11,696 stories by "Trav S.D."
For 89 years, the Kessler Twins, Alice and Ellen (1936-2025) did everything together. Last November, they collaborated one last time — on a joint assisted suicide. The triple threat duo we…
Today’s new Travalanche post for August 20, 2026, concerns the recently passed German variety act The Kessler Twins. Previous August 20 posts include ones on: Alan Reed (Fred Flintstone) J…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for August 19, 2026 are about the reopening of the NYC Fire Museum, a new kids book about Fred Stone, some show business orangutans, and pioneering Chinese Am…
August 19th was the birthday of vaudeville and Broadway star Fred Stone, best known today for having played the part of the Scarecrow in the original stage production of The Wizard of Oz in …
A word to the wise: the New York City Fire Museum (278 Spring Street) is celebrating its reopening with a ceremony tomorrow (Thursday, August 20, 2026) at 10pm. The museum has been closed fo…
August 19 is International Orangutan Day. Do you know where YOUR orangutan is? Having already celebrated the Chimps of Travalanche, and the Gorillas of Travalanche, along with many another s…
August 19, 1892 was the date of birth of stage star Ada Lum. Lum was the daughter of a Chinese-American physician and shrimp importer and his German-American wife. She grew up in New Orleans…
August 18 is the birthday of stand-up comedian Elayne Boosler (b. 1952), and this year finds us at some significant Boosler anniversaries: 50 years since she started to gain mainstream atten…
Today’s new Travalanche post for August 18, 2026 is on Elayne Boosler. Previous August 18 posts have included ones on: Criswell Shelley Winters Jack Pickford Robert Redford Gus Edwards Ala…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for August 17, 2026 are on: Monty Woolley, Lottie Gee, and The Black Cat. Previous August 17 articles (in no particular order) include ones on: Mae West Davy …
August 17 is Black Cat Appreciation Day and we’ve already done a post on black cats in the movies, so we thought we would take the opportunity for a super quick nod to a fairly obscure Gol…
August 17 was the birthday of vaudeville, night club, and musical comedy performer Lottie Gee (Charlotte Gee, 1886-1973). She is best known as one of the stars of the original production of …
Every year at this time I kick the can down the road at the prospect of adding Monty Woolley (Edgar Montillion Woolley, 1888-1963) to these annals. To date, there has always been someone or …
100 years ago this year, blues and gospel musician Blind Joe Taggart (Joel Washington Taggart, 1892-1961) stepped into a recording studio for the first time. I first learned about this artis…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for August 16, 2026 are about Lawrence of Arabia and Blind Joe Taggart. Happy Roller Coaster Day! Meet the Coasters of Coney Island! Earlier Travalanche posts…
Prior to 2010 your correspondent confesses to having known very little about the history of the Ottoman Empire. I freely admit that I am a creature of Western Bias when it comes to exploring…
Today’s new Travalanche post for August 15, 2026 is about Eddie and Dawn Little Sky. Also RIP Mark Rydell And we remember V-J Day Earlier Travalanche posts for August 15 (in no particular …
Today marks 100 years since the birth of Native American actor Eddie Little Sky (Edsel Little, 1926-1997). Little Sky was an Oglala Sioux, born and raised on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Afte…
Today’s new Travalanche post for August 14, 2026 is about British actor and music hall entertainer Bransby Williams. Earlier Travalanche posts for August 14 (in no particular order) includ…
August 14 was the birthday of British music hall star Bransby Williams (Bransby William Pharez, 1870-1961). As a youth, Williams worked for tea merchants in Mincing Lane, and for a wallpaper…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for August 13, 2026 are about Dolly Van Doll and the inaugural show of my American Vaudeville Theatre, 30 years ago this month. Earlier Travalanche posts for …
I’m in the midst of a personal benchmark at the mo’ — I might have marked it here earlier in the month but I found myself feeling obliged to recognize several centennials: those of Ton…
The European nightclub performer known as Dolly Van Doll (1938-2025) passed away back in October; I opted to save her memorial here until her natal day — although, to be accurate and undou…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for August 12, 2026 are about country singer Buck Owens and Gladys Bentley, star of the Harlem Renaissance. For World Elephant Day, meet the Elephants of Trav…
We promise we are not entering some big new Hee Haw phase here on Travalanche — mostly because we have already posted on that show and most of its stars. But it just so happens that we had…
