The Battle of Los Angeles

Question: What is the closest an enemy vessel came to Los Angeles during WWII?

Answer: As far as we know, on February 23, 1942, a Japanese sub surfaced a few hundred yards off the coast of Santa Barbara, CA. They fired 17 shells at some fuel tanks and although the commander of the submarine reported massive destruction back to Japan, it really only caused minor damage to the pier.

According to some though, this may not have been the only attack.

In the early morning hours of February 25th 1942, three months after our entrance into WWII, The Battle of Los Angeles began.

2:00am - Radars pick up an unidentified target over the Pacific 120 miles west of Los Angeles.

2:15am - Anti-aircraft defenses are put on Green Alert (ready to fire).

2:21am - Unidentified target now only a few miles off the coast, Blackout ordered.

2:25am - Tracked object has vanished, yet information center is bombarded with reports of "enemy planes", air raid sirens sounded.

2:43am - Unknown planes reported over Long Beach.

2:50am - A coast artillery colonel reports "about 25 planes at 12,000 ft" flying over Los Angles.

3:06am - A balloon carrying a red flare is reported over Santa Monica.

3:16am - 37th Coast Artillery Brigade begins firing 12.8 lb anti-aircraft shells into sky

"I could clearly see the V formation of about 25 silvery planes overhead moving slowly across the sky towards Long Beach."

-Peter Jenkins, Los Angeles Herald Examiner

With the recent attack near Santa Barbara, fear of a West Coast invasion was prevalent across the South land. Once word spread (rather quickly) that unidentified planes were being seen in the skies, Los Angeles went into a panic.

On February 24th, 1942, the day before the events, Naval Intelligence had issued a warning that an attack could be expected within 10 hours. Radars were being closely monitored. About 5 hours after the alert had been lifted, radars began picking up the objects heading toward Los Angeles. The AAF prepared pursuit planes awaiting further orders. Los Angeles defense resources were limited and officials wanted to be sure of a threat before making any moves. Five minutes later, the threat was real enough to order a Blackout.

Men, women and children were abruptly woken up by the loud blaring of the air raid sirens. Neighbors in robes and pajamas stared up into the night. Radios alerted citizens to initiate a Blackout order. All lights were to be turned off and some lights deflected upwards to prevent whoever or whatever was up there from navigating the cityscape. Air Raid Wardens walked the streets yelling at any homes with visible light.

For almost the next hour, witnesses described what they saw as planes, balloons, blimps, lanterns or even UFOs. There was no consensus. Los Angeles, at the very least in people's minds, was under attack...

Giant Hollywood premiere-like searchlights cut through the night from all directions. Starting at 3:16am and continuing for almost an hour, approximately 1,440 shells were fired into the sky at the mystery aircraft. The shells burst into explosions in the air, caught by the searchlights causing mass hysteria. Many claimed the objects were directly hit by the fire, yet no aircraft debris was found.

"I was far enough away to see an object without being able to identify it...I would be willing to bet what shekels I have that there were a number of direct hits scored on the object."

-Reporter Bill Henry, Los Angeles Times

Some reports claimed that four enemy planes had been shot down and even that one had crashed and fallen into a busy Hollywood intersection. But by dawn, the only visible damage was from anti-aircraft shells that had fallen back & hit buildings and homes. There were a few traffic accidents as well as power outages. In the end, the "battle" claimed six lives. Three people died from the shell fire and three more died of heart attacks.

To this day there has been no conclusive explanation for the events that happened that night. The Secretary of the Navy claimed it was a "false alarm" due to anxiety and "war nerves". Why then the hour-long barrage? The Army Chief of Staff insisted there were "as many as 15 aircraft involved, some flying very slowly and others up to 200 miles per hour." Yet no aircraft debris was ever found. There was never a Congressional investigation into the matter.

There was a memo of questionable authenticity from General Marshall to President Roosevelt dated March 5, 1942 that claimed the Navy had "recovered an unidentified airplane off the coast of California with no bearing on conventional explanation" and that "This Headquarters has come to the determination that the mystery airplanes are in fact not earthly and according to secret intelligence sources they are in all probability of interplanetary origin." This same memo mentioned the discovery of an unconventional craft east of Los Angeles.

The Army maintained that there were indeed aircraft that day of unknown origin flying over Los Angeles, and they were considered enough of a threat that they were fired upon. So if there was no real threat, then why all the firing? And given all the firing, why were they unable to shoot anything down? And why had the planes, if there were any, not attacked the city with any fire power of their own?

The questions remain.

