11,500 stories by "Trav S.D."
Most contemporary folks would be apt to know Sheree North (Dawn Shirley Crang, 1932-2005) from memorable recurring roles on sit-coms: she was Kramer's mom on Seinfeld, Blanche's sister on Th…
Oscar Apfel (1878-1938) was a major figure in the early film industry as a director; he later opted to take a back seat as a very minor actor, apparently for the sheer enjoyment of it. Origi…
Having written about Tony Lovello, the Liberace of the Accordion just last month, it would be remiss of me to omit his principal competition in the industry, Dick Contino (1930-2017), whose …
Here's a story of a man who was prominent in every entertainment medium of his day, the stage, movies, radio, and television, but today will be known only to hard-core show biz buffs: Warren…
Today's new Travalanche post for January 16, 2026 is about Jim Stafford. Yes. Jim Stafford. Stay tuned! There are a great many cool ones coming up over the weekend! Other earlier Travalanche…
If you're like me and have any space at all for country comedy musicians of decades past in your cluttered mind, they're all jumbled together. When I was a kid in the '70s guys like today's …
Today's new Travalanche posts for January 15, 2026 are about vaudeville singer Will Oakland, and several recent, current and upcoming indie theatre shows (and celebrity sightings) Other earl…
I used to have a theatre column years ago and lord knows I don't want another one, but over the last (and next) several days there's so much going on that I'd like to see (and have seen), mu…
Today, one of those occasional Travalanche essays that exceed what you will be able to find elsewhere on the internet. The subject is vaudeville countertenor Will Oakland (Herman Hinrichs, 1…
Faye Dunaway (b. 1941) turns 85 today, and not long ago we watched the 2024 HBO doc about her called Faye, not to be confused with the Lee Grant sitcom Fay. And we've mentioned the actress a…
Today's new Travalanche posts for January 14, 2026 are about the Raymond Griffith's Hands Up (100 years old this year), Faye Dunaway, and Richard Outcault (The Yellow Kid and Buster Brown) O…
Released 100 years ago today! Raymond Griffith in Hands Up! (1926). And I caught it in the nick of time. I assumed I had already done a post on this terrific comedy, but in fact I had not, t…
This dashing dude is Richard F. Outcault (1863-1928), once hailed by many as the inventor of the newspaper comic strip. Many hands went into the evolution of this unique art form however; it…
Today's new Travalanche post for January 13, 2026 is about Tin Pan Alley songwriter James V. Monaco. Other earlier Travalanche posts for January 13 (in no particular order) include ones on: …
January 13 was the birthday of Tin Pan Alley composer James V. Monaco (1885-1945). Monaco was an Italian immigrant who moved to the U.S. with his family when he was six years old. He was rai…
By a certain logic, this piece should begin with the woman at the bottom of this post (and the girl seated center in the photo above). It's the customary way, and without her, the other two …
Today's new Travalanche posts for January 12, 2026 are about silent screen star Milton Sills, and the Paul McCartney's in-laws The Eastman Family. Other earlier Travalanche posts for January…
"…modern girls find fault with almost everybody, unless a man is a Milton Sills, he doesn't stand a chance…." " 1928 vaudeville lyric When one looks down a list of his credits, one might…
In the interest of thoroughness, and because I have mentioned THIS "Alexander Hamilton" on Travalanche as often as the man himself and the musical based on his life. This one falls almost pr…
Today's new Travalanche posts for January 11, 2026 are about Alexander Hamilton and the first bio-pic about same. Other earlier Travalanche posts for January 11 (in no particular order) incl…
Alexander Hamilton celebrated his birthday on January 11, though historians are uncertain whether the year was 1755 or 1757. No one is confused about when he died, however. The fatal duel wi…
Weekends in January and February are often set aside in western mountain resort communities as Avalanche Awareness Days. We mark this year's with an appreciation of the 1978 disaster film Av…
Today's new Travalanche posts for January 10, 2026 are about Thomas Paine's Common Sense and the 1978 disaster movie Avalanche. (I ask you " what other blog has that kinda reach?!) Other ear…
250 years ago today (January 10, 1776): the publication of Thomas Paine's Common Sense. I'm planning a full biographical post on Paine which I'll share about a month from now, but it seems i…
Today's new Travalanche posts for January 9, 2026 are about Led Zeppelin, David Johansen and the New York Dolls, The Mad Show, and singer/actor Jimmy Boyd. Other earlier Travalanche posts fo…
