Community newspapers in Hollywood, California, have included the Hollywood Sentinel (1903 or before-1911), Hollywood Inquirer (unknown-1914), Hollywood Citizen (1905–1931), Hollywood News, (unknown-1931), and Hollywood Citizen-News (1931–1970).
Sentinel In 1903, veteran publisher A.A. Bynon sold his interest in a newspaper called the Hollywood Sentinel to G.P. Sullivan, who became the paper's editor."Hollywood. Local Society Notes," Los Angeles Times, December 6, 1903, image 15 The Sentinel received the Hollywood city contract for printing legal advertising in December 1903."Hollywood Becomes a Prohibition Town," Los Angeles Times, December 29, 1903, image 17 In 1904 C.N. Whitaker, former editor of the Monrovia Messenger, bought the business,"Hollywood. Here and There," Los Angeles Times, April 29, 1904, image 10 but on November 1 Morris & Ponay of Portland, Oregon, took it over."Foothill Town Briefs," Los Angeles Times, October 227, 1904, image 23
In 1905 Charles Mosteller of Los Angeles was the new owner of the Hollywood Sentinel. It was still being published in 1907"Hollywood. Buys for New 'Central,'" Los Angeles Times, November 4, 1905, image 21"Kansas People in California," The Topeka State Journal, March 26, 1907, image 9 and 1909."Call for Bond Election Will Be Issued Tuesday," Los Angeles Herald, September 6, 1909, image 10
In 1909 Mosteller, identified as the Sentinel's managing editor, said the newspaper would begin a daily edition in June, which would compete with the Hollywood Citizen. It was explained that the legal advertising for the City of Hollywood (which was then independent from Los Angeles) had to be published in a daily newspaper, so both journals were switching from weekly to daily publication in order to bid on the contract.
The Los Angeles Herald commented that each paper would try to underbid the other for the city's advertising"Hollywood to Have Two Daily Papers," Los Angeles Herald, June 13, 1909, image 11 and that "The fight, which promises to be a hot one, will result in the city's printing being done at a greatly reduced figure, probably below cost, and in forcing the losing paper to the wall." In 1909, the Sentinel office was the scene of a fist fight occasioned by the refusal of editor Herbert F. Clark to print the poetry of W.D. Cowley unless it were paid for as advertising. Cowley, who was the caretaker at the home of Los Angeles Times publisher Harrison Gray Otis, refused to do so, and Clark thereupon wrote a column "casting reflections upon the character of Cowley's poetry," according to a report in the Tacoma (Washington) Times."Would-Be Poet Is Whipped by Editor," Tacoma Times, January 29, 1909, image 1 "Cowley called at the Sentinel office to whip the editor and lost the battle," the Tacoma newspaper said.
In 1911 E.E. Brown purchased both the Hollywood Sentinel and the Hollywood Citizen and was to combine the two newspapers. "By so doing," wrote the Alma (Michigan) Record, "he will have control of the newspaper business in a town of 7,000 people only 10 miles from Los Angeles.""Local Happenings," Alma Record, January 19, 1911, image 4
Inquirer
The Hollywood Inquirer was owned and published by Herschel Spencer Lander until 1914,"Betrothal Announcement," Los Angeles Times, November 28, 1915, image 31 when he sold out and moved to Paradise Valley, California."Betrothal Announcement," Los Angeles Times, November 28, 1915, image 31
Homer Fort, who had been editor of the Monrovia (California) Messenger, purchased the business from Jay E. Randall in 1915."Congratulations," Monrovia (California) Daily News, June 21, 1915, image 2
D.B. Peck was also an editor and publisher of the newspaper."Death of Mrs. Lida S. Peck," Hollywood Citizen, January 9, 1920, image 1"D.B. Peck Joins Quartermaster Corps," Hollywood Citizen, October 11, 1918, image 1