The Norconian Resort Supreme

This time I'm going to take you 50 miles east of Los Angeles to a place called Norco. Anybody familiar with this area may be surprised to know that Norco was once associated with such names as Babe Ruth, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and more.

Now these days it's not considered the most affluent of places in the I.E. and is somewhat of a last bastion for country folk who like to keep their horses in their backyards. But once upon a time...in the 1920's, it was much different.

It starts with the well-known Scripps family. One of the daughters, Grace, married a man named Rex Clark. Her father was not fond of him due to his strong conservative political beliefs & offered him no place in the newspaper business. After a failed business venture and a nervous breakdown, Grace moved them to La Jolla, CA. Rex recovered and eventually made a good amount of money buying, developing and selling property and soon bought a 15 square mile parcel of land called "Orchard Heights". Rex renamed the place Norco, as it was directly North of Corona (NorCo) and 5 years later the idea of one the most extravagant resorts of the time was born.

Within 3 years, it was complete with a golf course, an air field, a lake, a lake house, a garage, chauffeur's quarters, a gym, laundry facilities and of course a first class hotel, indoor bath complexes, ballrooms, dining rooms and lounges and the first official outdoor qualifying swimming and diving pools in Southern California. All outbuildings were designed by Stanley Wilson who also was responsible for the Mission Inn in Riverside, CA. Interiors were done by A.B. Heinsbergen who also designed the Pantages Theatre, and the architect of the hotel was Dwight Gibbs of Carthy Circle Theatre and Pasadena Playhouse fame.

It became the playground for Hollywood's elite and many films were shot there. Visitors included D.W. Griffith, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford (after whom the Bloody Mary was named), Will Rogers, Duke Kahanamoku (Duke's Restaurants) and more. Fox Studios even built an entire Norconian replica set in their sound stages back in Hollywood.

The Norconian shut down for 3 years for several reasons. The Great Depression, a drought in Norco, Rex & Grace divorced and Rex wasn't doing well financially. But in 1935 it was back in full swing.

In 1938 the Norconian saw huge studio parties from Disney, MGM & Fox. Disney threw theirs for the success of Snow White. It's rumored that things got pretty out of hand and the animators became a little too animated, to the point where people were said to have been fired on the spot back at the studios for speaking about it within earshot of Walt Disney himself.

But it's days were numbered due to back-taxes, debt and other issues. The once magnificent resort closed for good in 1940.

In the years that followed, it served as a hospital in WWII (where it saw further celebrity appearances, but for patient morale purposes), a secret think-tank for the Naval Weapons Assessment Center, an addiction treatment center and eventually a high-medium security prison.

At this moment, it sits there deteriorating. I recently saw video clips of the inside and it was very odd to see majestic pillars, painted ceilings, ornate chandeliers and gorgeous tile covered in the stains of time, abuse & neglect. It has been designated eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places and local groups are currently working to ensure that this forgotten piece of history isn't lost forever.

The Chinese Massacre of 1871

Calle de los Negros. Or as it used to be mistranslated in those days, "Nigger Alley". In today's landscape, it was right off the 101 freeway between Main Street & Alameda. It was an unpaved street and took its name from the dark-complexioned mixed-race Californians who lived there. It was once an upscale area. It had now become the first Chinatown in Los Angeles and it was a slum.

By all accounts it was a rough neighborhood and descriptions make it sound about the equivalent of a wild west town, complete with saloons, casinos, whorehouses and dark alleys.

As the story goes, the abduction of a Chinese woman lead to feuding between two Chinese tong societies (similar to many martial arts films starring DMX). On October 24th, 1871, the two factions (potentially under the influence of Opium-yum) began firing at each other in Calle de los Negros. A local white rancher named Robert Thompson was caught in the cross-fire and was killed. Word spread quickly (as Farmer Thompson boneless chicken was a local favorite) and within minutes an angry mob of white men began chasing down any Chinese person they could find. A telegraph from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Daily Examiner estimated the mob to be around 500 men (However, at that time, 500 people would make up 8% of the Los Angeles population, so it is safe to assume it's an inflated number).

Once the proverbial dust had settled, between 18 and 23 Chinese men were hanging from any crossbeam available. Some were missing clothing and some were missing body parts. Apparently, 156 men were indicted, 10 were brought to trial, 8 were convicted, but none were ever jailed. Part of this was due to a ridiculous law that had been passed during the height of the Civil War in 1863 which stated that no "Mongolian, Indian, Indian half-caste, or Chinese" could testify in court where a white man was involved.

