11,466 stories by "Trav S.D."
New York’s clown scene lost one of its most beloved figures a few days ago. Karen McCarty has succumbed to cancer after a long battle. There’s a special irony about that manner of death …
We touched on the topic of Rodolphe Salis (1851-1897) and Le Chat Noir briefly in my book No Applause, and in this earlier post on cabaret, and what makes it different from vaudeville. On hi…
Much as Bill Robinson’s birthday is National Tap Dance Day, two years ago I unilaterally declared Tony Pastor’s birthday to be National Vaudeville Day. This year there are things to anno…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 29, 2026 are about stage and screen actors Minna Gombell, Billy Engle, Jack Curtis, a tribute to the late silent film preservationist Dorothy Bradley,…
Just learned from my friends at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum the sad news that their former President Dorothy Bradley has passed away. Originally from nearby San Francisco, Dorothy w…
Tribute today to actress Minna Gombell (1892-1973). Gombell was prized mostly for her comic abilities, and was known for playing tough talking and shrewish characters by her movie years, alt…
May 28 was the birthday of actor Jonathan “Jack” Curtis (1880-1956). Curtis was born in San Francisco to a show biz family. His father (also Jack Curtis) was in vaudeville and later beca…
Only the barest bones biography on William “Billy” Engle (1889-1966), for we know scarcely more than his (over 300) screen credits, though there are probably enough clues for some intrep…
Today’s new Travalanche post for May 27, 2026 is about the Vanderbilts, partial inspiration for characters in The Gilded Age. Earlier Travalanche posts for May 27 (in no particular order) …
If there must be a show biz justification for this post, call it backgrounder for The Gilded Age, though it embraces many other historical topics I’ve been exploring with increasing heat o…
Today’s new Travalanche post for May 26, 2026 is about Won Ton Ton the Dog That Saved Hollywood, which is 50 years old today. Also, it’s World Dracula Day! Check out my posts on: Bram St…
We present today’s topic as a wonderful example of telescoping history. Released 50 years ago today, Won Ton Ton: The Dog That Saved Hollywood (1976) is a tribute to the Hollywood of 50 ye…
Today’s new Travalanche post for May 25, 2026 is about the Sharkey the Sea Lion documentary. Earlier Travalanche posts for May 25 (in no particular order) include ones on: National Tap Dan…
Three years ago we reported here about Gary Bohan’s terrific book about Sharkey the Sea Lion; he and his team have also been putting together a documentary on the topic in which your corre…
May 24 is the birthday of many eminences, including my own son, and also Little Nell (Laura Elizabeth Campbell, b. 1953). Little Nell is known primarily for her iconic role as Columbia in th…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 24, 2026 are about Peter Minuit’s Purchase of Manhattan (400 years ago today) and Little Nell from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. For National Broth…
Today is New York City’s 400th birthday. The official celebration seems to have been pegged to 1609/2009, the quadricentennial of Henry Hudson’s exploration of the area around what is no…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 23, 2026 are about Douglas Fairbanks and a new book about the Flying Karamazov Brothers. Also it’s World Wrestling Day: check out the wrestling sect…
As promised in our previous post, today we proffer a little funding air to help navigate our numerous posts related to the career of silent screen star Douglas Fairbanks. Essays Fairbanks in…
Yes, yes not the Dostoevsky ones, the Flying ones, the ones who juggle! I had known that Flying Karamazov Brother Howard Patterson had a memoir in the works because I’ve had the pleasure o…
There’s a small handful of other performers with a May 22 birthday I have the option of writing about this morning, but I’ve chosen instead to fill in a little gap in our existing Traval…
A few weeks ago I chanced to catch Sun Ra’s movie Space is the Place (made in 1972, released in 1974) on the Criterion Channel and had my mind properly blown, just as its Creator intended.…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 22, 2026 are about Sid Melton, and Sun Ra! Earlier Travalanche posts for May 22 (in no particular order) include ones on: Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherl…
A salute today to comedy character actor Sid Melton (Sidney Meltzer, 1917-2011). Standing 5′ 3″ tall, with large neotenous eyes, Melton bore a certain resemblance to others in the biz, i…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 21, 2026 are about music manager Albert Grossman and playwright Kenyon Nicholson (The Barker). Earlier Travalanche posts for May 21 (in no particular …
