All stories by Trav S.D. on BroadwayStars

Monday, July 24, 2023

Alan Curtis Quantified by Trav S.D.

Alan Curtis (Harold Ueberroth, 1909-1953) was well on the way to some kind of lasting stardom when a bad reaction to a routine kidney operation took him at age 43. Despite a somewhat forgett…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:25AM
Sunday, July 23, 2023

For Shark Week: Some Jabs at “Jabberjaw” by Trav S.D.

July 23 marks the beginning of the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week this year, an annual tradition since 1988. I have always been shocked at how successful this promotional campaign has been…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:33AM
Saturday, July 22, 2023

Vivian Martin: The Dresden China Figurine by Trav S.D.

Vivian Martin (1893-1987) was a Broadway actress and movie star of the silent era, one of the many rivals to Mary Pickford as a sweet screen damsel, and a for a time the wife of actor Willia…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:43AM
Friday, July 21, 2023

A Glance at Gladys Hulette by Trav S.D.

July 21 was the natal day of stage and screen actress Gladys Hulette (1896-1991) — the same birthday as my beautiful wife. not to mention Chauncey Olcott; Don Knotts; Joe Laurie Jr; Little…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:43AM
Thursday, July 20, 2023

The Voice of Verna Felton by Trav S.D.

The final screen credit of Verna Felton (1890-1966), as Winifred the Elephant in Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book (1967) makes a good touchstone for exploring the rest of her career. She spec…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:49AM
Wednesday, July 19, 2023

A Picture of Patricia Medina by Trav S.D.

Well, it’s a big day, and I really ought to be focusing on tonight’s show at QED or the Tom Carvel documentary podcast I’m in that dropped this morning, but old habits die hard so I th…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:13AM
Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Exit, Two Indie Theater Heroes by Trav S.D.

Within a span of hours, two press releases have hit my inbox concerning the departures of two of my favorite indie theatre artistic directors, Alex Roe of Metropolitan Playhouse, and Kristin…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:37PM

A Brace of Boxing Billy Sullivan by Trav S.D.

I first became aware of Billy Sullivan (William Arthur Sullivan, 1891-1946) through my investigation of boxing movies in this post. His association with the genre, and the fact that he was f…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:07AM
Monday, July 17, 2023

For National Tattoo Day: The Tattoos of Travalanche by Trav S.D.

Happy National Tattoo Day! We thought this a suitable day to share a finding aid to our little tattoo section of Travalanche, for we do indeed have one, with about 15 posts. None precisely t…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:19AM

Gale Garnett, In the Sunshine by Trav S.D.

I contemplated writing about a much more famous Canadian actor this morning, one who’d certainly attract more clicks, but that’s not how we roll on Travalanche. Mission first, clicks sec…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:07AM
Sunday, July 16, 2023

In Which We Are Unsssssssettled By “Sssssss” (1973) by Trav S.D.

My reasons for ssssssselecting Sssssss (1973) to write about today are ssssssseveral: Sssssss is also one of those movies that, when I talk to people of about my own age, most of them seem t…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:25AM
Saturday, July 15, 2023

In Support of the Strike by Trav S.D.

Unlike nearly everyone else of my acquaintance, I’ve been mum on the topic of the writers’ (and now actors’) strike for a variety of reasons. One is that, given my long-standing and ce…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:49AM
Friday, July 14, 2023

R.I.P. Jimmy Weldon by Trav S.D.

We just word on the passing a couple of days ago of ventriloquist, voice-over artist, announcer, children’s host, and actor Jimmy Weldon (1923-2023), just two months shy of his centennial …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:13PM

A Look at Lucky Annabella by Trav S.D.

How lucky was French actress Annabella (Suzanne Georgette Charpentier, 1907-1996) to be born on Bastille Day? It’s kind of like George M. Cohan being born on the 4th of July. And that’s …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:43PM

Happy Birthday, Tom Carvel! by Trav S.D.

Born today, the much-missed ice cream entrepreneur Tom Carvel (Athanasios Karvelas, 1906-1990). Those of a certain age RELISHED (and I mean ALL of us) Carvel’s voice-overs in his own TV an…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:25AM

In Which We Briefly Become “Tre’vellanche” by Trav S.D.