It further stained the reputation of the small town of Los Angeles which, at the time, was still considered to be a backwater town.

The Source Family & Father Yod

Many know that the Cabo Cantina on Sunset Boulevard is a favorite spot for locals to pass-over and for tourists to grab a Corona or crappy Margarita. But not everybody knows it was once home to The Source Restaurant, started by one of LA's many (arguably insane) cult leaders.

Jim Baker, a highly-decorated WWII Marine veteran and martial arts expert, moved to Los Angeles in hopes of being a Hollywood stuntman. He was a vegetarian and devout follower of Eastern spiritual leader Yogi Bhajan (no relation to Yogi the Bear). In 1969 he opened up his restaurant serving organic vegetarian food on Sunset. It quickly became popular, frequented by celebrities like John Lennon and Marlon Brando. Jim eventually parted ways with Yogi Bhajan, creating his own teachings and philosophies, eventually creating "The Source Family" and renaming himself "Father Yod".

The Source Family was a collection of over 100 long-haired and robed men & women (mostly wayward youths of that era). They lived together & slept in cubby-holes in a mansion off of Nichols Canyon. The organization was supported by the restaurant which was reported to make over $10,000 a day during the height of it's popularity. Father Yod preached the 10 Commandments for The Age of Aquarius (which had to do with a lot of vibrations). Father Yod enjoyed lots of sex with the female members and even took 13 wives.

They even had their own psychedelic rock band! Ya Ho Wa 13, which curiously never entered the charts despite such albums as Penetration: An Aquarian Symphony. Yes, life was good for these Aquarians... until a newborn in the cult developed a staph infection in 1974 & was taken to UCLA Medical Center which resulted in an investigation into child endangerment. Father Yod then had a revelation that the Source Family should relocate to Kauai, Hawaii.

About a year later Father Yod decided to give hang-gliding a try with disastrous results - a broken back. He was taken back to the Source HQ and devoutly prayed over. Sadly, the prayers were unable to repair his spine & Yod took his final nod.

Hollywood Hotel

Anybody who drives around Hollywood is familiar with the Hollywood & Highland intersection. Today it is home to a huge complex that includes the Kodak Theatre and failed actors who dress up as their favorite super heroes. What people may not know is that it was the site of the first hotel in Hollywood.

HJ Whitely build the first section of the hotel in 1902 to house people he hoped to sell residential land to. None of the streets were paved & Hollywood Blvd did not yet exist (though the hookers did). Whitely continued to expand the hotel and within years it became a lush & extravagant resort with 125 guest rooms, occupying 3 acres.

Millionaire spinster (lesbian with social status) Mira Parker Hershey visited the hotel soon after completion, fell in love and eventually bought the place. In 1911, the first movie studio opened in Hollywood and the floodgates of mid-west high school fame-seeking dropouts opened. Everybody who was anybody (to those that cared) at that time were guests of the Hollywood Hotel. Every Thursday night the hotel hosted a ball & it was considered the place to be & be seen (everybody spoke to each other with cue-cards as sound had not yet been invented). Rudolph Valentino lived in room 264. He met his wife at the hotel & in 1919 was married there & had their honeymoon there too (lots of explicit cue-cards that night).

Mira Hershey died in 1930 & The Good Hope company (a merger between the Fair & Satisfactory Hope companies) bought the hotel. In the 1940's, World War II delayed their plan to demolish the hotel & redevelop the block. In 1956 it was razed & became home to the First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Hollywood office building until 2001 when the current facility was built, providing large sidewalks for homeless break-dancing crews to battle it out.

Angels Flight

On Hill Street, between 3rd & 4th (not far from The Redwood Bar & Grill, LA's best pirate-themed bar) you can find the remnants of what is known as "Angels Flight".

It was built in 1901 by Col. J.W. Eddy to carry people up the steep incline to Bunker Hill. At this time, Bunker Hill was home to a fancy residential area. It was a funicular with two cars, named "Olivet" & "Sinai", both connected to the same cable. As one went up, the other would come down pulled by gravity(aka Magic).

Angels Flight operated for 68 years, at which time Bunker Hill had become a less than savory neighborhood. The cars & equipment were put into storage & stayed there for 27 years (it took owners this long to find the post-it note with the lock combination).

Angels Flight was rebuilt half a block south of the original site in 1996 & the original cars were used. On February 1st, 2001 a passenger was killed and 7 others were injured when one of the cars, almost to the top of the incline reversed direction & sped down crashing into the other car.

