The Era -- Day By Day

[LizzieMaine]

District Attorney William O'Dwyer today lashed out Mayor LaGuardia, accusing the Mayor of "wrecking" his investigation of the Murder For Money Gang by pressing for a detailed report on the activities of police officers assigned to the prosecutor's office. "It is a damnable thing he has done," commented the enraged District Attorney. "He has stopped me. I couldn't work with the police." Already Acting Captain Frank Bals, a key member of O'Dwyer's police detail, has resigned rather than turn over an hour-by-hour report of his men's activities to Police Commissioner Lewis J. Valentine, and the District Attorney's view is that such a report would reveal evidence before trial, and result in the "murder of prospective State witnesses by the underworld." Mr. O'Dwyer accused the Mayor of being "desperate," charging that "he knows that the minute Amen gets thru with the Ferreri case, I will step in. He knows Sidney Hillman was in that case. He was the lawyer. Vincent Sweeney was a detective. Nothing was done. The first thing LaGuardia did when he became mayor was appoint Sweeney a magistrate."

The Ferreri case, now under review by the Amen Office, revolved around the murder of Guido Ferreri, Brooklyn clothing manufacturer, who was shot down in front of his home in Midwood in July 1931. Ferreri was in the midst of labor difficulties with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America at the time of his death, with that union then headed by Sidney Hillman, now associate director of the Office of Production Management in Washington. Detective Vincent Sweeney was assigned to an investigation of that murder which failed to lead to an arrest, but Hillman was called in for questioning in connection with the killing, with then-Congressman LaGuardia serving as his attorney. "Certain people are interested in finding out how much information we have," intimated Mr. O'Dwyer. "Certain very prominent people."

Mayor LaGuardia today issued an immediate denial of District Attorney O'Dwyer's charge that he is "hamstringing" any investigations, and refused to comment on O'Dwyer's specific allegation that he is trying to discover what evidence O'Dwyer's office has concerning the Ferreri case. The Mayor's written statement invited Mr. O'Dwyer to go ahead if he feels it necessary with threats to take the matter to Governor Herbert H. Lehman, declaring "if Mr. O'Dwyer thinks it is necessary he should by all means do so. I talked with Mr. O'Dwyer about an hour ago, and I did not gather from the talk that any such action was at all called for." The Mayor maintained that his office and the Police Department have given the Brooklyn prosecutor "all the necessary cooperation, without which the convictions of the Murder For Money Gang could not have been obtained." The Mayor denied he has any interest in seeing any "confidential evidence," but insisted that Commissioner Valentine "is entitled to know what his men are doing." The Mayor added that he expects to confer with Mr. O'Dwyer in person on Monday.

Magistrate Vincent Sweeney today issued a strong denial of District Attorney O'Dwyer's suggestions concerning the Ferreri case, calling them "absolutely ridiculous," and further detailed that he has no desire to comment in detail on that case without first refreshing his memory of the events.

German and Japanese sources today reported that German Far East diplomats were on their way to Shanghai to discuss the extent of German participation and aid to Japan in the event of war in the Pacific. Captain Fritz Weidmann, former consul-general in San Francisco was scheduled to arrive today in Nanking, where he has been conferring with Shunruko Hata, Japanese ambassador to the Wang Ching-Wei regime. Because Germany is so far from the Pacific, it is doubted she could offer much aid to Japan, but it is reported in diplomatic circles that Germany has a two-fold program for "dispersing British and American strength from the Atlantic to the Pacific."

A 28-year-old Brooklyn housewife is in custody in Kings Park, charged with the mercy killing of her insane brother, a mental patient at the Kings Park State Hospital. Police say Mrs. Edith Reichert of 22 Hopkinson Avenue shot and killed her brother, 26 year old George Horne, with a sawed-off rifle in his hospital room, as their mother looked on. "I didn't want to see him suffer," Mrs. Reichert told detectives. Mr. Horn, a former runner for a Manhattan bond firm and a student for two years at Brooklyn College, was committed to the hospital in 1940 suffering from dementia praecox with suicidal tendencies, and was reported unable to recognize family or friends or to be able to carry on a coherent conversation.

A "pea soup" fog over Brooklyn, Long Island, and much of the East Coast today crippled land, sea, and air transportation, and forced the closing of LaGuardia Field for more than ten hours. Long Island Railroad trains were also delayed, and motor traffic in the borough has slowed to a crawl.

A leading Brooklyn Fusionist today denied that Proportional Representation was the primary reason for the Republican Party's poor showing in the recent City Council election, and argued that the real problem was the GOP's "appalling mismanagement" of its own campaigns. City Fusion Party council nominee Sidney S. Baron charged that the failure of Brooklyn Republicans to secure a single council seat despite making up about a third of the borough voting public could also be laid to incessant bickering among Republicans over issues unrelated to municipal affairs. But Mr. Baron, who remained in the running in the Council race until the tenth count, also told the Eagle's P. R. symposium that, though he supports P. R., he is willing to acknowledge that the system as presently administered has assumed the proportions of a "haphazard lottery," a problem he emphasizes is caused by the way proportional representation is applied in the city rather than the idea of P. R. itself.

(Translation: we put a moderne stainless-steel false-front on a old store.)

("Huh," says Dick Tracy. "Wonder who left this clipping on my desk? Tess? Pat? Junior? Little Face? But I was gonna get him some earmuffs.")

A mass protest of a new bill that proposes banning itinerant peddlers from the streets of Brooklyn will take place at City Hall on Monday morning under the auspices of the Greater Brooklyn Peddlers Association. The final public hearing on that bill takes place on Monday, and it is expected that the Mayor will take final action at that time. The Association promises a court battle if the bill becomes law.

Police are seeking clues to the identity of a 20-year-old girl taken to Bellevue Hospital yesterday suffering from amensia. The young woman was picked up by a patrolman at 41st Street and 8th Avenye in Manhattan, and had in her possession a prayer book carrying the name of "Caroline Lovett." She is believed to be either British or Canadian, is 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 120 pounds, with dark brown hair and blue eyes, and does not believe she has been in New York for very long. Under hypnosis she stated that she is an orphan, and that her brother Jimmy is serving in the British Army.

("Huh," observes Joe. "Demonstratin' pies. Wonder how ya get a job doin'nat?" "Guess ya just op'n ya mout' 'n chew," suggests Sally, as she burps baby Leonora. "'At might be right down ya brutta's alley," suggests Joe. "Soon's he gets outa stir. Uh, school. I mean, school. Hey, we ain'had pie in a long time, 'Less Woik f' Mutta,' y'know?")

("Sisters of the Skillet," with Eddie East and Ralph Dumke, was hysterical stuff -- a roaring parody of early radio "home economics" programs -- but it was so broad and so wacky it burned itself out. After the act broke up, East stayed in New York for the rest of his life, but Dumke made his way to Hollywood where he became one of those "who's that guy" character actors you see doing small parts in movies and TV without ever actually knowing who he was.)

The Eagle Editorialist declares that District Attorney O'Dwyer ought to have full control over the detectives detailed to his office, and deplores the "bitter row" between Mr. O'Dwyer and the Mayor over jurisdiction. "Both the Mayor and the District Attorney should forget that they recently were rival candidates for office," the E.E. insists. "And incidentally, it must not be forgotten that the District Attorney is completely independent of the Mayor in carrying out his duties."

("Me? Oh, there's nothing wrong with me, it's just that I let my subscription to Collier's run out in 1933, and I want to see how the Fu Manchu serial came out.")

(Hmm. First Montreal, now Minneapolis. Clearly deliberate efforts are being made to keep Mr. Mungo out of tropical climates.)

(The Army has, in 1941, a height limit of six foot six for selectees. Obviously Treetop has friends on the draft board.)

(I admit that I really want to see this lamp.)

("Besides -- he looks like Alan Ladd! And I -- I look like Veronica Lake! It's -- fate, Gabe. Fate!")

("Jones! These sheets! Why are they smeared with -- shoe polish?")

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

ACQUITTED???? Not in the Court of Public Opinion, old man.

Fifteen beers? Make it twenty and you can have the whole roll.

