11,712 stories by "Trav S.D."
Today’s new Travalanche post for August 26, 2026 is about Jules White’s series of Dogville comedies for MGM. Also Happy Women’s Equality Day! Okay, I know it’s a sad one. We just los…
The title of this post is of course intended to clarify that it is not about the 2003 arthouse film by Lara Van Trier. But you probably new that anyway! Today being National Dog Day, it seem…
Today’s new Travalanche post for August 25, 2025 is about vaudeville, radio, and screen performer Dick Ryan. Previous August 25 posts include ones on: Chic Sale Ruby Keeler Monty Hall of L…
I’m not sure how I stumbled upon the existence of Dick Ryan (1896-1969), a minor figure to be sure, but he has the kind of stage and screen credits we pay attention to! Originally from New…
The oft-reproduced image above was taken by photojournalist Stan Honda of Agence France Press. The picture captures the moment when Marcy Borders (1973-2015) was pulled into the lobby of a b…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for August 24, 2026 are about Nedda Harrigan, Lew Kelly, and Marcy Borders, the “Dust Lady” of September 11. Also: RIP Shelley Fabares. Previous August 24…
What a charmed life was enjoyed by Nedda Harrigan (1899-1989) daughter of Edward “Ned” Harrigan of the team of Harrigan and Hart (on my short list of contenders for the title of Father o…
Thanks Ritch Shydner for inspiring this post (though I can’t remember how! I just remembered to thank him!) August 24 was the birthday of vaudeville, burlesque, and screen comedian Lew Kel…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for August 23, 2026 are about the death of Rudolph Valentino, as well as Ernie Bushmiller and his comic strip Nancy, and Edgar Lee Masters and his book Spoon …
August 23 was the birthday of poet and author Edgar Lee Masters (1868-1950), today almost exclusively known for his sui generis work Spoon River Anthology (1915). As I have written elsewhere…
It’s hard to turn an ocean liner around, but I may be weakening in my lifelong animadversion to the art of Ernie Bushmiller (1905-82) as represented by his comic strip Nancy. Some may balk…
Today we unavoidably think of our late friend Donna Hill (a.k.a. RudyFan) who surely would have been marking this date in some significant fashion, it being the 100th anniversary of the deat…
Someone reminded me the other day that I had mentioned Sam Devere (1842-1907) in my book No Applause, and I was startled to realize that he hadn’t gotten a shout-out here on Travalanche ye…
Today’s new Travalanche post for August 22, 2026 is about 19th century stage star Sam Devere. Previous August 22 posts include ones on: Dorothy Parker Valerie Harper and Rhoda George Herri…
Today’s new Travalanche post for August 21, 2026 is a sad farewell to Coney Island photographer Kenny Lombardi. Previous August 21 posts include ones on Senior Citizens Day (several, in fa…
I received news yesterday that Coney Island stalwart Kenny Lombardi (b. 1959) passed away on Tuesday (August 18). If Kenny had held on a day longer, he would have died on World Photography 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…
