tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8086537183354417004.post4011446916522459193..comments2023-09-16T13:22:55.052-04:00Comments on freefromeditors: Reporter John Clark and gangster Mickey Cohen a story from the "Front Page"Jim of L-Townhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03941398804273985677noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8086537183354417004.post-49364032435237854052009-07-31T14:53:35.465-04:002009-07-31T14:53:35.465-04:00(My father, who can't negotiate the comments b...(My father, who can't negotiate the comments buttons, sent this in by e-mail)<br /><br />Dear Jim:<br /><br />Yes, I was able to access and read the L.A. Times story on the Daily News. In it was mention of Matt Weinstock a feature writer on the order of Herb Caen in San Francisco. Matt and I became friends and I would feed little tid bits to him from time to time, some of which appeared in print. Matt wrote a book on the Los Angeles scene titled, "Muscatel at Noon." Wonder if there's any way to find and purchase a copy? Oh, Herb Caen also became a casual friend over the years; we kept running into each other, figuratively, at restaurants. Herb knew your Grandfather Smith very well.<br /><br />One more thing about Tub Thumpers, I first learned this term from a former boss, Frank Howe. Frank had been a newspaper man for many years before joining the Los Angeles advertising agency as director of publicity and public relations. It was with his tutelage that I learned never to submit a story to media that wasn't real news. And, if at all possible, write it in the style of the media to which it is to be presented. Photos included had to be posed to fit a standard one or two column measure. It was because of him that I was able to get many of my stories used by the media. It was also because of Frank that I have a near impossible time writing any longer than one page.<br /><br />Frank explained the meaning of "Tub Thumper;" it began during the days of traveling medicine shows when an advance man would enter a town literally thumping on a tub to attract attention.<br /><br />Over the years I became acquainted with a number of Los Angeles City Editors. I still remember the names of two of them: Maggie Underwood at the Los Angeles Herald Express and Jim Richardson of the Examiner. Maggie would be at her desk at five in the morning, and if I had a story to present, I would always arrive at that time. She took a shine to me and my copy was, for the most part, well received. Jim Richardson was exactly the opposite: he was always standing surrounded by rewriters and he quite literally, scared the shit out of me whenever I came into his space. I was told he was the roll model for the editor in the movie, "Front Page."<br /><br />Finally, there was a publicity man in Los Angeles named Herbert (Herb) Baus who had, for some reason, angered every editor within hundreds of miles. As a result he hired someone to place the stories under a different name knowing stories under his byline would hit the waste basket. Herb could be announcing the beginning of World War III, but if it carried his byline, it wouldn't get printed.<br /><br />Wow, I'm running off at the mouth this morning. All your fault.<br /><br />With much love,<br /><br />DadLee Smithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8086537183354417004.post-65127780064150966382009-07-31T11:12:23.578-04:002009-07-31T11:12:23.578-04:00oh, and how about those old, gray, blocky, heavy, ...oh, and how about those old, gray, blocky, heavy, beep-only beepers?<br /><br />talk about binary communication...<br /><br />:)<br /><br />ToddAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8086537183354417004.post-48304162374247489532009-07-31T09:28:42.832-04:002009-07-31T09:28:42.832-04:00Todd,
Dan was a great reporter and rewrite guy. I...Todd,<br /><br />Dan was a great reporter and rewrite guy. I loved doing rewrite and used to alternate with Barb, who was another great rewrite "man" during my five-year stint at the Oakland Press. Gotta watch all these sexist terms. <br /><br />Rewrite is a lost art. Grabbing facts on the run and turning them into a compelling story without having been at a scene is, dare I say, an art. The best rewrite folks were the ones who had worn out a few shoe soles doing the same job, so it came easy to them.<br /><br />I will always be grateful to the intro you gave me to the Flint police beat when I started in 1989 and you were on days. You were always a class act and an extremely able reporter. (Not a bad husband and dad either, which probably distinguishes you from me and guys like John Clark).<br /><br />The first cell phone I ever had was the bag phone that we used at the Flint Journal. At the Oakland Press, we also had to carry loose change for pay phones and where there were no pay phones we had to beg, borrow of steal a phone to use.<br /><br />I rememeber in many cases where I was on an early morning deadline going to a house on a block where a homicide or fatal accident had happened overnight and asking people in pajamas if I could use their phone to call the office, often long distance (remember when there was a long distance).<br /><br />At the Oakland Press, I knew where the friendly detectives were at the Pontiac Police Department and who would let me use a desk phone to call in a late story there. Part of being a good beat reporter also involved working your way around obstacles and barricades.<br /><br />My Uncle Bill Smith, also worked at the LA Daily News and talked fondly of the "old days" where tracking down a story was an exciting adventure. <br /><br />Oh, I know the reasons for wiping off the phones.....Jim of L-Townhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03941398804273985677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8086537183354417004.post-33558043127587524942009-07-31T08:40:18.949-04:002009-07-31T08:40:18.949-04:00You're making me feel old, Jim.
I had a grea...You're making me feel old, Jim. <br /><br />I had a great rewrite man, Dan Shriner. He made me look good when I was not at my best, and turned bullet points into stories.<br /><br />And I routinely used payphones on the north side of Flint to call in homicides as late as 10:30 a.m. or so.<br /><br />I remember carrying a roll of quarters to use them, and always keeping in mind where the working ones were.<br /><br />It was important also to get into the habit of wiping off the phone on your pants before sticking it onto your ear ... for reasons you don't want to know.<br /><br />ToddAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com