"It was a gentler time..."

Every first aid kit should include a blackjack.

"Andy Gump -- Animal Rights Crusader!" I'm on board with that.

Either he's Bevel's nephew, or there really is something shady going on here.

If there's one thing April's really good at, it's ignoring you.

As the jukebox plays Harold's personal theme song, "Get Out Of Town -- before it's too laaaaate..."

That's right, keep the trademark up -- you don't want to crack it.

Those WPA guys, always taking things too literal.

 

[Fading Fast]

District Attorney William O'Dwyer today lashed out Mayor LaGuardia, accusing the Mayor of "wrecking" his investigation of the Murder For Money Gang by pressing for a detailed report on the activities of police officers assigned to the prosecutor's office. "It is a damnable thing he has done," commented the enraged District Attorney. "He has stopped me. I couldn't work with the police." Already Acting Captain Frank Bals, a key member of O'Dwyer's police detail, has resigned rather than turn over an hour-by-hour report of his men's activities to Police Commissioner Lewis J. Valentine, and the District Attorney's view is that such a report would reveal evidence before trial, and result in the "murder of prospective State witnesses by the underworld." Mr. O'Dwyer accused the Mayor of being "desperate," charging that "he knows that the minute Amen gets thru with the Ferreri case, I will step in. He knows Sidney Hillman was in that case. He was the lawyer. Vincent Sweeney was a detective. Nothing was done. The first thing LaGuardia did when he became mayor was appoint Sweeney a magistrate."

The Ferreri case, now under review by the Amen Office, revolved around the murder of Guido Ferreri, Brooklyn clothing manufacturer, who was shot down in front of his home in Midwood in July 1931. Ferreri was in the midst of labor difficulties with the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America at the time of his death, with that union then headed by Sidney Hillman, now associate director of the Office of Production Management in Washington. Detective Vincent Sweeney was assigned to an investigation of that murder which failed to lead to an arrest, but Hillman was called in for questioning in connection with the killing, with then-Congressman LaGuardia serving as his attorney. "Certain people are interested in finding out how much information we have," intimated Mr. O'Dwyer. "Certain very prominent people."

Mayor LaGuardia today issued an immediate denial of District Attorney O'Dwyer's charge that he is "hamstringing" any investigations, and refused to comment on O'Dwyer's specific allegation that he is trying to discover what evidence O'Dwyer's office has concerning the Ferreri case. The Mayor's written statement invited Mr. O'Dwyer to go ahead if he feels it necessary with threats to take the matter to Governor Herbert H. Lehman, declaring "if Mr. O'Dwyer thinks it is necessary he should by all means do so. I talked with Mr. O'Dwyer about an hour ago, and I did not gather from the talk that any such action was at all called for." The Mayor maintained that his office and the Police Department have given the Brooklyn prosecutor "all the necessary cooperation, without which the convictions of the Murder For Money Gang could not have been obtained." The Mayor denied he has any interest in seeing any "confidential evidence," but insisted that Commissioner Valentine "is entitled to know what his men are doing." The Mayor added that he expects to confer with Mr. O'Dwyer in person on Monday.

Magistrate Vincent Sweeney today issued a strong denial of District Attorney O'Dwyer's suggestions concerning the Ferreri case, calling them "absolutely ridiculous," and further detailed that he has no desire to comment in detail on that case without first refreshing his memory of the events....

Something big is happening here or, at least, a massive power battle is taking place, but it's hard to put all the pieces together from what we know so far.

...
(Translation: we put a moderne stainless-steel false-front on a old store.)...

At least trains, planes and automobiles can claim some real benefit from streamlining, but how exactly does streamlining a candy shop make the candy better? There is more demand for good ideas than there are good ideas themselves.

...
("Huh," says Dick Tracy. "Wonder who left this clipping on my desk? Tess? Pat? Junior? Little Face? But I was gonna get him some earmuffs.")...

...Police are seeking clues to the identity of a 20-year-old girl taken to Bellevue Hospital yesterday suffering from amensia. The young woman was picked up by a patrolman at 41st Street and 8th Avenye in Manhattan, and had in her possession a prayer book carrying the name of "Caroline Lovett." She is believed to be either British or Canadian, is 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 120 pounds, with dark brown hair and blue eyes, and does not believe she has been in New York for very long. Under hypnosis she stated that she is an orphan, and that her brother Jimmy is serving in the British Army....

Under hypnosis she stated that she is an orphan, that her brother Jimmy is serving in the British Army and that she is Andy Gump.

...[
("Huh," observes Joe. "Demonstratin' pies. Wonder how ya get a job doin'nat?" "Guess ya just op'n ya mout' 'n chew," suggests Sally, as she burps baby Leonora. "'At might be right down ya brutta's alley," suggests Joe. "Soon's he gets outa stir. Uh, school. I mean, school. Hey, we ain'had pie in a long time, 'Less Woik f' Mutta,' y'know?")...

Have you ever even seen a pineapple pie?

Odd, too, that they have both a lemon meringue pie and a lemon pie.

...
(Hmm. First Montreal, now Minneapolis. Clearly deliberate efforts are being made to keep Mr. Mungo out of tropical climates.)...

Out with a whimper.

... (I admit that I really want to see this lamp.)...

Usually, Jo is the less-insane one of the two.

... ACQUITTED???? Not in the Court of Public Opinion, old man....

Wow, did not see that coming at all. So, does Wheeler go on to have more affairs or has this cured him of that? I'm betting, in time, he's back to cheating. Man, that is a surprising verdict.

It's irrelevant to his guilt, but the 122 names still seems nuts or she was one very busy young lady.

... Fifteen beers? Make it twenty and you can have the whole roll.....

Now we understand this story. She'd be better off giving up both the beer and the boyfriend, but if she had to choose just one, give up the boyfriend, he's sounds like a real loser.

A... If there's one thing April's really good at, it's ignoring you.....

"Billionaire," it's unusual to see this term used in 1941.

...[ As the jukebox plays Harold's personal theme song, "Get Out Of Town -- before it's too laaaaate..."....

Harold's won't be the only draft notice that solves a home-front problem.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I hate to suggest it, given Mr. O'Dwyer's reputation as a foe of corruption, but he is acting for all the world here like a man with something to hide. Given the web of corruption that seemed to emanate from Mr. Geoghan's office, it may be that O'Dwyer's new broom didn't quite sweep clean enough.

Meanwhile, just when you think Warbucks couldn't be more of a bag of wetwash, he stammers "But -- I thought he was a doctor...."

 

[LizzieMaine]

Japan today denied that its troop concentrations in French Indo-China pose a threat to Thailand, and asserted that the placement of those forces is in full compliance with agreements between Tokio and the Vichy French government. The response handed to Secretary of State Cordell Hull by Special Envoy Saburo Kurusu and Ambassador Kichisaburo Namura further asserted that "foreign reports of the number of Japanese troops in Indo-China have been exaggerated," and that the Japanese garrisons were established there in response to "a threatening concentration of Chinese forces in neighboring Yunnan Province." Secretary Hull took the Japanese reply to the White House for a luncheon conference with President Roosevelt in order to "formulate policy on the next steps by this country." Japan began its infiltration of Indo-China immediately following the fall of France last year, and obtained permission from Vichy to station "observers" there to ensure that no supplies made their way to China over the French railway that crosses Indo-China. Japan subsequently applied pressure to convince Vichy to permit the construction of three air bases and the establishment of garrisons totalling 6000 men.

Russian cavalry and tanks sweeping to the Mius River with Germans fleeing before them have cleared Nazi invasion forces from 100 villages and other population points in the Taganrog sector. A Red Army communique today revealed that Soviet troops have retaken Matvyeev Kurgan, 25 miles south of Taganrog, posing a new threat to the southern army of General Karl von Rundstedt. Military experts in London analyzing the movements of the Soviet forces expressed the belief that the entire German position on the Crimean Peninsula is now threatened.