July 14 isn’t only Bastille Day, it’s now also Non-Binary Peoples Day, and so today we use the occasion to celebrate Tre’vell Anderson, founder of Slayzhon, podcaster, former Editor-At…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:19AM
Thursday, July 13, 2023

Dave Garroway: Today and Yesterday by Trav S.D.

Few people in show business have enjoyed such a huge impact in the daily lives of millions of Americans and then vanished from the public consciousness so utterly Dave Garroway (1913-1982). …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:07AM
Tuesday, July 11, 2023

The Growth of Alfred E. Green by Trav S.D.

I find myself awestruck by that it is possible to have directed so many well-known Hollywood movies, many regarded as “classics” or semi-classics, while remaining as anonymous as Alfred …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:07AM
Monday, July 10, 2023

Tilting at Tony Hendra by Trav S.D.

It wasn’t that long ago, but still I can’t recall what in particular it was that motivated me to take note of Tony Hendra (1941-2021) with the purpose of writing a post on him. It may ha…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:43AM

For the Betty Brian Centennial: On The Brian Sisters by Trav S.D.

July 10, 2023 would have been the centennial birthday of Betty Brian (1923-2015), who, with her sibs Doris (1926-2018) and Gwen (1928-1990) was one third of the juvenile sister act trio The …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:33AM
Sunday, July 9, 2023

Taking Aim at Ed Ames and the Ames Brothers by Trav S.D.

Oh, don’t worry, I’m not going to be mean to the Ames Brothers — I just like a bit of sonic wordplay in my headlines. But if I’d written this post back in the ’70s when I was a kid…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:37AM
Saturday, July 8, 2023

Faye Emerson: Female TV Pioneer by Trav S.D.

An overdue salute today to early television pioneer Faye Emerson (1917-83). Emerson was a stunning Broadway, radio, and Hollywood movie actress who just happened to be married to Elliott Roo…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:43AM
Friday, July 7, 2023

Happy Birthday, Doc Severinsen by Trav S.D.

I just got the memo that today is the birthday of the STILL-LIVING Carl “Doc” Severinsen (b. 1927). Severinsen was a transitional figure of a very rare sort when I was a kid. Rock and ro…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:07PM

Dick Kallman and the Murder of Little Louie Groovy by Trav S.D.

Here’s a historical cul-de-sac! Hank (1965-66) was the first sit-com created by Garry Marshall and Jerry Belson, before Happy Days, before The Odd Couple, and before even Hey Landlord. It …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:55AM
Thursday, July 6, 2023

A Different Della Reese by Trav S.D.

Della Reese (Delloreese Early, 1931-2017) wound up with that curse of the successful television star, public over-identification with a role on account her decade-long run on Touched By An A…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:07PM

Travalanche on “Stuff You Should Know” by Trav S.D.

Thanks Killy Dwyer for letting me know that Travalanche got a real nice mention on the popular podcast Stuff You Should Know on July 4. The episode topic was long-haul trucking industry of a…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:49AM
Wednesday, July 5, 2023

2 Weeks From Today: See Me (and Funny Friends) at QED! by Trav S.D.

It gives me great pride and pleasure to announce the next thing on the horizon, something that…just kinda made sense. I have a new monthly show at the Queens-based comedy club QED, 27-16 2…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:43PM

Today on TCM: The Phynx! by Trav S.D.

“Stop da music, stop da music!” as Jimmy Durante used to shout, for we have some absolute News You Can Use regarding a matter of timely importance. TCM is showing the rare and strange ci…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:13AM
Tuesday, July 4, 2023

On the Fourth, Fairs, and Festivals by Trav S.D.

In my never ending search for a Grand Unified Field Theory of Show Business, I have been harping an awful lot the last several months on the topic of the ancient Pagan holidays that were abs…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:55AM

The Snakes of Damajanti by Trav S.D.

Mysteries abound about the great snake charmer Nala Damajanti (1861-?). Like Little Egypt and many famous 20th century advertising mascots, “Nala Damajanti” may have been played by more …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:37AM
Monday, July 3, 2023

A Window into Wynne Gibson by Trav S.D.

What a delight it’s been learning about minor movie star Winifred “Wynne” Gibson (1898-1987), whose name is an evocative mash-up of associations of folks from her own era; Wini Shaw, B…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:19PM