Mrs. Mary Clough Watson was its first editor."Deaths Last Night," Akron (Ohio) Beacon-Journal, September 27, 1932, image 29 Harry Elliot was the newspaper's editor in June 1916"County Editors Attend Outing," Evening Express, Los Angeles, June 24, 1916, image 8 and Martin Luther Helpman in 1917."Asks Heart Balm of Former Decatur Girl; California Editor Sues Miss Edith Van Meter, School Teacher and Bride of a Week," The Decatur (Illinois) Herald, March 3, 1017, image 3
O.M. Donaldson bought the Inquirer in 1918 from Douglas Edwards and changed the style, format and name "to conform with the ideals that had proven highly successful under his direction at Oak Park, Illinois." He sold the Inquirer around 1926 to Holly Leaves, Inc. (F.H. Hartwell, president)."O.M. Donaldson Resigns Position," Hollywood Daily Citizen, January 26, 1926, image 2
Citizen and News
Titles and dates 1905-1921 (SN 92061588) Hollywood Citizen 1921-1931 (SN 95061523) Hollywood Daily Citizen 1931-1944 (SN 90051954) Hollywood Citizen-News 1944-1945 (SN 99060913) Citizen-News 1945-1948 (SN 99060914) Hollywood Citizen-News 1948-1968 (SN 87062115) Citizen-News 1968-1970 (SN 95061031) Hollywood Citizen News
Citizen (1905–1931) The Hollywood Weekly Sentinel preceded the Hollywood Citizen.
The first edition of the Hollywood Citizen appeared as a four-page, six-column weekly on Sunday, April 23, 1905, measuring 16 by 22 inches."Hollywood. Plans for Banquet," Los Angeles Times, April 24, 1905, image 13 The Los Angeles Times said that "its neat appearance caused much favorable comment.""Will Break Ground for New Catholic Academy," Los Angeles Times, April 24, 1905, image 5 It was established by Ezekial Dunton Taylor (1842–1917), a veteran newspaperman originally from Ohio, who came to Los Angeles in 1902, and his son-in-law, W.C. Parcher. Taylor was editor until 1910, when he moved to the Owens Valley Herald."Ezekial D. Taylor Breathes His Last," Los Angeles Times, February 12, 1917, image 10
In 1911, Harlan G. Palmer, Sr., began publishing the Hollywood Citizen and was editor in 1917."Editor Arrives in Hollywood," San Bernardino Daily Sun, June 26, 1917, image 6
News Ira C. Copley of Aurora, Illinois, purchased the Hollywood News and the Glendale Daily Press from Frederick William Kellogg of Kellogg Newspapers, Inc. (Pasadena Evening Post) and his son, William Scripps Kellogg, effective February 15, 1928."Copley Buys More Papers," Los Angeles Times, February 16, 1928, image 17
He also bought the Alhambra Post-Advocate, Pasadena Evening Post, Monrovia Evening Post, Eagle Rock Daily Press, Burbank Daily Press, San Fernando Valley News, Sawtelle Evening Tribune, Santa Monica Evening Outlook, Venice Evening Vanguard, Culver City Star-News, Redondo Daily Breeze, Hermosa Daily Breeze and the San Pedro Daily News, effective September 1, 1928.
These latter papers were to be taken over and operated by the Southern California Newspapers Associated, of which Samuel G. McClure would become president and general manager. To make the transaction, Copley said, he assumed shares of ownership in the new group. McClure said that the Hollywood News would be immediately expanded, but that no changes would be made in the other papers.
Copley said that a holding company to be known as the Copley Press would be created by the succeeding September and that F.W. Kellogg would have an interest in it.
Citizen-News (1931–1970) The Hollywood Citizen-News was a "flourishing medium-sized daily, concentrating its coverage on Hollywood," according to the Van Nuys News. "In the late 1930s, the paper led many a reform fight in local government.""66-Year-Old Citizen News Publishes Its Final Edition," Van Nuys News, August 30, 1970, image 5 Under Palmer, the newspaper had a liberal editorial voice and its staff were granted editorial autonomy and expected to adhere to standard journalistic ethics. It was located in the Hollywood Citizen-News Building.
