11,726 stories by "Trav S.D."
My new feature about the Lightship Lilac and her current exhibition just hit this week’s Downtown Express. Read all about it here. As a bonus, here are are extra stray photos I took wh…
Today is St. Bartholomew’s Eve. Funny — despite having worked on this post for several days, I was thinking to myself only yesterday that August doesn’t really have a holid…
Today is the birthday of the great George Herriman (1880-1944). I almost just called Krazy Kat the greatest comic strip of all time — surely no strip has ever been greater — but …
“Why do Beft Always Go to the Left?” — Dr. Seuss Tonight, we plunge back into performances of The Iron Heel after a hiatus of several days and so it seemed a good ti…
Just heard that Arthur Hiller has passed away at the age of 92. I had been planning a post on this interesting director for a while. It occurred to me a few months ago that certain of his…
Great fun last night at the Chinatown Soup gallery for the gala opening of the one-week re-appearance of Rev Jen’s Troll Museum. The Museum (which contains more trolls than you will fi…
Today is the birthday of Davy Crockett (1786-1836). Because he has been so heavily mythologized I think there has been an unfortunate tendency to regard this important American figure as a t…
Today is the birthday of Fess Parker (1924-2010 — how did I not notice that he died so recently?) I would have been thrilled as a child to have known that I am distantly related to thi…
Was saddened yesterday to hear that Fyvush Finkel has passed at age 93. When a show biz figure dies at that age it is not unusual to be  surprised to learn that they are still alive, for …
Today’s Bob Woolsey’s birthday. Typically what I’ve done on the past on this day is re-post my blog on Wheeler and Woolsey, a neglected comedy team who’ve grown on…
Today is the birthday of Francis Ford (Francis Joseph Feeney, 1881-1953). Born in Portland, Maine to parents from Galway, Feeney served briefly in the Spanish-American War before bumming aro…
It’s that time again! The Jazz Age Lawn Party returns to Governor’s Island this weekend. Flappers! Hot Jazz! Hip Flasks! What’s not to love? Yet I think the people who actu…
Filed under: PLUGS, VISUAL ART Tagged: art models, Brickhouse Brewery, burlesque, drawing, Patchogue, sideshow sketch night
It’s that time again! Theater for the New City’s annual summer street production is under way. Read all about it in my article in this week’s Villager. As an added bonus, h…
Today is the birthday of Allen Hoskins (1920-1980) best known for his groundbreaking role as the character “Farina” in Hal Roach’s Our Gang shorts. Hoskins literally grew u…
Who knew it was International Day of Friendship in Brooklyn today? I didn’t until I was walking through Fulton Mall on my way today’s performance of The Iron Heel and passed a pa…
Filed under: BROOKLYN, Comedy, Hollywood (History), Movies, PLUGS, Silent Film Tagged: City Reliquary, Henry Lehrman, Nelson Hughes, Pathe Lehrman, silent comedies, Williamsburg
Tonight at New York’s IFC Center: opening night of the re-release of John Waters’ fully restored 1970 trashterpiece Multiple Maniacs! (With Waters there himself tonight) Wa…
Today is the birthday of Claude Gillingwater (1870-1939). Trained as a lawyer, Missouri native Gillingwater worked first as a wholesale vinegar salesman before David Belasco gave him the cha…
Originally posted on Ethan Kanfer: Based on the novel by Jack London Adapted and directed by Edward Einhorn A committed socialist, Jack London took occasional forays from adventure novels to…
Sorry this may be hard to read…it’s 4600 words and digressive and contains no pictures! I may add some later but couldn’t think what to insert. Was just eager to hit “…
Filed under: Dime Museum and Side Show, PLUGS Tagged: Adam RealMan, Cardone
Today happens to be the birthday of both Fleming W. Ackerman (a.k.a “Colonel Speck”) and Major Edward Newell (a.k.a. “General Grant, Jr.”). (Click on the links to lea…
Tomorrow is the birthday of Joe E. Brown . What will you do to celebrate? Will you open your mouth really wide and make a really strange noise? I will, but I do that every morning upon arisi…
OK, here’s our latest vacation slide show post! By now, it’s become a regular content stream here. Â We’ve done Ireland (Galway & Dublin), New Orleans (a 5 part serie…