Three new terrorist attacks in occupied Paris were reported over the past 24 hours, including the assassination of a German major. That shooting is reported to have occured on the Rue Seine, while at the Issy Gate, a barrage of shots were fired at a group of Germans, none of whom were injured. It is also reported that a bomb went off on the Boulevard Blanqui. German occupation authorities are threatening "stern reprisals" unless the assailants are apprehended.

Three Axis satellite nations today rebuffed British demands that they drop out of the war. In response, Britain is expected to declare war against Finland, Rumania, and Hungary tomorrow.

In the midst of a bitter feud with Mayor LaGuardia over the handling of material witnesses in murder cases, District Attorney William O'Dwyer announced today that he will not free gangland informant Paul Berger after all. The gunman who exposed the roles of Louis "Lepke" Buchalter, Emanuel "Mendy" Weiss, and Louis Capone in the murder of Joseph Rosen was to have been released as a condition of turning state's evidence against his former associates, with Mr. O'Dwyer leaving the responsibility for protecting the witness against underworld reprisals in the hands of the police. Now, however, with the District Attorney exchanging harsh words with the Mayor over official requests for an accounting of exactly how the Brooklyn prosecutor has used police officers assigned to his detail, Mr. O'Dwyer announced today that he has "changed his mind" about releasing Berger. The District Attorney attributed that decision to information that came to him overnight, declaring "he will remain in custody for further investigation." Mr. O'Dwyer declined to reveal exactly what the new information is, or what the "further investigation" will be about. The District Attorney yesterday mentioned the Mayor, Magistrate Vincent Sweeney, and labor leader Sidney Hillman in connection with the 1931 murder of a Brooklyn clothing manufacturer, but declined to say whether the Berger investigation may be linked to that case.

(Lotta this going around.)

Brooklyn City Councilman-elect Mrs. Rita Casey is a gentlewoman of the old school, who believes in decorum and restraint at all times, and expressed shock and dismay today when Councilman Louis Cohen, Democrat of the Bronx, who has introduced a bill to abolish Proportional Representation, threw a heavy gavel at the head of A. David Benjamin, Republican Party counsel, but missed his target and instead struck Mrs. Casey in the thigh. The gavel-flinging punctuated a sizzling argument between Mr. Cohen and Mr. Benjamin, triggered by what Mrs. Casey characterized as "a ghastly speech" by Mr. Benjamin. After she was hit by the flying gavel, Mrs. Casey sank to the Council room floor, where she saw Mr. Cohen leap from the dais intending to knock Mr. Benjamin down, but the Bronx councilman was intercepted by the Sergeant-at-arms and another spectator before an all-out brawl could erupt. "I would have knocked Mr. Benjamin down myself had such a horrible speech been directed at me," asserted Mrs. Casey. In that speech, Mr. Benjamin denounced Mr. Cohen as being "against everything connected with clean and decent government," and charged that this was demonstrated by Mr. Cohen's performance of his duties as Deputy Commissioner of Hospitals. "Damn you!" exploded Mr. Cohen in reply, before flinging his gavel in Mr. Benjamin's direction. "Does this go on all the time?" sputtered Mrs. Casey as she arose from the floor, and Mr. Cohen growled "sometimes it's worse," as he resumed his place at the dais. Mrs. Casey acknowledges that she doesn't know what to expect next in her political career, but if previous City Council sessions are samples, it can be anticipated that she will be shocked many times.

("Boy!" enthuses Joe. "Politics! It's better'n Behan's Bar 'n Grill!" "'At Casey's a lily," sniffs Sally. "She shoulda t'rowed it right back!")

The 33-year-old wife of a Marine Corps sergeant killed her 31-year-old husband and then herself this morning in a room at the St. George Hotel. Police say Mrs. Hazel Diamond shot Sgt. Wendell Diamond in the head with a pistol and then turned the gun on herself. Both were wearing sleeping garments, and their bodies were found sprawled on the head. A search of Room 234 found no sign of any struggle, and no note explaining the deaths was found.

Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller has indicated that he will enlist in the U. S. Navy, rather than wait to be drafted into the Army. The 23-year-old fireballer from Van Meter, Iowa was expected to receive his draft notice this month. Feller led the major leagues in victories last summer with 25, and he struck out 260 batters.

(Oh that Berle, always with the topical humor.)

(Yeah, Luella, get schooled. And whatta ya got against Scotties?????)

(On the other hand, Helen Hayes did well on "Information Please," and so did Lillian Gish. And so did Gracie Allen.)

("Hmph," sniffs Sally. "See there? They won't trade Petey, he's too valuable!" "Well," argues Joe, "t'at ain' really what it says..." "HOIMAN IS A OLD MAN!" retorts Sally. "Petey is VALUABLE. You'll see!!")

(Wait, Lois DeFee is going to make a movie? A real movie, not the kind they sell in the back of Popular Mechanics?)

(Just how high are these ceilings?)

("Was it my walk?")

(All right Mary. Start interfering.)

(Good thing it's a FLYING wing instead of a WING THAT JUST SITS ON THE GROUND.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

"Gun-Cow Girl?"

"A Gentler Time," cont'd.

"Th' GIANTS!" exclaims Joe. "Whooooooooo...." "They won't do it," declares Sally, in a firm flat voice, as she severs a chunk of brisket with a sharp, heavy blow of a cleaver. "They. Won't. Do. It."

Sandy's no FACE EATING DOG, that's for sure.

What, no sump pump? Some master criminal YOU are.

Oh don't even try it.

"Oh, and I won't need the whip. I have a cane."

What ever happened to Tula, anyway?

Yep, a fracture between the second and third cervical vertebrae. And he scuffed up the door, too.

WELL THIS TOOK A DARK TURN

 

[Fading Fast]

...In the midst of a bitter feud with Mayor LaGuardia over the handling of material witnesses in murder cases, District Attorney William O'Dwyer announced today that he will not free gangland informant Paul Berger after all. The gunman who exposed the roles of Louis "Lepke" Buchalter, Emanuel "Mendy" Weiss, and Louis Capone in the murder of Joseph Rosen was to have been released as a condition of turning state's evidence against his former associates, with Mr. O'Dwyer leaving the responsibility for protecting the witness against underworld reprisals in the hands of the police. Now, however, with the District Attorney exchanging harsh words with the Mayor over official requests for an accounting of exactly how the Brooklyn prosecutor has used police officers assigned to his detail, Mr. O'Dwyer announced today that he has "changed his mind" about releasing Berger. The District Attorney attributed that decision to information that came to him overnight, declaring "he will remain in custody for further investigation." Mr. O'Dwyer declined to reveal exactly what the new information is, or what the "further investigation" will be about. The District Attorney yesterday mentioned the Mayor, Magistrate Vincent Sweeney, and labor leader Sidney Hillman in connection with the 1931 murder of a Brooklyn clothing manufacturer, but declined to say whether the Berger investigation may be linked to that case....

This gets uglier by the day.

...Brooklyn City Councilman-elect Mrs. Rita Casey is a gentlewoman of the old school, who believes in decorum and restraint at all times, and expressed shock and dismay today when Councilman Louis Cohen, Democrat of the Bronx, who has introduced a bill to abolish Proportional Representation, threw a heavy gavel at the head of A. David Benjamin, Republican Party counsel, but missed his target and instead struck Mrs. Casey in the thigh. The gavel-flinging punctuated a sizzling argument between Mr. Cohen and Mr. Benjamin, triggered by what Mrs. Casey characterized as "a ghastly speech" by Mr. Benjamin. After she was hit by the flying gavel, Mrs. Casey sank to the Council room floor, where she saw Mr. Cohen leap from the dais intending to knock Mr. Benjamin down, but the Bronx councilman was intercepted by the Sergeant-at-arms and another spectator before an all-out brawl could erupt. "I would have knocked Mr. Benjamin down myself had such a horrible speech been directed at me," asserted Mrs. Casey. In that speech, Mr. Benjamin denounced Mr. Cohen as being "against everything connected with clean and decent government," and charged that this was demonstrated by Mr. Cohen's performance of his duties as Deputy Commissioner of Hospitals. "Damn you!" exploded Mr. Cohen in reply, before flinging his gavel in Mr. Benjamin's direction. "Does this go on all the time?" sputtered Mrs. Casey as she arose from the floor, and Mr. Cohen growled "sometimes it's worse," as he resumed his place at the dais. Mrs. Casey acknowledges that she doesn't know what to expect next in her political career, but if previous City Council sessions are samples, it can be anticipated that she will be shocked many times.

