Author Archives: B.P.

Classic Hollywood #137 – Clark Gable & His Father In A Bizarre Court Case

Clark Gable And His Dad At Trial – 1937

Clark Gable and his father April 20, 1937 photo: Los Angeles Daily News

The support of your parents is helpful especially if someone is trying to extort you.

Clark Gable (1901-1960) is seen here talking with his father William Henry Gable (1870-1948) at Federal Court in Los Angeles. Continue reading

Halloween Fun – Boris Karloff Sings The Monster Mash and Ted Cassidy Sings And Dances The Lurch

Karloff Covers The Song He Inspired & Ted Cassidy Demonstrates The Lurch – 1965

For a novelty one-hit wonder, The Monster Mash remains popular six decades after its creation.

Originally recorded in May 1962 the song became a hit in October of that year Continue reading

Classic Hollywood #135- William Holden & Veronica Lake

I Wanted Wings Starring William Holden & Veronica Lake -1941

William Holden Veronica Lake photo Paramount

Heartbreak Pair In New Air Epic
William Holden reaches new stellar heights as a flying cadet whose career is temporarily shattered through his love for Veronica Lake in Paramount’s “I Wanted Wings” an Arthur Hornblow Jr. production based upon the Army Air Corps training and tactics. Blonde and sultry newcomer, Miss Lake, places menace in piece. photo: Paramount.

After appearing Continue reading

Old New York In Postcards #27 – The 10 Tallest Buildings In 1939

Skyscraper Race – The 10 Tallest Buildings In New York City In 1939

When the Park Row Building was completed in 1899, the 31 story office building was the highest in New York and the world at 382 feet. Less than seven years later it was no longer the tallest, with the Singer Building soaring 211 feet higher than the Park Row.

Today the Park Row Building, converted to residences, is not even among the 100 tallest buildings in New York. And the Singer Building was demolished over 55 years ago.

The constant desire by developers to top one another has continued and accelerated in the past dozen years.

The skyline is being overtaken by mostly nondescript glass boxes dwarfing other buildings and eclipsing many of the classic New York skyscrapers.

As of 2022 the ten tallest buildings in New York are:

Rank   Name                                 Height Stories Year Completed Address
1         One World Trade Center 1,776    94        2014                     285 Fulton Street
2         Central Park Tower          1,550     99        2021                     225 West 57th Street
3         111 West 57th Street       1,428     85        2022                     111 West 57th Street
4         One Vanderbilt                 1,401      73       2020                      1 Vanderbilt Avenue
5         432 Park Avenue              1,397      85       2015                      432 Park Avenue
6         30 Hudson Yards              1,270     103     2019                      500 West 33rd Street
7         Empire State Building      1,250     102     1931                      350 Fifth Avenue
8         Bank of America Tower   1,200       55      2009                     1101 Sixth Avenue
9         3 World Trade Center      1,079       69      2018                      175 Greenwich Street
10       The Brooklyn Tower         1,073       73      2022                      9 DeKalb Avenue (Brooklyn)

Recently looking at the 1939 World Almanac there was a list of the tallest buildings in New York.

Here are the top ten from that list-

All heights listed are the Almanac’s figures which may differ from modern estimates.

1. The Empire State Building is located on the site of the original Continue reading

October 13, 1960 Pirates Celebrate Beating Yankees In The World Series

Pittsburgh Pirates Clubhouse Celebration After Stunning Game 7 Defeat of Yankees

Pirates pitcher Clem Labine pours champagne into coach Frank Oceak’s mouth after the Pirates game seven victory.

One of the most dramatic World Series victories occurred 62 years ago today when Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski Continue reading

Lefty Grove Takes A Bat To His Glove – 1931 World Series

World Series “Action” – Lefty Grove Breaks In A New Glove

What does a star pitcher do between games of the World Series? If you are 31-game winner Lefty Grove you take time to  work on breaking in a new glove.

Breaking In A New Mitt
Robert (Lefty) Grove victor over the St. Louis Cards first battle of the World Series, is seen here in Shibe Park, Philadelphia, October 4th as he breaks in a new glove. Grove will probably be selected to pitch against the Cards in the third game Oct, 5th. photo: Acme 10/4/1931

A new glove didn’t help Grove in game three Continue reading

What Are Baseball Players Celebrating? Certainly Not Winning The World Series.

New York Giants Celebrate Winning The National League Pennant September 30. 1937

Or, How To Put Celebrating In Perspective

The way baseball players celebrate or more accurately carry on when they win a regular ball game makes me scratch me head. It also makes me a little nauseous.

C.J. Abrams gets a Gatorade shower after delivering a tenth inning game winning single over the Atlanta Braves for the last place Washington Nationals. photo: San Diego Union Tribune

On September 28, 2022 the Washington Nationals Continue reading

As Aaron Judge Chases Roger Maris, Jimmie Foxx Once Chased Babe Ruth

In 1932 Jimmie Foxx Was On Pace To Shatter Babe Ruth’s 60 Homer Record

Don’t Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch

If Aaron Judge hits more than 61 home runes in 2022 many will view him as baseball’s legitimate all-time single season home run leader. Officially Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa all shattered Maris’s record. But many observers suspect all three cheated by using performance enhancing drugs. Continue reading

Circus Elephants Get A Police Escort In Los Angeles May 6, 1953

Elephants In The Streets Of Los Angeles

credit: Los Angeles Daily News 1953

Elephants in the streets?

It must be for the circus and they’re transporting their pachyderms to a show site.

But this is Los Angeles where movie magic can be the reason behind unusual happenings. Continue reading