11,723 stories by "Trav S.D."
There is much more to be said about British bandleader and songwriter Ray Noble (1903-74) Â than I have time for, but he was very popular in the U.S. and his career intersected with some o…
December 17 was the natal of burlesque dancer, pin-up model, and actress Lilly Christine (Martha Theresa Pompender, 1923-1965), a.k.a. "The Cat Girl" . Originally from Dunkirk, New York (rig…
I got a highly felicitous piece of news in my in-box last night and it's timely information so I rush the information straight to you. Jody Christopherson and The House of Songs proudly pres…
I generally plug my own books during the holiday season, but occasionally there's a new one out that's so important or so interesting or by an author who matters to me such that I have to te…
Oh, what a painful, heartbreaking experience is The Wild Man of Borneo (1941). I'd long aspired to see it, as I'd read that it was originally crafted as a vehicle for W.C. Fields, and I'm cu…
Director James W. Horne (1881-1942) had an extraordinarily productive career,making close to 300 films over a 30 year career, and distinguishing himself in two genres, comedy and adventure s…
It has been a joy learning more about the life and career of George Furth (George Schweinfurth, 1932-2008). I'd always known him entirely as a film and television character actor, but it tur…
A 1941 Life magazine article says that one Ernestine Russell took the first name Jane, i.e. Jane Russell in honor of Jane Cowl (1883-1950). Boston-born Cowl was a Broadway star and playwrigh…
Today would have been the 100th birthday of pin-up model and Hollywood supporting actress Margie Stewart (1919-2012), whose entire career was limited to the World War Two Era. Originally fro…
Don't ask me why I did a post on Amanda Randolph first and then waited six years to do a post on her younger sister Lillian Randolph (1898-1980), who was arguably the bigger, better remem…
This coming Sunday, December 15 will mark the 80th anniversary of the world premiere of Gone with the Wind (1939), which was held, somewhat symbolically, in Atlanta. We jump the gun a little…
These days, Owen Moore (1886-1939) is unfortunately remembered primarily as a footnote in the life of his first wife Mary Pickford. Because she ascended to the stratosphere, and Moore did…
It's National Day of the Horse, a more fitting occasion than you may know on which to celebrate John Bill Ricketts (1769-1800), long venerated as the Father of the American Circus. The insti…
Well, if we weren't mere hours away from the 80th anniversary of Gone With the Wind, I might not have felt the same urgency toward doing a post today on Laura Hope Crews (1879-1942) the lady…
Thelma Hill (Thelma Hillerman, 1906-1938) was on a very promising trajectory as a comedy star until booze derailed the whole thing. Very often in these annals we encounter supporting players…
New York stage actress Helen Menken (Helen Meinken, 1901-1966) made her Broadway debut at only age 16 in the original production of Parlor Bedroom and Bath (1917, best known today for later …
If Don C. Harvey (1911-1963) had a genuine western air about it's because he started out acting in Kansas tent shows, Chautauquas, stock companies, and opera houses. Originally known as "Car…
We're days away from the next Miss America pageant and today happens to be the birthday of one of the holders of that title (probably one of the few we'll write about), Fay Lanphier (sometim…
I VERY much look forward to seeing "The Violet Hour" Melody Jane's , Pangea debut this Saturday at 7pm, and I hope you will see it too! You may remember Melody Jane as "Beauty" in our produc…
As sometimes happens, the bulk of my time working on this Teri Garr (b. 1944) post has been spent trying to find just the right photo to head it with. Some are too closely linked to specific…
Gorgeous Los Angeles local Sally Eilers (1908-1978) started out as an extra (often as flappers and chorus girls) in major movies like The Red Mill (1927, directed by Roscoe Arbuckle as "Will…
I flirted with not doing a post on Ron Carey (Ronald Joseph Cicenia, 1935-2007, figuring that my mention in my Barney Miller post about covered it, but, nah, there's much more to talk about.…
Well, you just want Anne Gwynne (1918-2003) to be related to Fred Gwynne, but her real name was Marguerite Gwynne Trice. And while the man from The Munsters was the quintessential easterner,…
Orson Welles fans know Ray Collins (1889-1965) from Citizen Kane (1941), The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) and Touch of Evil (1958) as well his various radio shows, and the 1941 Broadway prod…
The story of Sidney Fox (Sarah Liefer, 1907-1942) is like that of a boat that gets lifted by a tidal wave and then stranded on the beach. Born in Galicia (now Poland), she emigrated with her…