The construction was found to be at fault & the designer of the new track fled to Mexico to avoid persecution and become a douche bag. It has been rumored that Angels Flight will reopen sometime soon, but nothing has come to pass so far.

The Harry Houdini Estate

In the early 1900's Laurel Canyon was pretty much untouched. Below the hills were farms & the water runoff from the hills provided nicely for those farms. Civil War veteran Charles Harper had a 480 acre ranch there. Soon, Charles Spencer Mann, along with his partners, bought up lots in the area and the development of Laurel Canyon began.

Laurel Canyon was thought of as the Bel Air of it's day (although there were virtually no Persians) & as the film industry was born, many of it's brightest stars made their home in this canyon (well, they didn't actually make them themselves).

One certain property of about 6 acres at 2400 Laurel Canyon Blvd in the Hollywood Hills, has a very interesting history associated with it.

The estate was originally built in 1915 by R.J. Walker, a wealthy furniture store owner who profited handsomely on the sale of his expensive furnishings (no particle board here mister!) to all the affluent new residents of Los Angeles. It was a looming castle-like structure with arches, battlements, towers, tunnels and secret passages. The house had 3 stories, 11 bedrooms, 9 baths and a basement pool. There was a ballroom, a 15-foot stage for musicians and a ballet room–equipped with mirrors and barre. It is even said to have a tunnel that went below Laurel Canyon Blvd which lead to an elevator connected to the guest house across the street. The property even had a turntable at the top of the driveway so that cars could be spun around & drivers could exit easily down the narrow driveway (ever see one of those on Cribs? I don't think so).

One night in late October in 1918, Mr. Walker threw a costume party for his son's 40th birthday. At a certain point in the night, the 40 year old son escaped to a balcony with his lover, another man (Mr. Walker would later regret the ballet room). It was a secret affair that could not be revealed in that day & age without disgraceful consequences. The story goes that an argument began, then a scream (may have been a shriek) was heard & guests arrived at the scene to find the 40 year old son looking down from the balcony & his (former) lover 30 feet below in a pool of blood.

R.J. Walker spent every penny they had paying off the police, the lawyers and even the judge in order to ensure that his son & family name be saved from disgrace. The son was acquitted, but it costs them their house as well as their business. The family left the house penniless.

Houdini had been spending quite a bit of time in Southern California and moved in to the 4 room guesthouse across the street next to a cabin owned by actor Tom Mix. It is believed that Houdini later bought the estate from the once furniture magnate. Houdini liked the spooky nature of this place. He would practice his underwater escapes in the subterranean pool. Quite the spirtualists, Houdini and his wife conducted countless seances in this home.

On October 26, 1926 Houdini was visited by two students backstage before a show. One of the students asked Houdini if it was true that he could withstand any punch to his stomach. Houdini distractedly replied yes so long as he had time to brace for it. The student, assuming he had permission, struck Houdini in the abdomen. Houdini (who would have turned the little brat into a frog had he not been injured) was in pain for the next few days, continuing to perform despite a rising fever & doctors claims that as a result of the punch he had acute appendicitis. Days later, at the end of a show, Houdini collapsed. Doctors performed an operation in vain. On Halloween 1926 at the age of 52, Houdini whispered to his brother "I'm tired of fighting, Dash". He turned over and stopped breathing forever.

Houdini's wife Bess kept the property, electing to live in the guest house and hold seances in the main house in an attempt to contact her late husband. 17 years after Houdini's passing and with no success of contacting him beyond death, Bess died en route in New York in Needles, CA (nothing good has ever happened there). She was not allowed to be buried in the same cemetery as her husband in Queens, NY because she was a gentile.

The house was taken over by a mysterious woman writer known as "The Green Madonna" (hmmm...). She was a pioneer of the women's movement and wrote a book called "A Woman's Call To Arms" in 1950. One day she simply abandoned the estate & it was later sold.

On a dry & windy day in 1959 (not unlike those we have seen quite often recently), a fire swept through Laurel Canyon, consuming many houses and properties - the Houdini estate included. Only certain walls, the chauffeur's quarters and a portion of the garage remained.

It was later rebuilt, and in the 60's & 70's many famous names stayed there, including Mick Jagger, Jimmy Hendrix, David Bowie & The Beatles. That house probably saw more drugs than the DEA.

It is now owned by producer Rick Rubin and many albums have been produced there such as Red Hot Chili Peppers' Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Stadium Arcadium, Audioslave's Out of Exile, The Mars Volta's De-Loused in the Comatorium, Linkin Park's Minuted to Midnight and many more.

To this day it is said to be haunted by many spirits including that of Houdini.