("Boy!" enthuses Joe. "Politics! It's better'n Behan's Bar 'n Grill!" "'At Casey's a lily," sniffs Sally. "She shoulda t'rowed it right back!")...

"I would have knocked Mr. Benjamin down myself had such a horrible speech been directed at me," asserted Mrs. Casey.
- Good for her.

What is it you say, Lizzie, it was a gentler time.

...
(Oh that Berle, always with the topical humor.)...

I give Berle credit, that's not a bad one.

This was one of Conrad's better columns. Fitz read the Elsa Maxell note and fired off a telegram of support to her (as did an anonymous plump blonde from NJ).

Hitchcock's film must be "Saboteur."

20 cigar a days sounds insane - how wouldn't the smoker feel sick from all that?

Flynn and Duke is an interesting combo.

...
(Yeah, Luella, get schooled. And whatta ya got against Scotties?????)...

She did and, seriously, Scotties? She has something against those cute little guys?

... [ (Wait, Lois DeFee is going to make a movie? A real movie, not the kind they sell in the back of Popular Mechanics?)...

Now Lizzie, was that a nice thing to say? - Lois Defee (all 6'4" of her)


Also, the 1932 version of "Smilin' Through" with Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard is better than this '41 version.

....
(Good thing it's a FLYING wing instead of a WING THAT JUST SITS ON THE GROUND.)

Somebody had her Wheaties this morning.

... "Gun-Cow Girl?"...

I think Gun-Cow Girl killed him and the jury thinks so too, but let her off because they believe it was justified. Not the law you read about in books, but realpolitik jurisprudence.

...
"Th' GIANTS!" exclaims Joe. "Whooooooooo...." "They won't do it," declares Sally, in a firm flat voice, as she severs a chunk of brisket with a sharp, heavy blow of a cleaver. "They. Won't. Do. It."...

"God, I know it seems like a trivial thing to bother you with, but please don't let the Dodgers trade Coscarart to the Giants. My wife has been under lot of pressure lately and, well, You understand."

...
Sandy's no FACE EATING DOG, that's for sure....

"She's everything to me." Not so much when you took her up in the plane in terrible weather 'cause you just couldn't wait. Must be nice to have a Punjab and Asp around and on your side.

"I think we can let this "FACE EATING DOG" one go, Lizzie, as it seems passive enough and you've been making such good progress."

...
What, no sump pump? Some master criminal YOU are....

Drowning in a snow storm would be different and ironic.

... View attachment 384832
WELL THIS TOOK A DARK TURN

Yes it did. Now is a time to turn to the song "Hey Joe" (best version is Jimi Hendrix'), because if you are planing murder over infidelity (not something I approve of), then at least murder the right person:

Hey Joe, I said, where you goin' with that gun in your hand?
Oh, I'm goin' down to shoot my old lady
You know I caught her messin' 'round with another man, yeah

 

[LizzieMaine]

("T'is war stuff," snorts Joe. "I ask ya. Hey, how 'bout we go up t' t' Polar Groun's t'marra, see t'football game. Solly's got tickets but he can't use 'em. Sez he'll give 'em to us if we want 'em." "Y'know," replies Sally, "t'at ain'a bad idea. Ma c'n come oveh an' take t'baby. Run downa canny stoeh an' give'r a call. AN' NO BETTIN'!" "Heh," hehs Joe as he puts on his jacket, "Solly bet me a nickel you'd say t'at!")

Soviet forces have routed powerful German attacks in the Mozhaisk sector west of Moscow and continue hurling back Nazi invasion troops north and south of the capital city. Radio Moscow broadcasts monitored in London claim the annihilation of 10,224 German soldiers and the destruction of vast quantities of equipment in fighting over the past week, with battlefield temperatures at 13 degrees before zero. One hundred and thirty nine German tanks and 22 planes were also reported destroyed. The Communist Party newspaper Pravda reported today that Soviet troops advancing thru the night have found many Germans frozen to death along the main highway to Volokolamsk.

In London today, Scotland Yard operatives began rounding up Finns, Hungarians, and Rumanians for internment as enemy aliens, following Great Britain's declarations of war against their homelands. About two hundred citizens of the three Axis satellites were arrested at once, and the roundup is continuing. About 5000 Hungarians -- most of them domestics -- live in Great Britain, 400 Rumanians, and 200 Finns. All are liable for confinement in internment camps for the duration of the war,

A steelworker from Waterbury, Connecticut who was rejected by the US Army as overage has been credited with the destruction of three German tanks and the incapacitation of two others in fighting in Libya. Forty-two year old Noah Hampton, spurned by his own country's armed forces, enlisted instead in the Canadian Army, where he served in France and Belgium. But told he was too old for the African campaign, he joined the Royal Armored Corps in England, where he operates an American-built tank called "Sleepy." Pointing proudly to three swastikas crayoned on the side of the vehicle, he declared "there's the box score!" Hampton says he likes Libya, except for the lack of news from home, and the lack of rye whiskey.

New heat was added today to the feud between District Attorney William O'Dwyer and Mayor LaGuardia, with a charge by James J. Moran, chief clerk in O'Dwyer's office, that the Administration is "sordidly stingy" in aiding the Brooklyn prosecutor. Moran asserted today that the Mayor's office has been stingy in providing operating funds for the office from the beginning of O'Dwyer's term in 1940, and further charged that this reluctance to provide funding has not only "hamstrung" the District Attorney's ongoing investigation of the Murder For Money gang but also the general work of the prosecutor's office.

The Chief Clerk made his allegations today as new rumors circulated in Brooklyn police channels that 65 detectives detailed to the District Attorney's office have been summoned to appear before Police Commissioner Lewis J. Valentine, following O'Dwyer's refusal of a demand that detailed time sheets for those men be submitted for official review. Such an order did not go out over the usual police teletype system, and an aide to Commissioner Valentine stated that he did not know of any such order.

The District Attorney reiterated yesterday statements made to the Eagle earlier this week accusing the Mayor of "scuttling" his sweeping crime inquiry in the borough. "The gangsters have gone into their second day of rejoicing since I became District Attorney, O'Dwyer said angrily today. "Not only have the gangsters reason to be happy, but also their employers. The Mayor has asked for evidence which includes my sources of information. I will not put my sources of information on the spot for anybody's gunmen."

("Edgar." I dunno, he just looks like an "Edgar" to me.)

Former State Senator Dr. William Lathrop Love says "P. R." doesn't just stand for "Proportional Representation," it also stands for "Plumb Ridiculous." Giving his views to the Eagle's symposium on P.R., Dr. Love likens Proportional Representation to the Prohibition law, in that both began with strong public support which rapidly turned to opposition. Also expressing his dissatisfaction with the system is George E. Wibecan, one of three unsuccessful Brooklyn Republicans in the recent City Council election, who called it "an appeal to racial prejudice," and deemed it expensive, confusing, and "a lottery" that runs "counter to our system of party government."

Selective Service officials are said to be considering a plan to reclassify registrants deferred for reasons of occupation in order to provide additional manpower for the rapidly expanding Army in the present emergency. Some 500,000 additional selectees will be required for induction as the Army expands to 2,000,000 men after January 1st. It has been suggested that eventually, an army of 8,000,000 men may be required.

Tommy Manville's latest marriage has come to an apparent end, with with former chorine Bonita Edwards Manville, Mrs. Manville the Fifth, entraining for Reno today. The marriage lasted precisely seventeen days from the time when the bride-elect walked out of a Broadway show to marry the asbestos heir, to the moment she walked out of his fountain-equipped Park Avenue apartment. Mrs. Manville said that Mr. Manville had given her a check, but only enough to cover the expenses of the divorce.