Palmer Merger Judge Harlan G. Palmer, the owner of the Hollywood Citizen since 1911,"Hollywood Publisher Judge Palmer Dies," Los Angeles Times, July 26, 1956, image 24 purchased the Hollywood News from Ira Copley in 1931 and combined the two papers under the name Citizen-News. The first issue appeared on Monday, November 2, 1931, published from the News building. The combined circulation was expected to reach "more than 30,000," it was said. The Citizen circulation was given as 20,000 and the News as "over 20,000.""Copley Sells News to Rival in Hollywood," San Bernardino Daily Sun, November 1, 1931, image 3
Harlan G. Palmer, Sr. owned and published its successor, the Hollywood Citizen News from the 1931 until 1956.
In 1956, Harlan G. Palmer, Jr., took over as publisher of the Hollywood Citizen News, until it was sold in the 1960s, remaining an active publication until 1971.
The Hollywood Citizen News and the Valley Citizen News were published together.
Union activity
The editorial staff struck and picketed the plant on May 17, 1938, in the first walkout called by the American Newspaper Guild in California.Furmanovsky, Michael. (1984) "'Cocktail Picket Party': The Hollywood Citizen-News Strike, the Newspaper Guild, and the Popularization of the 'Democratic Front' in Los Angeles". UCLA Historical Journal. Retrieved 28 April 2022. PDF reprinted in Managing editor Harold Swisher said other workers were being hired and that production employees were on the job as usual.United Press International, "Guild Strike on Hollywood Paper Called," Capital Journal, Salem, Oregon, May 17, 1938, image 3 Publisher Harlan G. Palmer discharged three of the Guild members while negotiations were going on.
Sontag Company filed suit against the Los Angeles Newspaper Guild and others, contending it was damaged by union pickets at its Hollywood drug store."Guild Picketing Causes Suit," Los Angeles Times, June 8, 1938, image 13
A Superior Court judge issued a temporary restraining order against the union prohibiting it from picketing 166 companies that continued their advertising in the struck newspaper."Store Picket Ban Issued," Los Angeles Times, June 28, 1938, image 4 The order against this secondary picketing was later made permanent."Labor Board Opens Hearing in Citizen-News' Guild Strike," Los Angeles Times, July 6, 1938, image 5
The union took the matter to the National Labor Relations Board The strike ended on July 30, 1938, with an agreement between the two sides."Citizen-News Strike Settled," Los Angeles Times, July 31, 1938, image 2
Superior Judge Emmet Wilson, however, ruled that six guild members he had cited for contempt of court must stand trial.Associated Press, "Strike Settled But Guild Members Must Stand Trial," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1938, image 3
The union lost an appeal to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals which had been asked to rule on its claim, among others, that the company had violated labor law when it denied bylines to some employees who had been involved in the strike. The court held that it was within the right of the employer to make such a decision for business reasons."'Citizen-News' Wins Fight in N.L.R.B. Case," Los Angeles Times, April 3, 1943, page 6
Heyler ownership
Palmer died on July 25, 1956,"Hollywood Publisher Judge Palmer Dies," Los Angeles Times, July 26, q956, image 24 and the publishership of the company was taken over by his son, Harlan G. Palmer Jr., who in 1961 sold it to David B. Heyler, owner of the Beverly Hills Citizen."Beverly Hills Publisher Purchases Citizen-News," The News, San Fernando Valley, November 21, 1961, image 2
In January 1962, Heyler announced that the Citizen-News would have separate editions for three districts of the Los Angeles area: (1) Hollywood and the metropolitan area, (2) Beverly Hills west to Santa Monica, and (3) the San Fernando Valley."Citizen-News to Take New Format on Monday," Los Angeles Times, January 18, 1962, image 53
Copeland ownership