MTA Plans Rapid Transit Route From Century City to El Monte!!

May 15, 1961: The Metropolitan Transit Authority announces plans for a rapid transit system from Century City to El Monte!  The proposed line, including 12 miles of subway, would extend from the downtown area to El Monte and west to the new Century City in West Los Angeles!! The western terminal would be under Santa Monica Boulevard at the Century City project on which construction has begun!!! The line would swing over to Wilshire Boulevard, continuing downtown via subway beneath Wilshire! The subway would continue to a point one mile east of Union Station, where the line would rise to the surface and travel the Pacific Electric right of way along the San Bernardino Freeway to El Monte!!!!!!! And best of all, according to the Kaiser Industries engineers who helped draft  the plan: “The line would take three years to build.” That’s right. A rapid transit line from Century City to El Monte, including 12 MILES of subway, could be built in three years!!!!!!! I don’t know whether to laugh or cry over this story. Maybe both. email me

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, May 14, 1941

May 14, 1941: Harold Lamb fills in for Lee Shippey, who is recovering from surgery. Tom Treanor files a report from Caripe, Venezuela, where he manages to find a cold beer kept in a refrigerator that runs on kerosene. Guy who never forgets to say thanks for a favor: Clark Gable, Jimmie Fidler says.

Hitler Aide Rudolf Hess Flees to Scotland!

May 13, 1941: Rudolf Hess, the Nazis’ No. 2 deputy, bails out  of his Messerschmitt over Scotland. He will commit suicide in Spandau prison in 1987. Ralph Bellamy fills in for Lee Shippey, who is recovering from surgery. Tom Treanor, who was killed covering World War II for The Times, visits an oil field in Venezuela and says the employee facilities  built by Standard Oil are cheap and dreary. ON THE CONTRARY DEPT. (The boldface type is mine): From a Hollywood daily: “George Raft and Edward G. Robinson, after feuding for days, went at each other with blood in their eyes. Marlene Dietrich separated them,” Jimmie Fidler says.

Found on EBay – Frank Sinatra

A 33 rpm album of the audio from an uncompleted animated feature of “Finian’s Rainbow,” featuring Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, has been listed on EBay. According to The Times’ clips, this project was begun by Maurice Binder (d. 1991) about 1954 but apparently went on hiatus about August 1955. Binder was later known for his movie titles, done with Saul Bass. This item is listed as “Buy It Now” for $49.95. As with anything on EBay, an item and vendor should be evaluated thoroughly before submitting a bid.

Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood, May 12, 1941

May 12, 1941: Producers have a new name for their movie: “Bahama Passage.” The working title may have provoked some unwanted reaction.     Garner Curran fills in for Lee Shippey, who is recovering from surgery, and writes about the late Times columnist Harry Carr. Ronald Reagan has a new Warners contract with bigger dough and promising a star buildup, Jimmie Fidler says.

Jim Murray, May 12, 1961

May 12, 1961: Paul Pender is not really a prizefighter at all. He has retired from the game more times than Jackie Jensen. He is a fireman by trade and he still reaches out instinctively to slide down a pole when the alarm goes off early in the morning. He was just whiling away his days off dabbling in the prize ring when he suddenly found himself fighting for the championship of the world last year. Since his opponent was Sugar Ray Robinson, he didn't take his chances too seriously.

Libel Suit in L.A. Mayor's Race!

May 12, 1961: Mayor Norris Poulson accused challenger Sam Yorty of being “backed by the underworld” and Yorty responded with a libel suit.   The basis of Poulson's charge was that as an Assemblyman, Yorty supported a bill to legalize bookmaking and as an attorney, he received $12,500 from operators of a Las Vegas casino-hotel for trying to get them a gambling license in Nevada. Also on the jump: A full-page ad for Moral Re-Armament, one of those cultural forces that took root in the 1930s and may be remembered for the Up With People traveling productions that began in 1965 and struggled to survive in the 1980s.