The National Broadcasting Company's Blue network, and station WJZ, will be divorced from the NBC in the near future, and will henceforth operate as a separate company under the control of the Radio Corporation of America. The dissolution of connections between NBC's Red and Blue chains is the first step in bringing the company into compliance with new Federal Communications Commissions regulations prohibiting the ownership of more than one network by a single corporation. The Red network and station WEAF will remain under NBC ownership, and will retain the company's shortwave International Division, its television operations, and its Frequency Modulation operations. Whether the Blue will require an entirely separate production and engineering staff and whether it will be evicted from the RCA Building in favor of relocation to the former NBC headquarters at 711 Fifth Avenue remains to be seen, but it has been confirmed that the new Blue Network Company, Inc. will have an entirely separate executive department, and its own press-relations office.

(You'll recall that the Eagle endorsed Mr. O'Dwyer in the recent mayoral election, but that has nothing to do with this, does it Mr. Schroth?)

(Really now, Mr. Lichty, no wonder your wife snaps at you.)

(THE ALL STAR GAME NEXT YEAR! Bring it on!!! And congratulations to Mr. Sukeforth, the old blueberry farmer from Waldoboro, Maine, who is my own personal connection to the Flock. Because not only do all roads lead to Brooklyn, so all roads also lead to Ebbets Field.)

(What with the draft and all, it's a hard job these days finding good goons.)

(Aw c'mon! I bet you'd get your name in Winchell's column!)

(Aside to Connie -- count your blessings, kid.)

(We had a "tank farm" down on the waterfront where I grew up, but I never took a close look at it...)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

Oh, Tommy, Oh, Tommy, how you caaaaan loooove.... And I remember this Repouille case from when it happened, and it's even more awful to read about two years later.

Clearly Jimmy went out of his way to round up some real Village characters. At least Mother Berlotti is legit, with her restaurant a landmark in the neighborhood for decades. "Speakeasy? Why we serve nothing but good Italian food here. Leave those bottles alone."

"Boy!" says Hammerin' Hank. "I'm glad THAT's over with!"

"Eldeen" is "Needle" spelled backwards, in case you hadn't noticed. Punj doesn't much like heroin peddlers.

Poor Mole. Ruined a perfectly good pair of shoes.

Hey, Snipe!

Awwwwwww.

The look on the poor horse's face says it all.

He doesn't have to worry about flies.

IT'S ALL PERFECTLY INNOCENT

 

[Fading Fast]

....Tommy Manville's latest marriage has come to an apparent end, with with former chorine Bonita Edwards Manville, Mrs. Manville the Fifth, entraining for Reno today. The marriage lasted precisely seventeen days from the time when the bride-elect walked out of a Broadway show to marry the asbestos heir, to the moment she walked out of his fountain-equipped Park Avenue apartment. Mrs. Manville said that Mr. Manville had given her a check, but only enough to cover the expenses of the divorce....

Seriously, seventeen freakin' days!

...
(You'll recall that the Eagle endorsed Mr. O'Dwyer in the recent mayoral election, but that has nothing to do with this, does it Mr. Schroth?)...

Tomorrow's events might force a ceasefire; otherwise, it will be fun to follow this (what should have been an insiders') political battle that has broken out in public.

. (Aw c'mon! I bet you'd get your name in Winchell's column!)...

The derision of nightclubs seems to be a bit of Tuthill coming straight through. Until they passed the anti-smoking laws, the air in nightspots was as Tuthill describes. I was never a big fan, in part for that reason and as you had to shower when you got home and ship your clothes off to the dry cleaners every single time.

... Oh, Tommy, Oh, Tommy, how you caaaaan loooove.... And I remember this Repouille case from when it happened, and it's even more awful to read about two years later....

Not commenting on gun laws, rights or any of that stuff, just from a going-to-sleep perspective, I would be very nervous to have a loaded gun under my pillow.

Yes, the Repouille case is heartbreaking, just heartbreaking.

...
"Boy!" says Hammerin' Hank. "I'm glad THAT's over with!"...

I think he makes more than the top-three Dodgers combined.

...
Poor Mole. Ruined a perfectly good pair of shoes....

He's like kids today, he doesn't own a pair of rubbers.

...
Awwwwwww....

"Ohhhh Terry."
"Ohhhh Burma, I mean April, Ohhhh April."
Tomorrow: Terry Learns to Keep His Mouth Shut During Love Making.

... The look on the poor horse's face says it all....

The horse's expression is one every recipient of a do-gooder's "kindness" has felt at some point.

...
He doesn't have to worry about flies....

Very shortly, Harold's options will be to have Goofy, the Germans or the Japanese shooting at him. At least with the latter two he can shoot back and he gets paid for it.

 

[LizzieMaine]

In a desperate last-hour attempt to avert outbreak of a major conflict in the Pacific, President Roosevelt last night addressed a personal message to Emperor Hirohito of Japan. The plea for peace follows indications by Japan yesterday that she stands on the verge of abandoning efforts to achieve a settlement of the Pacific crisis by diplomatic negotiations at Washington.

In Japan, press reports warned that the Soviet Union, with an estimated Far Eastern army of 840,000, has swung in with America, Great Britain, China, Holland, and the British Dominions in a united front against the Japanese proclamation of a "New Order" in East Asia, and declared that "a moment of supreme sacrifice is at hand." The Japanese press, usually a bellweather of public opinion in that nation, quoted a government spokesman as stating that Japan's "patience may be tried only a little longer." The press statements came as a highly-significant meeting of 300 top Japanese industrial leaders who comprise the East Asia Economic Council adjourned in Tokio, suggesting that economic preparations against what is being called "preparation against anti-Japanese encirclement" have been completed. The Japanese newspaper Hochi, generally seen as a mouthpiece of the Tojo government, asserted that the arrival in the United States of the new Soviet Ambassador Maxim Litvinoff may be interpreted as heightening the possibility that Russia will actively participate in moves against Japan, and interpreted recent statements by U. S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull as "presaging open war between Japan and America."

The Far East is battening down today for a war that appears inevitable. In Manila, the Philippines Government ordered the evacuation of all danger zones in the capital city, and at Singapore, all military personnel were recalled to their bases and placed on a full war footing. In Australia, thousands of troops stood on alert at their war posts. A British officer in Singapore expressed the sentiments heard on almost every tongue in the great Pacific centers, from Manila to Shanghai, to Hongkong, to Batavia, to Bangkok -- "Now I suppose," the officer declared, "we are going to fight Japan."

Belgian refugees were shocked today by news that the King Leopold, "the tragic recluse of Laekan," has been married for several months to a Belgian commoner. Mary Lelia Baels, new wife of the 40-year-old monarch, was identified as the daughter of a former Minister of Agriculture in the Belgian cabinet. News of the marriage came from Germany, but it is reported in London that an official announcement is to be made in Belgium on Monday. King Leopold's first wife, Queen Astrid, was killed six years ago in an automobile accident along the shores of Lake Lucerne.

Soviet troops crashing forward in powerful counteroffensives are reported to have brought the Nazi offensive to a standstill on key Moscow fronts, and in the south are reported to have secured bridgeheads cutting off Nazi forces on the Taganrog Peninsula. The temperature in Moscow plunged to seventeen degrees below zero yesterday, with Radio Moscow jubilantly proclaiming the arrival of the "December frosts" which have frozen German mechanized troops in their tracks, leaving the highways leading toward Moscow littered with frozen Nazi corpses.

An aviation cadet attached to Mitchel Field was killed yesterday afternoon when his plane exploded in the air above Rockaway Beach, in full view of thousands of boardwalk strollers, and plunged in flames into the ocean at the foot of Rockaway Park. The body of Cadet Charles J. Davenport was recovered by the Coast Guard, enmeshed in a half-opened parachute, floating in open water about a thousand feet from shore. Spectators reported that the plane seemed to be having trouble with its motor as it flew above Rockaway Park, and was less than 500 feet high when it burst into flames.

A Finnish freighter moored at a pier of the National Sugar Refining Company in Edgewater, New Jersey was seized by the Coast Guard last night, as American authorities begin taking action against Finland's vessels in the wake of Great Britain's declaration of war against that Axis satellite. Crew members aboard the freighter were reported to have been placed under protective custody to prevent the possibility of sabotage.

