11,429 stories by "Trav S.D."
Downtown playwright Robert Heide (Robert Heitke, 1934-2025) passed away back in December (thanks for the alert, Eve Golden); as I often do, I opted to wait until the decedent’s next birthd…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 8, 2026 are about Nan Wynn, Mary Lou Williams, Sam Lufkin, and some exciting new Al Hirschfeld stuff. May 8 is also VE Day, and I’ve blogged about t…
I stopped by the Algonquin yesterday to visit with my old friend David Leopold of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation. We hatched some crazy plans (about which more in due course), and David took m…
May 8 was the birthday of jazz genius Mary Lou Williams (Mary Elfrieda Scruggs, 1910-1981). Born in Atlanta, raised in Pittsburgh, Williams was a child prodigy who was supporting her family …
We are interested to note that the popular singer and actress Nan Wynn (Masha Vatz, 1915-1971) is not a Wynn at all. (For that matter, neither was Ed Wynn, nor are his progeny. The family na…
Born on May 8, supporting player Sam Lufkin (1891-1952). Lufkin appeared in nearly 200 films between 1920 and the end of his life, ranging from foil parts in the Edgar Kennedy/ Vernon Dent m…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 7, 2026 are about hypnotist Pat Collins and stage and screen actress May Cloy. Earlier Travalanche posts for May 7 (in no particular order) include on…
Her name sounds like a warning label on a bottle of floral perfume — or maybe one of her movies, but May Cloy (Mabel Larsen, 1880-1977) went by it anyhow. We’ve just been able to find so…
May 7 was the birthday of glamorous lady hypnotist Pat Collins (1935-1997). Collins was well paid for her specialty, even ran her own Hollywood club, and was featured in movies and on televi…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 6, 2026 are about the late Ted Turner, and the much later June Gittelson. For No Diet Day: The Travalanche Hall of Plus-Sized Comedians Earlier Traval…
Well, I was about to leave it at one blogpost today and give myself a break but this one is too big to ignore. Ted Turner (1938-2026) has passed away at the age of 87. Younger folks may not …
By some mischievous quirk of fate, character actress June Gittelson (1910-1993) was born on May 6, International No Diet Day, which was designed to promote body positivity, of which we stron…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 5, 2026 are about kiddie star impresario Ethel Meglin and comedian Sandy Baron. Also Happy Cinco de Mayo to those who celebrate. In observance of whic…
I noticed to my delight yesterday that I passed 10,000 blogposts a few days ago. Atsa lotta posts, boss. I’ll be truthful with you, I’ve done all this much more because I want to learn t…
May 5 was the birthday of Ethel Meglin (Ethel Marie Redman, 1890-1988), Hollywood’s top kiddie act impresario during the Golden Years. To the best of my knowledge, this is the most thoroug…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 4, 2026 are about Orange Julius, Frederic Church, and Jim Moore’s all-star variety show tonight. How’s that for a crazy bill of fare? And May the …
Born 200 years ago today, the great American landscape painter Frederic Church (1826-1900). I developed an appreciation of this important American artist and his fellows of the Hudson River …
Happy 80th Birthday to Jim R. Moore, the best friend the contemporary variety arts scene in New York has had, as just about anyone will tell you. Jim has chronicled circus, burlesque, sidesh…
May the 4th may be popularly observed far and wide as Star Wars Day, but there are some who use the date to celebrate something closer to our own galaxy: it’s also Orange Juice Day. We tho…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 3, 2026 are about Ann B. Davis, and a tremendous resource created by an alum of the American Vaudeville Theatre. Earlier Travalanche posts for May 3 (…
May 3 is World Press Freedom Day and I thought of the perfect way to mark it. I want to point you toward a beacon of clarity, truth, and that rarest of all things in today’s media landscap…
Born 100 years ago today, a much beloved and missed American icon, Ann B. Davis (1926-2014). Davis is interesting for many reasons, among them that she is almost entirely known for just TWO …
Today’s new Travalanche post for May 2, 2026 is about Lorenz Hart and the recent bio-pic Blue Moon. And since it’s Kentucky Derby Day, this little post about on and around horse racing. …
May 2 was the birthday of genius Broadway and Hollywood lyricist Lorenz Hart (1895-1943), best known for his 25 year songwriting partnership with Richard Rodgers. I wrote about the pair as a…
Today’s new Travalanche posts for May 1, 2026 are about: Joy Harmon, Sylvia Gerrish, and The Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition. And several posts for May Day: peruse the s…
