Today a celebration of music hall and vaudeville (and early screen) performer Ena Bertoldi (Beatrice Mary Claxton (1876-1906). Raised in a family of acrobats, Bertoldi made her debut at age …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:16AMOkay it’s probably unseemly to be doing my third post about Illeana Douglas, the most recent having been about a month ago, but honestly it just shook out that way. And each post had a rea…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:06AMThe above depicts my much older first cousin in civvies outside his barracks during his tour of Vietnam, taken in 1972. I didn’t ask permission to share it, so I won’t name him, but sinc…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:29AMOn this day in 1974 (50 years ago today), Canadian comedian David Steinberg (b. 1942) got an excellent 32nd birthday present — Richard Nixon resigned. Despite having been inspired to becom…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:44AMToday is opening day of the National Hobo Convention, a.k.a. Britt Hobo Days in the town of Britt, Iowa. The Convention was first held there in 1900, but first became an annual tradition in …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:00AMFifty years ago today, when Philippe Petit made his famous tightrope walk between the Twin Towers of the original World Trade Center, I find it probable that he didn’t do know that another…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:19AM“I believe nothing of my own that I have ever written” — Charles Fort, 1874-1932 Yes, Charles Fort died in 1932. He is only “still living” in the sense that “Yes, Virginia, there…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:51AMAugust 5 was the birthday of Hollywood actor Robert Taylor (Spangler Brugh, 1911-1969) and, having mentioned him a couple of dozen times on this blog I feel obligated to give him his own ent…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:44AMPin-up model, movie starlet, and golf hustler Jeanne Carmen (1930-2007) sometimes went as a blonde, sometimes as a brunette, but wherever she went, she was all gal! Haha, I made that up all …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:13PMAugust 4 was my late mother’s birthday; it also happens to be National Psychics Day, which facts combine to remind me of the occasion when I was in my late teens, during which my mother an…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:07AMIt’s how we define kitsch, isn’t it? At least, it’s what I always think of to illustrate the concept: a painting of a sad clown on black velvet. It’s National Clown Day. I’ve writt…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:56AMToday marks the 100th birthday of the elusive creature Connie Converse (Elizabeth Converse, b. 1924) and this year also marks many other round anniversaries connected with the woman besides.…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:44AMWell, not only were Carol O’Connor and James Baldwin born 100 years ago today, but so was Alan Abel (1924-2018) — that’s the emmis. In the age of Trump and QAnon it may be difficult to…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:19AMJames Baldwin (1924-1987) was born in Harlem 100 years ago today. The one-two punch of the films I’m Not Your Negro (2016) and If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) brought Baldwin’s genius …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:46AMAugust 7, 1974 was the date that French acrobat Philippe Petit made his unthinkable (and quite illegal) tightrope walk across the Twin Towers of the original World Trade Center. As I chronic…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:04AMHappy International Clown Week, which always falls the first week of August. I’d like to kick it off by referring you back to this recent post plugging the upcoming Coney Island Clown Skoo…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:42AMThe performance that made me curious about Salem Ludwig (1915-2007) was his role as Peter Sellers’ father in one of my favorite sixties comedies I Love You, Alice B. Toklas (1968). That sa…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:54AMA salute today to the singing McGuire Sisters, all of whom were with us quite recently! The trio was comprised of Christine (1926-2018), Dottie (1928-2012, not to be confused with actress Do…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:02AMYes, I know. Joe Exotic is so 2020. I had contemplated doing a post on him when he first made his big splash that year, but (much like, let’s say, a cat) I always resist moving with the he…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:12AMWhile I do occasionally post about authors and illustrators per se on this blog, there actually is a show biz angle (my more usual beat) to the story of Beatrix Potter (1866-1943). As I post…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:32PMThose of us of a certain age are apt to associate Sally Struthers (b. 1947) with a single role, but as you will see, it’s an injustice to do so. The prologues and epilogues are substantial…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:12AMI have no idea how so major a stage star as Truly Shattuck (Clarice Ferguson, 1875-1954) evaded my notice for so long, nor how she did eventually come to my attention, but I am delighted to …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:18AMThis one goes out to my friend Seth Shelden, Harpo interpreter and peace-monger extraordinaire. Today is Stanley Kubrick’s birthday. Having already done a general post on the great directo…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:42PMThe above was taken back in April, and it depicts my joyous opportunity to reunite and catch up with actress/author/presenter Illeana Douglas (Illeana Hesselberg, b. 1961) I knew Illeana sho…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:32AMI first heard the name Frank Silvera (1914-1970) when I was working in the back office of Theater for the New City; I think the Frank Silvera Writers Workshop had presented work there, or ma…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:36AMToday we celebrate Ruth Duccini (Ruth Robinson, 1918-2014) whose place in history is assured by being the last female surviving cast member of the 1939 classic picture The Wizard of Oz. Ducc…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:02PMA few days ago I took advantage of my membership in The Lambs to start diving into their remarkable archives, starting with the papers of the Homer of Vaudeville, Joe Laurie Jr, whom I first…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:48PMComedy writer and producer Bob Booker (1931-2024) no longer resides in the Land of the Living. Booker has been top of mind for me lately, as I had ample chance to talk about one of his more …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:02AMThis is my beautiful wife during our recent trip to the Laurie Beechman which I wrote about yesterday. She hates having her picture taken so I always have to sneak candids like this one, but…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:02PMThis piece started out as a review, and then it grew to two related reviews, in the midst of which circumstances then dictated that it also include some hard news reporting, which then sugge…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:32PMAn interesting if belated new edition to our Stars of Slapstick series, screen comedian Addie McPhail (Addie Dukes, 1905-2003). McPhail was born in Kentucky, but moved to Chicago with her fa…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:12AM