As tensions mount between District Attorney William O'Dwyer and Mayor LaGuardia in anticipation of their meeting tomorrow, Police Commissioner Lewis J. Valentine refused to comment last night on reports that 65 detectives assigned to O'Dwyer's office will face a major shakeup. The Commissioner, asked in writing about published reports that those plainclothesmen had been ordered to report to him for questioning, and whether any other steps had been taken by the Commissioner's Office to obtain information concerning the activities of those men other than the request for a report from since-resigned Acting Police Captain Frank Bals, the Commissioner's response came as a terse "no."

("Blackout? Don't be ridiculous.")

Approximately 50 percent of the men at Camp Upton will be going home for Christmas, with holiday furloughs approved today by commanding officer Col. H. C. Brenner. Nearly all the men at the base will be offered leaves of 10 to 16 days on a staggered basis, beginning on December 13th, with the final leaves to expire on January 11th. For those remaining in camp during the holidays, "appropriate entertainment" will be arranged.

Mrs. Genevieve Earle, minority leader of the City Council, endorses Proportional Representation but, declares the Brooklyn Fusionist, she regrets that the system has yet to fully abolish "bossism" in local politics. Mrs. Earle asserted to the Eagle's P. R. symposium that abolition of the system would mean a return to the old plan of electing representation by wards, a process that had always been dominated by political machines, and she charged that a return to that system is the real purpose of the current drive to repeal P. R. in the city. "It is still too soon," she argued, "on the basis of three elections for Council on the basis of P. R. to declare it a failure."

("Please don't trade Cookie." Signed, That Guy Behind Third Base Who Sends Up All Those Balloons. And what grudge does Larry have against Camilli? Oh yeah, he holds out every spring. CAN'T HAVE THAT!)

("Hmph!" hmphs Sally, shivering in the tenth row of Section K-a of the center field bleachers. "I c'n see why Solly didn' want t'ese seats!" "ATTENTION PLEASE," crackles an announcement from the loudspeakers. "HERE IS AN URGENT MESSAGE. WILL COLONEL WILLIAM J. DONOVAN CALL OPERATOR 19 IN WASHINGTON IMMEDIATELY." "Hah," hahs Joe. "T'ere goes HIS day off. C'MON ACE, ROLL 'EM UP!")

(Senator Connolly will not be a template for the postwar radio character of "Senator Claghorn" -- but he could have been.)

Old Timer J. C. McCune remembers the old days in P. S. 27, where fearsome Miss Morrison whipped wrongdoers with a cat-o'nine-tails whenever they stepped out of line. Her whip was custom-made by good old Mr. Enzo Piazzo, the shoemaker, who was widely known as "the Whip Man of Brooklyn," and who "built a fine trade" supplying "straps and tails" to teachers and parents around the borough.

After a mighty four year run, "Hellzapoppin" will close at the Majestic Theatre in two weeks, and will depart town immediately for a national tour starting in Philadelphia. Jay C. Flippen and Happy Felton will continue in the lead roles, while Olsen and Johnson hold forth at the Winter Garden in their new hit "Sons O' Fun." But O&J are far from finished with their original show -- the movie version, made last summer at Universal in Hollywood, will have its premiere at the Rivoli on Christmas night. The film will feature roles for Mischa Auer, Jane Frazee, Martha Raye, and Lewis Howard, and, at the insistence of the studio, even some bare semblance of a plot.

(Burned alive? Is Gould writing this strip now?)

(Hey, didn't Gould do this plot too? If a dwarf shows up riding a dog, I'm really gonna be sore.)

(The rumba, Governor? What would your father say???)

(Tsk, Dennie. Even in 1941 minstrel shows are old-hat. And "I AM A SECRET OPERATIVE!" Well, not anymore.)

(C'mon, George. You're in the chips now. Move to an elevator building.)

("NOW JUST A MINUTE!" thunders Old Mehara's agent. "THIS WASN'T IN THE CONTRACT!")

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

Odds on which comic strip introduces a "Tommy Manville" character first: Mary Worth's Family 1-1, The Gumps 2-1, Moon Mullins 3-1, Little Orphan Annie 5-1, The Bungle Family 5-1, Smilin' Jack 10-1, Harold Teen 10-1, Dick Tracy 20-1, Gasoline Alley 100-1, Dan Dunn 200-1, Terry and the Pirates 1000-1. Odds that Tommy Manville shows up in "Private Lives" next week, 1-100.

Yeah, I guess "The Hut-Sut Song" is passe by now. How quickly they forget.

Oh there's still a ways to go yet. Gotta get in the happy ending for Christmas.

"Spain! Egad, Zee -- don't tell me you're some kind of -- Red!"

OW! Jeez!!!!

Goofy decides two can play at that game? Well I guess it's better than the gun.

Please welcome our special guest today, Mr. Franklin Pangborn.

If Pat is this far ahead of the game, he knows enough to use a fake code.

Judy is six going on seven, so this is just about right.

I did that doorknob-and-string bit to pull my last baby tooth, when I was ten years old. It ricocheted off the bathroom wall, bounced off the ceiling, and fell straight into the toilet. And that's how you know your childhood's over.

 

[Fading Fast]

In a desperate last-hour attempt to avert outbreak of a major conflict in the Pacific, President Roosevelt last night addressed a personal message to Emperor Hirohito of Japan. The plea for peace follows indications by Japan yesterday that she stands on the verge of abandoning efforts to achieve a settlement of the Pacific crisis by diplomatic negotiations at Washington.

In Japan, press reports warned that the Soviet Union, with an estimated Far Eastern army of 840,000, has swung in with America, Great Britain, China, Holland, and the British Dominions in a united front against the Japanese proclamation of a "New Order" in East Asia, and declared that "a moment of supreme sacrifice is at hand." The Japanese press, usually a bellweather of public opinion in that nation, quoted a government spokesman as stating that Japan's "patience may be tried only a little longer." The press statements came as a highly-significant meeting of 300 top Japanese industrial leaders who comprise the East Asia Economic Council adjourned in Tokio, suggesting that economic preparations against what is being called "preparation against anti-Japanese encirclement" have been completed. The Japanese newspaper Hochi, generally seen as a mouthpiece of the Tojo government, asserted that the arrival in the United States of the new Soviet Ambassador Maxim Litvinoff may be interpreted as heightening the possibility that Russia will actively participate in moves against Japan, and interpreted recent statements by U. S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull as "presaging open war between Japan and America."

The Far East is battening down today for a war that appears inevitable. In Manila, the Philippines Government ordered the evacuation of all danger zones in the capital city, and at Singapore, all military personnel were recalled to their bases and placed on a full war footing. In Australia, thousands of troops stood on alert at their war posts. A British officer in Singapore expressed the sentiments heard on almost every tongue in the great Pacific centers, from Manila to Shanghai, to Hongkong, to Batavia, to Bangkok -- "Now I suppose," the officer declared, "we are going to fight Japan."...

War with Japan wasn't a surprise, but the opening salvo against Pearl was. We haven't read anything, even a hint of suspicion, about Pearl being a target, at least in these two papers.

...Soviet troops crashing forward in powerful counteroffensives are reported to have brought the Nazi offensive to a standstill on key Moscow fronts, and in the south are reported to have secured bridgeheads cutting off Nazi forces on the Taganrog Peninsula. The temperature in Moscow plunged to seventeen degrees below zero yesterday, with Radio Moscow jubilantly proclaiming the arrival of the "December frosts" which have frozen German mechanized troops in their tracks, leaving the highways leading toward Moscow littered with frozen Nazi corpses....

Well, after this winter, there will only be four more and then it's over. Jesus.

...
("Blackout? Don't be ridiculous.")...

The Boys did a good job on this one; even the poor-quality photostat pic of the illustration of Fulton still looks pretty.

...Approximately 50 percent of the men at Camp Upton will be going home for Christmas, with holiday furloughs approved today by commanding officer Col. H. C. Brenner. Nearly all the men at the base will be offered leaves of 10 to 16 days on a staggered basis, beginning on December 13th, with the final leaves to expire on January 11th. For those remaining in camp during the holidays, "appropriate entertainment" will be arranged....

