Monday, December 29, 2025
Born December 29, two (unrelated) American leaders who broke rules, were publicly disgraced, and yet became the subjects of Hollywood bio-pics, Andrew Johnson and Billy Mitchell. The stories…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:32AMSunday, December 28, 2025
Today’s new Travalanche post for December 28, 2025 is about Alex Chilton of The Box Tops, Big Star, et al. Earlier Travalanche posts for December 28 (in no particular order) include ones o…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:42PMIn a land and a business predicated on perpetual change it’s rare for those in the music business to maintain street cred across multiple generations, but Alex Chilton (1950-2010) did. Few…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:18PMSaturday, December 27, 2025
Today’s new Travalanche posts for December 27, 2025 are about Beulah Booker (from Keaton’s The Saphead) and author/actress Sarah Vowell. Also, we’ve just learned (from Eve Golden) that…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:36PMToday a rare appreciation for a public figure who’s younger than this correspondent, the divine Sarah Vowell (b. 1969). Vowell is probably most widely known for playing the teenaged daught…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:32PMHere I thought I’d long since written about every one of Buster Keaton’s leading ladies, but here’s one that fell through the cracks (with good reason though). Beulah Booker (1901-1973…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:24PMFriday, December 26, 2025
Today’s new Travalanche post for December 26, 2025 is about actor Richard Widmark, who got his start in radio! Other earlier Travalanche posts for December 26 (in no particular order) incl…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:42PMRichard Widmark (1914-2008) was born of a Boxing Day. I wonder how many newborns are accidentally tossed away with the packages and wrapping paper every year on that day? Well, if it was don…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:24PMThursday, December 25, 2025
Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Season’s Greetings! And Be Cool This Yule! Today’s new Travalanche post for December 25, 2025 is about Bing Crosby’s long association with the Christma…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:48PMMerry Christmas, Season’s Greetings, and Happy Holidays — whatever doesn’t put your nose out of joint on this day of days. I got the idea for this post only yesterday, though it’s a …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:36AMWednesday, December 24, 2025
Today’s new Travalanche post for December 24, 2025 is about Eugène Scribe and the Well Made Play. In honor of the season, here are some highlights of the Christmas section of Travalanche:…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:06PMWell, if you’re named “Scribe”, you had better be a writer. Eugène Scribe (1791-1861) was to be one of the most prolific and influential playwrights in theatrical history. He turned o…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:02AMTuesday, December 23, 2025
Today’s new Travalanche posts for December 23, 2025 are about Cecil and Sally (John Patrick and Helen Troy) and Harry Guardino. Other earlier Travalanche posts for December 23 (in no parti…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:06PMThat’s right! Harry Guardino (1925-1995)! Born a century ago today! And gone three decades. I don’t know if there ever was such a thing as a Clint Eastwood stock company, but if there wa…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:02PMThe radio comedy team of Cecil and Sally were John Patrick (John Patrick Goggin, 1905-1995) and Helen Troy (1903-1942). Their collaboration enjoyed a brief window of fame in the late ’20s …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:48AMMonday, December 22, 2025
Today’s new Travalanche posts for December 22, 2025 are about Dame Peggy Ashcroft and a dame named Peggie Castle. Other earlier Travalanche posts for December 22 (in no particular order) i…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:06PMHaving done a single post on two Elaines just a couple of days ago, I promise this post on two Peggies represents a coincidence, not a trend. These otherwise completely unconnected women sha…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:02AMSunday, December 21, 2025
Today’s new Travalanche posts for December 21, 2025 are about western sidekick Guy Wilkerson and the late Melanie Winter, vaudeville descendent and environmental activist. Other earlier Tr…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:12PMI just heard from my old friend Dan Hagen that the lovely Melanie Winter (b. 1958) passed away from cancer a couple of months ago. The context in which I became acquainted with Melanie is an…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:06PMA brief nod in the direction of western character actor Guy Wilkerson (1899-1971). Wilkerson was a native of Whitewright, Texas, an hour north of Dallas, just over the Oklahoma border. He be…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:02AMSaturday, December 20, 2025
What does it say about America in the late 20th century that classy, dignified, well-spoken actor John Hillerman (1932-2017) seemed to be from ANOTHER TIME? America had become slovenly and l…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:24PMToday’s new Travalanche post for December 20, 2025 is about the late actor John Hillerman. Other earlier Travalanche posts for December 20 (in no particular order) include ones on: Charlie…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:24PMFriday, December 19, 2025
Today’s new Travalanche posts for December 19, 2025 are about Elaine Joyce, and one of the last Munchkins, Elaine Merk. Other earlier Travalanche posts for December 19 (in no particular or…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:36PMI don’t usually lash together biographies of two different people into the same blogpost unless they are related somehow. But, dash it all, these two women with December 19 birthdays are b…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:32AMThursday, December 18, 2025
Today’s new Travalanche post for December 18, 2025 is about pioneering trans icons Boulton and Park. Other earlier Travalanche posts for December 18 (in no particular order) include ones o…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:42PMNotorious criminals and music hall teams both often come in named pairs: Burke and Hare, Leopold and Loeb, and Dick and Perry on the one hand…Harrigan and Hart, Foottit and Chocolat, and W…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:36AMWednesday, December 17, 2025
Today’s new Travalanche post for December 17, 2025 is about accordion giant Tony Lovello. Other earlier Travalanche posts for December 17 (in no particular order) include ones on: An Ameri…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:42AMBorn in a December 17, Tony Lovello (Tony Lovullo, 1932-2017), widely billed as “The Liberace of the Accordion”. Lovello was born and spent his early years in Buffalo. His father made hi…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:32AMTuesday, December 16, 2025
The title of this post is not intended satirically, though I suppose some may initially hear it that way. I’m no certified Janeite, but I have certainly enjoyed getting to know the writing…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:12PMToday’s new Travalanche post for December 16, 2025 honors the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen. Other earlier Travalanche posts for December 16 (in no particular order) includ…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:12PMMonday, December 15, 2025
Today’s new Travalanche posts for December 15, 2025 include ones on: The Emperor Nero, and actress Kasey Rogers (born 100 years ago today). We also want to suggest four earlier posts in pa…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:06PM 
