206 North Ave. 51, To-day

Sure, you’re thinking “a cop named Elmer Kunkle gets beat up by a lady named Esther and a guy named Angus-this is a gag, right?” Wrong. This is a town of degeneracy and vice, depravity and vicious reprobate gangs reeling in cops like Elmer and throwing them back like fish too small for Satan’s game warden.

To you, the uninitiated, “Se Rentan Mesas y Sillas” might mean these reg’lar folk rent tables and chairs. In actuality, it’s really a depraved shorthand for “We Throw Cops Off Porches.” Word to the wise.

Bonus Gift for Crime Bus Passengers

Each brave rider who joins us on the Crime Bus for Dahlia Day 2006 will receive a very special gift, a free CD of “Somebody Knows!” an ultra-rare 1950 CBS radio show that re-created key incidents in the Black Dahlia case and offered a $5,000 reward for tips in an attempt to solve the murder.

Stay tuned to this blog for more announcements about the one-day-only trip into the dark side of historic Los Angeles. The pre-sale list is filling up quickly, so be sure to reserve if you want dibs on a seat once they go on sale.

Date: 1/15/06
time: 11am-4pm
starting: in Hollywood
cost: $25 max, probably less
reserve: by email to editrix Kim, amscray @ gmail . com

Manchester & Crenshaw, Morningside Heights

What could be more un-American than strongarming businesses to pony up cash for a collection of plastic manger scenes? After all, not everybody believes in that sort of thing. Why, here’s a congregation that aren’t son worshippers, they’re sun worshippers!

Yes, apparently the folk who’ve inhabited the Academy Theater (S. Charles Lee, 1939) are sun worshippers. Whether they believe Sol will be devoured by Skoll at Ragnarock, or that Ra must defeat Apep every morning, they’re part of the community, just like you and me.

So, friends, fight the power-the electrical power, that is!

Update: Please DON’T vote for 1947project as Best Los Angeles Blog

UPDATED UPDATE: Since clearing ones cache and cookies results in a clean slate where some unscrupulous soul can vote as many times as they like, and since legit voters are being locked out of the contest, we ask that you not bother voting for 1947project in Gridskipper’s Urb contest. I am truly sorry to have wasted your time–and my own–on this unprofessional foolishness.

UPDATE: We’ve received several reports of people receiving a “page not there” error when attempting to vote. If this happens to you, will you please contact me at amscray at gmail dot com

? Thanks -Kim

Gentle Readers:

Thanks in large part to the kind readers who nominated us last week, we are officially in the running for a Gridskipper Urb award as one of the Best Los Angeles Blogs. Yea! Only we are up against our pal Rodger at 8763 Wonderland. Boo!

In any case, we’d really appreciate it if you could click over and, if you like what we’re doing at 1947project, cast a vote before December 26.

Our catagory, Best Los Angeles Blog, is near the bottom of the page, under Best New York Blog, here.

thanking you in advance for your vote, I am,
yr pal,
Kim
Editrix

Come Ride the Crime Bus

Our more observant readers may have noticed the countdown in the upper right hand corner of this site, bringing us ever closer to January 15th, the anniversary of the date Elizabeth Short’s mutilated body was discovered in scrubland in South Central Los Angeles. The Black Dahlia Case has become one of the most notorious and iconic unsolved crimes in a city rife with vice, subject of books, films, paintings and tasteless t-shirts.

On the morning that counter hits zero, you, lucky reader, will have an opportunity to be on a bus with a group of your fellow true crime and LA history aficionados, visiting a hand-picked selection of obscure and celebrated noirish crime scenes, from the Hollywood iHop where SLA revolutionary turned Minnesota soccer mom Kathleen Soliah tried to bomb two LAPD patrol cars to the Black Dahlia site on South Norton Avenue and many fascinating spots between.

This isn’t your typical Hollywood Babylon tour, but rather a voyage into untraveled lands and the incredible, forgotten crimes of the sort we run every day on 1947project.

More info will be forthcoming, but for now we’re looking for a projected headcount. If you’d like to be on the reserved list for the Crime Bus tour (ticket prices tba, but it will be no more than $25, and quite probably less), email editrix Kim at amscray @ gmail dot com. People on the reserved list will get first dibs at scoring one of the limited seats on the bus once the tour is formally announced.

We hope to see a lot of you on Dahlia Day 2006!

A Fish Story

December 6, 1947
La Jolla

A secretary, in heels and hose and a neat little updo, catching big game fish? That’s crazy, kids! And yet it happened today off the beach in La Jolla.

Folks spotted a big fish swimming erratically between the two breakwaters, as if it had been injured. The exquisitely-named Mrs. Dymple Axtell, 28-year-old secretary of the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, watched for a spell and then couldn’t contain herself. She enlisted Harry Grimm to row her out, and promptly gaffed a 512 pound, 12′ broadbill swordfish. which they pulled back to shore. A San Diego fish market paid them $81.82 each for their share of the fish, which will handily cover any damage to the lady’s coiffure or manicure.

An Ill-Mannered Con

December 5, 1947
Los Angeles

There were two distinguishing features of the man who robbed the Bank of America branch at Seventh and Broadway near closing time today. He had a very dirty face, and he was no gentleman.

Teller Paul V. Glowczewski of 2939 Covina Street told police that the man came to his window, showed a revolver through his Army raincoat’s split pocket, and snarled “Gimme money.” Glowczewski placed some cash on the counter, and Mr. Grubby snapped “Gimme more!” He was right; Glowczewski had been holding out on him.

Then the man took his money and strolled casually out of the bank, leaving one shaken teller and several dozen oblivious customers to finish up their business.

Bank of America, Seventh and Broadway

Ah, Broadway. (Here, looking west on 7th across B’way, the Bank of America on your far right at the NE corner.)

Scroll back to November 29 for Ms. Bertha getting a little loot lifted. And today Vets, without even the decency to toss a little water in their faces, are sticking pistols at people. In the future, of course, bank robberies will be graciously moved to the Valley.

I’ve been on the wrong end of a piece, and while it’s unpleasant, it’s nothing compared to the terror you will feel at the horror you are about to witness:

If you dare-scroll down to see what happens when we turn to peer back east on 7th at the Bank of America building-


1947project in new Best of Blogs book

We are honored and delighted that our little experiment is featured in the upcoming book Blogosphere: Best of Blogs by Adrienne Crew (of LAist) and Peter Kuhns. 1947project kicks off the chapter titled “Pushing Boundaries of the Blog Format.” Do visit the Blogosphere website for bonus chapters and to learn more about the book.