"appropriate entertainment"

I guess that means no Christmas break for Senga and Tula.

...
("Hmph!" hmphs Sally, shivering in the tenth row of Section K-a of the center field bleachers. "I c'n see why Solly didn' want t'ese seats!" "ATTENTION PLEASE," crackles an announcement from the loudspeakers. "HERE IS AN URGENT MESSAGE. WILL COLONEL WILLIAM J. DONOVAN CALL OPERATOR 19 IN WASHINGTON IMMEDIATELY." "Hah," hahs Joe. "T'ere goes HIS day off. C'MON ACE, ROLL 'EM UP!")...

Smart set-up, Lizzie, for the next fifty years, Joe and Sally will be telling the story of hearing that announcement.

...After a mighty four year run, "Hellzapoppin" will close at the Majestic Theatre in two weeks, and will depart town immediately for a national tour starting in Philadelphia. Jay C. Flippen and Happy Felton will continue in the lead roles, while Olsen and Johnson hold forth at the Winter Garden in their new hit "Sons O' Fun." But O&J are far from finished with their original show -- the movie version, made last summer at Universal in Hollywood, will have its premiere at the Rivoli on Christmas night. The film will feature roles for Mischa Auer, Jane Frazee, Martha Raye, and Lewis Howard, and, at the insistence of the studio, even some bare semblance of a plot....

"...and, at the insistence of the studio, even some bare semblance of a plot."

...
(Hey, didn't Gould do this plot too? If a dwarf shows up riding a dog, I'm really gonna be sore.)...

Heck, in 1939, RKO had already made the movie version of this story, "Bachelor Mother," where Ginger Rogers is mistaken for the mother of a foundling.

...
(Tsk, Dennie. Even in 1941 minstrel shows are old-hat. And "I AM A SECRET OPERATIVE!" Well, not anymore.)...

Wasn't Dan's named and picture splashed all over the newspapers once noting he was a secret operative? Even his badge says it - right? It's nuts.

What really happened in that hour so that after "Dan rises," he can expect their "whole-hearted cooperation?" The idea is Dan's pretty studly, right?

... Odds on which comic strip introduces a "Tommy Manville" character first: Mary Worth's Family 1-1, The Gumps 2-1, Moon Mullins 3-1, Little Orphan Annie 5-1, The Bungle Family 5-1, Smilin' Jack 10-1, Harold Teen 10-1, Dick Tracy 20-1, Gasoline Alley 100-1, Dan Dunn 200-1, Terry and the Pirates 1000-1. Odds that Tommy Manville shows up in "Private Lives" next week, 1-100.....

The News reported it matter of factly, but basically, it sounds as if Preston would come home roaring drunk and try to have sex with his none-too-please wife - hence her locked door. Based on that, I wonder if "pencil" was euphemism in that description. Will the police wonder if had she tried to help him when she found him and not just put a blanket over him, could she have saved him?

Manville could not be a made-up character as we'd all laugh him off as "too fake."

... "Spain! Egad, Zee -- don't tell me you're some kind of -- Red!"....

At $1000 a week and even with a few $10,000 "consultants," you ain't getting to "millions" too quickly. Good thing Eldeen went in for quackery as he'd have never made it as a bookkeeper. Plus, when someone prevents you from stealing, have they really "robbed" you?

... If Pat is this far ahead of the game, he knows enough to use a fake code....

I'm really counting on April to do the right thing here. Selling out a country versus protecting a crooked brother is not really a hard decision to make. Hu Shee would have already told Pat (and probably would have beaten up Sammy on the spot). Now Burma, God knows what angle she'd be working.

 

[LizzieMaine]

("Wha's gonna happ'n?" murmurs Joe, gazing at sleeping baby Leonora. "Wha's gonna happ'n? I ask ya?" "I dunno," sighs Sally, turning off the radio because she just doesn't want to hear any more. "I dunno. But whateveh it is, it's happ'nin'." "Solly din' show upta woik today," Joe continues. "He come by at lunch. He says he wen' down an' enlisted." "Whatta you gonna do?" asks Sally. "I dunno," admits Joe. "T'day I'm 3-A. T'marra, who knows? But I don' t'ink I'm gonna spend t'is war skimmin' pickle vats. I t'ink I'm goin' oveh t' Sperry's again t'marra, see what's goin' on 'tere. Prob'ly t'Army needs pickles, but t'ey need t'em gyrascopes an' allat more...")

(You will recall that Rep. Fish as recently as last week was one of the most rabid isolationists in Congress. And shed a tear for poor A&S, because binoculars and barometers just went on the critical list.)

(If ever there was proof that Butch is the right man for the job, both as Mayor and as Director of the Office of Civilian Defense, the weeks and months ahead will prove it.)

(Senator Nye, always a classy guy.)

(A snapshot of a moment in time, when "important things" suddenly became astonishingly unimportant.)

(In fact, Coach Sutherland learned about the attack from a reporter at half time, but he decided not to tell the players. It might be the last game for a long time, and they were going to win it.)

Dodger coach Chuck Dressen put a lid today on rumors of dissension in the Brooklyn clubhouse last season, denying reports that he, Cookie Lavagetto, Joe Medwick, and Jimmy Wasdell engaged in a free-for-all clubhouse brawl after a particularly galling loss. "In the three years I've been with Brooklyn," declared Leo's right hand man, "there has never been a serious argument between the players, and I was never with a team that got along in better shape." Dressen called reports of the brawl "bunk."

The American League will hear a report at its annual winter meeting in Chicago from St. Louis Browns owner Donald L. Barnes, seeking to shift the Browns franchise to Los Angeles for 1942. Barnes will report that he has arranged a possible schedule that would allow travel by rival teams to the Coast via the Super Chief from Chicago, and that Los Angeles interests underwriting the proposal have pledged a minimum attendance of 500,000. Barnes will also report that, after a five year effort to turn his club around, he has concluded that the Browns cannot survive in St. Louis. Last season the Browns finished sixth in the American League, before an attendance of 176,240, for an average of 2,289 per game.

(This is what happens when you plot your strip too far ahead.)

("A damp dog." We've had crowds here that smelled like that.)

(Yes, I'm sure that Connie will be happy to tell you exactly where you should go.)

(Gee, that's a pretty good drawing of an actual Northrup NM-1 Flying Wing. Mr. Marsh will be getting a visit from those nice men from the FBI in the morning.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

And in the Daily News...

This is the News' Pink Edition, which hit the newsstands and candy stores about 9pm on December 7th. Because papers generally ran on a skeleton crew on Sunday afternoons, there was no "Extra" that day.

And you can see that the pages closed for this edition about 7 PM. Later editions will have more up-to-date coverage.

Tommy Manville? Never heard of him.

As ever, kudos to the News' Art Department for another fine situation map.

Under the influence of the McCormick interests, which own a controlling share in the paper, the News took up a shrill and hard-line isolationist editorial policy following the 1940 Election. Forward now into the future.

It'll be a full year before actual photos and film footage of the attack are released by military censors.

You know it's serious when The Neighbors get bounced all the way to the movie page.

Mr. Ward must've been down buying a hot dog when those announcements came over the speakers. Either that or he stayed home and listened to the game on the radio.

(Today's News comics to follow...)

 

[LizzieMaine]

If this leads to Warbucks taking up a crusade for health care reform, I'll forgive a lot. But knowing him he'd probably botch it.

HOPE YOU DON'T MIND ME DROPPING IN! HA HA GET IT?

Yep, everything's back to normal.

Nothing suspicious going on in this plant, nosiree.

April is a nice kid, but she is not someone known for always making the right decision.

Covina Noir.

I have very much come to admire the complete equanimity with which Peevey seems to take all of the chaos surrounding him. But I fear Plushie is about to get punched right in the snoot.

