11,712 stories by "Trav S.D."
Born 100 years ago today, the world-shaking Judy Garland (Frances Gumm, 1922-1969). Poor Judy never even made it halfway to 100; she was famously killed by the very business that elevated he…
Today, a tip of the Mouse Ears (or coonskin cap, if that is your preference) former child star Kevin "Moochie" Corcoran (1949-2015). Corcoran was particularly associated with the film and te…
A few words about stage and screen comedienne Louise Carver (Mary Louise Steiger, 1869-1956). The daughter of a Davenport, Iowa teamster, Carver studied singing in her youth, and performed i…
It's opening day at the Tribeca Festival (June 8-19) and I want to take the occasion to plug one film they're showing in particular. I don't usually get excited about modern movie shorts but…
Today is National Best Friends Day, a worthy occasion to celebrate, especially these days, when I imagine that many a friendship has been strained by the challenges of the times. Vaudeville,…
Some attention paid today to character actress Hope Summers (1902-1979), whose most prominent credits include the role of Clara on The Andy Griffith Show (1961-68) and Mayberry RFD (1968-197…
June 6 was the natal day of a long-forgotten but genuinely important American author named Timothy Shay Arthur (1809-1885). When I say that Arthur was important, I don't mean literarily. Poe…
Some few words of appreciation for an influential but obscure pop cultural figure of the late 20th century who would be turning 80 today, Ken Shapiro (1942-2017). Shapiro started out as a ch…
Well now, here is a third famous George Wallace we have to keep straight in our heads, a comedian, yet not the same as the contemporary African-American one, and certainly not the same as th…
Having already mentioned him in an article and lecture on medicine shows, I'm pretty certain I'd not have otherwise written an entire dedicated post about Edward Oliver Tilburn (1859-1940) a…
Stage and screen actor Walter James (1882-1946) had the rare distinction of playing good-sized supporting roles in features by all three top silent comedy stars: Battling Butler (1926) with …
My "to do" calendar for this June 2 boasts a whopping seven potential people for me to write about today, including two bona fide vaudevillians and a performing "freak"; I may or may not get…
June is Pride Month; it's usually a time for celebration and righteous defiance, but this year it arrives just as I am learning about the passing away of the most significant gay person in m…
Today we celebrate the great stage and radio comedian Fred Allen; our biographical post on him was one of our first ever on Travalanche. But that's going back a ways; we thought we'd augment…
Having already done more than one post touching on Joe Palooka, it would seem to be redundant to devote an entire post to one of the men who played him, but there are a few meaty things to a…
A tribute today to a successful singing duo of century ago, the team of Holt and Rosedale, composed of operatic soprano Vivian Holt and mezzosoprano/contralto and pianist Lillian Rosedale (1…
Actor Kevin Conway (1942-2020) would have been 80 years old today had he not died of a heart attack just over two years ago. The supporting actor wasn't the most well-known, but he possessed…
Just heard from Candy Clark that her American Graffiti (1973) co-star Bo Hopkins (1938-2022) has passed away. Why I feel compelled to memorialize him while everyone else is mourning the loss…
Released nationwide throughout the U.S. 40 years ago today, a piece of cinema magic " and magic magic " called The Escape Artist (1982). This little film was produced by Francis Ford Coppola…
Albert Saveen (Albert Langford, 1914-1883) was a British ventriloquist of the postwar era. Saveen was nearly 30 when injured in a bomb explosion during the blitz. During his recuperation per…
Today is World Redhead Day. We've already posted a roundup of famous female redheads of stage and screen here. Today, I thought I'd pay tribute to a particular redhead whose work I've spent …
Brooklyn native George Rosener (1884-1945) was a veteran of vaudeville, medicine shows, stock theatre, and clown alley when he made it to Broadway in the 1923 and 1925 editions of the Artist…
Stage and screen beauty Marie Doro (Marie Katherine Stewart, 1882-1956) was born 140 years ago this day! Born in Duncannon, Pennsylvania, Doro grew up mostly in Kansas City, where she made h…
A few words on Irish-American strongman, trainer and professional wrestler William Muldoon (1845-1933). Born on a farm in rural Alleghany County, New York, Muldoon was renowned for his skill…
A sure sign that we are emerging out the other side of the pandemic: our friend Gay Marshall is in from Paris, and will be performing selections from her recent Leonard Cohen tribute album B…
