Tuesday, April 7, 2026
April 7 was the birthday of Tin Pan Alley songwriter and Broadway producer Jack Lawrence (Jacob Louis Schwartz, 1912-2009). Brooklyn-born Lawrence studied to be a podiatrist at the insistenc…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:48PM[SHARE]Surely you recognize Joanna Lee (1931-2003) from her best known screen role, Tanna in Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space (1956). What you may not know " and I was delighted to discover " is t…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:42AM[SHARE]The second of my two posts today concerning people connected with Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933), the previous one focusing on screenwriter Carl Erickson. This one is about actor Gavin Gor…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:36AM[SHARE]This marks the first of two posts today concerning people connected with one of my favorite movies Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933). A young man named Carl Erickson (1908-1935) co-wrote the …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:24AM[SHARE]Monday, April 6, 2026
Today's new Travalanche post for April 6, 2026 is about Vernon Dalhart, debatably the first country singer. Earlier Travalanche posts for April 6 (in no particular order) include ones on:…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:48PM[SHARE]What is a country singer? That is a question raised by the career of a man deemed by some to have been the first of them, Vernon Dalhart (Marion Try Slaughter, 1883-1948). First of all, to c…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:42AM[SHARE]Sunday, April 5, 2026
Today's new Travalanche post for April 5, 2026 is an appreciation of Gregory Peck. It also happens to be the 100th birthday of the late Roger Corman. And Happy Easter to these who celebra…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:02PM[SHARE]Q " Why did the chicken cross the road? A " To see his friend Gregory Peck. (A favorite joke of my high school girlfriend) As I pen this, the birthday of Gregory Peck (1916-2003) falls on Ea…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:54AM[SHARE]Saturday, April 4, 2026
Today's new Travalanche posts for April 4, 2026 are about Richard Coogan (Captain Video) and Laurie Beechman (The Laurie Beechman Theatre). Earlier Travalanche posts for April 4 (in no pa…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:12PM[SHARE]While I've mentioned the name of Laurie Beechman (1953-1998) a couple of dozen times on this blog, it has invariably been in the context of the theatre that is named for her, a cabaret venue…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:06PM[SHARE]Richard Coogan (1914-2014) died a dozen years ago, just shy of his 100th birthday, one half century since leaving the acting business. By which time, most people had long since forgotten who…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:02AM[SHARE]Friday, April 3, 2026
Rarely have I dragged my ass so pitifully as I have today in terms of cranking out a blogpost. Normally I turn out one or two before noon. Now it's past four, and I've produced zip. Oh, I ha…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:42PM[SHARE]Today's new Travalanche post for April 3, 2026 is about The Real Housewives of Rhode Island. For real! Earlier Travalanche posts for April 3 (in no particular order) include ones on: Geor…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:42PM[SHARE]Thursday, April 2, 2026
Your correspondent found himself at Under St Marks twice this week, and it did me much good, as it always does. I was going to amend that to "almost always", but I honestly could not think o…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:36PM[SHARE]Today's new Travalanche post for April 2, 2026 is about a couple of great solo shows at Under St. Marks starring Killy Dwyer and Nelly Reznik. Earlier Travalanche posts for April 2 (in no…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:36PM[SHARE]Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Today's new Travalanche posts for April 1, 2026 are about bandleader Eddie Duchin, and Robert Dwan (You Bet Your Life). Also, Happy April Fool's Day! If you're in the mood, please check o…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:24PM[SHARE]As an outgrowth of working on my book No Applause (now over 20 years ago!) I became something of an aficionado of what may well be one of the worst of all cinematic subgenres, film for film …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:06PM[SHARE]I could find no good photo of radio and television director Robert Dwan (1915-2005), but this one of his memoir As Long as They're Laughing: Groucho Marx and You Bet Your Life (2000) will do…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:54AM[SHARE]Tuesday, March 31, 2026
A few months ago I learned (from Eve's Obits, I think) of the death of Eva, the taller member of the Berlin performance art duo (and married couple) Eva and Adele. I have no idea who they re…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:24PM[SHARE]Today's new Travalanche posts for March 31, 2026 are about jazz great Red Norvo, and performance art couple Eva and Adele (for Trans Day of Visibility). Earlier Travalanche posts for Marc…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:24PM[SHARE]Born of a March 31: jazz great Red Norvo (Kenneth Norville, 1908-1999), master of the melodic mallet instruments: vibraphone, xylophone, and marimbas. Norvo started in a Chicago band called …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:54AM[SHARE]Monday, March 30, 2026
Today's new Travalanche post for March 30, 2026 is about an upcoming New York screening of Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush. ALSO: Today is National Doctors Day. I've created two previous …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:12PM[SHARE]New Yorkers and Near-New Yorkers! I am excited to report the news the my good friends of the Silent Comedy Film Series are presenting a centennial screening of Charlie Chaplin's great featur…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:12PM[SHARE]Sunday, March 29, 2026
Today's new Travalanche post for March 29, 2026 is about vaudeville performer and silent screen actor James O. Barrows. It also happens to be World Piano Day. See my post on The Piano Player…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:32PM[SHARE]Some lives and careers of significance come with no thrilling hook or angle; the individuals in question were simply at the Big Show, in the limelight, but not at center stage. Yet knowing s…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:12AM[SHARE]Saturday, March 28, 2026
Thanks Carly Sommerstein for affording me the privilege of attending the memorial concert for Clem Burke at the Bowery Palace this past Thursday. Burke, who passed away about a year ago, was…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:48PM[SHARE]Today's new Travalanche posts for March 28, 2026 are about Flora Robson, Frank Lovejoy, and the memorial for Clem Burke. Earlier Travalanche posts for March 28 (in no particular order) in…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:48PM[SHARE]Frank Lovejoy (1912-62) had an extremely pleasant face and voice, yet he was just gritty enough to get cast mostly as cops, reporters, and military people. You've surely seem him in things, …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:36PM[SHARE]Dame Flora Robson (1902-1984) was not unattractive (to my eyes) in her younger years, but by middle age she was known for playing severe characters, forbidding queens and dowagers, spirited …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:36PM[SHARE]Friday, March 27, 2026
Today's new Travalanche posts for March 27, 2026 are about Snooky Lanson, Maud Gage Baum, and some final works of Noah Diamond's Pintele. Also, it's World Theatre Day. My key to many of t…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:54PM[SHARE]A science teacher at my old high school used to characterize his teaching method every time he conducted a review for a quiz or an exam thusly: "I told you I was gonna tell ya, I told ya, an…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:54PM[SHARE] 