 

[Fading Fast]

View attachment 385764 ("Wha's gonna happ'n?" murmurs Joe, gazing at sleeping baby Leonora. "Wha's gonna happ'n? I ask ya?" "I dunno," sighs Sally, turning off the radio because she just doesn't want to hear any more. "I dunno. But whateveh it is, it's happ'nin'." "Solly din' show upta woik today," Joe continues. "He come by at lunch. He says he wen' down an' enlisted." "Whatta you gonna do?" asks Sally. "I dunno," admits Joe. "T'day I'm 3-A. T'marra, who knows? But I don' t'ink I'm gonna spend t'is war skimmin' pickle vats. I t'ink I'm goin' oveh t' Sperry's again t'marra, see what's goin' on 'tere. Prob'ly t'Army needs pickles, but t'ey need t'em gyrascopes an' allat more...")

View attachment 385765
(You will recall that Rep. Fish as recently as last week was one of the most rabid isolationists in Congress. And shed a tear for poor A&S, because binoculars and barometers just went on the critical list.)

View attachment 385766
(If ever there was proof that Butch is the right man for the job, both as Mayor and as Director of the Office of Civilian Defense, the weeks and months ahead will prove it.)

View attachment 385768
(Senator Nye, always a classy guy.)

View attachment 385769 (A snapshot of a moment in time, when "important things" suddenly became astonishingly unimportant.)...

The Eagle's coverage - think how much they put out in so little time - as I'm sure was most newspapers', is incredibly impressive and shows what a powerful industry it was back then. Today, we have the internet - with all its good and bad - but you can really see and feel how important and effective newspapers were in '41.

...The American League will hear a report at its annual winter meeting in Chicago from St. Louis Browns owner Donald L. Barnes, seeking to shift the Browns franchise to Los Angeles for 1942. Barnes will report that he has arranged a possible schedule that would allow travel by rival teams to the Coast via the Super Chief from Chicago, and that Los Angeles interests underwriting the proposal have pledged a minimum attendance of 500,000. Barnes will also report that, after a five year effort to turn his club around, he has concluded that the Browns cannot survive in St. Louis. Last season the Browns finished sixth in the American League, before an attendance of 176,240, for an average of 2,289 per game....

The Super Chief takes almost 37 hours to get to LA from Chicago. The Twentieth Century takes about 16 hours for its NYC to Chicago run. Throw in connections and time to and from stations, etc. and you can do it in three tough days if all works out right. Hence, that's six travel days (minimum) for one swing out to LA for an East Coast team (a bit more for, say, Baltimore). To be sure, they can combine it with other games in the middle of the country, but still, that's a lot of travel time. All that has to be weighed against the money of the West Coast market. After the war, this problem will be solved by TV and flying.

...
(Yes, I'm sure that Connie will be happy to tell you exactly where you should go.)...

We should be reading about the mysterious death of a small-town newspaper editor on Page Four any day now. Think about it, with the tie-in to Hollywood, once Connie kills Tom, it will be a perfect Page Four story.

Angel looks much better in pants than a dress.

And in the Daily News...

View attachment 385778 This is the News' Pink Edition, which hit the newsstands and candy stores about 9pm on December 7th. Because papers generally ran on a skeleton crew on Sunday afternoons, there was no "Extra" that day.

View attachment 385779
And you can see that the pages closed for this edition about 7 PM. Later editions will have more up-to-date coverage.

View attachment 385781 Tommy Manville? Never heard of him.

View attachment 385785 As ever, kudos to the News' Art Department for another fine situation map.

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Under the influence of the McCormick interests, which own a controlling share in the paper, the News took up a shrill and hard-line isolationist editorial policy following the 1940 Election. Forward now into the future.

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View attachment 385787 It'll be a full year before actual photos and film footage of the attack are released by military censors.

View attachment 385789 You know it's serious when The Neighbors get bounced all the way to the movie page.

View attachment 385790 Mr. Ward must've been down buying a hot dog when those announcements came over the speakers. Either that or he stayed home and listened to the game on the radio.

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(Today's News comics to follow...)

Same comment as made for the Eagle. How impressive is it that the News got this much out (like those insanely good maps you noted - love the Naval strength #s) in such a short time, on a Sunday, with a skeleton crew?

Re "The Neighbors -" she married a jerk.

It's fun to see the News' movie page; I'm guessing there's another page with more stories.

...
HOPE YOU DON'T MIND ME DROPPING IN! HA HA GET IT?....

I assume Gould made plenty of money writing "Dick Tracy," but he also could've had a successful career in Hollywood as a writer, art director or, even, director. He'd have fit in well at Warner Bros.

...[
April is a nice kid, but she is not someone known for always making the right decision....

In most people's lives, there will be a few gigantic tests of your characters (there are small tests everyday), April is now facing one.

I mainly like Pat, but he is a cocky jerk at times.

...
Covina Noir....

While they don't look alike, Frank McHugh could've played a very good Goofy.


From practically the day you started these fantastic Day by Days (thank you, Lizzie, for all the work you do on these - they are a FL treasure), I've been thinking about December 7th still being in the future and how it would feel to read it somewhat like the way people in '41 did. Following these papers day by day is an interesting way to experience history.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I think the most interesting aspect of the coverage so far is the sense of almost -- relief -- that the waiting is over. You don't see surprise or shock as much as you see "all right, so that's how it's gonna be, is it?" Nobody who didn't have their head completely up their misconceptions is surprised to see something happen, even if it didn't happen exactly as predicted -- the past week has been nothing other than a building sense of the fuse burning down to the bomb. And now, the explosion, and where do we go from here?

WOR did a fascinating man-on-the-street broadcast on the night of December 7th, just as the Pink Edition of the News was hitting the streets, and other than one guy who has the microphone taken away when he begins an anti-Roosevelt screed, the entire crowd has a sense of, as the News editorial put it, "Well, we're in it."

I wonder how Senator Nye will do at his America First rally in Nassau?

There are a lot of tragedies to be considered over the next few days, but spare a moment to reflect on poor Donald L. Barnes of St. Louis, hoping to be of Los Angeles. The American League meeting is the day after tomorrow. Don't make those train reservations yet. And likewise, for poor Joe and Sally, and millions of Dodger fans like them, who don't even know yet how Pearl Harbor has changed their future.

 

[Fading Fast]

I think the most interesting aspect of the coverage so far is the sense of almost -- relief -- that the waiting is over. You don't see surprise or shock as much as you see "all right, so that's how it's gonna be, is it?" Nobody who didn't have their head completely up their misconceptions is surprised to see something happen, even if it didn't happen exactly as predicted -- the past week has been nothing other than a building sense of the fuse burning down to the bomb. And now, the explosion, and where do we go from here?

WOR did a fascinating man-on-the-street broadcast on the night of December 7th, just as the Pink Edition of the News was hitting the streets, and other than one guy who has the microphone taken away when he begins an anti-Roosevelt screed, the entire crowd has a sense of, as the News editorial put it, "Well, we're in it."

I wonder how Senator Nye will do at his America First rally in Nassau?

There are a lot of tragedies to be considered over the next few days, but spare a moment to reflect on poor Donald L. Barnes of St. Louis, hoping to be of Los Angeles. The American League meeting is the day after tomorrow. Don't make those train reservations yet. And likewise, for poor Joe and Sally, and millions of Dodger fans like them, who don't even know yet how Pearl Harbor has changed their future.

Before reading these Day by Days, I knew that many in America at this time weren't living in an isolationist dream and they were well aware that America probably would end up in the fight, but what I learned (and you just noted) was that it was pretty darn clear to the average news follower that, especially with regard to Japan, something was going to happen pretty soon. What was a shock was the attack on Pearl, specifically, as that - at least in the two papers we follow - didn't show up at all (at least that I saw).

 

[LizzieMaine]

Joe and Sally couldn't sleep last night, so about quarter past eleven they turned on the radio, spun around until they hit WOR, 710 on the dial, and for the next hour this is what they heard. A band remote interrupted for late developments, a talk by an official in Newark, Dave Driscoll speaking to the night crowd in Times Square, a news summary, interviews with politicians, and interviews with a few soldiers. Not much destined to help one sleep...

https://soundcloud.com/eleanor-roosevelt-809230250/411207-pearl-harbor-1115pm