The Tolucan Times

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The Tolucan Times
TypeMonthly newspaper
Format Community journalism
FounderBetty Branch
Editor-in-chiefGino Renzulli
Managing editorMichael Argento
Founded1937 (as The Canyon Crier)
LanguageEnglish
Website thetolucantimesla.com

The Tolucan Times is a community weekly newspaper based in the Toluca Lake area of Los Angeles, California. [1] Founded in 1937, it is one of the oldest newspapers in the San Fernando Valley. [2] [3] It covers politics and local news, as well as books, films, theatre and art reviews for the Los Angeles region. It has a readership in the Los Angeles entertainment industry, as the newspaper is carried on all of the studio lots and is featured in various production businesses. [4]

Contents

History

In 1937, the The Canyon Crier, a newspaper in the Laurel Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles, was founded. [5] It was created by Betty Branch while her husband Russel Branch was away serving in the military. [6] [7] Around 1948, Betsy and Norman Rose become proprietors. Mr. Rose previously worked as a radio writer until returning home from World War II. He quit his job and then bought the paper. [8] The couple grew it into an eight-page tabloid with a circulation of 6,500. [9] One local columnist described the Crier as a "New Yorker magazine with no shoes on." [8] Another called it an "odd little example of free and enterprising journalism" that grew a national following with its brand of "personalized journalism." [10]

The Crier hailed itself as "the only paper that makes sense." [10] It reported on area locals and the famous residents of Hollywood and Beverly Hills alike, including Humphrey Bogart, Risë Stevens and Nelson Eddy. The paper got an exclusive interview with Eugene Ormandy, and Collier Young promised to schedule his wedding so the Crier wouldn't get scooped. The paper also reported on the problems of planting pansies in the hillside land and a opossum stealing goldfish. [8] Around 1952, the Roses sold the Crier to publicist Jim Bishop. [11]

In 1958, Ellis Morcos founded The Tolucan, a newspaper in Toluca Lake. [5] In 1956, Bishop, owner of an advertising and public relations firm, sold the Crier to Richard Sharpe and his wife Gya Sharpe. [12] Mr. Sharpe was a well-known gourmet who wrote about restaurants for several publications. As Crier publisher, a columnist said he "made life pure misery for the carless civil servant" and was "not afraid - or bound by journalist tradition - to get in there and really slug it out." [13]

In 1968, Mrs. Sharpe sold the Crier to Ty Jurras, a publicist for the wine industry from Los Angeles. [14] [15] A year later John H. Eccleston was appointed editor. [16] Jurras operated the Crier until 1977, when he sold it along with his public relations firm, moved to Vermont and opened a bed and breakfast. [15] At some point Morcos acquired the Crier. [5] In 1981, Hearst Communications acquired a number of community papers in southern California including The Tolucan, The Canyon Crier and The Magnolian. [17] Those there papers were merged together to a form a single publication. [18] In 1985, Hearst sold The Tolucan to Iraqi film producer Mardi Rustam. [19] He soon renamed the paper to The Tolucan Times and published the paper until his death in 2023. [20] His daughters then sold the Times to Nico Renzulli. [5]

References

  1. ↑ Wai, Joan (March 30, 2005). Newcomer's Handbook For Moving To And Living In Los Angeles: Including Santa Monica, Pasadena, Orange County, And The San Fernando Valley. First Books. ISBN   9780912301600 – via Google Books.
  2. ↑ "The Tolucan Times - and Canyon Crier". The Tolucan Times. Archived from the original on December 12, 1998. Retrieved August 24, 2022. TICOR CORPORATION: Publishers of: The Tolucan Times, Canyon Crier, Hollywood Entertainment, Hollywood News, The Magnolian
  3. ↑ "The Tolucan Times". www.thetolucantimesla.com/. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Echo Media V3 Print Media Experts".
  5. 1 2 3 4 "About". The Tolucan Times. July 23, 2025. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Meet the Colonels". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. Hollywood, California. October 18, 1945. p. 17.
  7. ↑ Morem, Bill (December 28, 2011). "Resolving to be more like Betty Branch". San Luis Obispo Tribune. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 Mosby, Aline (October 13, 1948). "Hollywood A Country Town! | For Proof, Just Read the Ultra Smart Canyon Criter". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. Hollywood, California. p. 21.
  9. ↑ "Darr Smith". Daily News. Los Angeles, California. June 13, 1951. p. 39.
  10. 1 2 Beek, Neill (October 17, 1949). "Farmers Market Today". The Los Angeles Times. p. 4.
  11. ↑ Weinstock, Matt (September 13, 1952). "Matt Weinstock | He saw his duty". Daily News. Los Angeles, California. p. 6.
  12. ↑ "Canyon Crier Newspaper Sold by Bishop to Couple". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. Hollywood, California. January 19, 1956. p. 5.
  13. ↑ Vad Remmen, Tommy (May 9, 1958). "Beach Beat". The Daily Breeze. Torrance, California. p. 2.
  14. ↑ "Canyon Crier Sold To Jurras". Valley Times. North Hollywood, California. December 25, 1968. p. 5.
  15. 1 2 "Ty Jurras | Wine publicist later operated own B&B". The Los Angeles Times. April 16, 2011. p. 19.
  16. ↑ "South Pasadena man edits paper in SF Valley". South Pasadena Journal. South Pasadena, California. January 2, 1969. p. 1.
  17. ↑ "Hearst Acquires 28 Weeklies, Two Dailies". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Associated Press. August 9, 1981.
  18. ↑ Wilson, Kevin (August 28, 1985). "Black and White | Tongue-in-check?". Palo Verde Valley Times. Blythe, California. p. 4.
  19. ↑ "Four papers sold to group". Santa Barbara News-Press. Associated Press. October 30, 1985. p. 31.
  20. ↑ "Obituary | Mardi Ahmed Rustam". Crescenta Valley Weekly. September 21, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
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